readers advisory for all discussion

Uh oh!

The problem here is that I have a grand total RA experience of, roughly, zero (give or take). And yet I still took it upon myself to recommend Cutting for Stone to someone who read and liked Middlesex. I did this because:

–They are both "bildungsroman" of sorts (aren't they?)
–They are both pretty complex in family history & family drama, covering more than one generation, and deal with relationships at several levels
–They both take place, partly, in faraway foreign lands and even make reference to armed conflicts in these areas
–They both involve the death of a main character
–They are both super long.

The problem is, I always second guess myself and now I'm concerned that I have just single-handedly ruined someone's reading experience, a horrible situation from which they will never recover.

Can someone please deny or confirm whether Cutting for Stone is a reasonable recommendation based on a love of Middlesex, and if not, why and what should have been recommended instead?

I would have recommended the same based on the reasons you provided. Although very different, I liked Middlesex and Cutting for Stone for the same reasons, plus the fact that both involved discussion about medicine, and both included romantic relationships.

I say you are safe, and have not single-handedly ruined anyone's reading experience.. :)

That's right! And "awkward first sexual encounters"—I had nearly forgotten about that. Thanks, Deborah.

Glad to help!