Mastics-Moriches-Shirley Community Library Reader Advisory Blog: Peace on Earth

Check out our display on the lower level of the library featuring novels about charity, generosity and kindness.

The Gift by Cecelia Ahern

Although he's dealing with his own issues, workaholic businessman Lou Suffern decides to give a homeless man, Gabe, a job in his company's mail room. The mysterious Gabe seems to always be in two places at once and now he's meddling in Lou's private affairs, however, he eventually teaches Lou a valuable lesson. By the author of P.S. I Love You.

The Giving Quilt by Jennifer Chiaverni

When the creative residents of Elm Creek gather the week after Thanksgiving to work on quilts for Project Linus, they respond to Sylvia's provocative questions to alleviate respective personal challenges and learn helpful lessons about the strength of human connections. (Publisher Summary)

Byron Easy by Jude Cook

Sitting on a train at King's Cross Station on Christmas Eve in 1999, a suicidal, half-drunk poet reflects on his rollercoaster life in London, his marriage to his half-Spanish Amazonian wife and the turbulent events that have culminated in a disturbing plan awaiting him at the end of his journey. (Publisher Summary)

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

Peace on Earth

No comments:

Post a Comment