Rosh's Reviews

Author: Melissa Grey Narrators:  Frankie Corzo and Almarie Guerra Genre: YA Coming-of-age, Historical fiction. Rating: 3.5 stars. In a Nutshell: A fun book though a bit ‘in-your-face’ with its writing. Will work great for its right audience –the upper end of the YA reading segment, maybe even the NA crowd. Older readers might end up rolling their eyes. Story Synopsis: Kiki and Ana are best friends from different circumstances. Ana was born and brought up in a brothel while Kiki belongs to a noble family. However, once their paths met, their bond forged strongly and Ana now stays with Kiki’s family, both trying hard to be society ladies. However, in secret, they are teen vigilantes, passing their time gambling and rescuing those who need to be rescued. When danger comes to their own house and a close family member ends up dead, Kiki and Ana realise that it is up to them to ensure that justice is served. The story comes to us in the alternate first person perspectives of Kiki and Ana...

Author: Louisa May Alcott Genre: Classic Rating: 5 stars. Some classics come with a shelf life and feel like a relic of the past if read beyond their era. Some classics are dated but still enjoyable as the values they espouse are timeless. This one is firmly in category two. Many of the ideas might not be as relevant today, almost 155 years after its first publication. This has been my umpteenth reread, but the characters were still appealing, the writing still attractive, and the themes, still satisfying. Jo and Beth are still my strong favourites, as are Laurie and Prof. Bhaer. This reread has been as much of a treat as expected. Not gonna change my rating, though the critical reviewer in me could see a few minor flaws this time around. This entire series remains my firm favourite and the nostalgic side of me doesn't want to compromise on those 5 stars. 

Author: Mallika Thoppay Genre: Children's fiction, Chapter book. Rating: 3.75 stars. A sweet little story about a little girl’s journey towards self-acceptance. Sahana and Surabhi are sisters. They’ve recently moved to a new city and are starting at a new school. However, their first days couldn’t have been more different. While third grader Surabhi makes friends and impresses her teachers easily, seventh grader Sahana is struggling against prejudice. All because of her dark skin. When things get too much to handle, she approaches her mom for advice. What guidance her mom gives her and how Sahana handles the discriminatory attitude against her forms the rest of the story. People in India have this weird fascination with fair skin. (Which is kind of ironic if you consider that white-skinned westerners keep trying to get their skin tanned) But this fascination turns into obsession when it comes to girls. Even today, there is constant advice to mothers about how to make their daughter...

AUTHOR: Caron Levis ILLUSTRATOR: Charles Santoso GENRE: Children's Picture Book PUBLICATION DATE: October 4, 2022 RATING: 5 feathery stars. If you are looking for a picture book that will make you go “Awwwww”, this is the book you want! Malena and Klepetan are two storks who are best friends and always together. However, one year, Malena injures herself and is unable to make the long flight to a warmer place. She convinces Klepetan to fly without her and she stays back with her human caretaker. As the winter turns to spring, Malena waits eagerly – will her Klepetan return to her? The story is absolutely adorable. Within a few pages, it conveys the behaviour of storks, the impact of human activities on storks and migratory patterns of birds. It also shows how humans can help other creatures in their time of need. What is even more amazing is that the story is inspired by a real pair of storks who lived in the village of Brodski Varos, Croatia, and reunited after the migration each s...

AUTHOR: Sandhya Parappukkaran ILLUSTRATOR: Michelle Pereira GENRE: Children's Picture Book. PUBLICATION DATE: August 18, 2021 RATING: 4 stars. A sweet story with a thought-provoking moral. Zimdalamashkermishkada is a little boy with a huge name. This lengthy name “trips him up every morning, like shoelaces that have come undone.” As he begins at a new school, he struggles to fold his name, halve his name, cut his name, shrink his name, all to no avail – his name bounces back bigger and stronger than ever. However, when his mom explains to him the significance of his name, he realises that he should accept it rather than suppress its size and begins the task of letting his best friend Elly know that he isn’t Zim but Zimdalamashkermishkada. I loved the concept of the story. It reminded me somewhat of “ The Name Jar ” by Yangsook Choi , which also has an Asian child struggling with their name. The racial identity of the boy isn’t revealed but it is clear from the illustrations and a p...

