Jane's Picks: Home

A sprawling epic novel that chronicles the lives of several aristocratic families in Russia during the Napoleonic Wars. Through its richly detailed narrative, it explores themes of love, loss, ambition, and the profound impact of historical events on individuals and society.

"A Gentleman in Moscow" follows the life of Count Alexander Rostov, who is sentenced to house arrest in a luxury hotel in Moscow during the tumultuous years of the Russian Revolution. Through his elegant and witty narration, Rostov navigates his restricted existence, forming relationships and finding purpose amidst the changing political landscape of 20th-century Russia.

In September 1969, a fumbling, cranky old church deacon known as Sportcoat shuffles into the courtyard of the Cause Houses housing project in south Brooklyn, pulls a .38 from his pocket, and, in front of everybody, shoots the project's drug dealer at point-blank range. The reasons for this desperate burst of violence and the consequences that spring from it lie at the heart of Deacon King Kong.

Summer has a magic all its own in Elizabeth Enright's beloved stories about two children and their discovery of a ghostly lakeside resort.

The adventures of the Blake family as they return to their summer home in Gone-Away Lake.

Sethe was born a slave and escaped to Ohio, but eighteen years later she is still not free. Sethe has too many memories of Sweet Home, the beautiful farm where so many hideous things happened. And Sethe's new home is haunted by the ghost of her baby, who died nameless and whose tombstone is engraved with a single word: Beloved.

A chilling Gothic novella that follows a governess who becomes increasingly convinced that the two children in her care are being possessed by malevolent spirits.

A heartwarming novel that brings together a disparate group of characters who find solace and connection in a remote Scottish estate during the Christmas season. Through rich descriptions and tender storytelling, Pilcher weaves a tale of love, healing, and the transformative power of human relationships amidst the backdrop of winter's quiet beauty.

Through vivid descriptions and lyrical language, Thomas captures the magic and wonder of the holiday season as seen through the eyes of a young boy, evoking feelings of warmth, nostalgia, and joy as he recalls the rituals, traditions, and simple pleasures of Christmas in his hometown.

Chronicles the epic saga of the Corleone crime family, led by patriarch Vito Corleone and later his son Michael. Set against the backdrop of organized crime in America, the films explore themes of power, loyalty, and the consequences of violence as the Corleone family navigates treacherous alliances and internal strife while seeking to maintain their dominance in the criminal underworld.

A heartwarming film adaptation of Dylan Thomas's nostalgic prose poem, capturing the enchantment and innocence of a Welsh boy's memories of Christmases past.

Set in an Edwardian country house in 1912, Downton Abbey portrays the lives of Lord Grantham and the rest of the Crawley family, as well as the servants who work for them.

A quirky and offbeat comedy following the awkward and eccentric Napoleon Dynamite as he navigates high school life in rural Idaho.

Loosely based on Homer's "Odyssey", this is the story of three convicts-- escapees from a prison farm in Mississippi-- and their adventure as they travel home in hopes of recovering buried loot before it's lost forever in a flood.

A classic suspense-horror film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, depicting a small coastal town under siege by a series of inexplicable and increasingly violent bird attacks.