Mastics-Moriches-Shirley Community Library Reader Advisory Blog: russell crowe

The 1983 book Winter's Tale by Mark Helprin has been made into a movie with the same title starring Colin Farrell, Jessica Brown Findlay, Russell Crowe and Jennifer Connelly and arrives in theaters just in time for Valentine's Day on February 14, 2014.

Winter's Tale tells the story of Peter Lake, a master mechanic who attempts to rob a mansion on the Upper West Side but is caught by young Beverly Penn, the terminally ill daughter of the house. Their subsequent love sends Peter on a desperate personal journey through time.

"Set in a fairy tale version of New York City, the novel is about a great many things and meanders through vast amounts of time, but it is notable in large part for its lush blend of fantasy and romance, vibrant and lyrically imaginative sensibility, and gorgeous and atmospheric prose. As the story develops, Helprin's portraits of the city suffering apocalyptic winters and the fantastical icy climes of other locations become dreamlike in their intensity." (Library Journal Reviews)

Want to read the book before seeing the movie? Click here to place your hold.

Watch the movie trailer below (or click here for trailer):

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 to Movie Alert - 'Winter's Tale'

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