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UnderratedReads is devoted to discovering underrated books and under-represented authors. We highlight hidden gems from around the world–honest reviews only, never pay-to-play.
Category Archives: Politics and Social Justice
Here, Right Matters: An American Story – Alexander Vindman
(Reviewed by JD Jung) “Regardless of any impact on the president, the domestic and foreign policy consequences, or personal costs, I had no choice but to report what I’d heard. That duty to report is a critical component of U.S. … Continue reading
Posted in American Politics, Bios and Memoirs, History, Immigration, Non-fiction, Politics and Social Justice, Reviewers' Top Picks, World Issues
Tagged Donald Trump, ethics, immigration, impeachment, military, Russia, Soviet Union
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Antiman: A Hybrid Memoir – Rajiv Mohabir
(reviewed by JD Jung) “I wanted to stop hiding. I wanted to tell them that I was queer. Queer sexually, queer religiously, queer by caste, and queer countried.” Rajiv Mohabir never felt that he belonged. As a resident of Central … Continue reading
Posted in Culture, Immigration, Modern Literary Fiction, World Issues
Tagged class, culture, Guyanese, immigration, India, LGBTQ, multiculture, political activism, race, sexuality
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Pastels and Pedophiles: Inside the Mind of QAnon – Mia Bloom and Sophia Moskalenko
(Reviewed by JD Jung) “In a short four years, QAnon metastasized from a fringe movement on anonymous message boards into a cultlike movement, with millions of followers around the world…and practically seized control of the Republican Party.” What actually is … Continue reading
Posted in American Politics, History, Non-fiction, Politics and Social Justice, Reviewers' Top Picks, World Issues
Tagged conspiracy theories, psychology, QAnon, terrorism
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Dangerous Conjectures – Brian Finney
(reviewed by JD Jung) “She couldn’t decide which was deteriorating faster—her life or the country. They were all in the hands of a president who was spreading misinformation as fast as the virus was spreading infection across the world.” “Even … Continue reading
Posted in Modern Literary Fiction, Political fiction, Romance
Tagged adultery, COVID-19, disinformation, drug addiction, emotion, facts, family, misinformation, QAnon, San Francisco
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Operation Chaos: The Trump Coup Attempt and the Campaign to Erode Democracy – Kevin James Shay
(Reviewed by JD Jung) It’s bad enough that many Republicans still refuse to accept the validity of the legitimate 2020 U.S. Presidential election. Now congressmen such as Ralph Norman (R-SC), Andrew Clyde (R-GA), Paul Gosar (R-AZ), and others even refuse … Continue reading
Posted in American Politics, History, Non-fiction, Politics and Social Justice
Tagged authoritarianism, book reviews, democracy, insurrection, political history, racism, Republican party, Trump, White-nationalism
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The Man Who Lived Underground – Richard Wright, Afterward by Malcolm Wright
(Reviewed by JD Jung) “…even though his entire body was drenched in what seemed to him a cloud of hot vapor, even though his throat gagged at the reeking odors, he felt that he was safe for the first time … Continue reading
Posted in Historical Fiction, Lost and almost forgotten, Reviewers' Top Picks, Social Justice
Tagged ethics, police brutality, racism, Religion, violence
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This Is the Fire: What I Say to My Friends About Racism – Don Lemon
(Reviewed by JD Jung) “Racism is a cancer that has been metastasizing throughout this land ever since Columbus showed up. It’s persisted because the right people had the luxury of ignoring it. Not anymore.” In fact, Donald Trump, a blatant … Continue reading
Posted in American Politics, Bios and Memoirs, History, Non-fiction, Politics and Social Justice, Social Justice
Tagged American History, racism, Social change, social justice
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Kings, Conquerors, Psychopaths: From Alexander to Hitler to the Corporation – Joseph Abraham
(Reviewed by Jeyran Main) Kings, Conquerors, Psychopaths: From Alexander to Hitler to the Corporation provides us with a realistic look at how leaders and rulers brutally controlled us and how many of the same characteristics are displayed in the tyrants … Continue reading
Posted in History, Non-fiction, Politics and Social Justice, Reviewers' Top Picks
Tagged current events, history, Social change
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The People of Ostrich Mountain- Ndirangu Githaiga
(reviewed by Ann Onymous ) This book takes its title from the view of Mt. Kilimanjaro from a distance. To some there appear to be ostriches up at the top but when we look closer, we each see different things. … Continue reading
Posted in Immigration, Modern Literary Fiction
Tagged family, friendship, gender, immigration, Kenya, race
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