Dear Great Book Guru, Presidents' Weekend is coming up and I am planning on spending it in Sea Cliff with friends and family but I always like to have a good book on hand- something unusual, something beyond my usual comfort zone. Any ideas? Willing to Throw Caution to the Wind


Dear Willing- I know just how you feel - this is the time of year to try something new and I have just the book for you - RIN TIN TIN by Susan Orlean. Let me make it clear: I am NOT a dog lover- well, I do have a dog of sorts although I think most would call Oberon faux- but I liked this book because it was so much more than an animal story. Orlean details the horror of war, the science of eugenics, life in orphanages at the turn of the century, the history of the movie industry, the birth of television, the evolving status of dogs and, finally she introduces us to the many fascinatingly obsessive characters that surrounded Rin Tin Tin. The story opens in a small town on the border of France and Germany- a very dangerous and brutal place in 1917 when Lee Duncan arrived as an infantry soldier . There are dogs all about serving a myriad of roles: bringing medicine, bandages, cigarettes to the wounded and, in the end, offering comfort to the dying .In this nightmarish world, Duncan finds two newborn pups that he names Nanette and Rin Tin Tin after a pair of lucky charms that were popular in France at the time. Nanette dies shortly after but Rin Tin Tin proves to be Duncan's lucky charm, indeed. He survives the war, returns home with this spectacularly intelligent dog and his fortune is made as Rin Tin Tin becomes star of countless silent films and later a hugely popular TV series. We follow the ups and downs of their life together and in between we learn about the cultural history of the 20th century. This is a wonderfully enlightening and tender story. I think you'll love it!

Dear Great Book Guru, Last night I was having dinner at Billy Long's Metro Bistro- what a crowd! There was a birthday celebration at the bar, great music at the front of the restaurant, and in the back a book group was meeting. In the midst of all the noise and excitement, I heard someone toasting Charles Dickens- apparently this year is the famed author's bicentennial. Do you have a good Dickens's biography I might read this month? Undaunted by Dickens


Dear Undaunted, Yes- Charles Dickens was born on February 7, 1812 so this week would be his 200th birthday! I recently read BECOMING DICKENS by Robert Douglas Fairhurst This is an interesting biography in that it focuses on Dickens's amazing capacity to reinvent himself . The mournful thought "what might have been and what was not" permeates so many of his works from "The Christmas Carol" to "The Tale of Two Cities" and the other fifty or so in between. When his secure, affluent childhood collapses into financial ruin, his young business partner commits suicide in despair, and his first (and perhaps only love) dies suddenly, Dickens begins anew but always with angst and regret. His characters are searching for security: both emotional and financial. Fairhurst captures the genius of the man and also his almost crippling neurosis. In many ways, Dickens is his own finest character. After finishing the book, I vowed that I would begin a year of Dickens's readings- a Dickens Society of Sea Cliff- and where would we meet? Perhaps a back table at the Bistro…

Dear Great Book Guru, A few weeks ago I attended an event at St Boniface's Church at which Sea Cliff's Mayor Bruce Kennedy spoke beautifully about education being the proper community response to prejudice. I vowed then that I would try to learn about other cultures and religions this year. I would like to begin with a novel. Can you suggest one to help me reach my goal? Eager to Learn


Dear Eager, I have a wonderful book I read a few weeks ago which I think you will enjoy and find worthwhile: THE GOOD MUSLIM by Tahmima Anam. Set in 1980's Bangladesh, the book traces the diverging paths of a brother and sister who have each been traumatized by the brutality of war. Sohail Haku turns from a secular life of the intellect to become a charismatic religious leader while his sister Maya becomes a physician, completely eschewing the faith of her childhood. The inevitable conflicts are exacerbated when Maya returns home after a seven year absence to find the family home has become the center of Sohail's ministry. She feels her young nephew has been neglected as a result of his father's fervor while Sohail sees his sister as an evil influence on the boy and the community. That good, loving people can find themselves at such different places is the novel's troubling theme. Throughout, we see examples of misunderstanding, miscues, and misplaced blame but the book also us shows a possibility of redemption. Meanwhile, we learn much about the plight of the Bangladesh people, their troubled history, and our common humanity. This is definitely a worthwhile read and relatively short (304 pages).

Dear Great Book Guru, I was at a "Beat the Winter Blues" party last week and I think it really worked. My spirits have lifted and I am now looking for a new adventure: something great to read. I love English settings, a lively plot line, and the more contemporary the better. Any suggestions? Feeling Spring is Just Around the Corner


Dear Spring Around the Corner, Well, this is very easy: my recommendation for you is HOW IT ALL BEGAN by Penelope Lively, set in 2010 London, and filled with wonderfully colorful characters. Lively's premise is that chance plays a pivotal role in our lives; she then goes on to show how a single event changes the lives of each of her characters. The book opens with Charlotte Rainsford looking up from a London street pavement on a lovely April day. Her purse has been stolen and her hip broken. Now unable to live on her own, she is forced to move into her daughter Rose's home. Because of her mother's accident, Rose misses work, Rose's employer Sir Henry find a substitute for the day, the substitute, his niece Marjorie, inadvertently causes her lover's marriage to implode, and as a result she meets an glamorous new client who will soon alter her life forever. Suddenly, everything has changed. Lively describes each of these characters in brief (224 pages) but exquisite detail as they all come to question life's purpose. In alternating chapters we see Charlotte's evolution and those (many of whom she never meets) who are impacted by her fall. The title is somewhat misleading because we soon realize there are no beginnings or ends in this novel but rather a series of spontaneous combustions. Highly recommended!

