Rosh's Reviews

AUTHOR: Jenny Lawson GENRE: Humour Essay RATING: 3.5 stars. In a Nutshell: An essay by journalist-blogger Jenny Lawson about her favourite festival. Hint - It’s not Christmas. Humorous but not memorable. Jenny Lawson is known for her humour blog, where she writes her thoughts on many topics in a tongue-in-cheek manner. This essay is on the same lines. Lawson begins by declaring her dislike for Christmas, Hanukkah and Thanksgiving, not because of religious reasons but because of the huge amount of planning and preparations these festivals entail. Her favourite holiday is Halloween, which she lovingly calls “the glorious dark queen of the year”. This brief 25 page essay documents, in a fun way, Lawson’s passion for Halloween, and how she celebrates it while still being incredibly lazy about the “celebration”. There wasn’t much personal connect for me with the core topic as I don’t celebrate Halloween. (Nothing against it personally; it’s just not celebrated in India.) But I do know en...

AUTHOR: Celeste Connally NARRATOR: Eilidh Beaton SERIES: Lady Petra Inquires, #1  GENRE: Historical Mystery. RATING: 2.5 stars In a Nutshell: Would have worked much better had the ladies in the story not assumed “act like a lady” meant “gossip all day long” and “think like a lord” stood for “judge everyone else for what they look like and what they wear and what they do…” This had great potential but the characters sullied my experience. Story Synopsis: Suffolk, 1815. After Lady Petra’s beloved fiancé dies just a few weeks before their upcoming nuptials, she is left heartbroken. Even now, three years later, she isn’t interested in marrying anyone else. So she declares, before the elite of London, that she intends to stay unmarried because, as a woman of independent means, she has no need of a husband to support her lifestyle. During a ball, she discovers that a close friend has passed away two weeks back under mysterious circumstances. But just some minutes later, another person ...

AUTHOR: Tilila Relmani ILLUSTRATOR: Stella Lory TRANSLATOR: Anna Howell GENRE: Graphic Novel. RATING: 2 stars. In a Nutshell: A semi-satirical graphic novel, focussing on the history and behind-the-scenes of reality TV shows. Might work better for reality show fans. To me, it was as appealing as a reality TV show. 👀 Story Synopsis: Yasmina, the youngest of four kids, is the black sheep in her family of academic overachievers. Though she is a psychologist, she feels compelled to prove her worth on a grander scale to merit a place on her family’s photo wall of achievements. And what better way to do so than by participating on a reality TV show? She loves reality TV, and getting into one of the multitude of programmes has to be a cakewalk, right? Through Yasmina’s experience, we get to see the history of reality television and what happens behind the scenes of a contemporary reality programme. This graphic novel was originally published in French earlier this year under the title “É...

AUTHOR: Karen Wilfrid GENRE: Middle-grade/Lower YA fiction. RATING: 3.5 stars. In a Nutshell: A middle-grade/lower-YA novel about an asexual girls coming to terms with her sexual orientation. Honestly, I love the intent much more than the content, but just for the fact that it introduces the topic of asexuality to the target age group, I will be generous with my rating. Story Synopsis: Fourteen-year-old Lizzie isn’t sure why she hates her developing body or why she can’t say the right gushy things to her pregnant teacher the way the other girls can. But most of all, she wonders why she doesn’t feel ANYTHING towards other boys or even girls. It is only when the topic of asexual reproduction in plants comes up in class that she feels like nature might hold an answer to her queries. The story comes to us in the first person perspective of Lizzie. Bookish Yays: 💐 The biggest yay is easily the main theme of the book. Asexuality is, as far as I know, not yet a sexual orientation explore...

