Dear Great Book Guru, What a weekend I just had! First, an amazing Summer Solstice party with a bevy of Sea Cliff luminaries in attendance and then followed the next day by the loveliest of bridal showers for Gillian DiPietro and Joseph Anzalone hosted by Emily Gordon. The tasty treats were prepared by Ricky Silver (silvercaterers.com). During the Solstice party , news came of the passing of the New York State Marriage Equality Act and one of the first people to be interviewed by the media was Sea Cliff resident and author Sarah Ellis. Many of the partygoers had read her book but no one could remember its title. Do you know the book and have you read it? Weekend Partygoer

Dear Weekend Partygoer, I was at both events too and enjoyed them immensely. Yes, I have read Sarah's book that she co-authored with her partner Kristen Henderson: TIMES X TWO. I finished it in one evening and loved it. Funny, compassionate, suspenseful, and with multiple references to Sea Cliff- you can't get better than that! Sarah and Kristen are the parents of a beautiful boy and girl- weeks apart- twins of sort. The book traces the lives of the two women- Sarah, a highly successful executive at REAL SIMPLE magazine and Kristen, founder, songwriter, and lead guitarist of the famed ANTIGONE RISING band- their childhoods, their college years, their initial meeting and courtship, and finally the births of their children. The book is a beautiful tribute to Sarah and Kristen and all the people in their lives. Highly recommended!

Just a reminder- the Sea Cliff Civic Association's annual Fourth of July Celebration and Reading of the Declaration of Independence will be held on the Village Green outside the Sea Cliff Library at 10am on Monday, the 4th. This is a beautiful event -appropriate for both children and adults .