Mastics-Moriches-Shirley Community Library Reader Advisory Blog: Concluding Paolini's Inheritance Cycle

By now, fantasy fans have probably heard that Inheritance, the final book in Christopher Paolini's 4-book "Inheritance Cycle," has been released. As of this writing, the library's seven copies of this book are all checked out, but library cardholders are welcome to place a hold on Inheritance here by clicking the red "request" button. With each epic volume topping 800 pages, the series is popular with fans of intricately plotted fantasy stories like J.R.R. Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" or George R.R. Martin's "Song of Ice and Fire," the latter of which has experienced a resurgence in interest since its television adaptation in "Game of Thrones." If you've already read all of the above, try Sherwood Smith's less well-known four-book fantasy series "Inda," which is also characterized by vivid world-building and intricate plots.

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

Concluding Paolini's Inheritance Cycle

No comments:

Post a Comment