Northern Lights: Summer Reading Suggestions
I have been busy at home here with gardening, childcare, office work, and crafting. I nevertheless decided to make some time and read some books that I had been interested in for some time now.
I am glad that I did spend some quality time reading, in between other activities. Perhaps the fact that we are near the summer solstice now and thus have a lot of daylight makes it easier on the eyes to read! By reading just a chapter or two a day, one can finish a book in about two weeks.
I am in a book club from October to April, and therefore often read books other people selected. However, in the summer, it is more about what I want to read.
Here are some books suggestions that I think both patients and caregivers might enjoy and find relevant to their situation. All of the books are available in my public library, so hopefully you can obtain them easily as well.
‘A Lucky Life Interrupted’ by Tom Brokaw (Random House, 2015)
Tom Brokaw is an award-winning journalist and author who has homes in New York and Montana. Although this biography of Tom Brokaw’s battle with multiple myeloma was published only two years ago, it seems like I read it a long time ago. It was a revelation to me to have such a good writer describe a lot of what I had been though as well. He also suffered compression fractures, for one thing.
Many Beacon readers may have read this book in 2015 when it was first published, but I thought that some newer readers might like to read it also.
I gave this book to my father and my (late) stepmother. They both read it and said that they could now better understand what I had been going through at the time of diagnosis. Thus, I think this book is a good read for caregivers as well as patients.
I found that I could relate to Mr. Brokaw’s comments about how he suddenly had to realize that he no longer had the strength he once had. For example, opening heavy doors to buildings in a strong wind was now very difficult to do. He has had a very strong support network of family and friends, which helped him immensely on his cancer journey.
‘Enjoy Every Sandwich’ by Lee Lipsenthal (Crown Archetype, 2011)
I also re-read this book, which was highly recommended by the late Jan Stafl, a physician and multiple myeloma patient who posted frequently at the Myeloma Beacon, and who I met when Jan and his family traveled through Calgary.
The premise of Dr. Lipsenthal's book is that no matter how dire one’s prognosis with an illness may be, it is important to try to live a joyful life nonetheless. Dr. Lipsenthal, an internist, was diagnosed with esophageal cancer. He had a loving family, which helped him with the collapse of his previously busy professional life. He did not want to live in fear, and used meditation to help him with that. He accepted a ‘shadow side’ of himself where his imagination had free rein. He started to wonder whether an encounter with a rattlesnake on a hiking path might be a sign from a Higher Power. From the native American shamanistic beliefs, he learned that a very close brush with death may result in a spiritual re-awakening. The shaman’s role is not to heal, but to let Spirit in to do the healing. This is an interesting and poignant tale told by a very intelligent man who faced down at least some of his fears in the short amount of time he had to deal with his terminal cancer.
‘Being Mortal’ by Atul Gawande (Penguin Random House, 2014)
Dr. Gawande is a brilliant writer, covering topics that he has learned about through his profession as a physician. Many case studies from his own experience are included in the book to emphasize the points he is trying to make. He also has included his family in the book, detailing what his father went through with a type of cancer.
Dr. Gawande noticed that many patients had unnecessarily difficult times at the end of their lives. Sometimes medical science pushes too hard for people who cannot recover from their health issues. Sometimes the medical staff hesitates to have the conversation about what to do if all treatments have failed. He started to explore the areas of palliative and hospice care. By talking with his patients personally, he discovered that many of them did not want anything more than to be surrounded by their loved ones, and be in some comfort at the end of their life.
This may sound to be a gloomy book, but it raises questions about the modern society that we live in, and what is best for patients and families. I learned a lot about palliative care from reading Dr. Gawande’s book, and I would therefore recommend it to both patients and caregivers.
‘Walking’ by John Stanton (Penguin Canada, 2009)
John Stanton has helped many people to take up running and walking through his chain of fitness stores. I picked up a copy of his book about walking because I started doing it after my multiple myeloma diagnosis (I used to be a jogger, but I stopped after my myeloma diagnosis because I was afraid of getting more fractures in my damaged bones).
This book is easy to read and encouraging to any level of walker, be they just starting out walking around the block, or into race walking. The book covers all aspects of walking, from what type of shoes and equipment to use in all kinds of weather, to interval training, nutrition, injury prevention and care, cross training, and more. This is the most comprehensive book I ever read about walking. You can’t help but want to get out for a good walk after reading Stanton’s writing.
‘Best Laid Plans’ by Terry Fallis (McClelland and Stewart, 2008)
My last recommendation makes for some lighter summer reading. Terry Fallis is a humorist and has twice won the Stephen Leacock prize for humor in Canada.
In his debut novel, ‘Best Laid Plans,’ Fallis explores the world of federal elections. A young man who is working as a political aide resigns his post, but as a favor agrees to run one last campaign in the upcoming Canadian federal election. An elderly lady, who is a long-time political worker but also reluctant to do any campaigning at all, is persuaded to join the team. The candidate in the campaign is a crusty engineering professor who does not want to teach English to first-year engineering students, and thus agrees to run in the upcoming election as long as he will lose it, and as long as the young political aide will take over teaching the English class.
As you can imagine, this book is just rife with comedic elements, and will leave you chuckling.
Well, the birds are chirping outdoors in the early morning, and I am going to get outdoors for a walk.
Do you already know what you are going to read this summer?
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The quotation for this month is from Mark Haddon (1962 - ), a British novelist, who said: "Reading is a conversation. All books talk. But a good book listens as well."
Nancy Shamanna is a multiple myeloma patient and a columnist at The Myeloma Beacon. You can view a list of her columns here.
