Mastics-Moriches-Shirley Community Library Reader Advisory Blog: Looking Back on Camelot

Visit a magical time as best selling author Kitty Kelly takes you on a journey in Capturing Camelot: Stanley Tretick's Iconic Images of the Kennedys. Best known for his pictures of President Kennedy relaxing with his children, photo journalist Stanley Tretnick actually took hundreds of photos of the Kennedy family beginning on the campaign trail in 1960. 200 of these photographs, including ones never seen before are showcased in this book with captions and commentary from Kelley. Part historical keepsake, this book keeps the magic of Camelot alive.

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

Looking Back on Camelot

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