Mastics-Moriches-Shirley Community Library Reader Advisory Blog: New Sci-Fi Series

Looking for a new sci-fi series to sink your teeth into? Look no further than the brand new Blackthorn and Grim series written by award winning author, Juliet Marillier! The first book, Dreamer's Pool, has been released and promises to transport the reader to a magical vision of ancient Ireland...

After escaping her wrongful imprisonment, magical healer Blackthorn, living on the fringe of a mysterious forest with a former prison mate named Grim, is duty bound to assist anyone who asks for her help and must call upon her courage, ingenuity and magic when Prince Oran calls upon her.

"The best thing about this novel (and there are many good components) is that it's the opener for a series featuring the taciturn Blackthorn and mysterious Grim. Typical for Marillier (Daughter of the Forest) is the evocative setting of an ancient Ireland that echoes with fairy tales and just a hint of magic." (Library Journal Reviews)

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

New Sci-Fi Series

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