Rosh's Reviews

AUTHOR: Haley Cohen Gilliland NARRATOR: Alejandra Reynoso GENRE: Historical Nonfiction PUBLICATION DATE: July 15, 2025 RATING: 4.25 stars. In a Nutshell: A historical nonfiction account about the Abuelas de Plaza de Mayo, a group of braveheart grandmothers in Argentina seeking their lost family members. Covers multiple decades. Good use of flashbacks and present narratives, combining historical and biographical facts to build a complete picture. Disturbing and informative. Recommended. In the late 1970s, many dissidents of the Argentinian dictatorship were rounded up by the soldiers of the military junta and “disappeared”. These citizens might then be imprisoned, tortured, raped, drugged, murdered – sometimes all. Their families rarely heard the details of their fate, and in many cases, had no news even after the dictatorship was overthrown for a democratic government in 1983. Sadly, some of the “disappeared” were pregnant women. When these women gave birth in captivity, their newborn ...

AUTHOR: Hallie Rubenhold NARRATOR: Louise Brealey. GENRE: Historical Biography, True Crime. PUBLICATION DATE: February 28, 2019 RATING: 4 stars. In a Nutshell: A historical account of the women supposedly murdered by Jack the Ripper. Focuses more on the historical and social circumstances and the biographical sketches of the victims than on the murderer or the crime. Informative, but also slightly speculative. Recommended, not to true crime fans but to those looking for a picture of the dark underbelly of Victorian England. I don't read true crime books anymore. With reality being so nightmare-inducing, I don't want anything else to add to my stress and fears. But as this book promised to focus more on the victims than on the crimes, I was intrigued. The resulting reading experience has been quite informative. ‘Jack the Ripper’ is one of the world’s most infamous undetected serial killers. He is known not just for evading capture and identity reveal, but also for choosing stree...

AUTHOR: Eliot Stein GENRE: Nonfiction, Travel, Sociology. PUBLICATION DATE: December 10, 2024 RATING: 4.25 stars. In a Nutshell: An astounding nonfiction work chronicling the endeavours of some “custodians of wonder”, people who are among the last few practitioners of their craft. Covers a variety of rare skills/jobs from ten countries, including one from India. Informative, insightful, dismaying, heartwarming. A beautiful book for those who still believe in the importance of traditions and want a ray of genuine hope in this fake/filtered world. Globalisation and modernisation have brought many benefits to humankind, no doubt. Unfortunately, a globalised world also ends up diminishing and even destroying localism. In this age of digitization and outsourcing, there are so many skills that are either considered obsolete or abandoned for easier, machine-made options. Even for something as basic as cooking, every subsequent generation is opting for simpler recipes and faster cooking method...

AUTHOR: Devoney Looser GENRE: Literature, Biography PUBLICATION DATE: September 2, 2025 RATING: 3 stars. In a Nutshell: A nonfiction investigation of the ‘wildness’ contained in Austen’s writing, her life, and in the extraneous ventures capitalising on her name. Thus divided into three sections, the first section was easily my favourite. The second was a bit boring and the third went the mixed way. Might work for some Austen fans, though this Austenite was only partly impressed. Given that 2025 has the 250th birth anniversary of the evergreen Jane Austen, there are plenty of books coming out this year celebrating Austen and her timeless works. As a huge fan of all of Austen’s writing, I feel like I have a bonanza of Austen nonfiction to choose from. I have read three such titles so far. I loved ‘ Jane Austen’s Bookshelf ’ and found ‘ The Wicked Wit of Jane Austen ’ decent enough. This book, however, wasn't that easy to rate. I absolutely loved some chapters and was thoroughly bore...

