Dear Great Book Guru, Last week I was at Sea Cliff Beach for Story Time . It was such fun- I loved the version of Red Riding Hood that was presented, especially when it turned out that the Wolf did not want to devour anyone- all he wanted was an invitation to the Anzalone/DiPietro wedding, which he received to cheers and great applause from the audience. Well, while we were all marveling at this unusual turn of events, someone mentioned a novel that also took liberties with a traditional story line. I think the title was DECEPTIONS but I'm not sure . Have you read it and if so would you recommend it? Fan of the Fractured Fairy Tale


Dear Fan of the Fractured Fairy Tale, That was a particularly clever retelling of Red Riding Hood and, yes, I have read DECEPTIONS by Rebecca Frayn, a celebrated British filmmaker and first time novelist. Set outside of London in the present time, the novel is narrated by Julian who is living with a young widow and her two children. Julian has just told the children that he and their mother are planning to marry in a few months. The twelve-year-old boy seems resentful but says little. The next day, he leaves for school and does not return; an extensive police search ensues. His whereabouts remain unknown until…… The title comes from the many truths about the boy, his friends, and his family that gradually unfold. Apparently, there have been multiple deceptions. The plot is riveting and the characters richly developed, especially Julian and Annie, the boy's mother. A real page turner!

Dear Great Book Guru, Wow- is Sea Cliff abuzz with excitement! This is the weekend of Gillian DiPietro and Joseph Anzalone's wedding ; myself and many of my friends will be attending so my time for reading will be somewhat limited , but do you have something wedding- related to recommend ? Wedding Well Wisher


Dear Wedding Well Wisher, Yes, I will be at the wedding too, and while I can barely contain my excitement, I think it is always wise at any time to do a little reading. With that in mind, I recommend THE SATURDAY BIG TENT WEDDING PARTY by Alexander McCall Smith. This is the latest installment in the very popular Ladies #1 Detective Agency series. Set in Botswana, these mysteries feature Precious Ramotswe as the founder and head of a detective agency whose cases involve the daily lives and transgressions of Precious's family and neighbors. While these novels are all sweetly satisfying, this one is a particular favorite of mine. Precious's assistant Ms. Makutsi is preparing to marry Mr. Radiphuti, the love of her life, and their wedding plans serve as the backdrop for three subplots: a cattle robbery, a runaway teenager, and an abusive employer. All works out in a clever and satisfying manner, and along the way we learn much about the culture of Botswana and the universal appeal of …weddings! Dearest wishes to Joe and Gillian on their special day!

Dear Great Book Guru, The streets of Sea Cliff always grow a little quieter in August with people going off on vacation, I guess. Where do they go when we all know Sea Cliff is the perfect vacation spot? Oh well, do you have a good novel for me to read during these hazy, lazy August days and nights? Summer Sea Cliff Sojourner

Dear SC Sojourner, Yes, it would be interesting to do a survey of our fellow citizens' whereabouts, but first I have an interesting book to recommend to you :THE BORROWER by Rebecca Makkai. It is a light but clever novel that delves into gender identity, religious fundamentalism, kid lit, anorexia, kidnapping, extortion, and Russian revolutionaries -with a children's librarian as its protagonist. Lucy Hull, a twenty-six year-old recent grad, finds herself as head of Hannibal Children's Library. Newly immersed in the books of her childhood, she finds herself empathizing with ten-year old Ian Hatch whose reading choices are severely limited by his dogmatic parents: no wizardry, no weaponry, no magic, no Roald Dahl and definitely no Harry Potter. Becoming fugitives of sorts, Ian and Lucy motor across the country from Missouri to Vermont with interesting stops and insights along the way. This is a sweet book that has a surprise ending.

Dear Great Book Guru, I love the summer; there is so much time for lounging and reading- my two favorite activities. And, of course, there is nothing better than sitting on Sea Cliff Beach under one of those beautiful blue stripped umbrellas, sipping an iced tea, and reading a great book. Do you have any suggestions: I'm thinking non-fiction for a change… Devoted Beach Goer- Book Reader

Dear Devoted, Summer is a wonderful time to experiment with different reading genres, and I have just the book for you. In the last month, both my son Daniel DiPietro and friend Barbara Murray sang the praises of IN THE GARDEN OF BEASTS by Erik Larson. How right they were! This narrative non-fiction take on pre-World War II Germany is subtitled: " Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin." Told in real time, the book recounts the story of a mild mannered academic William Dodd who has just been appointed U.S. Ambassador to Germany (he was F.D.R.'s fifteenth choice- everyone else refused) and his beautiful, flirtatious daughter Martha. When they arrive in Berlin, they are both naïve and casually anti-Semitic; the elder Dodd is cautious and tries to overlook the growing violence which lies just below the surface in sophisticated, robust Berlin ("let these men work on their schemes") while his daughter is enamored of all things German and refuses to see the brutality that surrounds her magical daily existence ("we don't know the whole story"). As the year unfolds, we share the family's excitement, romantic intrigues, and finally their horror at the tragedies that befall their friends, neighbors, and colleagues. A compelling read!

