Rosh's Reviews

AUTHOR: Ciara Blume SERIES: Natural Magic #1 GENRE: Cozy Fantasy PUBLICATION DATE: June 22, 2026 RATING: 3 stars. In a Nutshell: A contemporary fantasy about a magical bookshop and some magical people connected to it. Somewhat cozy with a strong cottagecore vibe but contains a few dark events. Charming magic, some interesting characters. Second-chance romance and found family. Too cluttered with characters and subplots. Too slow-paced. A entertaining option as long as you keep your patience. Plot Preview: Thirty-five-year-old Maida has never been to Primrose Court – the hidden magical neighbourhood housing some interesting magical characters, including a witchy great-aunt she never knew about. But now this aunt has gone missing and the magical Mudpuddle bookshop – of which she was the caretaker – has also disappeared along with her. Turns out, Maida is the official heir to the shop so she is the only one with the authority to get the bookshop back. There’s just one hurdle – Maida has...

AUTHOR & NARRATOR: Bonnie Solomon SERIES: Pearly Gates, #2 GENRE: Fantasy PUBLICATION DATE: March 24, 2026 RATING: 3.5 stars. In a Nutshell: A contemporary fantasy combining the spirit world with the human world. Several returning characters, several new ones. Similar to the earlier book in plot structure, but somehow not as dramatic. The social commentary is a bit heavyhanded. The second book in the Pearly Gates series, and better if read in series order. Recommended to Pearly fans. Plot Preview: Pearly is now set in her role as a spirit guide, even though her new supervisor Mildreth disagrees. She has three new charges to take care of: sixty-five-year-old Lillian – a retired lawyer who's perennially grumpy after life dealt her a hard blow, seventy-year-old George – a friendly man who's worried about his closeted grandson, and twenty-five-year-old Raina – a product manager who can't figure out why she isn't inclined towards love and romance the way others are. In ...

AUTHOR: Patrick Horvath SERIES: Beneath the Trees Compilation #2 GENRE: Horror Graphic Novel PUBLICATION DATE: July 21, 2026 RATING: 4 stars. In a Nutshell: A sequel to the acclaimed horror graphic comic series. Excellent plot and character development, though both might be difficult to gauge for readers who pick up this book without reading the earlier one. Even darker than the first, but thankfully, not more gory. A great continuation, but not for those looking for justifications or closure. Has potential for a sequel. Must be read in series order. Recommended! Plot Preview: Many years after the horrifying events that plagued the small town of Woodbrook, Samantha Strong, now popular as the local hero who saved the townsfolk from a serial killer, still runs her shop. In the nearby city, Monica Brewer has spent the same period looking for information about her missing brother who vanished eight years ago without a trace. When she receives an anonymous tip with his possible location, sh...

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: The Amazing Theatre of Physics GENRE: Juvenile Nonfiction, Science. SERIES: Science All Around Us, #2 PUBLICATION DATE: June 24, 2025 RATING: 4 stars. In a Nutshell: An illustrated book about the real-life examples of physics in a city. Practical and informative. A great option for STEM enthusiasts in the middle-grade and teen age groups. This is the second book in the interesting STEM series titled ‘Science All Around Us’. It does an excellent job of enlightening children about the practical aspects of two of the most dreaded science subjects: physics and chemistry. I have already read two books from this series: Book One: The Awesome Physics in Your Home and Book Three: The Amazing Chemistry in Your Home . Book Two maintains the same level of quality, though set in a different environment. As the title indicates, this book leaves the ‘home’ setting and focusses on applications of physics in the city at large. I appreciate how the places chosen are the ones that children actu...

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 & ILLUSTRATOR: Melani Sie GENRE: Graphic Novel Comic SERIES: Milk & Mocha, #2 RATING: 3.25 stars. In a Nutshell: A comics collection featuring the adorable duo Milk and Mocha. Cute and light, but also repetitive and somewhat bland. The second book featuring Milk and Mocha. While this isn't bad, it also isn't memorable. I liked the first one better. Milk and Mocha are the creations of Indonesian comic artist Melani Sie. This duo is quite popular on social media and are recognisable faces in several memes. However, reading a single comic is one thing and reading an entire comic collection is another. The first book of the Milk & Mocha collection had the tagline “Our Little Happiness”. As such, it had a happier vibe, highlighting how little joys enhance our life. This book focusses on “Our Little Moments”. While the introductory note about the significance of little moments is amazing, the change in focus also means that the comics in this book are a little unde...

AUTHOR & ILLUSTRATOR: Peter H. Reynolds SERIES: Creatrilogy GENRE: Children's Picture Book PUBLICATION DATE: September 15, 2003 RATING: 4.25 stars. In a Nutshell: A cute little picture book about taking the first step. Lovely story, morals, and illustrations. Recommended! Plot Preview: Vashti believes she can't draw, but a teacher puts a blank page in front of her and says, ‘Just make a mark and see where it takes you.’ The resultant dot from the jab Vashti makes on the paper begins Vashti’s journey of exploring and perfect art through dots. I initially thought Vashti would be annoying, but she develops really well as the story progresses. I loved her imagination, enthusiasm, and determination. And as someone who adores polka dots, I also loved her artwork. As with all great picture books, the moral is simple yet practical and essential. The story is successful in making the point without going over the top. The ending enhances the effect. The illustrations are perfect for ...

