Rosh's Reviews

AUTHOR: Sophie Kinsella GENRE: Autofiction PUBLICATION DATE: October 8, 2024 RATING: 4.5 stars In a Nutshell: A heartfelt novella inspired by the author’s own health scare.  Not a light romcom like her other works.  Heartbreaking, pragmatic, humorous, hopeful. I never thought I would recommend a Sophie Kinsella book this strongly, but never say never, right? Much recommended! Plot Preview: Eve Monroe has it all. She’s a successful author with a huge fan following. One of her books has even been turned into a successful Hollywood movie. She has a loving husband and five adorable children. In short, she is lucky. Perhaps, too lucky, because one day, her luck runs out. When she wakes up in bed with no memory of what happened to her, her husband explains that she had undergone an operation to remove a large tumour from her brain. Unfortunately, the tumour turned out to be malignant. As Eve comes to terms with her diagnosis and what it means for her, her family, and their future...

AUTHOR: Sirius Imnot GENRE: Short Story PUBLICATION DATE: December 2, 2024 RATING: 4 stars. In a Nutshell: *Sirius*, I am when I say that this “fairy tale for adults” is dark but gripping. Kidding, *I am not* when I say that this is one of the best indie short stories I have read in terms of plot and atmosphere. Honest, I am when I say that had this gone through a stricter editing, it would have been an easy five-star for me. Plot Preview: Once upon a time, there was a naughty Boy and a bad Priest. When their paths cross, Boy’s life turns into a nightmare. Hope comes in the form of a Slug. Woohoos: 🐛 At just twenty-two pages in length, this story is a quick read. But it will not leave your head for a long time after you turn the last digital page. 🐛 A wonderful mix of multiple genres: humour, magical realism and horror (non-paranormal). Each shows up strongly even though the page count is limited. I loved how the writing blended these distinct content categories into a cohesive p...

AUTHOR: Jane Wilsher ILLUSTRATOR: Liz Kay GENRE: Children's Nonfiction PUBLICATION DATE: February 4, 2025 RATING: 4 stars. In a Nutshell: A modern-day encyclopaedia, explaining some common and not-so-common confusables to kids. Good explanations and illustrations. A nice option for middle-graders with inquisitive minds. As the title and the caption explain, this book aims to clarify the difference between 150+ word pairs that could be confusing because of their similarity in sound or spelling or even meanings. The book starts with a note on how kids can use the book, and then proceeds to offer enlightenment on confusing words from various categories. The content is divided into thirteen chapters, each exploring one subject such as space, animals, the body, tech, our world, history, transport and so on. The focus seems to have been mainly on including words that sound similar but are different, or that might seem synonymous but aren’t. Thus, ⇒ A majority of the pairs are about s...

AUTHOR: Carmen Maria Machado GENRE: Speculative Short Story Collection PUBLICATION DATE: October 3, 2017 RATING: Can't decide! In a Nutshell: Might make a good story collection for the right reader, but not for me. It went a bit too meandering and surreal for my taste. I had chanced upon one story by this author, an amazing tale titled ‘The Husband Stitch’ and also the first story in this collection, a couple of years ago on the Granta site. Having been impressed with it, I looked up the author on Goodreads and discovered this debut collection. But after reading it, I feel like I should have stopped after that first experience. Let's be clear: she's not a bad writer at all, but her writing isn't for me. There’s no disputing the creativity of the storylines. The eight stories in this book transcend several fantastical genres, delving into sci-fi, surrealism, fantasy, comedy, horror, and psychological fiction. However, what connects each of them is the strong thread of...

