Rosh's Reviews

Author: Nina LaCour Genre: Literary Fiction, Coming of Age. Rating: 3.75 stars. In a Nutshell: A slow-burn, coming-of-age, queer literary fiction. The characters are well-developed. But the romance is not the star of the show, unlike what the official genre says. I don’t think this book will click with everyone. Story Synopsis: After young Sara’s love life comes to a sudden end, she runs away from her home in Northern California to LA, hoping for a fresh start. With a lot of hard work and some personal compromises, she finally makes a name for herself in a successful restaurant. Emilie, a Creole whose family originally came from New Orleans, is confused about what she wants to do in life. She takes a job arranging flowers for a restaurant, until the owner notices her and woos her. When Sara and Emilie meet each other, the connection is immediate but their circumstances are such that they can’t speak openly to one another. How will Sara and Emilie bridge over the hurts of their past? Wi

Author-Illustrator: James Warwood Genre: Children's Nonfiction, Humour Rating: 4 stars. After being pretty impressed with the first book of the “Truth or Poop” series, I decided to give a try to book two. It almost matches up! Book one deals with animal facts; this one deals with space facts. The format is exactly the same. There are 50 statements made, all related to space, and we have to decide whether these facts are ‘truth’ or ‘poop’! The next page reveals the answer and some insight into what the actual facts are. This might sound very easy but it is NOT! There are many tricky questions that trap you into an answer. The explanations are all laced with a touch of humour, thereby keeping the momentum fun all the way. (To do justice to the ‘poop’ part of its title, there are plenty of astronomical poopy facts scattered in the Q&A. These were gross and still hilarious.) Space junkies will enjoy the content. I liked a lot of the questions but some of them felt a bit pedantic. A

Author: Julie Clark Genre: Domestic Thriller, Revenge Drama Rating: 3.75 stars. In a Nutshell: An interesting revenge story, though not a thriller as advertised. Story Synopsis: Kat Roberts has been looking for Meg Williams since the last ten years. Now at last, she has discovered her whereabouts and can now plan for her emotional closure over an incident that changed her life. Meg Williams has been waiting to get in touch with Ron Ashton since more than a decade. Now at last, she is in the position to get closure over an incident that changed her life. See the similarity? The difference is that Kat is a journalist while Meg is a con artist. Why are they pursuing their targets? Will they get what they seek? How will the tracks of the two women merge? The story comes to us in the alternate first person perspectives of Kat and Meg. I loved the concept of the book. It is always fun to read about con artists, and Meg seems to be among the best ones. The whole book reads like a cat-and-mous

AUTHOR: Karen A. Wyle ILLUSTRATOR: Siski Kalla GENRE: Children's Picture Book RATING: 4.75 stars. A really cute book about bubbles! And it doesn’t stop at being cute! Who doesn’t love bubbles as a child? We have all enjoyed the fun of blowing bubbles and chasing after them. But imagine the very bubbles being a medium of delivering a valuable message too! The concept of the book is very straightforward, as suggested by the title: You can’t kiss a bubble. What follows is a list of things you can’t do with a bubble followed by what you can actually enjoy about a bubble. The final pages contain an important life lesson children can learn from bubbles. I loved this sweet little picture book from start to end. The initial pages made me very nostalgic as I relived my childhood memories of chasing after bubbles. (And my kids doing the same!) The moral is the icing on the cake. I didn’t expect such a deep thought to be brought out so beautifully. The temporary nature of bubbles is used to d

Author-Illustrator: James Norbury Genre: Sequential Art Rating: 3.75 stars. Hmmmm…. Don’t know where to begin. I had expected this to be a nice read, and a nice read it was! That’s it. Nothing earth-shattering. Nothing that made me go “Wow” or “Shucks” or any of the other exclamatory words you can think of. All through the book, I just went “That’s nice/sweet!” and moved on. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Written during the covid pandemic, the book is a collection of the illustrations that author James Norbury shared on his site (BigPandaandTinyDragon.com) during the lockdown as well as new ones drawn specifically for the book. This graphic novel is just a series of drawings with some text, which ranges from silly to reflective, even poignant. The overall effect is quite soothing. There are some beautiful ideas covered such as the importance of living in the moment, the importance of helping others while helping yourself too, and the value of being a listener. I was reminded of "The Boy, the Mole, the

