Rosh's Reviews

AUTHOR: Kirstin Valdez Quade NARRATOR: Gary Tiedemann GENRE: Literary Fiction PUBLICATION DATE: June 16, 2021 RATING: 4.25 stars. In a Nutshell: A contemporary literary fiction novel focusing on some flawed humans and their "wounds". Excellent character and plot development. Well-structured narrative divided fairly across all the main characters. Many interesting themes. Great use of the Latin-American social culture and beliefs. Slow-paced but engrossing. Not as Christian as the title and blurb indicate, so don’t expect a faith-themed book. An astounding debut. Definitely recommended. Plot Preview: Las Penas, New Mexico, USA. This Holy Week, thirty-three-year-old Amadeo has been given the part of Jesus for the Good Friday procession. He is a misfit for this divine role, what with his tendency to alcohol, his poor track record of taking care of his family, and his low-educated unemployed status. He is trying hard to prepare well for it. But his plans get affected when his pre...

AUTHOR: Gabrielle Meyer SERIES: Dollar Princess, #3 GENRE: Historical Romance. PUBLICATION DATE: October 6, 2026 RATING: 4.5 stars. In a Nutshell: A historical romance retelling the Hollywood musical ‘The Sound of Music’ by setting it in the Gilded era. Great characters, wonderful writing, excellent research, satisfying ending. Christian in approach, but never preachy. The third book of the Dollar Princess series, and can be read as a standalone though it continues from the earlier book. Much recommended. Plot Preview: 1886. When nineteen-year-old Addie is forced to leave her wealthy New York home and work as a governess in the house of George Stafford aka the Earl of Torrington, she isn't exactly looking forward to it. But when she finds his household lacking in joy, with his five children determined to drive away every governess in the hopes of getting more time with their father who has turned reclusive after the death of his wife, Addie is determined to bring happiness to them....

AUTHOR & NARRATOR: Ron Marasco GENRE: Historical Fiction PUBLICATION DATE: January 31, 2017 RATING: 3.5 stars. In a Nutshell: A historical fiction set against the background of Jesus’ final days. Narrated from a dog’s perspective. The dog is adorable; the secondary characters are good. The story is easy in flow and not overly preachy. The writing is anachronous, so the historical feel gets diluted. Jesus doesn’t have an active role in this story, so don’t expect a story focussing on Him. Recommended as long as you can ignore the modernisms. Plot Preview: Seven-year-old Barley is a happy dog, enjoying life with his caring owners – a woodcarver Duv and his wife Ada. However, after life changes in a shocking way, Barley finds himself with a new master – Samid, a homeless man who indulges in petty crimes. From both owners and from the events unfurling around him connected to someone called the teacher, Barley learns the meaning of true love and forgiveness. The story comes to us in Bar...

AUTHOR: Angela Bell NARRATOR: Beverley A. Crick SERIES: Daughters of Genius Society, #2 GENRE: Historical Fantasy PUBLICATION DATE: July 7, 2026 RATING: 4.25 stars. In a Nutshell: A historical fantasy with a lot of cozy tweeness and also some romance and mystery. Wonderful whimsical characters, good touch of humour, great vocabulary. Excellent representation of chronic pain. Strong Christian elements. Some clever automations and automatons. A bit light on the mystery but gripping nonetheless. Second of the series, but works as a standalone. If you liked the first book, you will enjoy this one as well. Definitely recommended. Plot Preview: 1895. England. Margaret Kingsley is restricted to her wheelchair thanks to her chronic pain. She still uses her time and expertise to work with the ‘Daughters of Genius Society’ (D.O.G.S.), a covert team of lady inspectors. While most of the inspectors work on the field, Margaret is happy to contribute from behind the curtain, until one case needs her...

AUTHOR: Gabrielle Meyer SERIES: Timeless, #7 GENRE: Historical Romance. PUBLICATION DATE: May 5, 2026 RATING: 4.5 stars. In a Nutshell: A historical fiction novel set during two timelines: the Gold Rush and the Golden Age of Hollywood. The latest novel from the incomparable Timeless series, and probably the one with the most number of surprises. Excellent plot, characters, writing, and historical research. Christian without being preachy. A bit slow and repetitive in the final quarter, but the ending is worth it. Much recommended! Works as a standalone but better to read in series order. Plot Preview:  Twenty-four-year-old Ally Adams lives two simultaneous lives. ( If you've read any of the Timeless books, you know how her time-crossing works. )  In 1849, wishing to restore her family’s lost comforts, Ally intends to capitalise on the Gold Rush and travels with her sick father and young half-sister to San Francisco, where she finds herself penniless and at the mercy of an ex-c...

  AUTHOR:  Louise Beech GENRE: Contemporary Fiction PUBLICATION DATE: June 1, 2026 RATING:   4.25 stars. In a Nutshell: A dual-timeline fiction featuring three women from three different eras. Two of the women are popular names: Mother Mary and Marilyn Monroe. Creative alternate history. Great historical research. Excellent character development. A bit slow but introspective. Realistic themes, some of which might be triggering. (Nothing devious happens on page though.) Not religious or preachy. A *wonderful* option for those looking for unusual storylines. Plot Preview:  4th August 1962. Hollywood. On the night she should have died, Marilyn Monroe receives an unexpected visitor in her home. The Virgin Mary comes to her with a cryptic message that will end up changing (and saving) her life. 2016. Hull, England. Flora has not had an easy life but does the best she can to survive. The last thing she expects to find in her filthy tenement home is the Virgin Mary bat...

