I love how Will Schwalbe and his dying mother bonded through the books they read. They read some wonderful books, of which I wrote down for myself to read.

How books bring people together...in the most unusual circumstances. A mother and son get even closer through the passages of "the end of your life book club" Very enlightening!

“What are you reading?” That’s the question Will Schwalbe asks his mother, Mary Anne, as they wait together for her treatments for pancreatic cancer beginning in 2007. And thus begins their two person “book club” that inspires and sustains them for two years until her death in 2009. Together mother and son explore feelings, emotions, and concerns, through their shared passion for reading. They discuss issues of faith, family, courage, life and dying. The power of books to teach, delight and soothe is a constant for them as they embark on an emotional journey of joy and loss, but most of all, as they unite in a celebration of life. This is not a sad book, but rather a profoundly moving story of love and family, optimism and hope, enhanced by a list of the eclectic selection of the books they shared. Schwalbe is a journalist, editor and co-author of Send: Why People Email So Badly and How to Do It Better. Review by GF

At times this book was difficult to read as I recently lost my Dad to a very similar type of cancer and was way too familiar with the treatments and side effects discussed. That said, it was a surprisingly uplifting and beautiful tribute to an amazing woman. It also provides a great look at the power of books to connect us and teach us.

This book is so rich of feelings and contents! I lost my dad to cancer so I can very much relate to the things he said or felt. And then he also introduced so many great books within this book. My "to be read list" has grown after this book. So far this is the only book I borrowed from library and still have the urge to own it by purchasing it from bookstore, and reread it again.

I found that, once started I could not put this book down. Rather than being depressing, as the title might suggest, it was a very uplifting book. It shared warm, intimate moments between mother and son. Of interest to me was how their sharing of books enabled them to address topics that they would likely never have been able to and therefore strengthened the bond between them. I would thoroughly recommend this wonderful book.

Although the book is well written - and the story is heartwarming - i found this book to be quite the bore and could not finish it -

Very moving story, so much that we take for granted. Everybody shold read this amazing book. Well written and keep you interested til the end. Superb biography.

I wish that this book was what I had expected it to be. Instead of going on and on about how it did not live up to my expectations, I will share the one quote that I really love: We're all in the end-of-our-life book club, whether we acknowledge it or not; each book we read may well be the last, each conversation the final one.

I heard Will Schwalbe on CBC Radio's The Current, and knew I had to read this book. As someone who has lost a relative to pancreatic cancer, I admire the way Schwalbe and his mother spent their last years together, enjoying books and discussing life based on what they learned in those books. Mother and son gave each other a wonderful gift and so many memories.This book is a gift to people who love books as much as they did.