AUTHOR: Luciana Cimino ILLUSTRATOR: Sergio Algozzino GENRE: Graphic Novel PUBLICATION DATE: March 2, 2021 RATING: 2 stars. In a Nutshell: A graphic novel focussing on Nellie Bly. Had tremendous potential considering the impactful life of the investigative journalist who was so far ahead of her times, but the execution didn’t work well for me. Offered just a cursory glance at her achievements. The illustrations were somewhat good. But the overall result was a disappointment. This graphic novel was originally published in Italian in 2019 under the title ‘Nellie Bly’. This English translation was published in 2021. Many of you might already be aware of the legendary Nellie Bly. Ever since I heard of her, I have been in awe of her spirit, determination and courage. One of the pioneering female investigative journalists, she is most known for two things: her solo journey around the world following Jules Verne’s novel “Around the World in Eighty Days”, and her pretence of being mad so as t...

AUTHOR: Jeanette Winter GENRE: Children's Picture Book PUBLICATION DATE: January 1, 2005 RATING: 3.25 stars. In a Nutshell: A picture book about a real-life Iraqi librarian who saved books during the 2003 attacks on the country. Great intent, decent execution. Doesn't fill all gaps due to the limitation of format. A good way to learn about a brave woman. "In the Koran, the first thing God said to Muhammad was ‘Read’." – Alia Muhammad Baker. Alia Muhammad Baker was the chief librarian working with the Central Library in the Iraqi port city of Basra. The library was a welcoming place for all bibliophiles to indulge in bookish discussions. But when news of the war came , the discussions changed to personal issues such as anxiety and uncertainty. Alia was also worried that her beloved books would be destroyed in the fires of war. When the governor refused to give her permission to move out the books, several of which were rare old editions, Alia took matters into her own ...

AUTHOR: Amy S. Hansen ILLUSTRATOR: Rocío Arreola Mendoza GENRE: Children's Picture Book, Biography PUBLICATION DATE: August 19, 2025. RATING: 4.25 stars. In a Nutshell: A biographical picture book about the life of blind astrophysicist Wanda Díaz-Merced. Amazing story, excellent illustrations. Inspiring in every way. A great option for little STEM readers. I grabbed this book without even knowing that it was a biographical story, totally missing the tagline on the cover: “A Blind Astronomer Listens to the Universe.” What actually caught my attention was that stunning cover art and that curious title about *hearing* the stars. Reading the book confirmed what an apt name it was for this powerful book. Wanda Díaz-Merced grew up in a small Puerto Rico town. When she was nine, she was fascinated by the stars. Unfortunately, because of her diabetes, she began losing her eyesight while in college and soon was completely blind. Anyone else would have given up on the starry dreams, but Wa...

AUTHOR: Rebecca Romney GENRE: Nonfiction, Feminism, Biography PUBLICATION DATE: February 18, 2025 RATING: 4.25 stars. In a Nutshell: An amazing and comprehensive compilation of outstanding authors who might have been a part of Jane Austen’s Bookshelf. Contains these authors’ biographies as well as other bookish and historical tidbits. This isn't a treat just for Jane Austen fans but for every book lover and feminist. Jane Austen is often considered the best woman writer of her era, and sometimes, even referred to as the first successful woman writer. Is this claim true? Was she really a pathbreaking novelist who forged the way for others after her? Did no other woman writer have a successful writing career before Austen? Is Austen the only worthy female writer from the Georgian/Regency era? As you might have guessed, the answer to these questions is a resounding ‘No!’ However, do we have enough knowhow to elaborate on the answers? Do we casual readers know even one woman novelis...

AUTHOR: Karen A. Wyle GENRE: Picture Book Biography PUBLICATION DATE: August 4, 2024 RATING: 4 stars. In a Nutshell: A picture book about the life of blind Spanish composer Joaquin Rodrigo. Good story, interesting art choice. An inspiring story for little readers. This picture book details the life story of Spanish composer and pianist Joaquin Rodrigo. Rodrigo was born sighted, but an attack of diphtheria when he was three left him completely blind. After his parents moved to the city and enrolled him in a special school, Rodrigo’s aptitude for music was discovered, and he trained in the piano and the violin. His talent led to a long and successful career in music and also movies, where he worked as a composer. He is most known for his guitar compositions, though he never mastered the instrument. It is easy to guess why the life of this composer would be inspiring. The world is quite insistent that our success is determined by our physical abilities, and having any kind of disabili...

