This book is a must read this summer. I've just completed the book and can't stop thinking about it. It's the perfect summer fling book. Longing. Love. The chase. Love unrequited - well, sort of, maybe.

I know what you might be thinking... A silly steamy romance novel with nothing to offer me. The serious reader.

Wrong.

Aciman narrates a beautiful story - a coming out story, a coming of age story, an awakening of love, an epitaph. And it's not all the chase. There is plenty of hot skin-to-skin to compensate you for your time.

The story takes place in the beautiful Riviera (Italy to be exact) in the 1980's in the magnificent home of a Jewish family who's summer tradition includes taking in up-and-coming scholars for the summer. Elio, the Hadyn transcribing genius, can't place his finger on what he hates and likes about Oliver, the 24 year old Columbia student spending the summer with his family. Elio's father, the liberal college professor, just might know what is going on before even Elio. What entails is the beautiful blossoming of first love and all the incredibly painful feelings that often accompany.

RATING: MUST READ

Milwaukee to get new rapid public transportation? Mayor Tom Barrett recently pushed forward an idea that would create a “two Bus Rapid Transit lines that would connect Milwaukees downtown with General Mitchell Airport, Miller Park, UWM, Marquette, Columbia-St. Mary Hospital and many others.”

Last week a study committee voted 3-1 to further analyze the Mayor’s plans.

But before you list your car on CraigsList keep an eye on the news. Proposals to update Milwaukee’s lackluster public transportation wouldn’t take effect until 2010 at the earliest. I’ll take a step in the right direction though.

Go England! Getting ‘em early. England is expected to dole out £600,000 of taxpayers’ money for a new project aimed at making homosexuality seem normal to children from an early age.

The plan is backed by teachers unions and would include several books already in print like King & King & And Tango Makes Three.

Christian critics of the plan are outraged. “The intention is to make homosexuality appear normal and these people have no business doing that to other people’s children. It is wicked and amounts to child abuse.”

Child abuse?!?! Come on. I think the idea is great and could help to stop a lot of problems from happening later in life. If you move past the gay/lesbian content in these books the basic message is to accept people for who they are, who they love, and for being “unique.” How can you really argue with that??