AUTHOR & ILLUSTRATOR: Irene Olmo TRANSLATOR: Kendra Boileau GENRE: Graphic Memoir. RATING: 3.5 stars. In a Nutshell: A graphical memoir from the ‘other’ point of view – a woman who doesn’t wish to be a mom. Interesting content, though I expected it to be more compelling. I am a mother to two lovely girls, being a parent by my choice and not by societal or cultural requirements, and I haven’t ever regretted it. But I have many close friends who have voluntarily decided not to have kids, for various reasons. I know how much familial flak they have faced over this “unnatural” choice. I picked this memoir to see if the criticism and the pressure is similar in European countries. Surprise, surprise! It is! It seems tough for much of the general populace to accept that a woman is complete by herself. That she doesn’t need to become a mother to “fulfil her womanhood.” That a perfect marriage needn’t have children. There is a constant pressure, either societal or cultural, to have a chil...

AUTHOR: Colm Tóibín GENRE: Historical Short Story RATING: 4.25 stars. In a Nutshell: An appealing standalone short story set in Ireland, focussing on an archaeologist-professor who might be close to the biggest discovery of his career. Well-written, with a great combination of realism and fantasy. Enjoyable! Story Synopsis: Middle-aged Professor O' Kelly is excited about his upcoming trip to the Newgrange passage tomb site, even though it is just some days to Christmas. He knows his wife Claire will handle the Christmas prep, so he can, without guilt, focus on what he loves so dedicatedly – archaeology. O’Kelly believes that an archaeologist must make know only what can be proved, and firmly refuses to speculate about historical details that rely only on hearsay or speculation. His upcoming visit though has caused a strange unrest among two groups. One is the living people of County Meath, and the other is the souls who inhabit the historical monument. Both the living and the tim...

AUTHOR: Hwang Bo-reum TRANSLATOR: Shanna Tan GENRE: Korean Literary Fiction. RATING: 4 stars. In a Nutshell: An ode to books and the power they have on us. A bit too optimistic and preachy at times, but if you can handle slow-paced, character-oriented fiction focussed on an indie bookstore and the characters within, this Korean translation is a good option. Story Synopsis: Yeong-ju has abandoned her old life, which involved doing all things as dictated by her family and the society, and followed her dreams by setting up a bookshop in an old-fashioned neighbourhood in Seoul. She knows nothing about running an indie bookstore, but learns along the way. The story depicts Yeong-ju’s journey towards inner peace and business success, while also focussing on the other people around her – her employees, business partners, associate authors, and customers – and their personal journeys of self-discovery. The story is written in the third person perspective of various characters, but comes prim...

AUTHOR: Edward J. Boudreau Jr GENRE: Short story Collection, Mysteries. RATING: 2.4 stars. In a Nutshell: An interesting mix of short-length mysteries. Some good tales herein, but the writing was too basic and meandering for my taste. This is a collection of thirteen short stories, all from varied mystery subgenres. There is no author’s note introducing the theme of the stories, but the Goodreads blurb and the title offer enough of a hint about the content. Every story is divided across multiple chapters and even includes an epilogue, though this is quite a short book at a little over 200 pages. Every tale has a male character in the central role, with women playing mostly typical parts. The first six stories are standalone tales, delving into the psychology of human nature and how motivations affect behaviour. The remaining seven stories are linked investigative mysteries with one character in common: Tom Reynolds, a crime reporter for a Boston newspaper. I liked the first set of s...

AUTHOR: Victor LaValle SERIES: Black Stars, #6 GENRE: Speculative Fiction. RATING: 3 stars. In a Nutshell: Good, not great. Interesting concept but somewhat jumpy execution. Might have worked better if lengthier. Story Synopsis: ‘Grimace’ is a homeless drifter, fending for himself by eating what he can find in dumpsters of fast food outlets. He is also a man on a religious mission. A mission that is delivered to him by his empty soda cans, who are somehow bringing him instructions from beyond his realm of understanding. When he bumps into Kim, a transgender woman who is battling her own demons, the two unite on the quest. Is Grimace actually executing the tasks of some divine entity who speaks to him through metal cans, or has he just lost his mind? The story comes to us in the first person perspective of Grimace. This story is a part of ‘Black Stars’, described by Amazon as ‘a multi-dimensional collection of speculative fiction from Black authors. Each story is a world much like o...

