Rosh's Reviews

Everyone knows how important translators are; without them, so many non-English works would have remained unknown to us. But today, I want to highlight a language that is growing in use but that most people of my generation just cannot process. We are in desperate need of translators to make sense of its intricacies. Simply put, without Google, most of us won’t make head or tails of what’s being said. What language is this, you ask? The language that Gen Z speaks. It is supposedly based on *our* English, but I can’t confirm this for sure. As the mother of a teen and a tween, I can’t tell you what tortures I have been subject to over the last few months. I used to be the cool Mamma who knew everything. Now I am the lost one, the person who can’t figure out what my kids are communicating. I have also gone from being "Mamma" to being "Bro!" or "Bruh!" ( And yes, there’s a difference between the two! ) You don’t believe me? Trust me, it is a serious issue. Fox...

WHAT I WANT TO REMEMBER IN 2023: If I look at my reading journey from 2020 to today, I realise how exponentially I have grown as a reader. From being a dedicated physical book reader to gulping audiobooks and digital books like no one’s business. From being a hobby reader who didn’t open Goodreads, to now compulsively interacting on Goodreads almost every single day and crosschecking every book recommendation here with other reviews and overall ratings there. From not even knowing what is a TBR to having a precise (and highly optimistic) TBR Excel sheet. From not even considering rating a book to reviewing every single book I read, even picture books. From not knowing a single author in real life to even beta-reading for authors who are close friends. In a way, my life has encompassed the bookish world in all its consumer-oriented forms, even writing because hey… review writing is also writing, right? The only thing that hasn’t changed is that I am still not earning a single paisa from...

Jane Austen 16 December 1775 – 18 July 1817 In spite of having produced only six full-length novels, Jane Austen is nonetheless regarded as one of the most popular authors ever to come from England. She has inspired a veritable industry of sequels, adaptations, movies, and miniseries. It has been 203 years since her untimely death at the age of 41. Sounds unbelievable to hear, doesn't it? Could she have ever imagined the immense popularity and fandom her work would continue to inspire more than 200 years later? Virginia Woolf called Jane Austen “the most perfect artist among women.” GK Chesterton praised her writing, saying, “I fancy that Jane Austen was stronger, sharper, and shrewder than Charlotte Brontë; I am quite sure that she was stronger, sharper, and shrewder than George Eliot. She could do one thing neither of them could do: she could coolly and sensibly describe a man.” JK Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter series, cites Austen as one of her influences and has read ...

Until January this year, I didn't even consider audiobooks as a possibility in my life. However, what began as a curiosity has now turned into an essential part of my "reading", thanks in part to the lockdown.  Audiobooks can be a boon if you get attuned to them. So here's a humble beginner's guide from this audiobook beginner. This is based only on my personal observations. So please feel free to rectify any errors, or to provide an additional information if you can on audiobooks, especially on the paid apps and the library apps because I have no personal experience with these. What are Audiobooks? Audiobooks tend to be regular audio files that you can play on any multimedia player, tablet or smartphone. Just make sure you have a good pair of headphones that are comfortable to wear for extended periods and you're good to go! A Bluetooth speaker or Alexa are good substitutes for headphones if your family doesn't mind. 😛 Audiobook files are usually mp3 or ...