Rosh's Reviews

AUTHOR: Clare Chambers GENRE: Historical Literary Fiction PUBLICATION DATE: November 12, 2024 RATING: 4.25 stars. In a Nutshell: A literary fiction that began ponderously but took me by surprise as it proceeded. Compelling plotline, realistically flawed characters, fluid writing. Backward storytelling for one timeline. I enjoyed this darkly complex character-oriented novel. Plot Preview: Croydon, 1964. Thirty-four-year-old Helen works as an art therapist in a psychiatric hospital. She has also been having a long affair with her colleague Gil, a married doctor who plans to leave his wife once his kids are a bit older. One day, when Helen is asked by Gil to come to a nearby old house where there was a report of domestic disturbance, the last thing she expects to find is an unkempt mute man named William Tapping, who has been living with his aged aunt. None of the neighbours knew of his presence in the house, and it soon becomes clear that he hasn’t ventured outside of his home in at l...

AUTHOR: Elise Gravel SERIES: Arlo & Pips, #2 GENRE: Children's Graphic Novel. PUBLICATION DATE: August 17, 2021 RATING: 4.25 stars. In a Nutshell: The second book of the Arlo & Pips early-reader chapter book series. Continues the fun from the first book with the same adorable characters. Arlo has now settled in the city, but he is lonely. When he confesses to Pips that he doesn’t have any other crow friends, Pips takes him to a park where a ‘murder’ resides. Arlo learns that there are others crows cleverer than him, and even meets the love of his life. (🤭😄) Like the first book: ' King of the Birds' , this beginner graphic novel also contains three short chapters. The theme of each chapter might be different but they are all interlinked, with each taking the story ahead. Arlo isn't as boastful as in the first book… well, for most of the book anyway. Pips and he still share the same equation. Arlo brags about his talents; Pips, yet again the voice of reason, l...

AUTHOR: Leslie Colburn ILLUSTRATOR: Marcin Piwowarski GENRE: Children's Picture Book PUBLICATION DATE: November 12, 2024 RATING: 4.25 stars. In a Nutshell: A picture book combining the story of Christmas with the popular nursery rhyme. I love how the two are intertwined. Leaves some questions unanswered, but overall, this unusual Christmas picture book is a winner. Plot Preview: Twinkle is the smallest star and doesn’t glow as bright as the other stars around her. She feels a little dismayed at being so dim, but at the encouragement of the moon, she goes in search for her purpose. When an angel appears to her, she finally realises her role. At a macro level, I loved this story. ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’ is such a popular nursery rhyme, but this book brilliantly turns the small star into a spotlight for a very memorable birth. I didn’t expect Christmas content in this book because I had grabbed it only for the cover and the title. A pleasant surprise, indeed! Twinkle is a grea...

AUTHOR: Nick Spalding NARRATORS: Imogen Church & Steve West GENRE: Contemporary Drama PUBLICATION DATE: November 1, 2024 RATING: 4.25 stars. In a Nutshell: A contemporary drama about a man and a woman who bond with each other over their shared grief. Many heartwarming moments and also many heartbreaking moments. Has some light scenes to round out the intensity of the emotions. Goes a bit over the top at times, but on the whole, a beautiful book. Not a romance! Plot Preview: Six months after her husband Joe’s death, Alice is still finding it tough to overcome her grief. As she is sobbing by his graveside on his birthday, the last thing she expects to see is a man dressed up as Kermit the Frog. Kermit turns out to be Ben, whose older brother Harry died three months prior. For some unknown reason, Harry stipulated that Ben visit his grave on this specific day every year, wearing a fancy-dress outfit predecided by Harry. Both Alice and Ben are struggling to move beyond their loss, so...

