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

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

Finding Serenissima by Apple Gidley.

Didn't expect so much romance in this book with a senior citizen in the lead, but it might work for those who like destination love stories.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

How to Age Disgracefully by Clare Pooley

I am a bit of an outlier for this popular title. Perhaps I wanted too long to read it.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Two lovely stories from Amazon Original's 'The Improbable Meet-Cute' series. These are the only two stories worth reading in the entire collection.

1. Worst Wingman Ever by Abby Jimenez

Didn't expect this to be so emotional, but it suited my mood perfectly. My favourite of the series.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

2. The Exception to the Rule by author duo Christina Lauren

This was a bit too YA for my liking, but it was still quite good, especially as half of it is epistolary. Only one writing decision turned me off.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

The Woman with All the Answers by Linda Green

Ever wonder how Alexa works? Check out this book. ;) This would work better for middle-aged and above women.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

A Dangerous Game by Mandy Robotham

Takes Harri Schroder's ahead from 'The Hidden Storyteller', but on the whole, this historical fiction fell a little short of my expectations.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

The Legend of Uh by Aaron N. Hall

A great fantasy-adventure story for older teenagers.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

The Hidden Storyteller by Mandy Robotham

Enjoyed this post-WWII historical fiction plus crime thriller based in Hamburg.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

The Cobbler's Apprentice by Lynette Rees

It's so annoying when series books are marked as standalones! This historical fiction has a decent plot, but not knowing the background of the characters, I just couldn't get into it
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Black Woods, Blue Sky by Eowyn Ivey

Loved this Alaskan literary fiction. Don't read it as a 'Beauty & the Beast' retelling though some blurbs have tagged it as such.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

The One Before The One by Emma Cooper

A timeslip romance-mystery that sounded better in the blurb.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Two wonderful graphic novels, though each is quite different from the other.

1. Happy Endings by Lucie Bryon

A compilation of three witty "happy endings." Enjoyed this a lot!
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

2. God with Us: Bible Stories on the Road to Emmaus by Matt Mikalatos

Uses the biblical story of the journey to Emmaus to present some interesting correlations between the Old and New Testaments. A bit tricky for the target age group of middle-graders, but could work for older readers.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Rosie and the Dreamboat by Sally Thorne

After two 1-star duds in this series, this short story somewhat redeemed my feelings.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

The Scholar and the Last Faerie Door by H.G. Parry

A historical fantasy combining fae magic with dark academia. Quite interesting!
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

You are Your Own Fairy Tale by Amanda Lovelace

A feminist collection of contemporary poetry with some fairy tale inspiration. Much recommended, but not to be read at a go.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Tales of Virtuous Stepmothers by Georgina Warren

A wonderful story collection for middle-graders, filled with positive representation of stepmothers. Much recommended!
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Two graphic novels that didn't work so well for me, though they do have their plus points. Both went in unexpected directions.

1. The Girl Who Flew Away by Lee Dean

A historical graphic novel about a girl who finds herself pregnant before marriage and needs to make some tough choices.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

2. Soma by Fernando Llor

A scifi graphic novel about an alien invasion. Didn't expect so much actual alien action on page, especially considering the cover.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

The Many Futures of Maddy Hart by Laura Pearson

An interesting contemporary drama that could have been even better had the ending been more defined.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

The Secret Life of Beatrice Alright by Brooke Harris

A beautiful contemporary drama. Don't be fooled by the cover; this is not a light read.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

The Otherwhere Post by Emily J. Taylor

An interesting YA fantasy with dark academia and fae elements. Great for those who enjoy this genre.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I didn't plan to post these today, but I guess you could consider this a coincidental social service message: Please do NOT read either of these stories for Valentine's day if you value your brain cells. You're welcome! Happy Valentine's Day, y'all!

1. Royal Valentine by Sariah Wilson
Royalty-commoner-swap short story with plenty of 'Roman Holiday' vibes. But not in a good way at all.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

2. With Any Luck by Ashley Poston

I had had better hopes from this short story considering the author's reputation, but it was just 0.01% better than the first story.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...