Rosh's Reviews

AUTHOR: Anthony Doerr GENRE: Historical Fiction PUBLICATION DATE: May 6, 2014 RATING: 3.25 stars. The word "opera" can conduce so many feelings in people. Some find opera inspiring, some find it soporific, yet others might find it bewildering while some simply find it incomprehensible. That doesn't take away anything from opera. It just proves that every person has different tastes and likings and we are all not made to fit in one mould. This same analogy is applicable to books too. Anthony Doeer's "All the Light We Cannot See" to me is opera, but not of the "inspiring" kind. Others may have enjoyed it but I'm still trying to figure out why I stand where where I stand. A fabulously written book, a very atypical storyline, and well-developed characters, and in spite of this all, it still left me feeling meh through most of the read. The book starts slowly and does build up to a crescendo, but staying on course becomes tricky with the multiple pa...

AUTHOR: Nick Vujicic GENRE: Autobiography PUBLICATION DATE: October 26, 2010 RATING: 3.75 stars. Almost every single thing you do involves the use of your limbs. So can you imagine living a life without a single arm or leg? Nick Vujicic, through his incredible life story, teaches us how blessed we are. He was born with tetra-amelia syndrome, a rare disorder characterized by the absence of arms and legs. The book chronicles his journey from being a determined baby and a depressed teen earlier to the strong motivational speaker of today. He also highlights the role of his parents and God in helping him be what he is today. This book is certainly not among the best books I've read; it seems to go rather back and forth sometimes in its narrative and is a bit too religious for my comfort. In spite of these (minor) shortcomings, I found myself hooked on to the story of this man. It does cause you to question the severity of your life problems when faced with a person living his life to t...

AUTHOR: Gail Honeyman GENRE: Contemporary Fiction PUBLICATION DATE: May 9, 2017 RATING: 4.75 stars. Every avid reader wants to read fabulous books. But the truth of the matter is that, more often than not, this is a constant struggle. Just because certain books are reviewed to be fabulous doesn't mean that YOU as a reader would find them fabulous. So when you take up a book that you know has received universal acclaim, you try desperately to keep your expectations in check and give it the opportunity it deserves. And if the book does end up matching your expectations, it's just thrilling! "Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine" has been reviewed in my Facebook group multiple times and every single review was not just positive but absolutely glowing. By the time the latest review was posted, I couldn't resist anymore and picked it up. And what a blast it has been! Eleanor is one of the best characters ever sketched in fiction. Such an amazing, intense woman! She face...

AUTHOR: Lisa Jewell GENRE: Mystery Thriller. PUBLICATION DATE: April 25, 2017 RATING: 4.5 stars. As an avid reader, you'll might have seen me poke my nose in almost every book discussion. But the one genre where I consciously stay away from providing any input is suspense/mystery/thriller. I used to read books of this genre sporadically (say, a Gone Girl or a Primal Fear plus a few unmentionables). However, in the last few years, I had completely given up reading thrillers primarily for 2 reasons: 1. I can't keep thrillers down once I start. And being a mother of two young kids, I do not have the luxury of reading a book at the cost of everything else. 2. My usual reading time is bedtime. So if I pick up a thriller at say 9.30pm after the kids are asleep, then I will be up till 1am or so until I am done with the book. Then I can't get up for the morning tiffins. 😴😴😴😒 However, in the recent months, I have begun to feel the gap in my reading. And with this in mind, and wi...

AUTHOR: Debbie Macomber SERIES: Blossom Street, #5 GENRE: Women's Fiction PUBLICATION DATE: May 1, 2008 RATING: 4.5 stars. As readers, especially as women readers, we tend to take chick-lit for granted. It is an essential part of our lives, but as it is looked upon with disdain by "serious" readers, we don't really consider chick-lit as reading. By extension, we hardly ever post reviews of such books except in a few rare cases. So here's the change I'll make: I'll post about any and every good book I read, irrespective of genre. I now venture to clear my name and prove that I can and do enjoy chick-lit! 😜 By far, my favourite chick-lit author is Debbie Macomber. And just this week, I have read Twenty Wishes. This is part of the Blossom Street series, but I haven't read any other book from the series so far as each book is standalone. Twenty wishes has almost everything a reader ( or dare I say, a female reader ) could want in a book. It has not one b...

AUTHOR: Elif Shafak GENRE: Historical Fiction, Philosophy RATING: 3 stars. After so many had recommended it, I HAD to go for "The Forty Rules of Love" as my next read. Of course, I never expected to take a fortnight to complete it, a very rare instance for me. I just completed the book last night, and here I am, on a lazy Saturday morning, pondering over what I read and introspecting over the rules. Shams of Tabriz is a fascinating character - some of his decisions might seem questionable until you realize the thought behind it. His forty rules are quite a mixed bag in this day and age. But at least half of the rules seem like they must be remembered and applied in our lives. As far as the rest of the book goes, it didn't really "shake my world" the way I had expected it to. It's a great read, but I somehow just couldn't "feel" it. Maybe I haven't evolved yet as a person/reader. Overall, I would still recommend it as a book worth reading. W...

AUTHOR: Supriya Kelkar GENRE: Middle-grade Fiction, Indian. PUBLICATION DATE: August 5, 2018 RATING: 4.75 stars. My 12th grade Hindi teacher had once told us in class, "A great book begins at the end." I couldn't completely understand what she meant by that but over the years, I have come to realize the beauty of that sentiment. A good book is fun to read; A great book stays with you after it's over too. The characters get imprinted on your heart, the story gets fixated in your mind, and you ponder over the experience for days. The last time this happened to me was when I had read "Wonder". And today I have had the pleasure of experiencing yet another fabulous book. This is a book I had purchased as a birthday gift for my elder daughter, but as it worked out, I happened to read it first. We all have studied about our freedom struggle in school, but have we ever wondered what went through in the lives of the children living in those tumultuous days? Ahimsa is...