Author: Jill Mansell Genre: Contemporary Romance Rating: 3.5 stars. In a Nutshell: A fairly complex saga of relationships, mostly of the romantic kind but also including parental and friend connections. As predictable as the genre suggests, but there are a few surprises along the way. A nice light read. Story Synopsis: Lachlan is a successful chef and a serial womaniser. Raffaele is a well-known hair dresser who has recently broken up with his dream girlfriend Vee. Amber, a creative stained glass artist, is secretly in love with her best friend but she can’t tell him so for fear of jeopardising their friendship. What ties these three together is not just that they are friends but also that they were raised in the same home as foster children under the loving care of Teddy and May. Now a crisis has brought them together again. May had passed away last year and Teddy seems to have found love in the arms of young, beautiful and too-perfect-to-be-true Olga. How do the trio save their foste...

Author: Philip Bunting Genre: Children's nonfiction, Animals. Rating: 4 stars. A fun and informative book but older children will be able to appreciate it better than its intended target readership. As the title suggests, the book contains a compilation of various “ridiculous” animals. The reason why they are put in this ignominious category ranges from their appearance to their eating habits to even their strange behaviour. A wide range of animals, birds, fish, and insects is covered, and the information provided for each of the entries is, at the same time, hilarious and mindboggling. Each page has a bright and funny illustration of the specific animal. There are cheeky labels surrounding the drawing, tagging its various body parts with quirky comments. There’s relatively more sober text detailing the animal’s evolutionary information and extraordinary characteristics. At the top of the page, the content also mentions the animal’s common name, its Latin biological name (which is ...

Author: Anna James Illustrator: Jez Tuya Genre: Middle-grade Fiction Rating: 4.25 stars. A cute little story about how a girl attempts to save her school library. Hetty loves libraries and her school library is her favourite place. After having a major fallout with her best friends Ali, Mei and Rocket, the library has been her place of refuge. But when the head teacher announces that the library will be closed down due to budget constraints, Hetty knows she has to spring into action. And that she can’t get by without a little help from her EX- friends, even if she is still angry at what they did (or didn’t do.) The story is written in the first person pov of Hetty and it sounds just like a child is talking, what with the exaggerated feelings and the OTT reactions. It was fun to hear Hetty blasting her way through situations while still making her point. She wasn’t a likeable character for a great part of the book but she still makes for an effective protagonist. (And she does love book...

Author:  Anton Eine Translator: Simon Geoghegan Genre: Sci-Fi short story Rating: 4.5 stars. A surprising short story that begins innocently enough but soon becomes as complex as the recipes it mentions. Michael Turner - a top food blogger, a celebrated chef, and a bit of a snob – is devastated when he loses his top rank on the blog charts to a newcomer named Amy Williams. What infuriates him even more is that he was the first to highlight Amy’s recipe by giving it a 5 star ranking, never dreaming that she would overtake him on the charts. Now what can Michael do to win back his much-deserved no. 1 spot? With the upcoming food competition providing the perfect opportunity for a show-off, Michael begins investing day and night into getting the perfect recipe, much to the dismay of his wife who feels he must remember why he began cooking in the first place. Read the story to know what happens next. I simply loved the first person narration of Michael. It was funny to see his thoughts...

Author: Bernice L. McFadden Sugar Lacey Book 1 Genre: African-American Fiction. Rating: 3.75 stars. In a Nutshell: I liked this quite a lot. Though it has a few flaws, considering it was written 22 years ago and was a debut work, it is very impactful and thought-provoking. Story Synopsis: After the brutal death of her daughter Jude fifteen years ago, Pearl, a faithful Christian, loving wife, and kind neighbour, is wrapped in grief. But when Sugar shifts into the opposite house, Pearl is as curious as the rest of the small town of Bigelow. Their connection gets off to a rocky start but soon transforms into an unlikely friendship. Unlikely because it is very clear to almost everyone that Sugar is a prostitute. Is such a friendship sustainable over the long run? Where the book worked for me: ✔ Loved the truthful depiction of a small town Black community in 1950s America. An OwnVoices book, the author doesn’t resort to an extremely positive or stereotypical portrayal but sticks to what is ...

Author: Leslie Garland Genre: Short Story Anthology Rating: 2.3 stars. This might work for some readers, but unfortunately, the writing style wasn’t to my taste and the stories weren’t quite as I had expected. Let’s start by getting the background first. The ‘Red Grouse’ was a pub where the author and his friends would meet. On one occasion, some stories were exchanged and these were penned down in what would become this collection. The word “tales” is a slight misnomer. I had presumed this to be a short story collection; it turned out to be a collection of four novellas. On the positive side, the four stories are quite different from each other in content as well as approach. But what binds them is an underlying theme of good vs. evil. All the stories use philosophical and/or religious musings to highlight this point. (This might work negatively as well as there are quite a few biblical ideas sprinkled throughout, which may not work with all readers.) The content is quite dark and man...

