Rosh's Reviews

AUTHOR: Kintetsu Yamada GENRE: Manga PUBLICATION DATE: November 12, 2024 RATING: 4 stars. In a Nutshell: A manga about a geeky IT guy who discovers love right next door during the lockdown. A sweet and funny story, though it takes too long to get going. The flashback-style narration also doesn’t do it any favours. But a good option for those wanting a light-hearted opposites-attract love story. Plot Preview: When Nokoru is told to telework from home during the pandemic lockdown, he views it as a blessing. His job as a system engineer is very demanding, especially because of clientele who don’t know what they want. Working from home comes with unexpected benefits, such as getting to wake up just ten minutes before work, or managing to find more time for hobbies such as gardening and gaming. What Nokoru doesn’t expect is to interact over his balcony with his new neighbour right next door. Natsu, a graduate student of archaeology, is everything Nokoru is not: impulsive, relaxed, chaotic,...

AUTHOR: Jean Hoffmann Lewanda GENRE: Historical Fiction PUBLICATION DATE: October 15, 2024 RATING: 2 stars. In a Nutshell: Officially, a historical fiction based on the life of the author’s mother. However, the writing is heavily non-fiction in style and not character-focussed. This might work better as a memoir but after some finetuning of the presentation. Plot Preview: 1928. Harbin, China. Born to a Russian Jewish family who emigrated from Europe to Harbin a few years earlier, Shalama is intimately familiar with life in a city filled with European Jewish and Russian immigrants fleeing various pogroms. As Harbin, known as the ‘Paris of the East’ is a thriving village-turned-town thanks to these new citizens, it feels more like a white community than a Chinese town. When the Japanese come to Harbin in the 1930s, Shalama’s family moves to Shanghai, where she becomes a typist after her schooling, and marries an Austrian Jew named Paul. However, there are still some changes to come in ...

AUTHOR: Tina M. Cho ILLUSTRATOR: Deb J.J. Lee GENRE: Middle-grade Graphic Novel in verse. PUBLICATION DATE: November 12, 2024 RATING: 3.75 stars. In a Nutshell: A middle-grade graphic novel written in verse, telling the story of two tweens from North Korea and their planned escape to a brighter future. I wanted to like this far more than I did, but a few of the writing choices didn’t work for me. The illustrations are stunning. The book has some dark content, so it would be better if adults read and evaluate its suitability for their kids before handing it over. Plot Preview: 2013, North Korea. Yunho is a shy ten-year-old who stays alone with his grandmother after his mother escaped across the border to China to earn money and improve their circumstances. She had promised to send for Yunho as soon as possible, but it has been almost two years now with no update. Yunho is good at finding scrap metal, which he sells to the government in exchange for some much-needed money. Eleven-year-...

AUTHOR: J. Martain ILLUSTRATOR: Irene Silvino GENRE: Children's Picture Book PUBLICATION DATE: November 12, 2024 RATING: 4.5 stars In a Nutshell: An adorable picture book with a charming eponymous character at the *helm*. Simple but effective prose, an interesting story, great life lessons, and fabulous illustrations. Kids are sure to love Tulip. Much recommended! Plot Preview: Tulip is a light-green tugboat who helps big ships navigate their way out to sea. The other tugboats look at Tulip warily for her different appearance, but Tulip knows that she is a good tug and she does her work sincerely and merrily. One day, a big boat gets stuck in the sand at the harbour. Is it finally Tulip’s turn to prove her capability? I have read many picture books with anthropomorphised modes of transportation, but this is the first time ever I have picked up one with a tugboat in the lead. I didn’t know much about tugs earlier, but as the company my husband currently works with handles multi...