AUTHOR: Jonathan Vischer GENRE: Historical Fiction PUBLICATION DATE: September 25, 2022 RATING: 1 star. In a Nutshell: Such amazing potential, such shoddy execution! ☹ Plot Preview: 1621. An old lady named Elizabeth Sawyer has been imprisoned on charges of being a witch. A few days before her schedule execution, prison chaplain Henry Goodcole comes for her final confession, hoping to see some guilt and regret in her behaviour. On the contrary, Elizabeth is as defiant as ever, and instead of atoning for her “sins”, she proceeds to narrate three anecdotes from her life, which end up making Henry question what he has been told about her. The story comes to us partly in Henry’s third-person perspective and partly in Elizabeth’s first-person POV when she is narrating her life stories to Henry. Bookish Yays: 🔮 The blurb – shows the actual potential of the plot. 🔮 No ‘kitchen sink clutter’, despite being a debut work. 🔮 The depiction of the horrendous treatment meted out to women by the hi...

AUTHOR: Daniel Aleman GENRE: Dark Comedy PUBLICATION DATE: December 3, 2024 RATING: 3.75 stars. In a Nutshell: A dark, almost satirical comedy about a writer who finds himself “in trouble”, a clue of which is present in the cover art. Humorous, serious, bizarre, suspenseful, entertaining! Though this wasn’t exactly my cup of tea, and some of the content was way too forward for me, I still liked this ride. Recommended, but not to all. Works better if you go in prepared for a whole load of absurdities and with your logic kept aside. Plot Preview: Until a couple of years ago, David Alvarez was a success in every way. He had an acclaimed debut novel, a loving partner in Jeremy, and a fabulous book deal for his next writing attempt. But times do change, and now, Alvarez is all alone, with a poorly-received second book, no feasible plot idea for his third manuscript, and on the verge of financial bankruptcy. Stressed out, he often uses an online dating app to relieve his mental and sexual...

AUTHOR: Nita Prose SERIES: Molly the Maid, #2.5 GENRE: Holiday Mystery novella. PUBLICATION DATE: October 1, 2024 RATING: 3.25 stars. In a Nutshell: A Christmas novella featuring Molly the Maid. Contains more mistletoe than mystery. The same setting and characters from the book series. Might be a good option for Molly fans, but not a must-read except for one plot development. Not a standalone. Plot Preview: Set a couple of years after Book Two, Molly is still the Head Maid at the Regency Grand. Her beloved Juan Manuel is now a pastry chef. While they had been happy over the past five years, Juan Manuel is now behaving strangely. Molly knows that something is wrong, but she can't figure out what it is. Has Juan Manuel finally grown frustrated with her? The story comes to us in Molly's first-person perspective. I had enjoyed the first two books of the Molly the Maid series, and am looking forward to the final book of the trilogy. This Christmas novella, being set in between B...

EDITORS: Jerry Pinto & Madhulika Liddle GENRE: Essay Anthology PUBLICATION DATE: September 10, 2024 RATING: 3.65 stars. In a Nutshell: An essay collection containing various memories and accounts of Christmas celebrations in India. Writers from diverse backgrounds, stories from across the country, celebrations from varied financial and cultural strata. The essays themselves are a mixed bag, but on the whole it offers a good glimpse of that strange medley of humans known as “Indian Christians” and how they celebrate this special day. As an Indian Christian, I have often been at the receiving end of befuddling reactions from friends, acquaintances, and colleagues throughout my life. Astonishment on learning that I watch Bollywood movies and know plenty of Hindi songs, shock that I am a teetotaller ( “I thought all Christians drink!” ), suspicion that I have “converted” to Christianity after marriage ('Coz my name ain’t a “Catholic” name! ), confusion that I wear sarees and sal...

AUTHOR: Rosie Hewlett NARRATOR: Kristin Atherton GENRE: Greek Myth Retelling PUBLICATION DATE: September 10, 2024 RATING: 4.25 stars. In a Nutshell: A retelling of the story of Medea from Greek mythology. Excellent character development and plot structuring. You don’t need to know the original myth, though you will certainly appreciate the book better if you do. Much recommended to fans of the genre. Plot Preview: Seventeen-year-old Medea, the princess of the island of Colchis, has always been reviled by her family for her natural tendency towards witchery. Her only support is from her younger sister Chalciope and her aunt Circe, but both of these too soon wander away from Medea’s life. So when the dashing hero Jason arrives with his band of argonauts to claim the magical Golden Fleece that is protected on the island, Medea decides to help him in his challenge, in return for his aid in escaping. This decision becomes a life-changing one for our young lead, taking her on a path that s...