AUTHOR: Saadia Faruqi ILLUSTRATOR: Hatem Aly GENRE: Children's Picture Book PUBLICATION DATE: August 1, 2022 RATING: 4 stars. A cute chapter book about a little girl who becomes a detective to help her grandma. Yasmin is a little girl who loves to watch “Detective Hoo”, a TV program with an owl for a detective. When her grandma loses a couple of her things, Yasmin decides to don the mantle of her idol and starts investigating what might have happened. I wasn’t aware that there is an entire series of chapter books based on the character of Yasmin. To a certain extent, this hindered my comprehension as I wasn’t aware of the little girl’s age or location. But one can read the book even without these details. Yasmin and her family are Pakistanis, but the story is written in a neutral manner so it could be set anywhere. Even the scene that is in the classroom has only Yasmin in the illustrations. At the same time, the culture of the family clearly comes out through the clothes and the f...

Author: Tilly Tennant Narrator: Louise Williams Genre: Romantic Comedy Rating: 1.5 stars. In a Nutshell: I did NOT have “the time of my life” reading this. But to those who like their romcoms to be on the sillier side of fluff, this will be a good choice. Story Synopsis: Bonnie, thirty-five year old single mum to fifteen year old Paige. Her long-time partner (and Paige’s dad) walked out on them two years back and she’s been struggling to make ends meet. This doesn’t stop her from dreaming about a hot boy-band singer. When she actually gets the chance to meet her crush, she is on cloud nine. Will things work out as per her dreams? There are many more aspects to the plot but this is where it all begins. The story comes to us in the first person pov of Bonnie. Where the book worked for me: 👌 The cover is gorgeous. 👌 The narrator of the audiobook is outstanding. Ooh, and the audiobook is just 8.5 hours long – Phew! 👌 Three characters are loveable – Max, Linda, and Jeannie. (Also, the on...

Author: Katya Balen Illustrator: Richard Johnson Genre: Middle-grade fiction Rating: 4.5 stars. A wonderful story about hope and perseverance and the beauty of music. Annie loves music and finds music all around her. However, after a car crash seven months ago, she has lost the ability to manoeuvre her fingers, thus making her incapable of playing her beloved flute. To add to the woes, her mom has lost her job and they have shifted into a small apartment where the only view from the window is buildings. However, one day, she spots a boy in the little garden below her building. Noah is doing his best to save the little blackbirds’ nest. Annie and Noah bond over this duty and the lovely music of the blackbirds reignites Annie’s passion to give her flute another go. But tragedy strikes again and it is up to Annie to see what she can make of the new situation. The story is written in the first person point of view of Annie. Annie’s age isn’t mentioned anywhere in the story, and I guess thi...

Author: G.D. Harper Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 4.25 stars. In a Nutshell: There are some books you read for prose, and some you read for the plot. This is in the latter category. Don’t expect flowery writing. Expect a touching story, though a tad longwinded. Story Synopsis: The story is based on the real-life “Maids of Biddenden”, a pair of conjoined twins who are supposed to have lived during the 11th-12th century. Six year old Eliza and Mary have spent all their life in a local abbey, hidden away from the world because of their physical oddity. The locals have never seen/heard of conjoined twins and their superstitious behaviour leads to this decision. They have only two well-wishers – the prioress Mother Avicia and one of the nuns, Sister Agnes. Circumstances change and the twins find themselves moved to their birth home, where their father and stepmother stay. This transition isn’t easy but soon the twins win the locals over. The book provides a fictionalised version of how ...

Author: Erica George Narrator: Kathryn Lynhurst Genre: YA Romance Rating: 2.5 stars In a Nutshell: Loved the whales. Liked the location and summery feel. Hated the main character. ONLY FOR OLDER YA READERS. Story Synopsis: Coriander, fondly called ‘Cor’, who is almost eighteen, is spending her summer at Cape Cod, working with the local marine institute to save whales from entanglement. She is also coping with the death of her best friend Ella and still sees her at key moments. Life at Cape Cod is going as expected, but the entry of local guy Mannix shatters Cor’s resolve of not dating anyone during the summer. The story focusses mostly on Cor and her rapport with the others around her, especially the budding relationship with Mannix, and partly on the whale initiatives The story comes to us in the first person perspective of Cor. Where the book worked for me: 👍 I am an animal lover and the reason I requested this book was that huge whale fluke on the cover. (I’ve never read a story se...

