Reviews

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

I have been a fan of Augusten's for quite some time. I have read all of his books and enjoyed almost all of those books. This latest memoir was a disappointment. I looked for the humor and the heartbreak that his previous memoirs had, but this one fell short. I found myself not wanting to continue, but I had to (because I am a librarian after all).

Grab your tissues, ‘cause this one’s a tear jerker. In place of his senior year of high school, Zach is in rehab. He doesn’t remember why he’s there, so we learn about his circumstances as he works through remembering in group sessions, talking with his roommates and his counselor. What makes this book so powerful is that Zach, despite his addiction, sadness, and loneliness still manages to be a neat kid. You really want to see him succeed.