Underrated Reads

Fire Sermon – Jamie Quatro

Posted on January 21, 2018 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) “…I only know arousal within love---because I’ve never separated emotion from body---is my pattern to create a pretend love first, over and over, in order to feel desire, and desirable?” “I admit that unless something is forbidden I cannot want it with any intensity….I admit that unless something is forbidden I…

Posted in Modern Literary Fiction, Romance | Tagged book reviews, Christian, fiction, infidelity, Religion, Romance | Comments Off

Mr. Wonderful – Daniel Smith

Posted on January 18, 2018 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by Jeyran Main) Brian Fenton’s life is not easy. His father, Doc Fenton is suffering from dementia. His own son is loopy and keeps trying to get cash from him. Events take an interesting turn when Doc passes away. At this time the truth comes out, revealing a great deal for this Texas family.…

Posted in Modern Literary Fiction | Tagged book reviews, dementia, family dysfunction | Comments Off

An UnderratedRead revisited: A Sportscaster’s Guide to Watching Football: Decoding America’s Favorite Game – Mark Oristano

Posted on January 14, 2018 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) It's my favorite time of year: football season. Now that we're in the middle of NFL playoffs, some of you may be wondering what all the fuss is about. Maybe you're not from the United States and this obsession seams totally strange to you. Maybe you are American but just not…

Posted in Revisited | Tagged book reviews, football, NFL | Comments Off

The Body Image Blueprint: Your Go-To Guide for Radical Self-Reverence -Jenny Eden Berk

Posted on January 10, 2018 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by Jeyran Main) The Body Image Blueprint is a self-help book written about body image. It discusses the challenges women face in the world today and covers a broad and unique perspective on our culture obsessed with dieting. Besides the fact that author Jenny Berk is a Certified Eating Psychology Coach, body image mentor,…

Posted in Health and Fitness, Your Best Self | Tagged body image, dieting, Non-fiction, weight loss | Comments Off

Stone Baby: Stories – Michelle Sacks

Posted on January 7, 2018 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) “… 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 whatever godforsaken place they’d come from.” That would not…

Posted in African Literature, Immigration, Reviewers' Top Picks, Short stories, World Literature | Tagged drug addiction, immigrants, short stories, south Africa | Comments Off

The Grand – Dennis Wilson

Posted on January 5, 2018 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by Jeyran Main) The Grand begins with Dean Wister, a federal agent who has lost his wife, Sara, to cancer. Before she passes away, she asks Dean if they could go to their favorite place, the meadow, once she is feeling better. Unfortunately, she passes away and does not make it. Dean takes time…

Posted in Crime, Mystery and Thrillers | Tagged book reviews, crime fiction, thrillers | Comments Off

The Unrivalled Transcendence of Willem J. Gyle – J. D. Dixon

Posted on January 2, 2018 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) “Before, when he labored, he slept and he ate, and his mama took care of him. There wasn’t room for much of anything else. Now he has too much time. Now he has a lot to worry about. His life is a maze, he runs through it every day. Will he…

Posted in Modern Literary Fiction | Tagged book reviews, British literature, Edinburgh Scotland, homelessness, mental illness, poverty, recession | Comments Off

Our Best Finds of 2017

Posted on December 31, 2017 by J D Jung

We at UnderratedReads wish you the best in the New Year! We don't want to forget all of the exceptional books that we discovered in 2017, though. To insure that these don't just gather dust, please check out our best "5 bookmark" reads according to our reviewers. There's something for everybody here: crime and suspense, …

Posted in Let's talk, Reviewers' Top Picks | Tagged best books, book reviews, New Year | Comments Off

Scouse Gothic: The Pool of Life… and Death – Ian McKinney

Posted on December 26, 2017 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) “They romanticized the sex and violence but failed to appreciate the overwhelming boredom of being a vampire.” Lee Melville is depressed as he just arrived in Liverpool but has actually been alive a couple of centuries. He laments lost loves and knows that he can’t be attached for long. Then he…

Posted in Crime, Mystery and Thrillers, Sci-Fi/Speculative/Fantasy/Mythology | Tagged book reviews, British crime, suspense, vampires | Comments Off

A revisited Underrated Read – Christmas Eve Can Kill You – William Marantz

Posted on December 25, 2017 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) For many of us, ushering in the New Year serves as a letdown, following the joyous Christmas season. For Izzy Miller (aka Muddy Rivers, aka Val Virgo), the season represents the low points of his life. Not only did he feel like an outsider looking in as a Jewish kid, but…

Posted in Revisited | Tagged Canadian fiction, Christmas Eve, crime fiction | Comments Off