Dear Great Book Guru, The streets of Sea Cliff always grow a little quieter in August with people going off on vacation, I guess. Where do they go when we all know Sea Cliff is the perfect vacation spot? Oh well, do you have a good novel for me to read during these hazy, lazy August days and nights? Summer Sea Cliff Sojourner

Dear SC Sojourner, Yes, it would be interesting to do a survey of our fellow citizens' whereabouts, but first I have an interesting book to recommend to you :THE BORROWER by Rebecca Makkai. It is a light but clever novel that delves into gender identity, religious fundamentalism, kid lit, anorexia, kidnapping, extortion, and Russian revolutionaries -with a children's librarian as its protagonist. Lucy Hull, a twenty-six year-old recent grad, finds herself as head of Hannibal Children's Library. Newly immersed in the books of her childhood, she finds herself empathizing with ten-year old Ian Hatch whose reading choices are severely limited by his dogmatic parents: no wizardry, no weaponry, no magic, no Roald Dahl and definitely no Harry Potter. Becoming fugitives of sorts, Ian and Lucy motor across the country from Missouri to Vermont with interesting stops and insights along the way. This is a sweet book that has a surprise ending.