AUTHOR: Ingvild H. Rishøi TRANSLATOR: Caroline Waight GENRE: Literary Fiction PUBLICATION DATE: November 19, 2024 RATING: 3.75 stars. In a Nutshell: A Scandinavian literary fiction with a different kind of Christmas story, somewhat inspired by ‘The Little Match Girl.’ Don’t trust that joyous cover and the title; the story is dark and emotional. The ending is left open to interpretation, which might go either way for readers. Not for those looking for feel-good Christmas tales. Plot Preview: Tøyen, Norway. Ten-year-old Ronja is a dreamer. But she is also practical. Her alcoholic father is out of work again, so when Ronja gets to know about a job at the local Christmas tree stand, she pushes him to get it. For a few days, things are “brightly shining” for Ronja and her elder sister Melissa. But then, her father falls back to his old ways and loses the job, after having taken a huge advance on his salary. Melissa decides to take his place so that the motherless siblings aren’t sent to f...

AUTHOR: Fredrik Backman TRANSLATOR: Elizabeth DeNoma GENRE: Short Story PUBLICATION DATE: December 1, 2024 RATING: 3.5 stars. In a Nutshell: My answer to this story isn’t No, but it isn’t exactly a strong Yes either. A good story with enough wit and enough thought-provoking quotes, but the humour seems forced at times. Not Backman’s best work. Better if read as a satire, though it isn’t promoted as one. Plot Preview: Lucas is not exactly a people-hater; he just isn’t fond of them. He lives his life in a way that his interactions with people are at the bare minimum level. And he is perfectly happy with this status quo. Until one day, when a frying pan changes the situation! Suddenly, Lucas is forced to interact with people regularly – Yikes! How can he get his life back to normal? The story comes to us in Lucas’s third-person perspective. I am such a huge fan of Fredrik Backman’s work that I didn’t even read the blurb before I grabbed this story. His name on the cover was enough! An...

AUTHOR: Ann Patchett ILLUSTRATOR: Robin Preiss Glasser GENRE: Children's Picture Book PUBLICATION DATE: September 17, 2024 RATING: 4.5 stars. In a Nutshell: What a beautiful picture book about introverts and extroverts! Loved the concept, the execution, and the illustrations! This book gets a seal of approval from this introvert. Finally, a book written by this popular author works for me! Plot Preview: The Vert family – comprising Mr. and Mrs. Vert and their kids Estie and Ivan, and of course, Grandmother Vert – have come together to celebrate Ivan’s birthday. Ivan is shy at all the attention, but Estie relishes it. As she enjoys the day, a thought suddenly hits her – it can’t be a birthday without a big birthday bash, right? So Estie rushes to invite all their neighbours and friends for a party to make the occasion a memorable one for Ivan. But is this what Ivan really wants? Did you know Ann Patchett writes children’s books as well? I didn’t! To be fair, I am not yet a fan o...

AUTHOR: Saadat Hasan Manto TRANSLATOR: Khalid Hasan GENRE: Partition Fiction, Short Story Collection. PUBLICATION DATE: February 1, 2012 RATING: 4.25 stars. In a Nutshell: A compelling short story collection from one of the Indian subcontinent’s finest and most respected Urdu writers. All the stories, originally written in Urdu, are set during the Indo-Pak partition, which makes this a tough book to read. Heartbreaking, gut-wrenching, devastating. A genuine voice of those who lived through that ghastly period. Recommended if you can stand reading about the inhumaneness of humans. Most avid Indian ( and I bet, Pakistani ) readers know the name of Saadat Hasan Manto. Born in 1912 in the Punjab province ( Then British India, present-day India ), Manto was known for his powerful short fiction. He didn’t hesitate to include historically controversial topics such as lust and sex in his work. Many of his female characters are shown enjoying the act of intercourse, which might have created a...

AUTHOR: Steena Hernandez ILLUSTRATOR: Melissa Castillo GENRE: Children's Picture Book PUBLICATION DATE: October 22, 2024 RATING: 4.5 stars. In a Nutshell: A lovely OwnVoices picture book addressing a very realistic issue related to inclusivity. Relatable, inspirational, and enjoyable. Much recommended! Plot Preview: Young Lupita loves ballet and keep practising her steps. At home, she dances barefoot, but at school, she is forced to wear the pink ballet slippers, which she hates because they stand out so brightly against her skin tone. Her dance teacher is sympathetic to her pupil’s plight, but she can’t do anything as ballet slippers come only in that standard “Ballet Pink” colour. Lupita decides to try a technique to make her slippers match her complexion, but even that fails. When she discovers on the internet that there is a specialised store that makes ballet shoes in her skin tone, she knows she will do anything to buy those. How do you think Lupita will succeed? I’m not much...

