Dear Great Book Guru, Halloween has certainly come to Sea Cliff - every house on every street seems to house a ghost, goblin, or ghoul! The Sea Cliff Civic Association is hosting a contest as to which is the most fantastically decorated. Photos are sent to sccivicassociation@gmail.com and a video is being compiled to be featured on Facebook.  Of course, as always I need a good book while taking in all those Halloween Houses.  Any recommendations? Fixated by Halloween

Dear Fixated by Halloween, I recently read a very disturbing albeit fascinating debut novel: AMERICAN WAR by Omar El Akkad.  Set in the not-too-distant future, the book describes an America beset by wildly damaging climate change, severe political unrest, biological calamity, and a civil war raging for over twenty years - from 2074 to 2095. The story is told from two perspectives and over many years. Sarat Chestnut, a young girl we meet just as the war breaks out is the main character and her young nephew continues her story many decades later. Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Texas, and South Carolina secede from the Union when the government bans the use of fossil fuels anywhere in the United States. The book captures the horror of war as loyalties splinter and families turn on one another. Interestingly, a new book just came out BREAK IT UP by Richard Kreitner whose thesis is that the United States has had to deal with disunion threats throughout its history. AMERICAN WAR is definitely a timely read and recommended!