Second Pocket First – Gregory Grosvenor

Posted on January 13, 2025 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) Issey had always been a thief, but not a particularly good one. The thrill of lifting someone’s property was overwhelming since he was a boy stealing mail. Lockpicking was his specialty, but as an adult working in Boston for a small-time gangster named Berger, he just didn’t bring in enough valuable…

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The Book Censor’s Library – Bothayna Al-Essa , translated from the Arabic by Ranya Abdelrahman and Sawad Hussain

Posted on January 8, 2025 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung)     This cautionary tale takes place “sometime in the future, in a place that would be pointless to name, since it resembles every other place." All I know is that it is at a time when global democracy is obsolete and is considered part of the “Old World”, and individuality…

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Tenth Commandment: A Cat Caliban Mystery (The Cat Caliban Mysteries) – D. B. Borton

Posted on January 2, 2025 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by Pat Luboff)   “I’m too tired. I just want to go to bed with a book.” In Chapter 1, sixty- one -year-old Cat was asked what she was good at. She thinks: “Certainly not marriage or motherhood or housekeeping, despite my years of practice.” And she describes other things she’s not good at…

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Happy New Year 2025!

Posted on December 31, 2024 by J D Jung

(by JD Jung) We at UnderratedReads wish all our readers a safe and Happy New Year filled with health and love throughout 2025. We have discovered wonderful books during 2024, and since we only post reviews of books that we recommend, all books on our site are highly recommended. However, here's an abbreviated list of…

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Trust Issues – Katherine Nichols

Posted on December 27, 2024 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) From the moment you pick up Trust Issues and are drawn in by its intriguing cover, you might expect a romance or women’s fiction story. But don’t be fooled—this novel packs a crime thriller punch, brimming with suspense, mystery, and unforgettable characters. The story revolves around Claire Kincaid, a PR professional…

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An UnderratedRead Revisited: The Scale of Time: From the Beginning – Joseph Lanzara

Posted on December 24, 2024 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by Pat Luboff) “The underlying mission of this book is to render, with accuracy, unimaginably long lengths of time and incredibly vast distances in space, conceivable at a glance.” You’ll note that instead of listing just the author’s name, I have included the phrase as he has it on the front of his book.…

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An UnderratedRead Revisited: The Coin – Yasmin Zaher

Posted on December 20, 2024 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) “…in my family, America was both the key and the curse.” Our narrator, who is from a wealthy Palestinian family moved to New York after her parents died. She was left with an inheritance of which she could only access a small portion. That is, she is only provided with a…

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An UnderratedRead Revisited: Wait- Gabriella Burnham

Posted on December 17, 2024 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung)   “They threw me out of the country like I was a nothing.” Wait delves into the intricate layers of family, identity, and the harsh realities faced by undocumented immigrants in the United States. Through the lens of protagonist Elise, who is American, we are drawn into a world where the…

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An UnderratedRead Revisited: Black Pill: How I Witnessed the Darkest Corners of the Internet Come to Life, Poison Society, and Capture American Politics – Elle Reeve

Posted on December 13, 2024 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) I’ve been amazed how CNN correspondent Elle Reeve has put herself in risky situations to get a story as well as to obtain the perspective of potentially dangerous people. This is even more evident in her latest book, Black Pill. Through these interviews, we see the dangers of the far-right groups…

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Selamlik – Khaled Alesmael (translated from the Arabic by Leri Price)

Posted on December 5, 2024 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) “I am so glad I was born in Syria and get to be young in Damascus, no matter the fear and danger. I love Damascus even if she is cruel to me.” Our narrator Furat lives in the shadows and has always had to hide his sexuality. There are places where…

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