Mastics-Moriches-Shirley Community Library Reader Advisory Blog: Loveable Criminals in 'Kings of Midnight'

In the new novel Kings of Midnight, loveable criminal Crissa Stone is hoping for a final big score that will reunite her with her loved ones and allow her to live an honest life. But when her partners in crime kill each other and an ex-mobster tries to claim a former associate's hidden millions, the situation gets complicated. This story stands alone, but readers who fall in love with Crissa Stone should go back and read the award-winning 2011 book Cold Shot to the Heart, where she is first introduced. For a lighter take on good-hearted rule-breakers, try Ally Carter's novel for young adults, Heist Society.

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

Loveable Criminals in 'Kings of Midnight'

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