AUTHOR & ILLUSTRATOR: Rashin Kheiriyeh GENRE: Children's Picture Book, Biography RATING: 3.5 stars In a Nutshell: A narrative nonfiction picture book highlighting the life of Sufi poet Rumi. Simple in style, good in content, stunning in illustrations. Jalal al-Din Muhammad Rumi (1207-1273) was an Islamic scholar, poet and Sufi mystic. Many readers today might know him for his soulful verses, full of love for the divine. Some misconstrue his declarations to be seeped in romantic love, but his thoughts actually speak of finding God in love. If you read his quotes, you will not be surprised at why this poet is so popular even 750 years after his death. This picture book presents, in simple prose, the life of Rumi from childhood until his later years. It shows how Rumi was inspired by nature right from young age. In the prime of his life, he also learnt from other wise men around him, including Shams of Tabriz. ( I had first encountered Rumi and Shams in Elif Shafak’s The Forty ...

AUTHOR: Claire Prentice GENRE: Investigative Nonfiction. RATING: 3.5 stars. In a Nutshell: A medical true-crime narration focussing on a lobotomist who affected hundreds of lives in the USA from the mid-1950s onwards. Somewhat dry in narration. Might work better for those who know nothing of the case. Dr. Walter Freeman was a man with great credentials: a neurology professor, a private practice owner, former president of American board of psychiatry and neurology. He was also a man with great plans: he wanted to use his “cheap and easy” 10-minute lobotomy technique to *help* asylum inmates get rid of their mental afflictions, by which they could be discharged and the overburdened and underfunded public psychiatric institutions could focus only on the worst of cases. While Freeman started off with a declared intention of using lobotomy only on those patients who could benefit from it, he was so determined to make his technique the most effective solution to the asylum crisis that afte...

AUTHOR: Chas Newkey-Burden GENRE: Biographical Nonfiction. RATING:  4 stars. In a Nutshell: An ode to the greatest planet hero: Sir David Attenborough. Almost like a bullet-list summation of his enthralling life, with plenty of trivia and interview quotes. Not officially endorsed by Sir D.A., but a great read for his fans, nevertheless. I am a huge fan of Sir David Attenborough. ( How can one not be!? ) I have seen almost all of his nature documentaries and have always relished his knowledgeable insights accompanying the visuals on screen. So when I saw the opportunity to read this book, I didn’t check the blurb or the author’s bio or any other detail. I just saw the title and grabbed it for the great man himself. A foolish risk to take, but luckily, it worked. 😄 I have already read Sir D.A.’s ‘Adventures of a Young Naturalist: The Zoo Quest Expeditions’ and have his autobiography, ‘Life on Air: Memoirs of a Broadcaster’ on my TBR. However, as my copy was published in 2010, it mig...

AUTHOR: Stephanie Saldaña GENRE: True-Life Narratives. RATING: 4.5 stars. In a Nutshell: A book focussing not on refugees or their distressing situations, but on what they carry with them of their earlier lives, whether material or intangible. Hard-hitting content that will not leave you easily even after the last page. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Before I dive into my review, I want to share an anecdote. At about 3am on 27th June 2014 ( I remember the date because it was exactly a day before my sister’s wedding ), the doorbell of my house rang furiously. We were startled awake, having gone to bed just an hour before after a pre-wedding function. It was the security guard, going floor to floor warning everyone to vacate their houses. An air conditioner on the 5th floor had short-circuited, and that apartment was in blazes. ( My house is on the 13th floor. ) In that strange mix of being half-asleep as well as hyper-conscious, my husband and I scrambled to get going. He helped his a...