Rosh's Reviews

AUTHOR: Dave Eggers ILLUSTRATOR: Shawn Harris NARRATOR: Ethan Hawke GENRE: Middle-grade Fiction PUBLICATION DATE: May 9, 2023 RATING: 4.25 stars. In a Nutshell: A middle-grade novel coming from the perspective of a dog. Great original narrative voice, awesome characters, good plot, lovely illustrations. Plot Preview: Johannes, proud of being a free dog rather than a “kept dog”, lives in a park filled with animals and visiting humans. He knows that he's superior to the humans but still likes them, though they have done nothing to deserve it. He also knows that he is the fastest runner, the most intelligent, and the best at his job as “the Eyes” of the park. As you can see, Johannes is quite humble. *wink, wink.* As “the Eyes”, Johannes has to report any untoward incident to the park’s respected elders, three ancient bison. Along with his assistant Eyes – a raccoon, a pelican, a seagull, and a squirrel, Johannes ensures that the equilibrium of the park is kept in balance. But soon...

EDITORS: Gabriel Reilich & Lucia Knell GENRE: Inspirational Nonfiction PUBLICATION DATE: September 3, 2024 RATING: 4.25 stars. In a Nutshell: A compilation of some beautiful anecdotes collected by the good people from the Upworthy site. Offers a bouquet of positive sentiments. Warms the cockles of the heart. Stokes the embers of hope. Revives the spirit of helpfulness. Restores faith in humanity… [You get the drift!] Our species vainly calls itself ‘humankind’. ( It equally vainly calls itself ‘homo sapiens’ – ‘wise humans’; Hah! – but let's not go there for now. ) Lately, whatever we read in the media (physical or virtual) makes us feel like the “kind” part of “humankind” has been forgotten. This book emphasises that the suffix of that abstract noun hasn't faded away. I hadn’t heard of Upworthy before seeing this book’s blurb, so looking it up online was a joyous endeavour. It seems similar in spirit to ‘The Better India’ and ‘Wholesome Meets the Internet’ , both site...

AUTHOR: Brian Freschi ILLUSTRATOR: Elena Triolo GENRE: Middle-grade Graphic Novel PUBLICATION DATE: October 3, 2023 RATING: 2.25 stars. In a Nutshell: A middle-grade graphic novel about a girl who wants to dance but isn’t allowed to. A sweet story, but needed more depth. The exploration is too surface-level, even for a middle-grade read. Plot Preview: After moving, Ellie struggles to find friends in her new class. Her only buddy is Chloe, her bestie from before. Ellie’s mom suggests that she join a sports team to make friends, but try as she may, Ellie isn’t made for sports. But when she sees a ballet movie and later a ballet performance, the idea of training in ballet sparks in her head. But Mom doesn’t consider ballet a sport. Will Ellie be able to fulfil her dream of becoming a ballerina? ( You know the answer to that one! ) This graphic novel was originally published in Italian in 2021 under the title ‘Elettra’. This English translation was published in October 2023. As I enjo...

AUTHOR: Janie Kim NARRATOR: Michelle H. Lee GENRE: Literary Fiction. PUBLICATION DATE: July 9, 2024 RATING: 3.75 stars. In a Nutshell: A literary fiction debut that encompasses several themes and subgenres within its plot. Complex, chaotic, compelling! The first half left me befuddled, but the second half cleverly brought all the arcs together. Recommended, but it would help if you are a science nerd. Plot Preview: Twenty-four-year old Abby has only recently found out that she is a “drop-box baby”, a Korean orphan abandoned as an infant. She has no clue about her birth parents. When her adoptive parents – American father and Korean mother – struggle with their marriage, Abby was yet again thrown into the foster care system, only to be adopted again by a Korean-origin couple, whose daughter Iseul ends up as Abby’s best friend. Now, all these years later, Abby works with sea slugs, using them to research the origins of life. She also decides to look for her birth parents. Meanwhile, Is...

AUTHOR:  Dev Kothari GENRE: Middle-Grade Mystery PUBLICATION DATE: October 1, 2024 RATING: 3.5 stars.  In a Nutshell: A middle-grade mystery about a girl who is determined to locate her missing elder brother. Indian setting. Good tackling of the sibling bond. A bit bleak in tone, though the ending is positive. Will suit teens better. Plot Preview: Lena is used to being ignored. Her elder brother Karthik, aka Kay-Kay, has always been the apple of his parents’ eyes. When he goes away for a two-week camp, Lena’s parents finally begin noticing her and indulging her, to the point that Lena secretly wishes that Kay-Kay wouldn’t come back. Now that nightmare seems to have come true. Kay-Kay isn’t on the return train, and none of his camp mates have any clue about when or where he vanished. As Lena is stricken with fear and guilt, she embarks on a quest to locate Kay-Kay, even if it means making some questionable choices.  The story comes to us in Lena’s first-person perspec...

