Dear Great Book Guru, I was wondering how you spend Memorial Day weekend and, of course, do you have a book to recommend?
Grateful Citizen

Dear Grateful, This is one of my favorite Sea Cliff weekends. On Friday night, the Beach Committee, headed by Michelle Capobianco, hosts a huge party for families early in the evening followed by music and dancing lasting late into the night. Over the weekend, the Sea Cliff Library begins their Books on the Beach program. You will be able to borrow books, read newspapers, and get material for your children all while enjoying Sea Cliff Beach. Then on Monday morning all of Sea Cliff marches through its streets honoring our war dead while hoping for a peaceful future for all. This touching parade is crowned with a beautiful ceremony at Clifton Park. Phil Como has organized this event for many, many years and it is always wonderful in a bittersweet sort of way. And, yes,a book I would recommend is MATTERHORN by Karl Marlantes. A Vietnam veteran, Marlantes began writing this book thirty years ago when he first returned home from his tour of service. The story is an incredible tale of misery, bravery, loyalty, and confusion. The hero, a young lieutenant, grows in his role while seeing friends display kindness, fear, and suffering all in the capturing of a small piece of land "Matterhorn" as they came to call it. This book is a long, difficult read, but ever so worthwhile.