Rosh ~catching up slowly~’s Comments (group member since Mar 06, 2022)

Rosh ~catching up slowly~’s comments from the Aussie Readers group.

The Briar Club by Kate Quinn

I mostly enjoyed my first novel by this talented writer. What a wonderful historical fiction!
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Someone You Can Build a Nest In by John Wiswell

Not for everyone, and definitely not my kind of book either. But I still ended up liking this monster romance to a great extent. Go figure!
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

A Dark and Secret Magic by Wallis Kinney

Mine is an outlier review for this fantasy-romance. It had too much romance and too little fantasy for my liking.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

The Picture Bride by Lee Geum-yi

Great start, okay end. But contains quite a lot of interesting historical information about Koreans in Hawaii.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

What Does It Feel Like? by Sophie Kinsella

I ended 2024 with this poignant novella. Much recommended! For those like me who are wary of Sophie Kinsella's usual genre, note that this isn't a romcom.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

The Wonderful Discovery of Elizabeth Sawyer by Jonathan Vischer

One of my biggest disappointments of 2024. I expected far better from such a premise.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

The Mistletoe Mystery by Nita Prose

This didn't work for me as well as the earlier books of the series. The mystery was quite weak, though the mush was spot on.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I Might Be in Trouble by Daniel Aleman

This shouldn't have been my kind of book at all, but to my surprise, I enjoyed it quite a lot. A dark but entertaining satire.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

A Very Indian Christmas: The Greatest Indian Holiday Stories of All Time

A nice collection of essays about Christmas in India. I found it genuine and well-written, but not sure how much appeal it would hold for those outside of India.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

The Witch of Colchis by Rosie Hewlett

An interesting sophomore book by this talented young writer. A great option for those who enjoy powerful Greek mytho retellings.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Shalama: My 96 Seasons in China by Jean Hoffmann Lewanda

The writing style just wasn't for me. The historical content is great, though.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

The Answer Is No by Fredrik Backman

I wanted to say 'Yes' to Backman's latest work, but the result is a slightly mixed 'Maybe'. Not his best work IMHO. He's much better at full-length serious fiction.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Merry Christmas everyone! 🎄💖

Brightly Shining by Ingvild H. Rishøi

A Christmas story - yes, but not as "brightly shining" as the title claims. a good option for those who seek darker festive tales.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Three good graphic novels for you all:

1. Patrik the Vampire, Book 1 by Bree Paulsen

Free for everyone on the author's website, but incomplete, and might stay so for a long time.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

2. The Other Side of Tomorrow by Tina M. Cho

A story that needs to be read, despite a few flaws in the execution. This one is for tweens and teens.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

3. Home Office Romance by Kintetsu Yamada

A manga set during the pandemic. A sweet opposites-attract romance.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

PattyMacDotComma wrote: "There must be thousands of stories about that time, Rosh. Global politics is weird and not improving."

True, Patty. I haven't read many as I find the topic quite traumatising, but of the ones I have read, this book is the most disturbing and yet the most honest in its grittiness. Every single country has its demons, some of which they simply don't exorcise no matter the year.

Mottled Dawn: Fifty Sketches and Stories of Partition by Saadat Hasan Manto

An OwnVoices short story collection set around the brutal India-Pakistan partition of 1947. Heartbreaking and traumatic!
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

The Lumen Caligo: Fallen by Lawrence C. Cobb

Had tremendous potential, but the outmoded writing style didn't do the plot any favour.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Sipsworth by Simon Van Booy

A contemporary fiction about an old woman and a mouse. Quirky!
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

The Architect of Grayland by Evelyn Arvey

I loved this indie dystopian scifi, though it was more drama and less scifi. Much recommended!
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Somebody I Used to Know: A Memoir by Wendy Mitchell

An amazingly insightful but also heartbreaking memoir by a woman diagnosed with young-onset dementia.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...