AUTHOR: Kintetsu Yamada GENRE: Manga PUBLICATION DATE: November 12, 2024 RATING: 4 stars. In a Nutshell: A manga about a geeky IT guy who discovers love right next door during the lockdown. A sweet and funny story, though it takes too long to get going. The flashback-style narration also doesn’t do it any favours. But a good option for those wanting a light-hearted opposites-attract love story. Plot Preview: When Nokoru is told to telework from home during the pandemic lockdown, he views it as a blessing. His job as a system engineer is very demanding, especially because of clientele who don’t know what they want. Working from home comes with unexpected benefits, such as getting to wake up just ten minutes before work, or managing to find more time for hobbies such as gardening and gaming. What Nokoru doesn’t expect is to interact over his balcony with his new neighbour right next door. Natsu, a graduate student of archaeology, is everything Nokoru is not: impulsive, relaxed, chaotic,...

AUTHOR: Jean Hoffmann Lewanda GENRE: Historical Fiction PUBLICATION DATE: October 15, 2024 RATING: 2 stars. In a Nutshell: Officially, a historical fiction based on the life of the author’s mother. However, the writing is heavily non-fiction in style and not character-focussed. This might work better as a memoir but after some finetuning of the presentation. Plot Preview: 1928. Harbin, China. Born to a Russian Jewish family who emigrated from Europe to Harbin a few years earlier, Shalama is intimately familiar with life in a city filled with European Jewish and Russian immigrants fleeing various pogroms. As Harbin, known as the ‘Paris of the East’ is a thriving village-turned-town thanks to these new citizens, it feels more like a white community than a Chinese town. When the Japanese come to Harbin in the 1930s, Shalama’s family moves to Shanghai, where she becomes a typist after her schooling, and marries an Austrian Jew named Paul. However, there are still some changes to come in ...

AUTHOR: Tina M. Cho ILLUSTRATOR: Deb J.J. Lee GENRE: Middle-grade Graphic Novel in verse. PUBLICATION DATE: November 12, 2024 RATING: 3.75 stars. In a Nutshell: A middle-grade graphic novel written in verse, telling the story of two tweens from North Korea and their planned escape to a brighter future. I wanted to like this far more than I did, but a few of the writing choices didn’t work for me. The illustrations are stunning. The book has some dark content, so it would be better if adults read and evaluate its suitability for their kids before handing it over. Plot Preview: 2013, North Korea. Yunho is a shy ten-year-old who stays alone with his grandmother after his mother escaped across the border to China to earn money and improve their circumstances. She had promised to send for Yunho as soon as possible, but it has been almost two years now with no update. Yunho is good at finding scrap metal, which he sells to the government in exchange for some much-needed money. Eleven-year-...

AUTHOR: J. Martain ILLUSTRATOR: Irene Silvino GENRE: Children's Picture Book PUBLICATION DATE: November 12, 2024 RATING: 4.5 stars In a Nutshell: An adorable picture book with a charming eponymous character at the *helm*. Simple but effective prose, an interesting story, great life lessons, and fabulous illustrations. Kids are sure to love Tulip. Much recommended! Plot Preview: Tulip is a light-green tugboat who helps big ships navigate their way out to sea. The other tugboats look at Tulip warily for her different appearance, but Tulip knows that she is a good tug and she does her work sincerely and merrily. One day, a big boat gets stuck in the sand at the harbour. Is it finally Tulip’s turn to prove her capability? I have read many picture books with anthropomorphised modes of transportation, but this is the first time ever I have picked up one with a tugboat in the lead. I didn’t know much about tugs earlier, but as the company my husband currently works with handles multi...