Mastics-Moriches-Shirley Community Library Reader Advisory Blog: Discover a New Hobby

This month's display located in the front alcove of the library focuses on discovering a new hobby. Stop by to find books about quilting, preserving, photography, painting and more including:

Once Upon a Quilt: a Scrapbook of Quilting Past and Present edited by Margret Aldrich

Antiques Roadshow Primer: the Introductory Guide to Antiques and Collectibles From the Most-Watched Series on PBS / by Carol Prisant

How to Paint: a Complete Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners Covering Watercolours, Acrylics and Oils by Angela Gair and Ian Sidaway

Pro Secrets to Dramatic Digital Photos by Jim Zuckerman.

Writing Fiction: a Guide to Narrative Craft by Janet Burroway with Elizabeth Stuckey-French and Ned Stuckey-French.

A Passion for Preserves by Frederica Langeland

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

Discover a New Hobby

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