Mastics-Moriches-Shirley Community Library Reader Advisory Blog: Spooky Reads

Halloween is just one week away. Get geared up for the scariest day of the year with one of these spooky reads. Visit us at the Information Desk for more great book recommendations!

The Last Werewolf by Glen Duncan reinterprets the werewolf legend with modern day, sexy, wry werewolf Jake, who at two hundred years old, is growing tired of eternal life. Struggling with depression, Jake contemplates suicide, only to find powerful forces won't let him die as he is an important piece in their own agenda.

Colson Whitehead's Zone One is set in a world dealing with the aftermath of a zombie apocalypse where civilian worker Mark is helping to rebuild Manhattan, eliminate infected zombie stragglers, and cope with his worst memories of the apocalypse.

Sharp Teeth, Toby Barlow's debut novel, tells of a pack of werewolves running the streets of Los Angeles and a dogcatcher who gets a little more than we bargains for. Written in epic poem style, this book is dark and satisfying.

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

Spooky Reads

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