AUTHOR: Beka Gremikova GENRE: Fairy Tale Retelling PUBLICATION DATE: October 1, 2024 RATING: 3 stars. In a Nutshell: A short story with a different take on 'Sleeping Beauty'. I liked the concept, but I wanted a bit more from the execution. This might have worked better as a novella because it certainly had the potential. Plot Preview: Princess Theryn knows that on her sixteenth birthday, she, along with everyone else in her palace, is cursed to sleep for a hundred years when she pricks her finger on a spindle. But instead of running away from spindles, Theryn plans to get pricked and be cursed. Her parents are on the verge of estrangement, thanks to the meddling palace ministers. So if Theryn can get her parents to sleep for a century, the nobles will be long dead by the time they wake up. Sounds like a good plan, right? But as we all know, no plan is foolproof. The story comes to us in Theryn’s third-person perspective. I had loved this author’s short story collection, ‘...

AUTHOR: Lawrence C. Cobb NARRATOR: Caleb Bow SERIES: The Lumen Caligo, #1 GENRE: Middle-Grade/Teen Fantasy PUBLICATION DATE: July 03 2024 RATING: 1.5 stars. In a Nutshell: An indie middle-grade/teen fantasy about some unusual beings living on earth. This book has an outstanding concept, but the writing choices needed a lot of rethinking. The approach would have perhaps suited 1924 better than 2024. This is the first of a planned series, but I am unsure if I want to continue with it. This is an outlier review. Plot Preview: California. When Martin Weatherford finds a baby left at his doorstep, he's not much surprised to see whose baby it is and who left it. With the help of his landlady Mrs. Palermo, Martin raises little Cyrus. Currently eleven, Cyrus is wheelchair-bound because of some paralysing disease. He knows that he's adopted, that he is way above his age level in intelligence, and also that he doesn't have long to live. But soon, he discovers that whatever he thou...

AUTHOR: Simon Van Booy NARRATOR: Christine Rendel GENRE: Contemporary Fiction PUBLICATION DATE: April 5, 2024 RATING: 4.5 stars. In a Nutshell: A beautiful contemporary fiction about an old lady and a mouse. Covers several dark as well as light themes. Loved this unusual story that isn't like the other golden-years fiction novels thronging the book market. Recommended! Plot Preview: After sixty years in Australia, eighty-three-year-old Helen Cartwright has returned to Westminster to spend her final years in her childhood hometown. She knows she doesn't have much time left and she has made her peace with it. After all, she's alone in the world, and has no one and nothing to live for. However, one day, due to her own error, a mouse enters her house. And suddenly, her life has a new purpose. The story comes to us in Helen's close third-person perspective. At its simplest, this is just the story of a lonely old lady and a lonely not-so-old mouse. But can a simple premise tu...

AUTHOR: Evelyn Arvey GENRE: Dystopian Science Fiction. PUBLICATION DATE: February 20, 2024 RATING: 4.5 stars. In a Nutshell: An indie dystopian novel that straddles various genres and does justice to all. Brilliant plot, excellent character development, and fabulous atmosphere. (Have you ever seen me use such gushy adjectives in a row?) If you think an indie work can't deliver the same thrills as a trad-published work, this book will prove you wrong. I'm so impressed! Much recommended! Plot Preview: Professor Mirri Daaha, a historical anthropologist, has just started her new project: testing the psychological and physiological effects of stress on primitive humans. For this purpose, eight ancient humans have been kidnapped from their time and placed in a special artificially-constructed isolated environment. Elaine is one of the kidnapped humans. As she wakes up incoherent, not knowing who or where she is, she knows only one thing: she'll do anything to survive. The stor...