Author-Illustrators: Stephane Lapuss and Philippe Larbier Genre: Sequential Art, Humour, Animals. Rating: 4 stars. When the author’s name is ‘Lapuss’, it is kind of ironic to see that their first graphic novel is titled “Cats Cats Cats”. It was just meant to happen, wasn’t it? Serendipity at work. 😄 Anyhoo, back to the book. This is a graphic novel about…. You guessed it… cats! There are no words or dialogues except for the various Meows peppered throughout the book. Each page has a comic strip, generally of eight panels, and depicts a typical day as a cat or as a cat-parent. The novel goes by fairly quickly as there is no text to process. Many of the strips are hilarious, but after a point, they become a tad repetitive. Some caused me to burst out laughing, some made me go “yuck!”, and some just elicited a sigh – all common emotions if you are a cat parent. The comics are very silly and yet very relatable. On an aside, I didn’t like the way the female cat owners were drawn in the boo

Three More Months Author: Sarah Echavarre Genre: Contemporary Drama Rating: 2 stars. In a Nutshell: Predictable, emotional, long-winded. Didn’t like the MC. Didn’t like the writing. Story Synopsis: Chloe is a workaholic who spends all possible hours at her job as a pharmacist in a medical centre. Unfortunately, this means that she hasn’t the time to visit her mom who stays just a couple of hours away. After a chat with her best friend Julianne, Chloe vows to visit her mom that weekend. Unfortunately, her mom passes away that very night. Devastated, Chloe takes a break from work and goes home to help her younger brother Andy with the funeral arrangements. A few days before the funeral, Chloe wakes up to find her mother alive and well. She soon discovers that she has been transported back to March (the original timeline was in May.) Unsure of what to make of this opportunity, Chloe decides that she will save her mother at any cost. Can’t waste a second chance after all. The story comes t

Author: Valerie G. Miller Genre: Short Story Anthology, Contemporary Fiction. Rating: 3 stars. A collection of eleven short stories about “families, loss, and love”. This anthology should have been right up my alley. I love short stories, I love drama-based content much more than thrillers, and I loved the theme of this collection. Unfortunately, my experience was underwhelming. On the positive side, all the stories cater to the theme well. The characters and the situations feel very realistic. The author is an Italian-Australian, so there are many Italian and Australian words in the stories. (There is a glossary at the end for these words.) All the stories are written from the point of view of female characters, and each of these is an Italian. (After a point, this becomes boring.) However, the story development didn’t work for me much. Some of them go all over the place, with there being no connection between the start and the end. While I liked the concept of most of the stories, I

Author: Sarai Walker Genre: Historical Suspense Rating: 3.75 stars. In a Nutshell: Great premise, could have had better execution, disappointing ending, slow! Unlike what many reviews tell you, this isn’t a Gothic horror. More like a historical atmospheric suspense. Story Synopsis: New Mexico, 2017. Sylvia Wren is a well-known but reclusive artist. She stays on the outskirts with her partner Lola. But when a persistent journalist hints at digging into her family roots, Sylvia knows that she can’t hide under the assumed identity anymore. Flashback to Connecticut, 1950s: Iris Chapel is one of the six Chapel sisters. With the Chapel name being known for their firearms fortune, Iris’s mother Belinda is convinced that their house is haunted and cursed by the spirits of those killed by Chapel guns. The six girls are fed up of living with a weird mother and an absentee father and they see marriage as their only means of escape. However, not long after the first sister is married, tragedy stri

AUTHOR: Karen A. Wyle ILLUSTRATOR: Barbara Dessi GENRE: Children's Picture Book. RATING: 4 stars. A sweet picture book about what a little girl does “when it’s winter”. There is no story as such here. Rather, it is like a list of things the girl likes to do in winter. ( I loved the ending, btw. Didn’t see that coming! 😊) Coming from a tropical country ( and having seen snow just thrice in my life ), I cannot say I connected personally with the story. But it certainly made me feel like jumping into snow the next time I see it. Winter has always been my favourite season ( as I am a winter baby!  ❄👶❄) so to see a cute picture book about winter activities gave me a warm feeling in my heart. ( Ironic, right? Warm feeling from winter stories! ) That said, the word ‘activities’ takes a very different meaning here. In typical children’s books, winter/snow would automatically involve group fun activities such as ice skating, skiing, tobogganing, and snowball fights. Here, many of the acti

