Mastics-Moriches-Shirley Community Library Reader Advisory Blog: these foolish things

If you've been to the movies lately, you might have seen or heard about The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, a newly released film based on the book These Foolish Things by Deborah Moggach. In the story, British retirees are lured to India by the promise of indulgent living at a bargain price, but upon arriving, they are dismayed to find that restoration of the once sophisticated hotel has stalled, and that such amenities as water and electricity are . . . infrequent. But while their new life lacks in luxury, it's plentiful in adventure, stunning beauty, and unexpected love.

Those who enjoyed this story might also want to try the new book An Available Man, in which a 62-year-old bookish widower is flooded with (initially) unwanted female attention after his stepchildren place a personal ad on his behalf. The Revenge of the Radioactive Lady, about the vengeful elderly subject of a secret government experiment, offers another humorous look at life and love in one's golden years.

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

'The best exotic Marigold Hotel' book now a movie