Dear Great Book Guru, This holiday season I received so many book suggestions that I am not sure what to start reading- mysteries, spy thrillers, poetry, and biographies…. With the long weekend ahead, can you recommend something that you know I will love.  New Year Celebrating Bibliophile

Dear New Year Celebrating Bibliophile,  I just finished a wonderful book I  received as a  Christmas gift from Daniel DiPietro- it was a favorite of his and now  is a favorite of mine: EAT THE DOCUMENT by Dana Spiotta.  The story opens in 1972 with Mary Whittaker and Bobby Desoto going underground after a political protest that went very, very bad. Mary changes her name, her appearance, her very essence…. The question of identity creation is central to the book as we see both Mary and Bobby choose what aspects of their former lives to retain and what to  change.   The music of the 60’s and 70’s is as large a character as the young protesters. In fact the title of the book comes from a legendary film documentary about Bob Dylan’s 1966 tour of Europe where the schism between young and old took on revolutionary force. The story comes full circle when we meet Bobby and Mary twenty years later and view their lives through the eyes of Jason, Mary’s Beach Boys obsessed fifteen year-old son.   This is a lively, rich take on the music, politics, and personalities of an era that still confounds the nation and beyond. Recommended!