Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
By J.K. Rowling
Of course, I had to review this, the final in the series and the most anticipated book of our generation. Amazingly, Deathly Hallows doesn’t disappoint. The gloves are clearly off for the final installment. Harry escapes so many close shaves that at one point I was reminded of those old Benny Hill routines where he’s running comically in every direction hotly pursued by a crowd of fist-shaking people. The body count is high, and the drama higher, and Rowling does a great job in tying up all the loose ends. It’s a worthy and fitting conclusion. Click on the image to buy now!
 

Water for Elephants
By Sara Gruen
A mix of Ringling Brothers and Big Fish, Sara Gruen’s third novel is a love story woven into an unlikely setting of a depression-era circus. The tale, told in flashback mode, is a relatively common one—good-guy hero falls in love with a woman who is married to a cruel man without a charitable bone in his body—surrounded by uncommon personalities. Gruen’s best work here is in the way she portrays the stars of the show when they’re not performing. Click on the image to buy now!