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3.82 AVERAGE
3.82 AVERAGE
This was a great book and one I could reread again. I liked the mother and son relationship and how they discussed books and reflected on life events while the mother was dieing of cancer. This books made me examine my own relationships with people and the books I choose to read.
I'd really give this a 3.5 stars. I liked all the books they discussed and added many to my "to-read" list. However, I just didn't find myself connecting to the mom or son as much as I had hoped.
reflective
slow-paced
The End of Your Life Book Club is a true story about a son who starts a book club with his terminally ill mother. It's a bittersweet book that is an ode to reading. I can only hope to have a child like this one day.
I enjoyed the book and all the wonderful motherly advice that has been very appropriately timed for me right now. I'm glad I read the forward and discovered throughout the book that Will Schwalbe prefers to write a lot of detail about the setting - it helped me read the book with that lens/frame of mind.
I absolutely love the idea of this! I wish I would have done this with my grandpa before he passed. He was a huge reader and often I would read the same books after him, but we never really planned or discussed.... and I'm fairly certain that if you are reading this review you might find that tidbit interesting, but not really anything you are particularly moved by.... and that's my feeling on this book.
This title is a bit misleading. It makes you think this book is going to be about a book club with a family member who is terminally ill. I guess technically it is, but overall the book is about the illness, treatments, and feelings surrounding those things with a smattering of books throughout.
Overall a very loving thing to do, admirable and touching, but I've had my own sick family members and know the emotions that go along with it, I don't really need to read in-depth about someone else's sick mother. That may sound heartless and I'm sure some found this book quite sad, the illness was a major part of the entire story, however, the writing style and overall story just didn't do it for me. A nice tribute and memory of his mother, but not something I needed to read.
This title is a bit misleading. It makes you think this book is going to be about a book club with a family member who is terminally ill. I guess technically it is, but overall the book is about the illness, treatments, and feelings surrounding those things with a smattering of books throughout.
Overall a very loving thing to do, admirable and touching, but I've had my own sick family members and know the emotions that go along with it, I don't really need to read in-depth about someone else's sick mother. That may sound heartless and I'm sure some found this book quite sad, the illness was a major part of the entire story, however, the writing style and overall story just didn't do it for me. A nice tribute and memory of his mother, but not something I needed to read.
Definitely shed some tears over this one. I love books about books, but this text goes so much deeper than just the reading material they discuss. The relationship between mother and son is so heartwarming and beautiful, and the topic of death is extremely poignant and written in good taste. Reading Schwalbe's story made me think deeply and feel immensely.
Also, although I haven't read every title that Will and Mary Anne discuss for their "book club", I didn't fit it hard to keep up with their conversations. Schwalbe does a great job at briefly describing each book club pick, while also tying them seamlessly into the story's overall messages.
Also, although I haven't read every title that Will and Mary Anne discuss for their "book club", I didn't fit it hard to keep up with their conversations. Schwalbe does a great job at briefly describing each book club pick, while also tying them seamlessly into the story's overall messages.
#53 Book Read in 2012
The End of Your Life Book Club by Will Schwalbe
This book details a very small book club, Will and his mother Mary Ann, who is dying of pancreatic cancer. The pair decide to use the time spent at the hospital during Mary Ann's chemo treatments to read and discuss books together. Their discussions bring them even closer together. This book also tells about the effect that Mary Ann had on the people who knew her. She was an important part in so many people's lives--personally and professionally. Mary Ann was a humanitarian who served selflessly for years. She instilled a care and charity into her children and grandchildren.
This book was well written. I felt a loss at the end when the inevitable happened to Mary Ann. I was concerned about how her family would get through this. I enjoyed this book--the details about the family and the discussions about the book.
I received this book from BookBrowse in exchange for a fair, honest review.
http://melissasbookpicks.blogspot.com
The End of Your Life Book Club by Will Schwalbe
This book details a very small book club, Will and his mother Mary Ann, who is dying of pancreatic cancer. The pair decide to use the time spent at the hospital during Mary Ann's chemo treatments to read and discuss books together. Their discussions bring them even closer together. This book also tells about the effect that Mary Ann had on the people who knew her. She was an important part in so many people's lives--personally and professionally. Mary Ann was a humanitarian who served selflessly for years. She instilled a care and charity into her children and grandchildren.
This book was well written. I felt a loss at the end when the inevitable happened to Mary Ann. I was concerned about how her family would get through this. I enjoyed this book--the details about the family and the discussions about the book.
I received this book from BookBrowse in exchange for a fair, honest review.
http://melissasbookpicks.blogspot.com
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
slow-paced
This was a sad, yet enjoyable book. It was a light read and, at times, it didn't seem to have enough to make a book. It read like a string of blog posts. The son admired his mom, but I felt like there was some unspoken uneasiness and competitiveness in the relationship which affected the story. The premise was marvelous because they talked about books and I added some more books to my reading list.