Mastics-Moriches-Shirley Community Library Reader Advisory Blog

Title: Annie Freeman's Fabulous Traveling Funeral
Genre: Adult Fiction
Author: Radish , Kris
Rating: 5

Review: The story begins with a woman doing laundry reminiscing over a Bali bra and the places she's been while wearing it. At that moment, the doorbell rings and it's the UPS person delivering a package. In it she finds instructions and a pair of red tennis sneakers full of ashes that will lead her and others on a journey of friendship, relationships, and reflection. It will make you think about your own life, about your friendships and makes you ask yourself -- are you living yet??? Join the group on their journey through Annie Freeman's Fabulous Traveling Funeral.

Reviewed by: elma

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

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