Underrated Reads

Happy New Year 2026

Posted on December 31, 2025 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 2026. Personally, I want to emphasize the importance of continuing to stand against fascism and authoritarianism. There is an existential threat to Democracy and protecting it —no matter where you live—is essential! We…

Posted in Let's talk | Tagged authoritarianism, coffee, democracy, fascism, New Year, refugees, Russia, Ukraine | Comments Off

The Boy – Reno Bachman

Posted on December 29, 2025 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) A boy watched from the neighboring woods as crosses burned while a white mob gathered and killed his father, a black man who had a reputation of being an excellent marksman. They then proceeded to destroy his home. These were sights that no child should ever have to witness or experience.…

Posted in Historical Fiction | Tagged Old West, racism, short books, short stories, violence | Comments Off

The Silver Book – Olivia Laing

Posted on December 26, 2025 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) It’s September 17, 1974, and twenty-two-year-old art student Nicolas flees London after the death of his older lover, Alan, sensing that staying would invite suspicion he cannot afford. Venice seems like the perfect place to begin again. Instead, it becomes the gateway to a far more complicated emotional journey. In Venice,…

Posted in Historical Fiction | Tagged Italian cinema, Italy, LGBTQ | Comments Off

Grime – Thea Matthews

Posted on December 22, 2025 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) I usually don’t read or appreciate this genre, but this collection completely disarmed me. From the opening pages, the poetry and poetic prose captivated me, pulling me into voices and lives that linger long after the final poem. Poet Thea Matthews writes with a rare lyrical precision, inhabiting multiple identities—male and…

Posted in Poetry | Tagged addiction, Georgia, Las Vegas, New York City, pain, poetry, poverty, prison, San Francisco, South Carolina | Comments Off

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