AUTHOR: Nettie Magnan GENRE: Literary Fiction PUBLICATION DATE: June 30, 2024 RATING: 3 stars. In a Nutshell: A literary fiction about three women and their individual struggles. Great nature imagery and intriguing flawed characters, but too overwritten for my liking. Readers who like descriptive prose and don’t mind meandering storytelling are bound to enjoy this better. I was the wrong reader for this book. So please take this review with a pinch of salt. Plot Preview: Sally is a frustrated middle-aged ex-artist who is tired of the monotony of her life. Now with the added task of caring for her ailing mother, Sally seeks a change, but can she do so at the cost of her responsibilities? Mary, Sally’s mother, is not happy about how she has been reduced to complete dependence because of her illness. Her crankiness is often a cover for her frustration and her regrets. Is it too late for her to find peace? Beth, Mary’s caretaker, knows she has a tough patient, but even handling Mary is b...

AUTHOR: Elise Gravel SERIES: Arlo & Pips, #1 GENRE: Children's Graphic Novel. PUBLICATION DATE: October 6, 2020 RATING: 4.25 stars. In a Nutshell: A cute early-reader graphic novel with two birds in the lead, one of whom is a tad too vain. Plenty of fun, plenty of fun facts. Much recommended! Arlo the crow has just moved from the country to a big city. As he meets a new bird named Pips ( I couldn’t figure out what species Pips belonged to! ), Arlo begins bragging about … well… everything! His ramp-worthy looks, his singing talent, his genius brain, his shiny-things collection… You name it, Arlo flaunts it! Pips is sceptical about Arlo’s claims, but he soon learns that Arlo does have quite a few amazing skills. If only he weren’t so boastful about them! The story is presented in the form of three interlinked chapters that reveal the personality of the two characters wonderfully. Each story takes the new “friendship” a step ahead. While it is tough to like a pompous character, ...

AUTHOR: Kari Allen ILLUSTRATOR: Tatjana Mai-Wyss SERIES: Maddie and Mabel, #5 GENRE: Children's Fiction, Chapter Book. RATING: 4.5 stars. In a Nutshell: The fifth picture book in the 'Maddie and Mabel' series, and just as adorable as the earlier books. A great option for beginner readers. Those who are familiar with this series know that Maddie and Mabel are sisters. While there are many things they enjoy doing together, their personalities are distinct. This makes stories featuring them a treat as we see their strong bond clearly, even during disagreements. While many books featuring siblings show the elder one dominating the younger one, this series always depicts both the girls at an equal level, with Maddie and Mabel taking care of their individual choices while still listening to and supporting the other… for the most part anyway. It is the perfect depiction of a healthy sibling relationship. I love how the girls always have an open conversation about their thoughts ...

AUTHOR: Naomi Clifford GENRE: Historical Fiction PUBLICATION DATE: October 11, 2024 RATING: 2 stars. In a Nutshell: A historical crime drama based on true events. Great research, but the writing choices didn’t work for me. This is an outlier review. Plot Preview: London, 1872. After having fled France during the communal siege, twenty-eight-year-old Marguerite Diblanc, who speaks no English, grabs the opportunity to work as a cook for the mercurial French widow Madame Riel. However, she soon discovers that the promises made to her before joining were nothing but lies. The Riel household is filled with tension that is worsened by the miserly owner, her unpredictable daughter, and an unfriendly English housemaid. Marguerite decides to quit her job, but where can she go? Then a tragedy occurs… The story comes to us in Marguerite’s first-person perspective. This novel is based on an actual crime in London in 1872. If you want to retain some suspense over what the crime was, don’t visit...

AUTHOR: Colleen Alles GENRE: YA Contemporary Romance, Retelling. PUBLICATION DATE: November 19, 2024 RATING: 4 stars. In a Nutshell: A contemporary YA retelling of Charlotte Brontë’s classic novel, ‘Jane Eyre’. Fairly true to the original, but works even better as an independent novel. A good option for YA readers. You don’t need to read the original to appreciate this better. Plot Preview: Michigan. Seventeen-year-old Jane is a senior at Thornfield High. With her best friend Helen, she is ready to navigate the final year of school, more challenging this year thanks to the merger of the school with Milcott High after fund cuts. One of the new students to transfer to Thornfield is Eddie Rochester, who leaves Jane strangely affected. However, he is already dating another ex-Milcott student, Bertha Mason. When Eddie and Bertha call it quits, Eddie gives mixed signals to Jane, but soon pursues the gorgeous Blanche Ingram. In the meantime, Jane discovers that another fellow student, SJ Ri...

