Dear Great Book Guru,   Memorial Day weekend is always a special time for me.  I love the annual spirited Village Parade, the bittersweet ceremonies at our parks, and – of course-the breakfast beforehand at the Children’s Library, but I really do need a good book to see me through the weekend.  Any thoughts?  Memorial Day Fan

Dear Memorial Day Fan,  I just finished a fascinating book VANISHING VELAZQUEZ by Laura Cummings. This is a true story of one man’s obsession with a painting- an obsession that caused him to lose everything: his family, his wealth, his reputation, his home, and some say… his mind.   In 1845,  John Snare stumbled upon a portrait  of the future King Charles I of England by Velazquez- or at least that’s what he believed- and so begins the story.  Cummings is a world renowned art critic and expert on the works of Diego Velazquez, the 17^th century Spanish master, so this book is a homage to the artist in addition to being a riveting mystery, a history of the court of Spain’s King Philip IV,  and a psychological profile of  the besotted art collector Snare. You will find this a great read for the long holiday weekend and an definitely an inspiration for a trip to the Metropolitan Museum where you can see at least seven of Velazquez’s paintings. Recommended!