Dear Great Book Guru,  This has been an incredible few weeks filled with wonderful community building events from the Ice Cream Social, the Patriotic Bike Parade, Happy Birthday USA, and finally the iconic reading of the Declaration of Independence celebration  on the Village Green.  Now I find myself in need of a simple, relaxing beach read- and - yes, that’s where I’m headed : Sea Cliff Beach !    Beach Bound

Dear Beach Bound, Over the last few weeks I’ve read some compelling books: FOUR SHOTS IN THE NIGHT: A true story of Spies, Murder, and Justice in Northern Ireland, OSCAR HAMMERSTEIN II AND THE INVENTION OF THE MUSICAL, and SPY FOR NO COUNTRY… but since you are looking for a quintessential beach read I suggest: Emily Henry’s BEACH READ. Told from the perspective of January Andrews, a writer of romance novels, who has recently inherited a beach house next to a high school nemesis and literary fiction writer Augustus Everitt, this is a fast-paced study in contrasts.  January and Everitt while incredibly hostile to one another at first discover they are both suffering from acute cases of ‘writer’s block’.  Their back stories are filled with exquisite details and their daily encounters are humor packed. However, the story takes a “novel” turn when they decide to switch book genres. Can Augustus write a romance novel and January, a serious piece of literary fiction?  Their journey into new worlds is both fascinating and amusing.  A good summer read and recommended!