POET: Brian Bilston GENRE: Humorous Poetry PUBLICATION DATE: September 26, 2024 RATING: 4 stars. In a Nutshell: A paw-some package of poems focussed on pets and pet parents. ( That’s a plethora of Ps !) Mostly funny, sometimes emotional. I’m not a poetry fan, but I am a Brian Bilston fan. So if you like his works, you know what to expect. Much recommended! Poetry, especially in free verse, isn’t my cup of tea. But somehow, this poet named Brian Bilston entered my life ( or rather, entered my social media feeds ) and eroded my resistance to this format of verse. I adore the way he threads humour into serious content, though sometimes, his works are just plain wacky. I picked this collection up mainly for him. The other reason for bravely attempting a poem compilation despite my lack of poetic knowhow is that I love animals, especially dogs and cats. Seeing that cute little cover pic and the funny title reminded me of all the time my grandma’s cats slept on me during the summer vacati...

AUTHOR: Anna Johnston GENRE: Contemporary Fiction PUBLICATION DATE: September 10, 2024 RATING: 4.5 stars In a Nutshell: A heartwarming contemporary drama with a geriatric lead character. Amazing characters, great storyline, a couple of wow twists along the way. As impactful as Ove, but not at all like Ove. Read with your heart and not with your head to enjoy it better. My heart cooperated, for once. Plot Preview: At eighty-two, Frederick Fife is all alone in the world. Lonely, broke, and on the verge of losing his home, Frederick has nothing to look forward to. But in an unexpected turn of luck, a case of mistaken identity leads him to be taken for Bernard Greer, a grumpy resident at the local nursing home. Now Frederick has all that he wanted: a roof over his head, food in his belly, and most importantly, companionship. But how long will this last? What will happen when Bernard is found? The story comes to us in three third-person perspectives: that of Frederick and of two other k...

AUTHOR: Angie Lucas ILLUSTRATOR: Ana Sanfelippo GENRE: Children's Picture Book PUBLICATION DATE: September 24, 2024 RATING: 4.75 stars. In a Nutshell: A picture book with a cute story and an important message. Plot, message, illustrations – this book gets most things spot on! Plot Preview: Now that little Rafa is too big to sit in the shopping cart, Mama asks him to walk next to the cart and not wander away while they are in the supermarket. Being a good boy, Rafa listens to her and sticks close by her legs. But when a berry rolls away from its counter and Rafa rushes to pick it up, he ends up grabbing another pair of legs on his return. Where did Mama and her legs go? How will Rafa find her in this huge store? Don’t you just love it when picture books combine entertainment and education in one adorable package? The cover and the title warmed my heart as soon as I saw this book. Reading the blurb brought back a long-forgotten memory of how, when I was about 5 or 6, I had walked...

AUTHOR: Kim-Joy ILLUSTRATOR: Alti Firmansyah GENRE: Graphic Novel PUBLICATION DATE: May 2, 2023 RATING: 2 stars. In a Nutshell: A graphic novel about a socially anxious character who learns how to be comfortable in her own skin. Great potential, below average execution. Plot Preview: Twenty-three-year old Yan has been looking for a job unsuccessfully, with her social anxiety coming in the way of her confidence. One day, she decides to enrol at a new baking club, where she meets fellow baking enthusiasts who all seem more confident and capable than her. Can Yan learn how to ignore the doubts her mind throws her way, and focus on the positives of life with the help of her new friends? Bookish Yays: 🎂 The baking content, though I myself am not much of a baking fan. I wasn’t aware of this author, but it seems she is a cookbook writer and one of two runners-up in the ninth series of The Great British Bake Off. Her love for and knowledge of baking clearly shows in this book. 🎂 The book i...

  AUTHOR:  Laura Pearson GENRE: Fantasy-Romance PUBLICATION DATE: September 20, 2024 RATING: 4 stars. In a Nutshell: One of the most unusual storylines I've ever read in contemporary fiction! An interesting combo of realism and magical realism. Wasn't a big fan of the characters' actions, but the rest of the book made this a memorable read.  Plot Preview:  Samuel, Thomas, Eliza and Lucy, the four “Almosts”, are in the Beforelife, awaiting the time their mother Becca Valentine will give birth to them and bring them into the human world. They came into existence the day Becca was born, and are constantly by Becca’s side, bound to her until their conception. But Becca is unaware of them and doesn’t know that there are four possible children in her future.  Now, two men have shown up in Becca’s life as potential suitors. The problem is, one of them is going to father Samuel and Eliza, and the other will father Thomas and Lucy. But the order of their birth dates...

AUTHOR: Anton Chekhov GENRE: Short Stories, Classics. RATING: 2.5 stars. In a Nutshell: A collection of ten stories by Anton Chekhov. Might work better for the right reader. To me, this was more of an experimental pick and ended up an average read. I might have read a couple of Chekhov’s stories over the years in some or the other compilation, but I don't recollect any at present except ' Misery '. And I've never read any of his story collections. This seemed like a good time and book to begin exploring his writing. It was not. As this is a classic collection and many might know these stories, I’ll be brief. ( Well, briefer than my usual reviews .) ➾ Ten stories, of which one is novella-length. I stopped reading the novella halfway as I was bored out of my head. ➾ This translation was first published in 1916. It seems like a good attempt, with the language being consistent across the set. ➾ Portrayal of women - Typical of the era and culture and male Russian authors....