Dear Great Book Guru, My son who is a North Shore High School senior is awaiting word on college admissions. It is a stressful time for him and his friends and us, too. I was wondering if you have a book on the topic that will make the time go faster. Concerned Parent
Dear Concerned, Oh, yes, I can feel the tension all over the Village; there are many people in your son's position. I met my friend Marga the other day and we were discussing just this topic. She had recently finished reading an interesting novel which coincidentally I had just begun- ADMISSION by Jean Hanff Korelitz. This book tells the story of an admissions counselor at Princeton who is weighed down emotionally and physically because of the many fine students she must reject each year. While there are many farfetched plots and sub plots, the book does describe the admissions process in amusing and colorful detail. It was a good read and would certainly help the waiting time move more quickly. Another book I found interesting, more useful, and better written was THE GATEKEEPERS by Jacques Steinberg. The author, an Education writer for the New York Times, traces six students applying to Wesleyan University- from their first campus visits until that decisive letter in the mail. We come to know and care for each of the students so that by the end of the book we too are awaiting with great trepidation the final word from the admissions office. The book offers many good insights which will help young students (and their parents) look at this process more dispassionately. Both books are available at the Sea Cliff Library.
Reminder: Dr. Maureen Murphy's lecture on Colm Toibin and his novel BROOKLYN will be on Thursday, March 11 at 7pm at the Sea Cliff Village Hall.

Dear Great Book Guru, A friend of mine, well actually a friend to most of Sea Cliff, Monique McGhee died last week. Monique was an incredible person whose mantra was always "Celebrate Life." She refused to let her life be overtaken by fear or despair . Do you have a book for me to read which would reinforce this wonderful outlook? Grieving Friend
Dear Friend, Yes, Monique was an extraordinary person who was admired and beloved by so many. I have been thinking about your request and while nothing I can think of precisely mirrors her philosophy, I would suggest you read BROOKLYN by Colm Toibin. Like Monique, the heroine immigrated here and despite misfortune and loss, she prevailed and made many friends and a good life for herself. Set in the fifties, this novel captures a time and a culture foreign to many of us but compelling nevertheless. An added reason to read this book is that noted Sea Cliff author and critic Dr. Maureen Murphy will be discussing the works of Colm Toibin and BROOKLYN in particular at the Sea Cliff Library on Thursday, March 11 at 7:00pm. Copies of this book are available at the Library.

Dear Great Book Guru, How did you spend this Valentine weekend and did you get to read anything special? Curious
Dear Curious, What a fun weekend and thanks for asking! The Reres hosted a fabulous dance/cooperative dinner party at their lovely home, and conversation followed as rhythmically as a tango. One of the books everyone there was talking about was SLOW DEATH BY RUBBER DUCK- THE SECRET DANGER OF EVERYDAY THINGS by Rick Smith and Bruce Lourie. The premise of this book is that even the sweetest, most innocuous items in our home might pose long term dangers because of chemical contaminants- yes, even the beloved rubber ducky. From mercury in your light bulbs to the plastic in a child's sippy cup, the chemicals in your stain resistant carpet to the toxins in your flat screen TV- all of these are accumulating in our bodies with unknown results. Being naturally phobic about almost everything, I found myself drawn to chapter after chapter with mounting horror. Ultimately, though, the book is hopeful, since it offers simple ways to avoid some of the more egregious dangers. But I cannot recommend this as a good choice for an uplifting winter read. For that I would go with NOTHING BUT YOU, a collection of love stories from THE NEW YORKER edited by Roger Angell. The thirty authors include such notables as John Updike, William Trevor, Alice Adams, and Edna O'Brien; my favorite was "The Man in the Moon" by William Maxwell. Both books are available at the Sea Cliff Library.

