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This is a very good book written by a doctor in the UK who specializes in palliative care. She is very talented and compassionate in her interactions with patients who are terminal and their families. Every true story in the book teaches the reader something about dying and grief. I recommend this book for anyone who may have a family member or friend who is approaching the end of life. Five stars.

Still just as good on a re-read. The part I always recommend is when Dr. Mannix talks about the actual physical processes involved in dying. Knowing this makes it easier to cope with the situation.

This book…..! 😢

It was so good though, as well, if that‘s not an odd thing to say with regard to a book about death. I loved Dear Life, which is a similar book also written by a palliative care doctor, and the lovely @JennyM not only recommended this book, but sent me a copy.

I‘m so glad you did Jenny; it‘s even better than Dear Life! Yes, you will cry all of the time whilst reading, but it‘s a must-read, as the blurb from The Times says.

Here are my #bookspin and #doublespin books for June.

The tagged book (from the lovely @JennyM 😘) is one I‘m really looking forward to, if that‘s not a weird thing to say due to the subject matter! 🤔

And of course Sovietistan will tick off another ‘Stan‘ for #readingasia2021.

Loving the 3-in-a-row free spaces too, Sarah, along with the #doublespin in the same column! I always seem to read the free spaces before the rest of the board! 😁

‘Life is precious, and is perhaps best appreciated when we live with the end in mind‘.

A truely remarkable book about the process of dying written by a palliative care doctor brimming with compassion and wisdom. The stories are heartbreaking and I sobbed many times. But it also left me with a renewed feeling of purpose and gratitude for the things I have.

This is a brilliant and important, but very difficult, read. Dr Mannix's compassion and expertise stand out throughout the book, and she's an excellent story teller, but the stories are heartbreaking. The subject matter means it's very tough going, but that's kind of the point, these are things we should be thinking and talking about but don't. I'd definitely recommend this book to everyone, but be prepared for an emotional challenge.

Library reserve just came in.

Book 3 of my #12booksofsummer challenge was my last remaining unread book from the 2018 Cheltenham Literature Festival and I definitely saved the best till last. This book - part memoir of a consultant in palliative care, part call to action to talk openly about death and dying and part guide to a good death - should be read by everyone. I was moved, inspired and even reassured by its honesty and compassion.

January 2019 wrap-up: 18 books read.
Best of the month: With the End in Mind, by Kathryn Mannix
Honourable mention: Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, by Gail Honeyman

Mannix is a palliative care physician and cognitive behavioural therapist, and this combination of skills has been honed over a 30-year career. The stories of patients and their families navigating death are told with sensitivity and compassion, and each section contains pauses for thought to help you process what you've read. This is a must-read.