Rosh's Reviews

AUTHOR: Coco Cooper GENRE: Contemporary Fiction, Satire PUBLICATION DATE: June 13, 2025. RATING: 3 stars. In a Nutshell: A contemporary satirical fiction about a character with an identity crisis. Mostly quirky, fairly funny, somewhat reflective, a little distressing. Goes overboard in the final quarter. As long as you go with the flow and are prepared for some disturbing events, this book can be entertaining. Plot Preview: Teddington Miles aka Teddy lives a happy life with Millie. As she works from home, they spend many happy hours enjoying each other’s company. The only thorn in Teddy’s existence is Charlie, the unwelcome visitor who always turns Millie’s attention away from Teddy. When Millie suddenly vanishes one day, Teddy is sure that Charlie is the guilty party. He begins a secret investigation with the help of some trusted companions, but the truths that come out aren’t what Teddy expected. The story comes to us in Teddy’s first-person perspective, with some epistolary interl...

EDITORS: Molly Llewellyn and Kristel Buckley GENRE: Anthology PUBLICATION DATE: June 3, 2025 RATING: No rating. In a Nutshell: A anthology of “gay crime” stories. The queer content was decent but the crime content left me somewhat dissatisfied. Also, the R-rated content and language in many stories wasn’t to my reading taste. So this collection wasn’t my cup of tea, though I did find a few gems herein. The moment I saw that amazing punny title, I knew that I would have to get my hands on this collection. Seeing gay + crime within the same title stoked all embers of my curiosity. The fact that the book was included in the GR Reading challenge for Pride reads was the icing on the cake. However, the expectations created by the title were met only to some extent. This anthology has sixteen stories, each of which feature an LGBTQIA+ character and a crime. Sounds like a fun combo, right? But it doesn’t exactly work that way. Thanks to the contributing authors coming from varied backgrounds...

AUTHOR: Sylvie Cathrall SERIES: The Sunken Archive, #2 GENRE: Epistolary Fantasy-Romance. PUBLICATION DATE: May 6, 2025. RATING: 2 stars. In a Nutshell: The second half of the sunken Archive Duology. The GR rating for this book is higher than the first one, but my experience was the opposite. Liked the underwater world. Didn’t like the plot, characters, and revelations. The epistolary content was the biggest disappointment. Not to be read as a standalone. Not at all like Emily Wilde, no matter what the blurb says. Plot Preview: ( This section contains spoilers from the first book. ) The story continues from the end of Book One: A Letter to the Luminous Deep . When E and Henerey land up in a strange new society obsessed with knowledge, they slowly accept the fact that they might not return home. They do not know that back home, their respective siblings Sophy and Vyerin have discovered what might have led to their disappearance and are trying to locate them. The question is not just whe...

AUTHOR: Iléana Surducan GENRE: Graphic Novel. PUBLICATION DATE: June 17, 2025 RATING: 5 stars! In a Nutshell: A graphic novel highlighting the issue of burnouts and the importance of breaks. Brilliant story written in fairy-tale style. Some of the most visually stimulating illustrations I have ever seen. Contains an excellent message for kiddos as well as adults. Much recommended to everyone! Plot Preview: Young Nina lives in a dusty old town where, haunted by the six angry wolves of the week, everyone faces endless drudgery. The seventh day brings no respite because there is NO seventh day. Legend has it that an evil witch stole Sunday for her own personal use. One day, Nina, fed up of the never-ending chores, declares that enough is enough. She sets off on a quest to go to the witch and get Sunday back. This book was first published in Romanian in 2021 under the title ‘Duminica pierdută’. This English translation is to be published in June 2025. This story takes inspiration from...

