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In2010,CliveJameswasdiagnosedwithterminalleukemia.Decidingthat“ifyoudon’tknowtheexactmomentwhenthelightswillgoout,youmightaswellreaduntiltheydo,”JamesmovedhislibrarytohishouseinCambridge,wherehewould“live,read,andperhapsevenwrite.”Jamesistheaward-winningauthorofdozensofworksofliterarycriticism,poetry,andhistory,andthisvolumecontainshisreflectionsonwhatmaywellbehislastreadinglist.AlookatsomeofJames’soldfavoritesaswellassomeofhisrecentdiscoveries,thisbookalsooffersarevealinglookattheauthorhimself,sharinghisevocativemusingsonliteratureandfamily,andonlivinganddying.AsthoughtfulanderuditeastheworksofAlbertoManguel,andasmovingandinspiringasRandyPausch’sTheLastLectureandWillSchwalbe’sTheEndofYourLifeBookClub,thisvaledictiontoJames’slifelongengagementwiththewrittenwordisacaptivatingvalentinefromoneofthegreatliterarymindsofourtime.