Mastics-Moriches-Shirley Community Library Reader Advisory Blog: New Books for Weekend Reading

If you're not sure what to read next, why not add one of these brand-new books to your to-read list? Join detective Jane Rizzoli as she solves the murder of The Silent Girl in Tess Gerritsen's latest series installment. Or Escape the drudgery of upper middle-class life as a Manhattan wife and lawyer in Barbara Delinsky's newest book. Enjoy a State of Wonder as you follow Ann Patchett's main character through the Amazon in search of a missing research scientist. Follow the latest adventures of the Pretty Little Liars in Sara Shepard's newest addition to this popular young adult series, Twisted. Or explore the psychological agony of Never Knowing who your parents are (only to discover you didn't really want to know) in this new title by Chevy Stevens.

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

New Books for Weekend Reading

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