Dear Great Book Guru, I have loved your recommendations, especially last week's THE SENSE OF AN ENDING . I particularly liked it since I have always enjoyed reading about young people who are leaving school and trying to find life's purpose. I guess you'd call them books of passage. Can you think of another book In this category? A Lover of the Journey


Dear Lover of the Journey, I was away this weekend in sunny San Juan so my plan was to catch up on the many books I have stored on my Kindle. When it was first published in October, Gillian DiPietro had given me MARRIAGE PLOT by Jeffrey Eugenides . Based on her recommendation (and Daniel DiPietro's, too), I eagerly began reading it as soon as we took off from JFK. While a long book ( 416 pages), it was a quick read, I think, because of the constant shifting of viewpoints among characters. We first meet Madeleine, Leonard, and Mitchell on the day they graduate from Brown University. In alternating chapters, we experience the day from each of their perspectives. Madeleine is an English major who is the indulged daughter of a college president, Leonard is a charismatic manic- depressive science major whose parents have deserted him (as he recounts his history), and Mitchell is a religious studies major who is searching for spiritual enlightenment. Each of the men is in love with Madeleine who sees her life mirrored in the novels of Jane Austen. With graduation, the three set out to find their purpose and we are along for the journey: Cape Cod, Calcutta, Paris, Monte Carlo, and back to Providence- we get to experience it all through the eyes and egos of the threesome. I think you'll enjoy it!

Dear Great Book Guru, Now that the New Year has begun, I feel energized to start a serious reading regimen. My criteria is simple: a challenging storyline, but something I can finish over a weekend. Any thoughts? Reader with Resolve but Little Time


Dear Reader with…., Last night I finished a wonderful book on my Kindle and I think it just what you are looking for: THE SENSE OF AN ENDING by Julian Barnes, winner of the 2011 Booker Award - England's highest literary honor. At 160 pages, it is a very manageable read and the topic, while challenging, is fascinating: we create stories or endings to bring order to the chaos which is life, but these stories are seldom, if ever, true. The protagonist Tony Webster, 65 years-old, is living an ordered existence- a somewhat detached father and grandfather, amicably divorced, comfortably retired. He has tied up the loose ends of his life and is, if not happy, contented. We learn of a painful romantic encounter he had in his teens and a friendship that ended tragically. He remembers the people and events with clarity… or so he thinks. Unexpectedly, he receives $1000 inheritance, a letter, and the promise of a diary- all from the mother of his long ago girlfriend. Apparently, nothing was as he remembered. With the documents at hand, he sees that he has rewritten his life; his history was his own creation now debunked by irrefutable evidence. At the core of the book is a compelling mystery, but we come away with so much more: a look into our own memories, our own tales, our own attempts to write endings. Very thought provoking and a perfect read to begin the new year!

Dear Great Book Guru, One of my New Year's resolutions is to see more quality films and perhaps join a discussion group. I know you are all about books but can you help me in this pursuit? A Cinema Senorita

Dear Cinema Senorita, I can certainly understand your interest in film- just this past week a group of friends and I went on our annual holiday movie marathon. We saw a film a day and then met for a drink or dinner to debate and discuss what we had seen. The films included A DANGEROUS METHOD (this is an adaptation of a wonderful book with the same title) - Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud join forces to treat a fascinating patient with strong masochistic tendencies; after discussing their methods and beliefs the two men find they despise each other. There was much to discuss after this film. THE DESCENDANTS is an entertaining look at death, real estate and infidelity. The group had strongly differing opinions on this one but I loved it. On the other hand, everyone loved THE ARTIST- an homage to the silent film industry. It was funny, touching, and always entertaining. MY WEEK WITH MARILYN was another favorite of the group. Set in 1956 England, it traces a young assistant's week with Marilyn Monroe as she and Laurence Oliver clash over style and temperament in the production of The Prince and the Showgirl. We all came away with a new respect for Marilyn Monroe- her intelligence, her sweetness, and her demons were evident throughout. On New Year's Eve we saw the American version of the GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO, yet another favorite of the group. Many of you have read the books, but it is great fun to see this adaptation. The lead character- Lisabeth Salander- is exquisitely portrayed as is the Swedish countryside. Yes, I think you have some wonderful movies to choose from- find some discerning friends and head out to your local theater this weekend, but remember, my friend, as always put aside time to read a good book!