Dear Great Book Guru, Friends of mine are raving about a lecture sponsored by the Sea Cliff Library last week about the Spanish painter Velazquez. I am sorry I missed it since I will be visiting Spain in April, and I would like to learn something about its artists and cities. Do you have any suggestions? Spring Tourist

Dear Spring Tourist, I was at Ines Powell's lecture too and your friends were right: it was fabulous. Ines is a renowned lecturer and educator at the Metropolitan Museum and a beloved Sea Cliff resident. Coincidentally, after the lecture, the Murrays, who are also traveling to Spain asked for some book suggestions. Here's what I told them- first, HOMAGE TO BARCELONA by Colm Toibin is a fascinating description of this beautiful city- its history, its art, its essence. ( Toibin, who is also the author of the current bestseller BROOKLYN, is going to be the subject of a lecture given by Maureen Murphy, Irish literature expert, on March 11 at 7:30 at the Sea Cliff Library) Another must read is the SPANISH GAME by Charles Cumming. This book is a fast moving spy novel set largely in Madrid. In reading this book, you find yourself quickly immersed in the daily life of the city and its inhabitants. Finally, you should read VELAZQUEZ- TECHNIQUE OF GENIUS by Jonathan Brown. Thirty paintings are discussed in wonderful detail and all but two of them are on display at the Prado Museum in Madrid. Also, while I do not pretend to be the Great Movie Guru, I would recommend seeing Woody Allen's VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA, a beautiful presentation of the city. Happy travels!

Dear Great Book Guru, I was at the Family and Friends opening of the Five Napkin Burger Uptown this week. Although 5NB is located in NYC on Broadway and 84th Street, this was definitely a Sea Cliff happening. The Laffertys, the Gordons, the Speranzas, the Calzonettis, the Harrigan-Fleishmans, the Warrens, and of course, the host family , the D'Amicos were all in attendance and what a night it was! The food was delicious and the ambiance perfect . During the evening, someone mentioned that J.D. Salinger and Howard Zinn had both died during the week. Everyone at the table had read books by these authors but people's opinions of them varied greatly. What are your thoughts? Five Burger Fan

Dear Five Burger, I too was at the restaurant this week and my reaction was similar to yours- another great D'Amico restaurant in a great location. My thoughts on Zinn and Salinger are equally strong. THE CATCHER IN THE RYE is a book every adolescent must read in order to understand that he/she is not alone in the universe. The angst and cynicism of Holden Caulfield so mirrors most contemporary teenagers' psyches that is truly shocking to realize it was written sixty years ago. It is a book that does not age but its audience does . Read it somewhere between the ages of thirteen and eighteen but then never again. Howard Zinn, on the other hand, while assigned to high school students, can be read throughout one's life. Zinn was a World War II bomber pilot who became an historian, teacher, playwright, and pacifist. His most well known work A PEOPLE'S HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES offers a fascinating and sobering take on our country's history. THE ZINN READER is a compilation of his other writings and delineates his belief that a country's power must rest in its people . Both books are highly recommended.

Great Book Guru X

Dear Great Book Guru, My husband received a Kindle for Christmas and he is looking for books to download. As he will be traveling to the U.K. next week, can you recommend something perhaps with a British setting? Traveler's Wife

Dear Traveler's Wife, My husband too has a Kindle he bought himself for Christmas and he loves it with a passion. He just downloaded (on my recommendation, of course) a great tale of international intrigue set in London- A SPY BY NATURE written by Charles Cumming. Alex Milius is a young man recently graduated and somewhat at loose ends when he meets a family friend who suggests he apply for a job with the British Foreign Service. After a series of interviews and qualifying exams, he finds himself working for MI6 - the equivalent of our CIA. He quickly becomes enmeshed in a secret plot surrounding oil rights in a series of East European countries. This leads him to become involved with a mysterious, very glamorous couple from America who appear to work for the CIA. While clues abound, the reader is never sure who is the enemy, who is the friend. Alex himself is a complex, flawed individual but remarkably likable. One is left with the question, though, does he have what it takes to be a successful spy. Is it in his nature? The author Cumming was himself recruited by MI6 and, while it is never clear if he accepted the position, he does have a deep understanding of the workings of the agency and the psyches of its agents. Alex appears in two more novels, each set in different parts of Europe so in reading these novels, you learn much about the intelligence communities of England, Spain, and Russia. A very good read indeed and, of course, available at the Sea Cliff Library.
Remember to check out greatbookguru.blogspot.com for more recommendations.

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