Mastics-Moriches-Shirley Community Library Reader Advisory Blog: jonathan kellerman

Five books made their debut on The New York Times Best Sellers: Hardcover Fiction list this past Sunday; they are all available at the Community Library, place your hold today!

The Golem of Hollywood by Jonathan and Jesse Kellerman

Edge of Eternity by Ken Follett

A conclusion to the epic trilogy by the best-selling author of Winter of the World continues the experiences of five intertwined international families as they confront the social, political and economic turmoil of the second half of the 20th century.

Raging Heat by Richard Castle

When her Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist boyfriend decides that her latest case is his next big story, NYPD Homicide Detective Nikki Heat, investigating the death of an illegal immigrant who fell from the sky, clashes with the man she loves.

The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters

Forced to take in lodgers in economically challenged 1922 South London, widow Mrs. Wray and her spinster daughter find their lives profoundly and disturbingly changed by the arrival of a modern young couple.

Wolf in White Van by John Darnielle

Creating fantastical mail-order role-playing games from his apartment where he endures a life of solitude after a disfiguring injury, Sean is blamed for a disaster involving two high school student clients, an event that compels him to reevaluate his own past.

The Golem of Hollywood by Jonathan Kellerman and Jesse Kellerman

Waking up beside a beautiful woman he has no memory of meeting, Detective Jacob Lev investigates a Hollywood Division murder case involving a severed head, an ominous message in Hebrew, and the legend of the Golem of Prague.

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

New Titles on 'The New York Times' Best Sellers List

New York Times Best Sellers 10/5/14