Book cover of Still Alice

Book description

A moving story of a woman with early onset Alzheimer's disease, now a major Academy Award-winning film starring Julianne Moore and Kristen Stewart.

Alice Howland is proud of the life she worked so hard to build. At fifty, she's a cognitive psychology professor at Harvard and a renowned expert in…

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Why read it?

6 authors picked Still Alice as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

You cannot help what your body or the chemistry of the mind does. And the journey of self-acceptance, the love of the family around her, and the understanding this could happen to any of us is a reality.

I felt for the characters and was slowly led down the path of the horrors of losing your memory. It was a steady decline, and I felt every feeling with each page turn.

I loved this book so much that I have recommended it more than any other book in recent years. It is so well written that no one needs to have any interest in Alzheimer’s, which is what the fictional Alice is diagnosed with, to be affected by the story.

At first, I was concerned that it was not the story of a “real” person but an amalgam of many. But the story told allowed her to take me to a more personal place of understanding the loss of self that Alice endured, the strength of character as she fought back,…

I love novels that challenge me emotionally, and this one does that in spades. It tackles a topic that all of us find terrifying–an illness that steals who you are as a person, but it does it with such a gentle touch that rather than scare you, it makes you realize what’s truly important in life. It’s so well written you almost forget it’s a novel.

From Sarah's list on featuring older protagonist.

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Book cover of Last Patient of the Night

Last Patient of the Night by Gary Gerlacher,

Emergency physician AJ Docker is no stranger to violence, but the brutal torture and murder of an innocent, young patient demands a response.

Together with his policeman friend, and a police dog, he sets out on a quest for justice for his lost patient. Doc’s investigation leads him into the…

Still Alice is an unforgettable emotional journey that defies stereotypes and touches the hearts of all. Alice, a vibrant fifty-year-old lecturer at the height of her career, challenges the frumpy old lady image associated with dementia.

The compelling first-person narration in Still Alice immerses readers in her emotional odyssey, allowing them to share her confusion and the poignant loss of memories. With sensitivity and accuracy, the narrative mirrors Alice's cognitive decline, tracing her transition from a sharp Psychology Professor to a fading mind.

The movie adaptation of Still Alice holds a special place in my heart. Taking my mother, who…

From Vered's list on the light side of Alzheimer’s.

Still Alice could be about me, or you which is why it is such an emotional read. Alice is not the frumpy old lady who comes to mind when people speak of dementia. She is fifty and at the height of her career as a lecturer.

Alice tells her own story. You don’t just read, you feel what she feels. The confusion when she first forgets, the hurt and despair when she’s diagnosed, to the sadness of losing her children’s names.

The narrative mirrors her diminishing cognitive capacity – at first, she has the precision of a Psychology Professor but…

There are many people who try to write a novel from the perspective of someone with Alzheimer’s disease; Dr. Genova succeeds where many fail. We love how you can really put yourself in Alice’s shoes and empathize with her as she makes difficult decisions and then has more and more difficulty in comprehending what is happening around her. It was a fantastic book when she first self-published it in 2007 and it is a fantastic book today.

From Andrew's list on to understand dementia.

If you love Still Alice...

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Book cover of Last Patient of the Night

Last Patient of the Night by Gary Gerlacher,

Emergency physician AJ Docker is no stranger to violence, but the brutal torture and murder of an innocent, young patient demands a response.

Together with his policeman friend, and a police dog, he sets out on a quest for justice for his lost patient. Doc’s investigation leads him into the…

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