If you are interested in writing a regular column to be published by The Myeloma Beacon, please contact the Beacon team at .
Tom Brokaw's book (and news of his diagnosis) was released almost at the same time as my diagnosis. I read the book and found his story really useful in my own situation. Although he is a celebrity with many resources, I still found his accounting of diagnosis and treatment very similar to mine. I think it can be useful for newly diagnosed patients to understand they aren't alone.
Thanks Mark! That is interesting that you were a new patient in 2015, and read Tom Brokaw's book. I am sure he did a lot of good by coming forward with his situation and trying to explain what myeloma is and how it is treated. It is such a rare cancer that many people don't know much about it. I think that he is still doing well.
I was really turned off by Brokaw's book, filled as it is with name-dropping and reminding everyone how "Lucky" Tom dealt with multiple myeloma, armed only with millions of dollars, connections to top medical centers, and a support system that dropped everything to help him. Yes, he is lucky, but not quite in the way he tries to portray.
This book offers little or no help to those in the middle class or, even worse, those who may be poor.
And it says nothing about any changes having terminal cancer may have caused in Brokaw's outlook on life. To him, having multiple myeloma is just an "interruption" in his lucky life.
Well, I wish him well, and I hope he may someday write a second, more spiritual piece on what this kind of catastrophe can do to a person's outlook – how it might make one more generous and empathetic toward others.
I read 'The Emperor of All Maladies' and found it most interesting. I have since read several books related to medicine. I find reading to be a great thing to do to enjoy and to learn. Thanks for the suggestions. I also read Being Mortal and can highly recommend it.
Thanks, Joyce, for your comment. I also read 'The Emperor of All Maladies' a few years ago and enjoyed it.
Robert, I take your points about 'A Lucky Life' not striking the right chord with some readers, and that came out in the comments here when it was first published too. It would be interesting if there were a second edition of the book to let us know how everything is going now for Mr. Brokaw.
Dear Nancy, Many thanks for the summer reading list. Since being diagnosed with myeloma, I have found it very difficult to read books. This is extremely odd for me as reading novels has always been part of my life. Somehow my concentration is not what is was. I will try some of your suggestions and see if I get on better with non-fiction! Best wishes and thanks.
Robert said it all with, "I was really turned off by Brokaw's book, filled as it is with name-dropping and reminding everyone how "Lucky" Tom dealt with multiple myeloma".
Thanks for the comments! Marjorie, have you read the novels of Alexander McCall Smith, a Scottish writer? He has at least two different series, one of them, the 'Isabel Dalhousie' series, is about a sleuth. I find reading books to be like finishing other projects...sometimes have to persevere to get through one to the end. Then I write down the title and author on a list I keep, and try to read one book a month! I hope that you like some of my suggestions for reading!
Craig, I guess that Tom Brokaw's book really did not resonate with some readers, but I was glad to see a celebrity coming out and discussing myeloma. Even if you think that his story is really very different from most patients', at least he was willing to educate the public. This reminds me in a way of another celebrity, Lisa Ray, a Canadian Bollywood actress. She did do a lot of fund raising by designing expensive saris, and she has a lot of status in the Indian film community.
Thanks for the suggestions, Nancy. We read Tom Brokaw's book when it came out, and I appreciated the awareness it provided for multiple myeloma. I often tell people that my husband has the same type of cancer as Brokaw, which helps make it more real for them since most had never heard of multiple myeloma. We also gave Brokaw's book to several relatives for the same reason – help them have a better understanding.
I am reading "Dead Wake" by Eric Larson regarding the last crossing of the Lusitania and have also picked up "When Breath Becomes Air" by Dr. Paul Kalanithi, which I saw recommended in the Beacon awhile ago.
Thanks Patty B! I have 'When Breath Becomes Air' on hold at our local library. I didn't receive it in time to read for this column but will do so soon! Just now reading a novel set in Japan called 'The Moai Island Puzzle' by Alice Arisugawa, and next want to read a book my mother recommended, 'Hotel at the Corner of Bitter and Sweet' by Jamie Ford. It relates to the time when she was a teenage girl on the west coast of British Columbia. It is set in Oregon but she says it was the same where she was, in 1942. So that should keep me busy with summer reading!
I've read "Being Mortal" and "When Breath Becomes Air." Both are well written and address the issues of aging and death. I'm currently reading "The Power of Positive Thinking" by Norman Vincent Peale. It's older but it really is inspiring, a classic. Ah, summer reading. Thanks for the reminder, Nancy!!
Thank you, Susan! I am reading 'When Breath Becomes Air,' another poignant book about cancer written by a neurosurgeon. However, I am also reading gardening books and other non-fiction that is interesting, to keep a balance in summer reading!
Nancy, Thank you for your reading list. I was age 70 when diagnosed with multiple myeloma in December of 2014. I am currently doing well although physical stamina is less than it used to be. A book I have greatly appreciated is "Living Thoughtfully, Dying Well" By Glen E Miller, MD. He brings great wisdom to end of life issues. He is dealing with heart failure and knows he is on borrowed time. He also has the perspective of working for about 10 years in Haiti, Egypt, and with Mother Teresa in India. The title of his book is the best description of what is between its covers. It is an excellent book for group discussion.
Thanks, Randall. I looked in my public library's search and there is another book called 'Living Fully...Dying Well' by T. Bastion, but I will look out for the book you mentioned. I am still reading 'When Breath Becomes Air', which turns out to a good description of the profession of neurosurgery, and is interesting too from that point of view. It is my summer to read these sorts of books! I hope that you are doing well, approaching three years since diagnosis.
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