Mastics-Moriches-Shirley Community Library Reader Advisory Blog: Revisiting Harry Potter

The newest Harry Potter movie, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1 continued the blockbuster tradition of the franchise by grossing $125.1 million during its opening this past weekend. All this hype has renewed interest in the books that preceded the movies. In case you missed the books or want to see what the fuss is about, here is the complete seven-book Harry Potter series, in order:

1: The Sorcerer's Stone
2: The Chamber of Secrets
3: The Prisoner of Azkaban
4: The Goblet of Fire
5: The Order of the Phoenix
6: The Half Blood Prince
7: The Deathly Hallows

Harry Potter fans can also enjoy books that are supplemental to the series, such as The Tales of Beedle the Bard or Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, and don't forget that Mastics-Moriches-Shirley Community Library also has the movies, audio recordings, and video games inspired by these bestsellers.

Being Mortal by Atul Gawande

Genre: Adult Non-Fiction
Rating: 5 out of 5

"Being Mortal is about the limitations of what modern medicine can provide for people as their lives draw to a close. Gawande argues that the objective of medicine should not merely be treatment and survival; medical care should also ensure dignity in death and having control over one's final moments. He argues that instead of aggressively fighting the inescapable realities of aging, we should ask the hard questions of ourselves and our loved ones -- What makes life worth living? When should we try to extend our lives, and when should we choose a better quality of our remaining days over extending their quantity?

This book is difficult to read. Not because of the way Gawande writes -- his style is highly engaging, and he never lapses into excessively scientific jargon or overly simplistic explanations -- but because of the tough subject matter. Gawande draws on his own experiences as a doctor and peppers his book with honest and humane stories of his patients, friends, and family; the stories he tells make the book more accessible, and also more heartbreaking. (And that's not a bad thing.)

No one likes to think about their loved ones', or their own, impending mortality. But it's important to have these hard conversations, because as Gawande says, "endings matter." - Amanda

Revisiting Harry Potter

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