Dear Great Book Guru,

This Saturday at 7pm in Spooky Park, the Sea Cliff Silly Shakespeare Company presents its hilarious production of The Merry Stepford Wives of Windsor. I am so excited- Elizabeth Sehring and her merry troupe always do such a great job, and I hear this year’s play might be the best yet. But that leaves me with the rest of the weekend- I will definitely be looking for something to read. Do you have a recommendation? Lover of the Bard


Dear Lover of the Bard, Yes, indeed, Spooky Park is the place to be this weekend. In fact, many people attend the Friday night 7 pm full dress rehearsal and the Saturday night performance. I’ll certainly be at both! For the rest of the weekend, I suggest you read a light but fascinating book about memory, friendship, and marriage: WHAT ALICE FORGOT by Liane Moriarty. My friend Eileen Kunkel, who is a very discerning reader, recommended it, and I enjoyed it tremendously. The story opens with Alice, unconscious on the gym floor, having fallen off her bicycle during a particularly strenuous spin class. As she regains consciousness, we realize she has lost her memory of the last ten years: her children, numerous deaths and marriages, and her own impending divorce- all obliterated-instead she is a young newlywed, expecting her first child, deliriously in love and, well- very casual about most things. Apparently the missing ten years have changed her considerably and friends, enemies, and family alike are all bewildered by the new/old Alice. We are left to ponder what was important to us ten years ago and what changes, if any, we might want to make in our lives A very thought-provoking book!

Dear Great Book Guru, Every Thursday at 7pm you can find me at the Sea Cliff Civic Association's Sunset Serenades at Memorial Park- last week it was the Corda Family- they were great and this week- Kris Rice- what fun! Well, while I was there someone told me that Heather and John Kenny were going on and on about a wonderful author you had recommended. Do you remember who it is and is there a particular book of his/hers I might enjoy? Sunset Serenade Super Fan

Dear Super Fan, Yes, those Sunset Serenades epitomize a Sea Cliff summer for me too. The last time I spoke with Heather Kenny we discussed Stewart O'Nan at great length so I am confident this is the author you are searching for - I have recommended three of his books: WISH YOU WERE HERE, EMILY ALONE, and LAST NIGHT AT THE LOBSTER. Today I would like to suggest a fourth: SNOW ANGELS. This novel (330 pages but a very quick read) traces two families' intersecting lives: Annie, her parents, young daughter Tara, and her estranged husband Glenn; and Arthur Parkinson, his sister Astrid and his parents Louise and Don who are in the midst of a bitter divorce.When the story opens , Arthur is fourteen, living a life of quiet desperation - smoking marijuana, skipping class and hanging out with his classmate- Warren is Sancho Panza to Arthur's Don Quixote and there are many windmills tilted before the book closes. Annie, Arthur's beloved babysitter now a grown woman with her own child, has just been found murdered and it is not until the end of the book that we learn who the killer is. But the story is not a crime novel but instead a detailed examination of families who love each other but who hurt one another over and over in the most cruel and banal of ways. You will remember these characters long after you have finished the book.

Dear Great Book Guru,
I am so excited- the annual Summer Stroll is set for this weekend- to tour the porches and patios of Sea Cliff while feasting on delicious appetizers and drinks all on a lovely summer evening - perfection! Well, I know what I am doing this Saturday night- but what will I be reading on a lazy Sunday summer morning? Can you recommend something chillingly suspenseful but rich in characterization and plot? Summer Stroller

Dear Summer Stroller, I just finished reading a book which fits your criteria perfectly- SISTER by Rosemary Lupton. Set in present-day London, this first novel is written in the form of an extended letter from a 26 year-old woman to her sister. There are so many twists and turns that you are left literally breathless. As each piece of new information is revealed you are forced to reconsider your past assumptions. First, we discover that missing Tess is a twenty-one year-old art student; then we learn she is pregnant; finally, we learn she has already had the baby; also, she has been part of an experiment involving gene therapy to cure her unborn child of cystic fibrosis, but...there is much, much more. Possible suspects range from her art professor lover to a student stalker, to sinister scientists, physicians, and Big Pharma executives. Throughout, the story is told from the perspective of Bee, the older sister who is the conservative, uptight counterpart to her younger, more beautiful Bohemian sibling. While all the characters we meet are colorful, interestingly, one of the most vivid is London itself. The descriptions of its parks, neighborhoods, and institutions as we move from season to season make this novel all the more compelling. I could not turn the pages fast enough to unravel the mystery. A great summer read!

If you are interested in attending the Sea Cliff Civic Association's Summer Stroll this Saturday, July 9 from 6:30 to 8:30 (ticket is $25), act quickly. Email tinamarie122@optonline.net or stop by the Children's Library.