Mastics-Moriches-Shirley Community Library Reader Advisory Blog: The New York Times Best Sellers

Seven books made their debut on the New York Times Best Seller List this week (click here for the full list of combined print and e-book fiction.) Click the book cover below to reserve your copy today:

Private Down Under by James Patterson and Michael White

The Long Way Home by Louise Penny: Enjoying a peaceful retirement, former Quebec homicide detective Armand Gamache reluctantly agrees to help a neighbor search for her missing estranged husband and teams up with two former colleagues on a search that reveals the workings of a damaged mind.

The Homecoming by Robyn Carr: When Seth, whose professional football career ended before it could start, returns to Thunder Point, he struggles to convince his childhood neighbor and best friend Iris to forgive him for breaking her heart.

Private Down Under by James Patterson and Michael White: The employees of the Sydney, Australia office of the investigation company Private are celebrating their branch's incorporation when a bloody young man staggers into the office and the agency's caseload suddenly fills up, in the latest novel of the series following Private Berlin.

The Hot Zone by Jayne Castle: Trying to move on from her tragic past, Sedona Snow—while managing a small hotel and tavern, filled with rowdy ghost hunters, on Rainshadow Island with her faithful sidekick, Lyle—catches the attention of a new Guild boss in town who has special plans for her.

The Broken Eye by Brent Weeks: Kip, Teia and Karris fight to survive a secret war between the nobles, rebels and an ancient order of stealthy assassins in the latest addition to the New York Times best-selling series following The Blinding Knife.

Close to Home by Lisa Jackson: Single mother Sarah McAdams' attempt to raise her two teen daughters in her childhood home turns terrifying when the dilapidated mansion is rumored to be haunted and teenage girls begin disappearing around town.

No Limits by Lori Foster: Yvette Sweeny faces unexpected danger when her grandfather's will compells her to return to her hometown, and to share a house and business with Cannon Colter, the mixed martial arts fighter who saved her life three years earlier.

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

The New York Times Best Sellers - September 14, 2014

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