Mastics-Moriches-Shirley Community Library Reader Advisory Blog: Librarian Picks

Browse our "Librarian Picks" bookshelves, where every book has been thoughtfully selected by one of our librarians. This month's picks feature the following:

The Great Escape by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

Once an Eagle by Anton Myrer; foreword by Carlo D'Este

The Great Escape by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

In this hilariously heartwarming sequel to Call Me Irresistible, Lucy Jorik, the daughter of the former president of the U.S., jilts her soon-to-be husband at the altar and makes a run for it on the back of a stranger's motorcycle, finally embarking on the adventure she has been waiting for. (Publisher Summary)

Once an Eagle by Anton Myrer; foreword by Carlo D'Este

The conflict in outlook and strategy between Courtney Massengale, a commissioned officer, and Sam Damon, who has risen through the ranks, is traced throughout the two world wars. (Publisher Summary)

The Forty Rules of Love by Elif Shafak

Traces the parallel stories of unhappily married professional reader Ella Rubinstein's fascination with the story of Shams of Tabriz and the 13th-century transformation of Rumi into a mystic and poet. (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

Librarian Picks

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