GREAT BOOK GURU IX

Dear Great Book Guru, I was a B. Brown's Kitchen in Sea Cliff this weekend having some fabulous French toast special, when I heard people at another table discussing a new book by a Sea Cliff author but I couldn't hear the title and was too shy to ask. Do you know anything about this book and author? Baffled B. Brown Breakfaster

Dear Baffled, I was a B's this weekend too and the Oatmeal French toast was truly amazing but back to your question. Yes, indeed, Amy Spencer is the author you heard about. Amy and her sister Elizabeth grew up here and their parents- Ken and Kathy Spencer are Sea Cliff luminaries known and loved by scores of people throughout the Village. The book is MEETING YOUR HALF-ORANGE. It is coming out the beginning of February but you can pre-order from Amazon.com . I was lucky enough to get an advance copy and after having read it this week, I can recommend it wholeheartedly. The phrase half-orange comes from the Spanish phrase "mi media naranja" meaning one's sweetheart, one's perfect other half. The book describes techniques you can use to attract your perfect other half . The techniques suggested are rooted in the belief that if you are optimistic you create an aura that attracts other people to you. The book is filled with great anecdotes that support this thesis, but Amy's story was the best of all. She had told herself she would meet her "half -orange' sometime during the upcoming year; she did everything she could to be happy and yes, optimistic. So on Memorial Day weekend she realized she wanted to spend it with her family in Sea Cliff not at a glitzy singles event in NYC, but what were the chances she would meet her own true love here? Yes, yes- through a series of wonderful coincidences she ended up with her perfect mate by the end of the weekend. The book was witty, poignant , and invaluable if you are searching and entertaining if you are lucky enough to have already met up with your half-orange. Ann DiPietro

GREAT BOOK GURU VIII

Dear Great Book Guru, I am looking for a good book to read to my two children ages 7 and 9. It should be exciting but not too exciting as it will a bedtime read; I do want it to hold my interest , and I admit I have rather high literary standards. Any ideas? Devoted Parent

Dear Devoted, THE MAGICIAN'S ELEPHANT is Kate DiCamillo's latest novel and a very fine one, indeed. The story plot is complicated enough to engage both you and your children and the beautiful, clear prose will satisfy you immensely. Set in a small East European city over two hundred years ago, this short novel- really a novella- is a fable about human kindness, the oppression of war, and the power of the individual to accomplish magic. At its opening , we meet young Peter who has been orphaned in the war and is being cared for haphazardly by an old soldier who is committed to preparing him for the military. In the same building lives a childless couple who yearn to share their home but are afraid to chance another loss. Peter gives his last coin away to have his fortune read and what startling news he hears! His sister he long thought dead is alive awaiting his arrival which will happen when an elephant comes to town- a town that has never seen an elephant. Soon enough the elephant appears- a result of a magician's act gone awry. There are many richly described figures (including the elephant)who play a part in Peter's journey. While a children's story, this beautiful tale would appeal to any adult looking for a poetic rendering of a medieval city and a compendium of characters all on the road to redemption. Her other books BECAUSE OF WINN DIXIE and THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX could work for your purposes too. These books are all available at the Sea Cliff Children's Library.

Remember to check out GreatBookGuru.blogspot.com for more recommendations.

GREAT BOOK GURU VII

Dear Great Book Guru, I was at a lovely New Year's Day Open House party on Main Avenue in Sea Cliff and a friend remarked that the party reminded her of a wonderful James Joyce short story. Do you know the piece she was referring to? Literary Partygoer

Dear Literary, How perceptive your friend is! Joyce's "The Dead" is perhaps the finest short story ever written and it is set at a gala party celebrating the new year. The description of the delicious food and drink coupled with sparkling conversation and lilting music, set in the home of two elderly sisters and their niece, makes for a delightful glimpse into life in Dublin one hundred years ago. But the story is so, so much more. We meet the courtly, self-absorbed Gabriel , the sisters' adored nephew and his wife Gretta; the easily intimidated and intoxicated Freddy Malins; his tedious, complaining mother; Lily, a young servant girl; and a whole array of colorful partygoers. There is a feverishly familiar litany of past parties, achievements, slights, and political barbs but the story's climax comes after the party ends. Gretta in a melancholy mood mentions a young boy from the countryside who had loved her. Her husband immediately becomes jealous and questions her fidelity only to find that the boy had died decades before . Michael Furey had despaired when Gretta left their village for boarding school, and came to her window on a brutally bitter night to bid her farewell; he died from the cold but the devotion he showed was still vividly alive for Gretta. Gabriel laments his own pettiness, his lack of passion in contrast to young Michael's. The story closes with Gabriel looking out as the snow covers Ireland, falling "upon all the living and the dead." A truly beautiful piece!