Dear Great Book Guru, One of my 2026 resolutions is to set aside time every night for a family read-aloud session. I’m looking for something great to start us off - something that would appeal to both older children and adults. Any thoughts? Family Book Reader..... Dear Family Book Reader, There are lots of great books out there, but I just finished one I really enjoyed and think your family will too: THE WINTER OF THE DOLLHOUSE by Laura Amy Schlitz. Told in multiple perspectives in alternating chapters, the book is suspenseful and poignant. Tiphany (her mother was a huge fan of “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” but a bad speller!) is eleven years-old and pretty much the perfect child, but in her own eyes “plain and ordinary”. She soon becomes a dog walker, actor, thief, and rescuer. The person she rescues is Szilvia Rozsahegyi, an elderly Hungarian woman - owner of a magnificent albeit shabby dollhouse - who soon hires Tiphany to walk her dog. Mr. DeLuca is the cantankerous owner of a toy store who does not like children, especially Tiphany. Gretel and Red are small dolls who have lots to say. Throughout, the usual fairy tale stereotypes are upturned. Szilvia could very well be a witch but instead is an acerbic but loving friend to Tiphany. The girl’s stepmother Holly is devoted to her, and the “wolf” dog becomes her rescuer. There are lost jewels, missing dolls, and a century old mystery – all of which are resolved in a most satisfying conclusion. Definitely a good choice for a family read-aloud!

Dear Great Book Guru, I am in search of a compelling, amusing, challenging read for the cold winter week ahead. PS I love spy thrillers! Weary Winter Reader Dear Weary Winter Reader, I too love a good spy thriller and I just finished a great one: CLOWN TOWN by Mick Herron. Herron has written a series of novels starring the Slow Horses - a group of misfits - members of MI5 (British equivalent in some ways of our FBI) who for medical or psychological reasons have been put on leave. The name comes from their headquarters, Slough House, but more so for their flawed performances. The story opens in Oxford, England where River Cartwright - grandson of David Cartwright who had been the esteemed head of MI5 - is waiting for medical clearance to return to active duty in the organization. River decides to research his grandfather’s library of books recently bequeathed on his death to his alma mater. To River’s puzzlement, one of the books is missing - a book that covered the perilous Troubles - the period in which Irish freedom fighters were terrorizing England. The disgraced and demoted spies – the Slow Horses - are brought in secretly by MI5 to unravel the mysteries of long ago that now threaten to upend a hard-earned peace. Jackson Lamb, leader of the Slow Hoses team and a dissolute genius, would rather his people - his “clowns” - not become involved but is himself intrigued by the politics and possible security lapses of the past. A cast of colorful characters, numerous humorous plot twists, and a clever surprise ending make for a great read and highly recommended!

Dear Great Book Guru, I just came back from Sea Cliff’s Polar Bear Plunge - what fun! While at the beach, some people were talking about a mystery their book club had chosen. It was set on Long Island but had an Irish twist. It sounded great - any thoughts? Polar Bear Plunger.......... Dear Polar Bear Plunger, THE IRISH GOODBYE by Heather Aimee O’Neill is a wonderful book to start the new year. Set on the North Fork of Long Island - perhaps Greenport - the novel opens in 1990 where we meet three sisters: Maggie, Caitlin, and Alice Ryan and their brother Topher. A terrible boating accident has just occurred, and a young friend, Daniel Larkin, is dead. To the girls’ confusion and horror, Topher is taken away by the local police. The next chapter fast forwards to 2015. The sisters are back at the family home for the holidays, each with an intriguing, albeit troubling life story. Their mother who had been raised in an Irish orphanage is viewed by all as strict and very judgmental. Each sister harbors secrets she desperately wants to hide from her mother. Into this turmoil the question of Topher and the boating accident arises, and we realize each of the sisters knows much more than has been revealed. The term “Irish goodbye” has come to mean slipping away from a party to avoid long farewells and in this story there has been a ghostly departure that still haunts the Ryan family after twenty-five years. A compelling read and highly recommended!