Underrated Reads

The Quiet War: Canadian Front – Michael J. Lalonde

Posted on December 15, 2025 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) This debut espionage thriller introduces readers to an often-overlooked corner of military fiction: Canadian special operations. In The Quiet War, the immediate threat is Al-Najm al-Saghir, who isn’t just a terrorist; his long-term plan is to bring down western civilization. His co-conspirators include wealthy men from the West selling their services…

Posted in Crime, Mystery and Thrillers | Tagged Canada, espionage, military fiction, thriller | Comments Off

A Timely UnderratedRead Revisited: Taking Down Backpage: Fighting the World’s Largest Sex Trafficker – Maggy Krell

Posted on December 11, 2025 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) “While a commercial sex transaction may seem consensual on the surface, the lopsided power dynamic, the history of trauma and abuse, and the lack of options often make the consent illusory. And sex without consent is rape. The exchange of money doesn’t change that." By 2012, human trafficking was the…

Posted in Revisited | Tagged autobiography, human trafficking, rape, sex trafficking, Sexual abuse | Comments Off

COLLECTED WITH SMILE: A Comedy Anthology for the Slightly Twisted – Rahul Bhandari

Posted on December 3, 2025 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) While author Rahul Bhandari sees humor as transformative, this collection of eight short stories provides a well needed escape from the dire events taking place in the United States and throughout the world. In these stories, he shows human emotions and frailties through humor. My favorites are: “Jugaad Inc.”, where we…

Posted in Indian Literature, Short stories | Tagged cults, humor, India, satire, short stories, technology | Comments Off

Rat Town Blues: Slag Ferguson, Book One – Brian Kaufman

Posted on November 28, 2025 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) Mark “Slag” Ferguson, an unlicensed private investigator and part-time bartender is always trying to make ends meet. However now in his mid-thirties, he finds himself thrust into a pair of cases that quickly spin beyond his control. In his primary case, the gorgeous Kelly Mason is certain that her wealthy husband…

Posted in Crime, Mystery and Thrillers | Tagged detective fiction, infidelity, noir, self-destruction | Comments Off

Who Knows You by Heart – C. J. Farley

Posted on November 23, 2025 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) In this multilayered and gripping novel, we are introduced to Octavia Crenshaw—a thirty-year-old Jamaican American software engineer whose journey is as compelling as the technological world that she navigates. A Columbia graduate and New Yorker, Octavia finds a sense of control in coding, especially when her romantic life and personal circumstances…

Posted in Modern Literary Fiction | Tagged AI, computers, ethics, family, gender, race, suspense, technology | Comments Off

Where’s My Fortune Cookie? – Phil Proctor, Brad Schreiber

Posted on November 20, 2025 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by Don Jung) This memoir is a dazzling look into the wild and bizarre life of the talented Phil Proctor. While he is known as one of the four founding members of the Firesign Theatre, his story is full of bits of his career where he meets most of the show business celebrities from…

Posted in Bios and Memoirs | Tagged 1960s, cartoons, comedy, entertainment, Firesign Theatre, New York City | Comments Off

After the Last Border: Two Families and the Story of Refuge in America – Jessica Goudeau

Posted on November 16, 2025 by J D Jung

(reviewed by Ann Onymous ) The subtitle of the book refers to “Refuge in America” but is there REFUGE to be found? They are REFUGEES but they are not experiencing the “condition of being safe or sheltered from pursuit, danger, or trouble.” From before 1933 to today the definition of “refugee” has been altered across…

Posted in Immigration, Non-fiction, Reviewers' Top Picks, World Issues | Tagged immigration, refugees | Comments Off

The Boys Are Back in Town: A Brody James Mystery – Karl Kling

Posted on November 13, 2025 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by Don Jung) Brody James leaves the military to get a job in the Police Department of his hometown that he left fifteen years ago after graduating from high school. He reunites with old school acquaintances as he settles down in his new job. The characters vary from charming to evil as he investigates…

Posted in Crime, Mystery and Thrillers | Tagged crime fiction, military, police | Comments Off

It Takes a Lifetime to Learn How to Live: An Italian American story of coming home – Libby Cataldi

Posted on November 10, 2025 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) Libby’s life was falling apart. Recently divorced, recovering from breast cancer, and struggling with her son’s heroin addiction, she felt lost and desperate for strength. Though she never got along with her own mother, she fondly remembered her loving Italian grandmother, or “Nonna”. Though unable to read or write, Nonna was…

Posted in Bios and Memoirs | Tagged family, Italy, memoir, relationships | Comments Off

Fight Night 1939: The Champ, the Challenger, and a Portrait of America on the Brink – Joseph Monninger

Posted on November 8, 2025 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) I had never heard of Tony Galento before reading this book—the rough-edged heavyweight best known for flooring Joe Louis in the third round of their championship bout. At first glance, his story might seem like a footnote in boxing history, but author Joseph Monninger transforms it into something far more captivating.…

Posted in Bios and Memoirs, Non-fiction | Tagged Boxing, culture, racism, society, sports | Comments Off