Mastics-Moriches-Shirley Community Library Reader Advisory Blog: happy reads

Grace G. of Mastic recently shared an enthusiastic recommendation for author Adriana Trigiani with the librarians at Mastics-Moriches-Shirley. She really loves the books' non-stop humor, as well as the way the author draws on her Italian heritage and life experiences to make the books feel true to life. Grace recommends that anyone looking for a "happy read" would do well to check out Trigiani's books, starting with Big Stone Gap, a book about a thrirty-five year old pharmacist in a sleepy Viriginia town who discovers a shocking family secret.

If you really catch Trigiani-fever, you can see her at Best Bargain Books in Centereach on Saturday, December 4 at 2 pm. She's based in New York City but is no stranger to Long Island: click here for the list of upcoming tour dates.

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

Patron gushes about Adriana Trigiani