AUTHOR & NARRATOR: John Fugelsang GENRE: Religious Nonfiction PUBLICATION DATE: Jun 04 2026 RATING: 4.5 stars. In a Nutshell: A nonfiction that does exactly what the title declares: separates the church from the despicable version sold to us by fascists and fundamentalists. Insightful, incisive, accurate, brilliant. Hard truths delivered with a good dash of humour. The book (as well as this review) might create allergic reactions in certain *Christians*, but to the fellow sane believers out there, this is a must-read. Much recommended! When I see religion-based nonfiction books ( any religion, not just Christian ones ) with titles that call out strongly to me, the first thing I do is check the credentials of the author. Any person who behaves like an extremist on their social media ( most conservative evangelicals in case of Christianity ), who spreads hate against other religions or minorities, who uses demeaning words to refer to people of other faiths, and who misinterprets scri...

AUTHOR: J.S. Helms GENRE: Contemporary Fiction PUBLICATION DATE: May 5, 2026 RATING: 2.75 stars. In a Nutshell: A Christian novella about the power of faith and forgiveness. A contemporary retelling of the Book of Jonah from the Bible. I liked most of the story but the writing didn’t work for me. The ending was a disappointment. Not a light read. I wish I could have liked this better because it has a powerful message. Recommended, but not to everyone. Triggers for human and animal deaths. Plot Preview: Even after a family tragedy, Jonas continues in his pastoral work, ensuring the spiritual health of the locals as the Pastoral Care Coordinator at Grace Street Ministry. But while he has grace and forgiveness for those he serves in the community, he hasn’t found it in his heart to forgive certain people from his past. When he is asked to minister to death row inmates – one of whom is a man whose crime mirrors the tragedy that devastated Jonas – he refuses and runs. But God works in myst...

AUTHOR & ILLUSTRATOR: Peter H. Reynolds SERIES: Word Collector #2 GENRE: Children's Picture Book PUBLICATION DATE: October 7, 2025 RATING: 4.25 stars. In a Nutshell: A lovely picture book about the beauty and power of words. Set around Christmas season but applicable throughout the year. Adorable lead character, wonderful message and stunning illustrations. Much recommended. Plot Preview: Young Jerome loves collecting words. Every now and then, he takes his little notebook and walks through town looking for new words with his rescue dog Ekka for company. But this holiday season, he cannot find any words that "warm his heart" even though he looks everywhere. Then an idea strikes him. If he cannot find the words he likes, what if he shares the good words that he already has with the world? I've been on a reading binge of whatever picture books I can find written by Peter H. Reynolds. His heartwarming writing and beautiful illustrations are just what I need when the ...

AUTHOR: Pope Francis and Paul A. Reynolds ILLUSTRATOR: Peter H. Reynolds GENRE: Children's Picture Book PUBLICATION DATE: January 20, 2026 RATING: 5 colourful-rainbow stars! 🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈 In a Nutshell: A beautiful picture book containing a beautiful message and beautiful illustrations. Based on a message by the GOAT Pope Francis, but secular enough to be relevant to all. Much, much recommended! I am not usually one to pick inspirational books. But just a single glance at the key author’s name on the cover page ensured that I scrambled to get a copy of this picture book. Beloved Pope Francis 🥰, whom I have respected, admired and loved ever since he showed Catholics a new path towards inclusivity and acceptance, spoke about a metaphorical personal treasure chest to a group of youth in 2015. On his passing, the authors, twin brothers Peter and Paul Reynolds ( Love their apostolic names! ), decided to pen this picture book inspired by that message so as to make it reach and influence mo...

AUTHOR: Lisa Papp SERIES: Madeline Finn, #4 GENRE: Children's Picture Book PUBLICATION DATE: September 12, 2023 RATING: 4.25 stars. In a Nutshell: The fourth and final book of the Madeline Finn series. The content and the tone are different this time, as can be guessed from the title. Not directly faith-oriented, but it does include the ritual of the blessing of animals. The story and the message are still lovely though, as are the illustrations. Recommended. Plot Preview: It’s a special day. Madeline and her mom are taking Star and Bonnie to the annual Blessing of the Animals. The reverend at the park offers a special blessing to all the animals turn by turn, which leaves Madeline feeling awed. Madeline knows that there are more animals who deserve the blessing, but they are all at the animal shelter. With a long line of animals still at the park awaiting their turn, the reverend cannot leave. So she passes on to Madeline a special gift and message, and Madeline is happy to pass i...

AUTHOR: Veronika Dapunt GENRE: Dark Comedy-Mystery. PUBLICATION DATE: January 6, 2026 RATING: 4.25 stars. In a Nutshell: A speculative, darkly comic mystery with Death as the narrator. Funny at the start, mysterious in between, somewhat deeper and philosophical towards the end. Creative throughout. Enjoyed the characters, the humour and the flow. Unexpected religious angle, but it was highly interesting. Didn’t like one particular aspect of the plotting, but otherwise, this offered an entertaining ride, as long as you read it in the right spirit of going with the flow without asking too many questions. An excellent debut that overly conservative Christians better avoid. Plot Preview: Death is tired of humans picturing her as a skeleton with a black ‘potato sack’ and a scythe. No matter how well she does her job, she still doesn’t get welcomed with joy or treated with respect. So when she learns from a newly departed soul that there’s something called a work sabbatical, Death immediatel...