AUTHOR: Elle Cook GENRE: Contemporary Romance-Drama RATING: 3.75 stars. In a Nutshell: A contemporary drama that gave me pretty good feels, though it is not perfect. Loveable characters. Good storyline. Emotional plot. NOT lighthearted. NOT a typical romance. Watch out for the trigger. Story Synopsis: When Londoner Hannah gets a call from an unknown number, the last thing she expects is that the caller – an American named Davey who misdialled her number while calling for a job interview – would soon become someone special. Davey, who gets the job, messages Hannah to thank her, and soon the two become friends, calling and texting each other regularly. Their feelings grow in due course, and both of them eagerly await the day Davey will land in London. When the big day arrives after a month, Hannah is all excited, and waiting at the airport with a huge banner. But Davey never comes. The reason, once she learns of it, is devastating. What lies in their future? The story comes to us in t...

AUTHOR: L.J. Tracosas ILLUSTRATOR: Charli Vince GENRE: Middle-Grade Fiction, Mythology. RATING: 4 stars. In a Nutshell: A great beginner book on Greek Mythology for middle graders. Entertaining and informative. This illustrated book offers a simple introduction to the characters and some of the popular stories in Greek mythology. As it is aimed at middle graders, the stories have been slightly diluted to reduce the violence and other mature content. However, these are still the Greek myths and cutting off all problematic content would have meant erasing at least one character entirely. (Looking at you, Zeus – you mythical deviant!) So judge the suitability of the content for your child/classroom with this factor in mind. The book begins with two helpful introductory notes. The first one is aimed at parents, where the author offers a wonderful suggestion on how to proceed with the book, and some content advisory as well. The second note is for the little readers, and preps them well o...

AUTHOR: Anna Maeve GENRE: Retelling, Psychological Suspense. RATING: 2.5 stars. In a Nutshell: A futuristic retelling of the classic short story, ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’. Started well, but as it progressed, it left me confused and disappointed. Needs much editing. Story Synopsis: Emily and her husband John have just moved into a futuristic “smart home”. John is quite enthusiastic about the new residence, but Emily feels an immediate sense of unease and can’t settle in comfort. The digital wallpaper, with its constantly shifting and mesmerising patterns, is especially responsible for making Emily feel like she’s being watched, even haunted by some artificial presence. John is insistent that the house is perfectly fine and that it is Emily’s mental health that is questionable. Will Emily’s increasing obsession with the wallpaper and her paranoia alleviate with time? The story comes to us in Emily’s third person perspective. Many of us might have read the classic short story, ‘The Yel...

AUTHOR: Claire Keegan GENRE: Short Story Collection. RATING: 4.3 stars. In a Nutshell: It’s a Claire Keegan story collection! What more do you want to know?! Read it! ( As you must have guessed, this is a very biased review, because I love this author! ) Claire Keegan is one of my top favourite contemporary authors. She has a way of making me feel like a fool, most times. Hmmm… Those two sentences don’t make much sense next to each other, do they? 👀 Let me elaborate. I love Claire Keegan. She's among the few writers who believes in the intelligence of her readers and hence never goes overboard elaborating her content. She offers just enough for us to read and then trusts in our capacity to read between the lines and process the gaps. This means that her stories can never be rushed through. That what she says is much less than what she leaves unsaid. That you need to invest in comprehending much beyond the written word. That if you are a perceptive literary reader, you will have ...

  AUTHOR:  Sheila Colón-Bagley ILLUSTRATOR: Alejandro Mesa GENRE: Children's Picture Book, Christmas RATING:  4.5 stars. In a Nutshell: An exceptional bilingual (English + Spanish) picture book honouring Dia de Los Reyes from a Puerto Rican perspective. Takes inspiration from a classic Christmas poem and gives it a Three Kings twist. Loved it!  Story Synopsis: The entire story comes to us through the first person perspective of a little Puerto Rican girl, whose extended family has gathered at her place on ‘la noche before Three Kings Day’. After they complete their yummy dinner and have fun singing and dancing, the kids gather to make gift boxes for Los Reyes Magos. After the guests leave, our wee narrator and her sister are too excited to sleep, but Mamá and Papá convince them to go to bed. What happens next? “Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse…” These famous opening lines belong to the belo...