AUTHOR: Mimi May ILLUSTRATOR: Aniek Bartels GENRE: Children's Nonfiction Picture Book PUBLICATION DATE: June 23, 2026 RATING: 3 stars. In a Nutshell: A picture book depicting one adventurous day in the life of a slug. Nonfiction that reads like fiction. Informative and funny. Needed a bit of tweaking in some textual portions. Some content might be tough to explain to the target age group. Could work for slightly older children who are interested in animals. Parents advised to read it first. This informative picture book begins by introducing us to Simon the Slug and with a labelled diagram explaining his anatomical features – very useful. I like how there’s a pronunciation key for the tough body parts. The main content covers one day in the life of Simon. Luckily (or unluckily) for us, Simon is having one heck of a day where he eats a lot, narrowly escapes being eaten, almost loses his head, meets another lovely slug to mate, nearly dries out, and so on, all within the timeframe of...

AUTHOR: Rocío Bonilla SERIES: Babymoni GENRE: Children's Picture Book PUBLICATION DATE: April 21, 2026 RATING: 4.25 stars. In a Nutshell: A lovely picture book containing a story-within-a-story and raising some pertinent questions. Adorable characters and illustrations in two styles. Might be a bit tricky plot for younger kids to comprehend independently, but it can be an excellent resource for discussions. Definitely recommended. Plot Preview: Minimoni’s class is putting up a year-end school play on the story of “St. George and the Dragon”. However, as Minimoni and her friends read the story, they realise that it contains several problematic elements. Is there any point in enacting these old stories that don’t fit into modern values? This story was originally published in Catalan/Spanish under the title “Quina animalada d’història, Minimoni?” in 2025. This English translation was published in 2026. This is the second book I’ve read featuring Minimoni, and it ended up much better t...

AUTHOR: Isabel Ibañez SERIESS: Secrets of the Nile, #1 GENRE: (YA) Historical Fantasy PUBLICATION DATE: October 31, 2023 RATING: 1 charitable star. In a Nutshell: A historical fantasy with an annoying lead, half-baked worldbuilding, minimal magical detailing, and anachronous behaviour. It’s a book with an identity crisis – it just doesn’t know what it wants to be. Officially YA but many scenes aren’t suitable for younger YAs. Cliffhanger ending, but I am not interested in knowing what happens next. Not recommended at least to sensible adults. Older YAs might try their luck. Plot Preview: 1884. Bolivian-Argentinian Inez has always lived a comfortable life at her aunt’s place, but the one thing she wants the most is to be with her parents who work with antiques in Egypt. When the eighteen-year-old receives news of their sudden deaths, leaving her a wealthy orphan, she decides to sail to Cairo to her maternal uncle, an archaeologist, to know what happened to them. She carries her sketch p...

AUTHOR: Gabrielle Meyer SERIES: Dollar Princess, #2 GENRE: Historical Romance PUBLICATION DATE: June 9, 2026 RATING: 4 stars. In a Nutshell: A historical romance that is not just a historical romance. Retelling of the classic Hollywood musical ‘Seven Brides for Seven Brothers’. Interesting characters, great historical feel, wonderful setting. Christian fiction. Slightly slow and repetitive in the second half. A nice option for fans of the genre and of the movie. The second book in the Dollar Princess series but can be read as a standalone. Plot Preview: 1884, England. Twenty-year-old American heiress Lily Parker is taken by surprise when the reclusive Duke of Severton, Ames Welby, proposes to her almost as soon as they meet. She knows that he is in desperate need of money to repair his ancestral home, and as she has wealth as well as an interest in leaving the crazy chaos of London, she accepts. What she doesn’t know is that life at Pickering Castle will be just as chaotic. Ames’ four ...

AUTHOR & ILLUSTRATOR: Peter H. Reynolds GENRE: Children's Picture Book PUBLICATION DATE: January 30, 2018 RATING: 4 stars. In a Nutshell: A beautiful picture book about a boy who loves words. Cute story and illustrations, and loads of wonderful words. Recommended. Plot Preview: Jerome is fascinated by words and collects favourites from wherever he can. He is meticulous about organising his collection based on themes. But one day, after a little stumble, he learns that words don't necessarily belong to fixed categories, and that words from across categories can come together to create a whole new meaning. Should he keep this knowledge to himself, or share it with others? Recently, I read a picture book named 'The Gift of Words' , focussing on some beautiful words Jerome shares with others during the Advent season. When I learnt that it was a follow-up to this book, I knew I'd read this one as well. This is almost as cute! Jerome is a lovely boy in every way, as I...

AUTHOR: Ai Jiang SERIES: Natural Engines #2 GENRE: High Fantasy PUBLICATION DATE: April 21, 2026 RATING: 2.5 stars.  In a Nutshell: A high fantasy with elements of science fiction and family trauma. Highly imaginative, highly complicated. Though a direct sequel, the content feels very different, making this book feel like a different genre. I didn't expect the change, and this, combined with the complex character set, affected my experience. Might better suit readers who enjoy intricate high fantasy. The second novella of the Natural Engines duology and needs to be read in series order. Plot Preview: ( This preview contains spoilers from Book One. The rest of my feedback is spoiler-free. ) After their daring escape, Lufeng and her two younger siblings are on their way to Gear to meet Sangshu. When they are just moments away from the island, they are kidnapped by rebels, from whom they learn about the dangerous experiments Zinc has been conducting on their people. Sangshu herself h...