Author: Silvia Moreno-Garcia Genre: Mythological Fiction, Dark Fantasy. Rating: 4 stars. In a Nutshell: A nice blend of Mayan mythology and dark fantasy. Will suit the YA Fantasy audience as well as older readers. Just wish it had toned down the descriptions. Note: The author has made it clear that this isn't a YA story but an adult fiction. But the writing style and the character development gives me strong YA vibes. There's nothing in the content that can't be read by the YA target age group of 12-18. Story : 1927. Eighteen year old Casiopea Tun slogs like a maid at her maternal grandfather’s place where she has been staying with her mother after her dad’s death. She dreams of a life from away from that small town and drudgery. One day, she opens a strange chest in her grandfather’s room and ends up accidentally freeing the spirit of Hun- Kamé, the Mayan God of Death, who in turn erolls her to join him on his quest of recovering the throne of Xibalba, the Mayan underworld

Author: Jeremy Ray Genre: Short Story Rating: 5 stars. A short but stunning read! George is a fern who stays reluctantly with Brenda and her family. He doesn’t appreciate being the only plant in the house, he doesn’t like her over-zealous attention to him, and does his best to thwart her “evil intentions”. But with time, he realises that Brenda genuinely likes him and there’s no ulterior agenda to her attention. However, soon after he accepts his fate and looks forward to knowing Brenda better, tragedy strikes and George’s life turns upside down. Will this be the end of the road for George in Brenda’s house? I simply loved this little story. Having such an unusual lead character is a great starting point anyway. But to take a plant and make it communicate and emote the way we never think is an astounding move on author Jeremy Ray’s part. You see George not just as a plant in one corner of the room but as a living, breathing creature with feelings. Within just 32 pages, this short story

Author: Jane Davis Genre: Literary Fiction, Historical Fiction. Rating: 4.1 stars. Have you ever had the experience when you tell a friend that you loved a book, your friend wants to know what it’s about, and you just go, “Well… uhmmm.. Errr….”? That’s going to be me in this review. I am going to try my best to describe the book but I have no idea where to begin! Now that you are forewarned, let me attempt a synopsis. Story: A small prologue set in 1884 gives us the background of Robert who mistakes the symptoms of scarlet fever in his two toddler sons as signs of teething. When the illness is discovered, his pregnant wife Freya is forced to go into isolation with their four year old girl. But it is too late. Moving back to 1870. Eight year old Robert is filled with the “itch” of adventure, much to the dismay of his mother Hettie. She does her best to get him to toe the line as she has seen how a family can be destroyed because of adventurous pursuits. Both these past events set the to

Author: Audrey Blake Narrator: Susan Lyons Genre: Historical Fiction. Rating: 3.5 stars. In a Nutshell: I liked it, I didn’t love it. The medical details are excellent. The characters failed to make an impression. Why isn’t it revealed anywhere that this is a sequel?!?!?!!? Grrrrrr!!!! Story: Nora Beady has arrived at the famed medical school in Bologna to study medicine as her native England doesn’t allow women to become licensed surgeons. She is very clear that on completion of her studies, she will return to her country and practise along with her mentor Dr. Horace Croft. Though the Italian college has opened its doors to women, the biases still remain. Nora has to work harder to show that she is as capable (maybe, even more) to handle surgery, especially in the field of obstetrics, where she is learning the new technique of the Caesarean section under the only female doctor on staff, Dr. Magdalena Morenco. The story is written in a limited third person point of view of Nora and Dr.

Author: Jennifer Dance Genre: Contemporary Drama. Rating: 4.5 stars. In a Nutshell: A very emotional read focussing on the issues of Alzheimer’s sufferers as well as caregivers. It’s a slow and complicated read but the topic makes it worth the effort. Story: Mary: a seventy-five year old published writer who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Mary is determined to pen down her love story with her late husband Keith, whom she met in Trinidad in the 1960s. But with her memory degrading more day by day, will she be able to complete her story? Kayla: Mary’s youngest daughter, single mom of three, singer. Only her youngest teen, Jesse, stays with her. But with Mary’s health worsening, Kayla has no choice but to bring Mary into her own home. Will she be able to handle this additional responsibility? Sage: Kayla’s dog. Or rather, Jesse’s dog. A Golden Retriever, Sage is just as her name suggests, full of wisdom, understanding and caring. When her “Mom” brings “Gran” home, Sage knows that sh

