Mastics-Moriches-Shirley Community Library Reader Advisory Blog: NYPL Young Lions Finalists Announced

Five young writers have been chosen as finalists for The New York Public Library’s 2011 Young Lions Fiction Award, an annual award given to a writer age 35 or younger for publishing a memorable novel or short story collection. The winning writer will be awarded a $10,000 prize on May 9 at a ceremony hosted by actor Ethan Hawke in New York City. Click here to read the full press release from the New York Public Library; click the book covers for a description of each and to reserve your copy from your Community Library.

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

NYPL Young Lions Finalists Announced

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