AUTHOR: Nita Prose SERIES: Molly the Maid, #3 GENRE: Mystery PUBLICATION DATE: April 10, 2025 RATING: 3 stars. In a Nutshell: The grand finale of the ‘Molly the Maid’ series, and sadly, the weakest book of the set, even counting that disappointing novella. Molly’s story is interesting, but her Gran’s story, which gets greater focus, is too typical. The mystery is also quite lacklustre. Recommended only to staunch Molly fans. Not to be read as a standalone. Note: This review might contain minor spoilers from the earlier books of the series. Plot Preview: Still working at the Regency Grand as the Head Maid and also the Special Events Manager, Molly is looking forward to her nuptials with Juan Manuel. When a TV crew comes to the hotel to shoot the hit reality TV show ‘Hidden Treasures’, starring art appraisers Brown and Beagle evaluating ordinary belongings in hopes of finding a priceless treasure, Molly never expects that her life would change overnight after one of her Gran’s heirlo...

AUTHOR: Sylvie Cathrall SERIES: The Sunken Archive, #1 GENRE: Epistolary Fantasy-Romance. PUBLICATION DATE: April 25, 2024 RATING: 2.5 stars. In a Nutshell: An epistolary underwater fantasy with tremendous potential that doesn’t get fulfilled to the fullest. Good characters and world-building. Almost-zero plot and slow pacing. First of a duology; cliffhanger ending. Could have worked much better in a different format and with stricter editing. Plot Preview: When introverted E. Cidnosin discovers something new outside the window of her underwater residence, she writes to classification scholar Henerey Ciel for his opinion. Thus begins a virtual connection, with their initial letters being on topics of mutual interest, and slowly moving on to personal emotions and heartfelt confessions. A year later, another Cidnosin-Ciel correspondence begins, this one between E’s sister Sophy and Henerey’s brother Vyerin. Their aim is to resolve the mystery of their siblings’ disappearance using the le...

AUTHOR: C.M. Harris ILLUSTRATOR: Vitor Lopes GENRE: Children's Picture Book PUBLICATION DATE: April 1, 2025 RATING: 3.25 stars. In a Nutshell: A picture book with an important lesson. Inclusive illustrations + meaningful text. Feels a bit forced at times, but worth a read for the message and the tips. As the question in the title suggests, this book imagines a world where people always try to be kind to each other. In actions and in words, their aim is to be good and do good. Is such a world really possible? Not sure about adults, but for children, forgiving and forgetting comes more easily. They fight one minute and patch up the next. This book takes that same attitude and aims to make it a natural response instead of an exception. The book obviously has an idealistic tone, with its depiction of a perfect world and perfect kindness all the time. But if even some of its tips are implemented by little (and not so little) readers, the world will surely be a better place. The entir...

AUTHOR: Juan E. Zambrano GENRE: Middle-Grade Graphic Novel. PUBLICATION DATE: June 17, 2025. RATING: 4.5 stars. In a Nutshell: A middle-grade graphic novel about a boy who dreams of becoming a witch. Great human and animal characters, wonderful storyline, excellent balance of humour and seriousness, good life lessons, adorable art. Much recommended to the target age group! Plot Preview: Pacheco always dreams of practising magic, even if his father and his grandfather, both fishermen, are opposed to the idea. After all, boys can’t be witches! But when the family business begins to suffer, Pacheco is sure that he can use magic to help his family and his village, even if it means begging the grumpy witch Doris to take him on as an apprentice. Once he begins his training. He discovers a whole other world, with a new set of rules and restrictions. Can Pacheco bend the existing norms and prove that boys indeed have what it takes to perform magic? Bookish Yays: 🔮 Pacheco: lead character ...

AUTHOR: Gabrielle Meyer SERIES: Timeless, #5 GENRE: Historical Timeslip PUBLICATION DATE: May 20, 2025 RATING: 4.5 stars. In a Nutshell: A historical mystery with shades of romance, timeslip, and Christian content. The fifth book of the Timeless series. As always, impeccable plotting, mind-blowing research, amazing interlinking of the two timelines. A couple of things could have worked better for me, but overall, this is fabulous. Much recommended. Can be read as a standalone, but the whole series is brilliant, so you might as well read all the books! Plot Preview: Twenty-three-year-old Kathryn lives two lives simultaneously in two different time periods. ( Read the earlier Timeless books to know how this works. ) In 1938 London, Kathryn is a guest curator at the Smithsonian Museum, invited to create an exhibit on Jack the Ripper. During her research, she learns that one of her loved ones from her life in 1888 London is destined to be the target of the infamous killer. Now Kathryn is...

