THE END OF YOUR LIFE BOOK CLUB * CLOUD ATLAS

The End of Your Life Book Club by Will Schwalbe - I didn't know that I'd like this book so much.  It's a small memoir detailing Will and his mom's lives after she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.  It's also a gift of love in memory of a remarkable woman.  Will and his mom love to read and formed their own book club which ultimately enriched their lives and deepened the bonds of their already strong mother/son relationship.  Mary Ann was a wise mom and a giving woman who traveled and volunteered all over the world.  Will writes with respect and admiration for the way his mom lived her life. Some of the books they enjoyed that I haven't yet read are:  The Lizard Cage by Connnelly, The Price of Salt by Highsmith, The Bite of the Mango by Kamara, Traveling Mercies by Lamott, The Etiquette of Illness by Halpern, The Railway Children by Nesbit, The Bolter by Osborne, Appointment in Samara by John O'Hara, Kokoro by Soseki, Brat Farrar by Tey and Girls Like Us by Weller.   Cloud Atlas - Here's a movie for you.  I don't know what it was about yet it was really good.  Well, I do have some theories:  maybe it was about Good v. Evil, and maybe it was about religion and existentialism.  But I didn't really want to know, because once I was in it, I liked watching, listening, and letting it wash over me without trying to analyze it too much.  It's visually engaging, and most of the actors play multiple roles in different periods of time in different tales which seem to be unconnected or loosely connected at best.  But then it all holds together in the most amazing way.  It's not for everybody, and if you're tired, don't bother.  If you want a movie that will make you think, though, here's a good challenge. And the music is lovely.  Be listening from the beginning.