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3.82 AVERAGE
3.82 AVERAGE
Some touching moments, some funny moments, probably some aggravating moments. Would be lovely if all dying people could afford to travel, etc. Most are lucky to afford there healthcare and medications. At least Mary Anne noticed that.
I liked how she talked about having it all. Sure, she had it all, but she was tired all the time. I'm sure most working moms would agree.
I also liked that she said if she'd waited to be well-rested to read, she would have never read. So true!
I liked how she talked about having it all. Sure, she had it all, but she was tired all the time. I'm sure most working moms would agree.
I also liked that she said if she'd waited to be well-rested to read, she would have never read. So true!
Love of books, deepening/grasping family relationships, the profound impact of cancer, world travel, humanitarian efforts, women empowerment...this book had it all. A joy to read this tribute to literature and a woman's life accomplishments through the eyes of her devoted son. Moving.
I am not much of a non-fiction reader. I picked up this book on recommendation of a friend even though I had my doubts about whether I would actually like it.
The End of Your Life Book Club is the story of a mother-son duo, Mary Anne and Will Schwalbe, as they connect through the books that they are reading. And oh! all this while Mary Anne is going through her chemotherapy. The book basically chronicles Mary Anne’s life once she is diagnosed with Cancer and the connection she builds with her son Will through their mutual love for books.
There are three aspects of the book that I loved – one Mary Anne’s positive attitude towards the hand that life has dealt her. Second point that had me interested was the books that they read and discussed and finally, the connection that these books created between the mother and son. Pancreatic Cancer, or any Cancer for that matter, is a tough battle. The hospital rounds for chemotherapy and radiation and their side effects often leave the patients physically and emotionally drained. But Mary Anne had lived a full life doing what she wanted and fighting for the causes that she believed in. So it was no shocker that she fought against the cancer with the same attitude that she always had for life.
The books that they read and discussed were from a wide selection of genres. It was interesting to see the different takes on different books from the same two people. Their discussions were lively and entertaining for most parts. As a bookworm myself, I have always believed in the power of books to bring people together and Mary Anne and Will’s relationship duration only furthered my conviction.
I have to admit that I enjoyed the book much more than I expected to and I would recommend it to people who love the dosage of reality in their books. However, I have to point out that even though the title may sound suggestive of the book being mainly about the two-person book club, it is not. There is a lot about other books, but it is mostly about Mary Anne’s life and Will’s take on the enigma that Mary Anne was to him.
The End of Your Life Book Club is the story of a mother-son duo, Mary Anne and Will Schwalbe, as they connect through the books that they are reading. And oh! all this while Mary Anne is going through her chemotherapy. The book basically chronicles Mary Anne’s life once she is diagnosed with Cancer and the connection she builds with her son Will through their mutual love for books.
There are three aspects of the book that I loved – one Mary Anne’s positive attitude towards the hand that life has dealt her. Second point that had me interested was the books that they read and discussed and finally, the connection that these books created between the mother and son. Pancreatic Cancer, or any Cancer for that matter, is a tough battle. The hospital rounds for chemotherapy and radiation and their side effects often leave the patients physically and emotionally drained. But Mary Anne had lived a full life doing what she wanted and fighting for the causes that she believed in. So it was no shocker that she fought against the cancer with the same attitude that she always had for life.
The books that they read and discussed were from a wide selection of genres. It was interesting to see the different takes on different books from the same two people. Their discussions were lively and entertaining for most parts. As a bookworm myself, I have always believed in the power of books to bring people together and Mary Anne and Will’s relationship duration only furthered my conviction.
I have to admit that I enjoyed the book much more than I expected to and I would recommend it to people who love the dosage of reality in their books. However, I have to point out that even though the title may sound suggestive of the book being mainly about the two-person book club, it is not. There is a lot about other books, but it is mostly about Mary Anne’s life and Will’s take on the enigma that Mary Anne was to him.
This book was excellent. It was beautifully written and what an amazing woman Mary Anne was, teaching so many people to open their hearts and their lives to others. Over the course of reading this, my library "holds" list reached capacity as the descriptions of the books they read enticed me to read them too. This is one that just leaves you with a smile and a sigh and the desire to be better.
Really 4.5. I went back and forth on 5 stars for this but ultimately decided that if I had the think about it it wasn’t a 5. Still a beautiful book about books and how they can form and enrich relationships.
As reviewed on my blog http://dineanddish.net/2013/01/connect-through-reading-9-book-reviews/ :
I will be 100% honest about this book… I didn’t like it, at all, until I was more than half way through it. The End of Your Life Book Club, by Will Schwalbe, is a highly acclaimed memoir about a man, his terminally ill mom, and the unofficial book club they’ve created together. It took me a long time to connect with this book, but by the end I was hooked and needed tissues to dab the tears coming down my face. I gave The End of Your Life Book Club 4 stars on Goodreads, but would have done an actual 3.5 if that option was available.
I will be 100% honest about this book… I didn’t like it, at all, until I was more than half way through it. The End of Your Life Book Club, by Will Schwalbe, is a highly acclaimed memoir about a man, his terminally ill mom, and the unofficial book club they’ve created together. It took me a long time to connect with this book, but by the end I was hooked and needed tissues to dab the tears coming down my face. I gave The End of Your Life Book Club 4 stars on Goodreads, but would have done an actual 3.5 if that option was available.
I liked how this mixed books with memior, interesting story
What an great tribute to his mother. But also what an amazing person his mother was! Although I didn’t do a book club with my dad, this did take me back to times. When I took him to chemo and various appointments.
I'm required to enjoy a narrative by an author who loves thoughtful books as much as his mother!
Book 4: A Book About a Book Club
I didn’t know anything really about this book going into it. It turned out to be a really lovely memoir about a man and his mom forming their own little book club while she went through pancreatic cancer treatments. The book club aspect comes second to what this novel is truly about- Will’s mom and the incredible legacy she left behind. While there were times when I got a little annoyed that he made her out to be *too* perfect, I had to remind myself that the annoyance said a lot more about me than it did about her. Her work in education, both domestic and international, was truly inspiring and her lifelong love for reading definitely struck a chord with me. I love that Will included a list of all the books mentioned in this memoir in the back- I will definitely have to add some of them to my list! Overall this was a very touching portrait of a woman who truly squeezed every good thing she could out of life.
I didn’t know anything really about this book going into it. It turned out to be a really lovely memoir about a man and his mom forming their own little book club while she went through pancreatic cancer treatments. The book club aspect comes second to what this novel is truly about- Will’s mom and the incredible legacy she left behind. While there were times when I got a little annoyed that he made her out to be *too* perfect, I had to remind myself that the annoyance said a lot more about me than it did about her. Her work in education, both domestic and international, was truly inspiring and her lifelong love for reading definitely struck a chord with me. I love that Will included a list of all the books mentioned in this memoir in the back- I will definitely have to add some of them to my list! Overall this was a very touching portrait of a woman who truly squeezed every good thing she could out of life.