Rated of 5
by JeanT Disappoining Book Club
I approached this book with much anticipation after having read all the reviews. Perhaps it's just me, but I found the book interesting, but not compelling. I would have hoped for more depth in the discussion of the various books' relevance to the situations in the mother's and son's lives. At times the discussion seemed too brief and superficial to carry much emotion or significance. Overall I was disappointed and probably would not recommend it, even if I did note some of the books I will want to check out for my own future reading.
Rated of 5
by Louise Jolly The End of Your Life Book Club - You'll Love It!!
Will Schwalbe has done a remarkable job with this novel, touching on the real feelings and issues surrounding the process of a close family member dying. They way in which this mother and son chose to deal with the heartbreak was truly amazing and worked well. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and will be recommending it to all my family and friends.
Rated of 5
by Diane S. The End of your lilfe book club
A book about a dying woman could be extremely melancholy and I will admit to having teary eyes at various points in this book. Yet, this book is so much more, it is a celebration of a life that was lived well, a life that helped other people, the love of a son for his mother and a love of books, stories and the belief that they can make a huge difference. In this book the author relates exactly how and why books have made such a huge impact on his life, the life of his family and his mother in particular. A celebration of reading and all it entails, how his mother will live on in her love of books and especially in the books that were her favorites and the love of reading she passed on to the rest of her family. A very poignant and heartfelt read.
Rated of 5
by Dorothy T. More than a book about books
“How could anyone who loves books not love a book that is itself so in love with books?” (page 125).
I was intrigued by the title of this book and expected that it would deal with reading and books, and since I love books and reading myself, it seemed to be just the thing for me. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it is much more—it is a memoir and tribute to Mary Ann Schwalbe, the author’s mother, who died of pancreatic cancer a few years ago. As well as adding several volumes to my to-read list, I felt my own passions for reading good books renewed. Why should I waste precious time with poorly conceived and executed material? In other words, what would I spend my time reading if I knew that I only had a short time left to read? That is the idea I came away with, and I also grew to respect and admire Mary Ann Schwalbe.
Don’t think that this memoir is sad or maudlin; it is far from it. The author cleverly uses various books to connect with what is happening in his mother’s life, with her relationships with her family and friends, and her battle with cancer. It is thoroughly enjoyable and would be a great selection for book clubs and for people facing cancer or other serious illnesses as patients or those close to them.
A bold, mesmerizing novel about the woman known as "Typhoid Mary," the first known healthy carrier of typhoid fever in the burgeoning metropolis of early twentieth century New York.
Z, the novel about the life of Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald is at points charming and; like another reviewer, I kept thinking of the movie, "Midnight...
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Although heavy on the scientific details, which slowed down the story for me (OK, I admit, I was one of those liberal arts majors who skipped out on...
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Loved this book. Magical, quirky, enchanting I could go on. All books do not have to be literary fiction, sometimes it is just so comforting to read...
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British Parliament asks Amazon to clarify why it pays $9 million in income tax on $23 billion of UK sales.(May 20 2013) Amazon will be called back to give further evidence to members of the British Parliament "to clarify how its activities in the U.K. justify its low corporate...
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