Author: Cay Fletcher Genre: Fantasy Anthology, LGBTQ+ Rating: 3 stars. A collection of four stories with certain themes in common – love, queer protagonists, fantasy, and spring.  Let me tackle these one by one: 👉 Love: Mea culpa - I assumed “love” meant “romance”. But the book isn’t romance, at least not in the traditional sense of the genre. As the blurb itself says (which I simply forgot), “Love comes in all forms, from enduring friendships, the classic love at first sight, and misunderstandings that unfurl into blooming romance.” As per my current reading preferences, I don’t like traditional romances or love-at-first-sight, so this collection was good at least on that count. 👉 Queer protagonists: Well, yeah. All the stories have same-sex character interactions. A couple use the old trope of enemy-to-friend while another is about mysterious interactions with strangers. But something fell short in making the protagonists memorable. I am not sure what. 👉 Fantasy: Three of th...

AUTHOR: Cindy L. Rodriguez ILLUSTRATOR: Begoña Fernández Corbalán GENRE: Children's Picture Book. PUBLICATION DATE: September 1, 2022 RATING: 4.25 stars. A sweet and funny story about a boy who goes “Nope! Nunca!” at the thought of wearing a guayabera. Beto simply doesn't want to wear the guayabera – a Mexican wedding shirt - for an upcoming family wedding as he doesn't consider it a “cool” shirt. He makes various plans to show his mom how the shirt is unsuitable, but she keeps thwarting his attempts cleverly. However, looking through some old family pictures make Beto realise that the shirt isn’t so uncool after all. The initial half of the story is quite funny. Beto’s attempts to avoid wearing the guayabera are hilarious, with his pet dog being a happy participant in his escape plans. However, the latter half of the story changes track into an emotional representation of family values. I loved both halves equally. The story develops through various letters/notes that Beto...

Author: Chloe Timms Genre: Dystopian Fiction Rating: 4.5 stars In a Nutshell: An outstanding, if slow-paced, atmospheric dystopian fiction that depicts what control a misogynistic cult has over its island. Feminist, raw, provocative, brilliant for a debut work! Story Synopsis: Esta stays with her grandmother Sarl on the ironically named Eden’s Isle, an island that is cut off from all other places by choice. “Lording” over this island is the fanatical Father Jessop along with his ministers. They use a contorted version of the Bible and preach values especially to the women inhabitants. Prime in their sermons is the warning to stay away from the sea and its monstrous residents, the seawomen, who can pollute the female residents and use them to create havoc on the island by corrupting men. Married women are expected to conceive within twelve months of their “motherhood year” and if they fail to do so, they are sacrificed to the sea in a brutal act called the Untethering. Esta witnesses on...

AUTHOR: Karen Henry Clark ILLUSTRATOR: Sheryl Murray GENRE: Children's Picture Book PUBLICATION DATE: September 27, 2022 RATING: 4.75 stars. An amazing picture book narrating the inspiring story of the celebrated librarian Nancy Pearl. Nancy Pearl has been a librarian, among various other social positions, for many years. She has had a lifelong passion of reading. There’s even an action figure modelled after this amazing woman. This little picture book brings to us her story. Nancy loved reading more than anything else and spends all possible free time at her school library. The other kids teased her as “library girl.” One day, when she is speaking with her school librarian about not being able to come to the library on Saturdays, the kind librarian tells her about public libraries. Off sets Nancy on her beloved bicycle to the Francis Parkman Branch Library at Detroit. And here the world of wonderment opens up to her. But her shyness doesn’t go away easily and it takes two amazing ...

Authors: Lisa Swerling & Ralph Lazar Genre: Sequential Art Novel Rating: 3 stars. A cute, almost sarcastic look at the life of a cat. All cat lovers know what a cat’s life entails – eat, sleep, hiss, scratch, act like royalty. All of these is worth it for the random moments of affection that these superior beings bestow when they feel like it. This is an illustrated novel with each page having one-liners about a cat’s behaviour. It is written as an instruction manual for cats and wannabe cats. Some examples: 🐱 "When your photo is being taken, under no circumstances stand still." 🐱 "Be sure to let your human know that they are sleeping on YOUR pillow." 🐱 "The Christmas tree MUST be attacked!" 🐱 "If your human wants to work, feel free to take a quick laptop nap." The book is mainly for ailurophiles, though there’s nothing new for them except the happy feeling of knowing their cat is just like others. Some of the cartoons are a bit repetitiv...