Underrated Reads

Colorful Palate: A Flavorful Journey Through a Mixed American Experience – Raj Tawney

Posted on November 23, 2023 by J D Jung

(reviewed by JD Jung) #CommissionsEarned In Raj Tawney’s captivating memoir, Colorful Palate: A Flavorful Journey Through a Mixed American Experience, readers are treated to a poignant exploration of identity, family, and cultural diversity. Set against the backdrop of suburban New York, Raj's narrative paints a vivid picture of his coming-of-age journey. Raj was envious of…

Posted in Bios and Memoirs, Culture, Food & Cooking | Tagged diversity, family, India, multiculture, New York City | Comments Off

Dogboy v Catfish – Luke Gracias

Posted on November 19, 2023 by J D Jung

Reviewed by JD Jung) #CommissionsEarned When I first read the title, Dogboy v Catfish, I thought that it sounded silly, and was skeptical as to whether I would enjoy the book. I hope others are not turned off by it, as this novel about crime and deception is anything but inane. Millionaire Lindsay “Dogboy” Kramer…

Posted in Australian Literature, Crime, Mystery and Thrillers | Tagged Australian fiction, Crime, deception, divorce, drugs, murder | Comments Off

An UnderratedRead Revisited:The Words That Remain – Stênio Gardel (Translated by Bruna Dantas Lobato)

Posted on November 16, 2023 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) #CommissionsEarned “The river calmly flowed and cried its eternal murmur. Raimundo got up and looked at the empty sky. The shadows had taken over the blue as well. The stars must have fallen and become the seeds of reality at his feet.” Raimundo could never forget his first love, Cicero. They…

Posted in Revisited | Tagged Brazil, Latin American Lit, LGBTQ, society | Comments Off

An UnderratedRead Revisited: The Vulture Fund – Jeff Buick

Posted on November 12, 2023 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by Don Jung) #CommissionsEarned Two unlikely murders that don’t appear to be related become the focus of Boston detective Curtis Westcoast and his team as they try to unravel one mystery after another. This is a murder mystery series that is fast-paced, suspenseful and full of twists and turns. First, a woman with an…

Posted in Revisited | Tagged crime fiction, hedge fund, India, murder, murder-mystery | Comments Off

Unlocking Your Inner Zelensky: Lessons We Can All Learn from an Unexpected Leader – Jessie Asya Kanzer

Posted on November 7, 2023 by J D Jung

Reviewed by JD Jung) #CommissionsEarned As a great admirer of the Ukrainian president, I was intrigued when I discovered the book, Unlocking Your Inner Zelensky: Lessons We Can All Learn from an Unexpected Leader. I didn’t know what to expect but I am happy to say that I wasn’t disappointed. Author Jessie Asya Kanzer immigrated…

Posted in Non-fiction, Your Best Self | Tagged ethics, identity, President, truth, Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky | Comments Off

An UnderratedRead Revisited: Confessions of a Gentleman Killer – Johnny Payne

Posted on October 31, 2023 by J D Jung

(reviewed by JD Jung) “If I didn’t kill them afterward, you’d say I was the perfect client, boyfriend, husband, or lover. And believe me, that’s the man I want to be, the man I tried to be. And failed.” It’s 1849 London and after two years and fourteen killings, Kilcairn is reevaluating his life. The…

Posted in Revisited | Tagged crime fiction, dark, Historical fiction, London, serial killers | Comments Off

An UnderratedRead Revisited:Blind Dates: Weird Stories – Harambee K. Grey-Sun

Posted on October 29, 2023 by J D Jung

Reviewed by JD Jung) #CommissionsEarned Being close to Halloween, I was in search for a good horror read. So, when I started reading these stories, I was expecting them to center on blind dates gone tragically wrong. Or maybe the traditional “woman gets picked up by sociopathic man who then strangles her”. I was wrong…

Posted in Revisited | Tagged eclectic, horror, love, short stories, speculative fiction, supernatural | Comments Off

January – Sara Gallardo, translated by Frances Riddle

Posted on October 24, 2023 by J D Jung

(reviewed by JD Jung) January (Enero) first published in Spanish in 1958, follows the daily life and thoughts of sixteen-year-old Nefer, who finds she is pregnant after a rape. Nefer works on the family farm, and lives in the shadow of her sister and the other girls in the Argentine village. There seems to be…

Posted in Latin American Literature, Lost and almost forgotten | Tagged abortion, Argentina, class, culture, rape, short books | Comments Off

An UnderratedRead Revisited:The Wishing Pool and Other Stories – Tananarive Due

Posted on October 18, 2023 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) You’ll keep looking over your shoulder as you read these eerie stories of horror, with a little science fiction sprinkled in, in The Wishing Pool and Other Stories. The title piece, “The Wishing Pool” features Joy, a woman returning home to North Florida to visit her father who is suffering…

Posted in Revisited | Tagged African-American, aging, horror, race, short stories, society | Comments Off

C’mon, Get Happy: The Making of Summer Stock -David Fantle and Tom Johnson

Posted on October 12, 2023 by J D Jung

(Review and poem by Betty Jo Tucker) #CommissionsEarned Summer Stock, a movie I love, now a book on the making of. Ring cowbells and shout hooray What a great read to have today! Questions answered? Oh, yes indeed. Everything fans and readers need. A book of details surprising that make a reader want to sing.…

Posted in History, Non-fiction, Poetry | Tagged movies | Comments Off