AUTHOR: Karen A. Wyle ILLUSTRATOR: Tomasz Mikutel GENRE: Children's Picture Book. RATING: 4.5 stars. An unusual picture book that soothes your eyes, your ears and your heart. Unusual because this is unlike any picture book I have read. Most typical early reader books have human or animal characters. This one relies entirely on the non-living yet essential components of nature. The central character is the wind, who is speaking to the grass about the qualities of the ocean, and how the vast ocean is similar and also dissimilar to the grass. Through the wind’s words, the grass tries to picture the ocean and its many moods. When the grass questions the wind about whom it likes better, the wind’s answer is diplomatic and truthful. I loved how beautifully the wind reaffirms its need of both and diminishes the value of neither. Seeing nature through the eyes of the wind was a remarkable experience. The words used are simple enough for early readers and yet so vivid that they create a won

Author: Kyle A. Massa Genre: Short Story Anthology, Fantasy Rating: 4.25 stars. An extremely short collection of intelligent stories that left me wanting more! I have read this author’s ‘ Monsters at Dusk ’ and had become a fan of his imagination and his sense of humour. This collection maintains the same standard, though it must be about one-fourth the length. (I completed this in fifteen minutes flat!) There are just three stories in this anthology. 1. ‘Hundredfingers’ (Past) – About a guitarist named Johnny Hundredfingers. Everyone is in awe of his guitar playing but no one knows the reason behind his skills. While I have seen this kind of story many times (it’s a fairly common trope in the classics), I loved how Massa added his own twist to the proceedings. The characters are wonderfully developed for such a short tale. 🌟🌟🌟🌟 2. ‘Mad Scientist Seeking Intern for Spring Semester’ (Present) – Exactly as the title suggests. The entire "story" contains job specifications f

Author: Kerry Greenwood Series: Phryne Fisher, #22. Genre: Detective Fiction, Short Story Anthology. Rating: 3.25 stars. In a Nutshell: An interesting collection of short stories featuring Phryne Fisher. There are a few decent stories here but none that blew my mind. Let me begin with a disclaimer. I have never heard of this supposedly famous character prior to reading these stories. I don’t know anything about her, have never read her full-length cosy mysteries nor watched her NetFlix series. (I don’t know what rock I have been living under!) So this review is based on this book alone and not on any loyalty or fondness for this character. In other words, I might be disappointing some of you Phryne Fisher fans with my words. Apologies for that! The collection begins with two very different types of author's notes: ‘Apologia’, which contains a little humorous note to the reader, and ‘On Phryne Fisher’, which details out the journey of this character, including how the idea for the b

Author: Shalini Mullick Genre: Short Story Anthology, Indian Fiction. Rating: 3 stars. A collection of three novellas on the themes of lost/forbidden love. While the circumstances in the three novellas are distinct, there are many elements in common across them: a. The leading ladies are strong women in many ways except one - they don’t get out of their dysfunctional marriage. (In one case, I simply didn’t understand why.) b. Their husbands are jerks in varied proportions – ranging from tolerable to ridiculous. c. There is some snippet (a letter/an invitation/a newspaper article) that causes them to go into flashback about a past relationship. Thus there is a strong feeling of déjà vu coming through the stories. But there are still some factors that make them an enjoyable reading experience. Here’s the feedback on the three novellas: 1. Sayonee – ‘Soulmate’ A historical story of Geetika, a princess who needs to follow her family diktat and marry into the right family, and Shekhar, the

Author: Erin Litteken Genre: Historical Fiction alternating with Contemporary. Rating: 4.25 stars. In a Nutshell: A historical timeline that is almost painful to read because of its brutal depiction of the realities of Ukrainian life under Stalin’s collectivization scheme. The contemporary timeline is decent but pales in comparison. Still, I would count this as a must-read book. Story: Wisconsin, 2004. Ever since Cassie’s husband died in a road accident 14 months ago, her five year old daughter Birdie and she have been struggling to let go of their grief. When Grandma Bobby begins suffering from memory issues, Cassie’s mom decides that it would be best for Cassie and Birdie to shift into Bobby’s house for a mutual support. Here, Cassie discovers a journal written in Ukrainian, which seems to contain some secrets of the past. Ukraine, 1930. Sixteen year old Katya has a lot to look forward to in life. She is part of a happy family and has a childhood sweetheart Pavlo right next door. But