Mastics-Moriches-Shirley Community Library Reader Advisory Blog: Book Review: Who Killed Swami Schwartz?

Who Killed Swami Schwartz?

By Nora Charles

I didn't realize this was a "Senior Sleuth Mystery" when I checked it out, but it really didn't matter. 2nd Book in a series, it is a light easy read about a Long Island transplant widower who solves mysteries is sunny Florida. Quick read, fun characters and a good 'ol who-dun-it! This book is about the murder of a yogi instructor who is murdered at a dinner in his honor. The list of suspects is long and colorful. I read it in under 8 hours. Great beach series!Loking forward to the next book.

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

Book Review: Who Killed Swami Schwartz?

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