AUTHOR: Denise Alicea ILLUSTRATOR: Sadiqa Akhter GENRE: Children's Picture Book PUBLICATION DATE: October 14, 2024 RATING: 3.25 stars. In a Nutshell: A good indie picture book about a rescued cat who bumps into Santa Claus and makes his wish. I liked the cover and the story enough, but the illustrations weren’t a favourite. Plot Preview: Apollo the cat, newly rescued from the shelter, is celebrating his first Christmas in a proper house. At night, he is surprised to see a strange man popping in from the chimney. When the man introduces himself as Santa and explains his role during the festive season, Apollo is fascinated. He knows what he wishes for every cat in the world, but there is no Santa Claus for cats… or is there? This is a cute story with two characters children are bound to enjoy – a cat and Santa Claus. Apollo’s being a shelter cat is a further bonus, as his experience proves how adoption can save many animals from a dreary fate. Through Apollo’s wish and its fulfil...

AUTHOR: Laura J. Mayo SERIES: Fairies and Familiars, #1 GENRE: Fantasy-Retelling. PUBLICATION DATE: October 8, 2024 RATING: 4.25 stars. In a Nutshell: A clever retelling of Cinderella’s tale from the point of view of one of her “wicked stepsisters”. Doesn’t stop at being a retelling but goes much beyond. Snarky, funny, magical. Excellent character and plot development. First of a planned duology(?) but no cliffhanger ending. A fabulous debut. Much recommended! Plot Preview: Lady Theodosia Balfour (Theo) has long hated her stepsister, the beautiful Beatrice who snagged the prince at the ball. Now that she is the princess, Beatrice has revealed to everyone her travails at the hands of her wicked stepfamily who treated her like a slave. Theo knows that the truth is *slightly* different, but who will believe her? Worse, Theo’s mother has forced her to be engaged to the Duke of Snowbell, an old curmudgeon with atrocious behaviour. When Theo discovers the secret means that Beatrice used to...

AUTHOR: David M. Barnett GENRE: Contemporary Fiction PUBLICATION DATE: October 10, 2024 RATING: 4.25 stars. In a Nutshell: A character-oriented contemporary fiction with a strong Christmas spirit and a dash of Christmas magic. Excellent characters and a well-connected narrative linking them all. True to contemporary times in every way. Might get a bit too sugary, but works well for the genre. A fabulous and heartwarming option for the festive season. Plot Preview: When Molly McGinley moves from London to her Northern hometown of Merry-le-Moors, she feels like an utter failure. Ten years in the big city, and all she has to show is a broken relationship and no job. Her widower dad Jack is more than happy to have his daughter home, especially as he is still missing his wife who passed away a decade back. Jack now whiles away his time driving the town’s mobile library and he insists that Molly accompany him on his rounds instead of moping alone at home. As the two take the library bus t...

AUTHOR: Marzieh Abbas ILLUSTRATOR: Bhagya Madanasinghe GENRE: Children's Picture Book PUBLICATION DATE: March 26, 2024 RATING: 4 stars In a Nutshell: A sweet little picture book about a girl who, inspired by her grandma, decides to make samosas for her friends. Cute story, great characters, lovely illustrations, loads of yummy food! Recommended! Plot Preview: Noor’s friends are coming over to her house for the very first time. As Noor ponders over what to serve them, she recollects her grandmother’s delicious samosas. Her father tries to get her to order pizzas instead, but the heart wants what the heart wants. So Noor and her dad set about making samosas. But some key ingredients are not in stock at home and time is running out. Motivated by her father and her pet parrot Mithoo, Noor decides to experiment with Dadijaan’s recipe. She is sure that her Awe-Samosas will turn out awesome!! But will they? I recently read ‘My Teacher Has Tattoos’ , and loved the illustrations so much...