Mastics-Moriches-Shirley Community Library Reader Advisory Blog: Weres and Wolves

Love wolf/werewolf fantasy? Here are four suggestions just for you:

Promise of the Wolves by Dorothy Hearst - Set 14,000 years ago, Promise of the Wolves takes us to a land where time is counted in phases of the moon, distance is measured in wolflengths, and direction by the scent of the nearest trail.

Wolfsangel by MD Lachlan - Acting on a prophecy, the viking King Authun raids an Anglo-Saxon village and captures twin boys, taking them back to the witches who live on the perilous mountain of the Troll Wall. Companion to Wolves by Sarah Monette and Elizabeth Bear - A young nobleman chosen to become a wolfcarl, a warrior bonded to a fighting wolf, Isolfr is bound to Viradechtis, a queen wolf, as they confront a powerful force supernatural creatures that threatens the complaisant human holdings.

Benighted by Kit Whitfield - Lola Galley, an ordinary human in a world in which nearly all the population is lycanthropic, sets out to bring to justice the rogue lune responsible for the mauling of an old friend.

A more comprehensive version of this themed list was originally published in the library's Fantasy December 2011 NextReads newsletter - subscribe free here for once-a-month emails about new releases and themed booklists in your favorite genre.

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

Weres and Wolves

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