Reviews

In Allen's debut novel we meet the Waverly sisters Claire and Sydney in their hometown of Bascom, NC. The Waverly family has lived in Bascom for generations and their unusual garden is the stuff of legends in the area. The Waverlys and their garden have somewhat of a curious reputation due to their garden and its plants that have special powers.

This Is Where I Leave You is about death, divorce and dysfunction and it is hilarious. Shorty after Judd's wife leaves him for his boss, Judd’s father dies and his mother announces that his father’s last wish was for the family to observe shiva, a seven day mourning period during which friends and family visit the home of the bereaved. Seven days is a long time to be cooped up in your childhood home.

Major Pettigrew would never have a Facebook page. He would be absolutely horrified by the Jackass and Borat movies. Discreet, polite, always a gentleman, Major Pettigrew is a man to be counted upon. The Major is rather alone, recently widowed and infrequently visited by his son Roger who is most interested in clawing up the corporate ladder and pleasing his long-legged, American girlfriend.

Adrian Furnham, a pioneer in the psychology of money, presents here a readable synthesis of years of research and study in the area. He provides information and advice that would benefit anyone. This book is a must for employers and human resources professionals. Anyone who is interested in money-- or who has someone close who would benefit from being more interested in the topic-- might take a look at this book. It's a quick, but solid, read.

The Shining, Stephen King’s third book, is also one of his best. The plot centers around Jack Torrance and his family. Jack is an alcoholic mentally troubled father and after being fired from his teaching job he takes a job as a winter caretaker at the Overlook Hotel in Colorado. During the long, cold, desolate winter the only people in the hotel will be Jack, his wife Wendy and their son Danny.

Thanks for joining me on Helen's Hot Picks. Many JCL staff are now writing reviews, so I am moving Helen's Hot Picks to www.jocolibrary.org/staffpicks. I hope you'll catch up with me there!

Rusalka sadly suffers from a deceptively bad cover and worse descriptive blurb. There is nothing in either to indicate the exploration of the fantasy genre, the nature of humanity, or the price of having your wishes granted. What is presented as the cheesy love story of a man and a ghost is more accurately a chilling tale of murder, abuse of power, understanding of self, and learning how to live with people you can't possibly understand.

A sweeping historical novel that captures the readers' imagination and brings them to an intimate relationship with the characters is rare indeed, but this novel achieves just that level of mastery.  David Mitchell combines his meticulous research with his brilliant writing style to tell the story of