Dear Great Book Guru, 

Over the holidays, I heard from a lot of my friends about their favorite new books and many have mentioned one they found horrifyingly prescient. It is set close to home – on the East End of Long Island with characters that are eerily familiar. Do you know the book and - if so - would you recommend?   Books for the New Year

Dear Books for the New Year, I recently finished LEAVE THE WORLD BEHIND by Rumaan Alam - a truly terrifying tale.  Amanda and Clay leave Manhattan with their two teenage children, Archie and Rose, for a two-week vacation at a luxurious rental home in a secluded spot on the far reaches of Long Island. Their cell phones have notoriously poor service so there is little concern at first when they lose contact with friends back home. However, a late-night knock on the door reveals that the world as they knew it has come to an end.  The owners, George and Ruth, have fled New York City because a sudden blackout has swept the nation.  This affluent, sophisticated Black couple are viewed with suspicion and racial stereotyping, but each couple soon comes to realize their need for each other.   Loud sonic blasts fill the air and strange illnesses develop. With TV and internet down, it is impossible to know the nature of this disaster. Comparisons to the present pandemic are of course uppermost in readers’ minds.  A book you will not be able to put down - highly recommended!