Underrated Reads

A dedication to those seeking a better life: My (Underground) American Dream

Posted on July 31, 2018 by J D Jung

As our final review from our "Revisited" series on Immigration, we will highlight a book that is particularly relevant to Americans. We at UnderratedReads hope to discover more heartfelt books about refugees and those seeking a better life for their families. We must never forget their plight. I dedicate this series to the 900+ Central…

Posted in Revisited | Tagged DACA, Dream act, illegal immigration, immigration, Mexico | 1 Comment

Dark Chains – LaTasha “Tacha B.” Braxton

Posted on July 28, 2018 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by Jeyran Main) Sometimes what we lose or do not achieve in life does not necessarily set us back. We strive forward and if in fact, we fail in receiving love, given the situation, we love back more. This is what LaTasha Braxton advises us in her moving autobiography, Dark Chains. Being abused from…

Posted in Bios and Memoirs, Your Best Self | Tagged child abuse, family dysfunction, memoirs | Comments Off

The latest in our Immigration series revisited- Illegal: a true story of love, revolution and crossing borders – John Dennehy

Posted on July 26, 2018 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) “For the first time in my life I know exactly where I want to be. I have found my home in the shadow of an Andean volcano in Ecuador. I’m about to move in with the woman that I love, and I’m directly involved with a revolution that’s not just changing…

Posted in Revisited | Tagged deportation, Ecuador, illegal immigration, memoirs | 1 Comment

An UnderratedRead Revisited: Adua – Igiaba Scego (Translated from the Italian by Jamie Richards)

Posted on July 22, 2018 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) “In Somalia I was a young girl who was full of dreams and wanted to see the world. In just a few months they’ve manipulated, abused, used, transformed me. It feels like years, not months, have gone by. I feel so old, practically decrepit.” “I wish I could ask Marilyn, but…

Posted in Revisited | Tagged Africa, colonialism, Ethiopia, Somalia | Comments Off

Bella Figura: How to Live, Love, and Eat the Italian Way -Kamin Mohammadi

Posted on July 18, 2018 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) “ Now that I was living without all the relics of my former identity, there was a glimmer of something new. The heady possibly of freedom.” Kamin was thirty-two and seemed to have it all: a dream job as editor of a fashion magazine, her own London apartment and a boyfriend.…

Posted in Bios and Memoirs, Culture, Your Best Self | Tagged Florence, Italy, Tuscany | 1 Comment

An UnderratedRead Revisited: Stone Baby: Stories – Michelle Sacks

Posted on July 15, 2018 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) An exceptional read from our review series on Immigration “… the rest of the continent kept pouring in, sure of nothing but the fact that this pitiful life, this half-life with no jobs, no home, no money, would still be better than before, better than the life they left behind in…

Posted in Revisited | Tagged immigrants, south Africa | Comments Off

Maharishi & Me: Seeking Enlightenment with the Beatles’ Guru – Susan Shumsky

Posted on July 9, 2018 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by Pat Luboff) “Merely by being in his presence, we disciples entered an utterly timeless place and rapturous feeling, and, at the same time, realized the utter futility and insanity of the mundane world.” I don’t know why I kept on reading this book to the end. A good percentage of the time…

Posted in Bios and Memoirs, History | Tagged Maharishi, philosophy, spirituality, TM | Comments Off

An UnderratedRead Revisited:A Short Border Handbook: A Journey Through the Immigrant’s Labyrinth – Gazmend Kapllani (Author), Anne-Marie Stanton-Ife (Translator)

Posted on July 4, 2018 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) "…I may have arrived without an invitation but I work just like the rest of you do, I pay the same taxes as the rest of you do, and most importantly my boss, or rather, my bosses, need me. Yes, I do realize that you are feeding me, but let me…

Posted in Revisited | Tagged Albania, Greece, mirgration, refugees, Soviet Union. immigration | 1 Comment

Overcoming Anxiety & Depression: A step-by-step guide to overcoming anxiety and depression, lower stress and learn how to practice self-love and self-compassion … Affirmations, Happiness, stress management) – Lydia Francis

Posted on July 2, 2018 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by Pat Luboff) This is going to be a very short review. This is a very short book! My review copy was in PDF format. Take away the title page, the index, the forward and a last “keep in touch” page, and what’s left is twenty-four typewritten pages. Pages with lots of space…

Posted in More non-fiction, Reviewers' Top Picks, Your Best Self | Tagged anxiety, depression, self-help, short books | Comments Off

Wanted: Stories about Immigrants and Refugees

Posted on July 1, 2018 by J D Jung

( by JD Jung) It sickens me how my country, the United States, not only continues to arrest Central American refugees at our borders, but also separates children from their parents. I cannot even begin to imagine the fear and horror that both the children and adults are enduring. Supposedly, the children are no longer…

Posted in Let's talk | Tagged immigration, refugees | Comments Off