Dear Great Book Guru,  I was with my friend Tina Marchese this weekend and she told me about the exciting Sea Cliff  Landmarks House Tour that will take place on Sunday, May 19. Ten houses!!!! I would love to read a book earlier in the day and then again perhaps when the tour is over. Do you have a good book you would recommend?  Lover of Landmarks

Dear Lover of Landmarks , Yes- I have a wonderful book for you: THE PRIVILEGES  by Jonathan Dee. It begins with a wedding and then goes on to chronicle the bride and groom's life together over the next twenty years.  Cynthia and Adam are a couple so in love with one another, so privileged that the rest of the world simply does not exist for them.  Their children , their parents, their friends, all play essentially minor roles in this- the  story of their life together. Reminiscent of The Great Gatsby, the novel showcases the effects of  great wealth, good fortune, and  youthful exuberance, and  New York with its intensively competitive culture serves as a colorful backdrop.  Always there is the sense that the characters will pay for their misdeeds but no- that is not the case: good and evil, reward and punishment,  do not exist in this novel of 21st century sensibilities. A disturbing but recommended book!

Major literary event:  Sunday, June 2 is author Barbara Pym's 100th birthday and the Pym Society of Sea Cliff will be celebrating by reading an early novel of hers:  CRAMPTON HODNET and gathering for sherry, tea, and sweets that afternoon. Contact me at annmdipietro@gmail.com if you are interested in participating.