AUTHOR: Wendy Holden NARRATOR: George Naylor GENRE: Historical Fiction PUBLICATION DATE: June 17, 2025 RATING: 3.75 stars. In a Nutshell: A WWII fiction based on the inspiring life of Fredy Kirsch, a homosexual German Jew. Could have done better on a couple of factors, but overall, it was exactly as you would expect from this kind of book: heartwarming and heartbreaking in equal measure. I avoid WWII fiction these days, but this one was worth a pick just to know Fredy. Recommended. Plot Preview: "I'm a teacher. I'm a dreamer. I'm not just a number." Fredy Kirsch was a twenty-seven-year old teacher with a passion for teaching, music, sports, and children. He used all of these attributes when he was forced into a Jewish ghetto in Czechoslovakia. His main aim was to ensure the welfare of children, and to not make them feel the pain of their living conditions. However, things were soon going to get worse. Would it even be possible to keep children safe in Auschwitz?...

AUTHOR: Amy S. Hansen ILLUSTRATOR: Rocío Arreola Mendoza GENRE: Children's Picture Book, Biography PUBLICATION DATE: August 19, 2025. RATING: 4.25 stars. In a Nutshell: A biographical picture book about the life of blind astrophysicist Wanda Díaz-Merced. Amazing story, excellent illustrations. Inspiring in every way. A great option for little STEM readers. I grabbed this book without even knowing that it was a biographical story, totally missing the tagline on the cover: “A Blind Astronomer Listens to the Universe.” What actually caught my attention was that stunning cover art and that curious title about *hearing* the stars. Reading the book confirmed what an apt name it was for this powerful book. Wanda Díaz-Merced grew up in a small Puerto Rico town. When she was nine, she was fascinated by the stars. Unfortunately, because of her diabetes, she began losing her eyesight while in college and soon was completely blind. Anyone else would have given up on the starry dreams, but Wa...

AUTHOR: Brenda Maier ILLUSTRATOR: Fanni Mézes SERIES: The Adventures of Penguin and Panda, #4 GENRE: Children's Graphic Novel PUBLICATION DATE: October 7, 2025 RATING: 4 stars. In a Nutshell: The fourth standalone graphic novel in the Penguin and Panda series. Amusing stories, cute illustrations, good life lessons. A fun option for beginner readers. The format of this book is the same as the earlier three graphic novels of this series. There are four stories set around the two titular characters. Each story is a good combination of entertainment and wisdom. The life lessons from each story are practical and relevant to the target age group. Penguin and Panda are still as cute. Their friendship and bond comes out excellently in this book. Sometimes, Penguin is at fault, and sometimes, Panda is the one to make mistakes. However, even when they are upset, they remember to apologise and make amends. A good lesson for littlies to remember. Those who have read the earlier books might b...

AUTHOR: Patricia Falvey GENRE: Historical Fiction. PUBLICATION DATE: May 27, 2025 RATING: 4 stars. In a Nutshell: A historical fiction novel that goes from Ireland to Australia and based on the Earl Grey Scheme. Excellent historical research, good characters though they take their time to shine, structured episodic plot. A bit too much romance for my liking but it is handled well. Recommended! Plot Preview: 1845. After the blight results in the potato famine, Kate Gilvarry and her family are forced to give up their land and their home to move into a workhouse. However, after some more tragedies in the family, Kate finds herself alone. When she is selected under the Earl Grey Scheme to be transported to some new place called “Australia” for domestic work, she has mixed feelings. But with the company of the fellow orphans from the workhouse, she feels like her future in the new land might be better than her present. After the harrowing journey, the girls make it to Sydney. But is Aust...