The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho

The Alchemist (HarperOne, 1988) is an older novel, but seems to be coming back into vogue, as I only just recently started seeing it everywhere. Written as a parable of sorts, the reader follows a boy (who is simply named "the boy" throughout the tale, as he is a universal character, whose name really doesn't matter) on his quest for his "Personal Legend." He has dreamed of treasure at the pyramids in Egypt, so is journeying through the desert, seeking this treasure with the help of those he encounters along the way (including the alchemist himself). 

Generally, I don't get into books like this, but I enjoyed the allegory and the wisdom the boy gleaned along the way to the pyramids. Here are a few of the highlights: 

1.  "My heart is afraid that it will have to suffer," the boy told the alchemist one night as they looked up at the moonless sky.

     "Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself." 

2.  The alchemist said, "No matter what he does, every person on earth plays a central role in the history of the world. And normally he doesn't know it." 

3.   He thought of the many roads he had traveled, and of the strange way God had chosen to show him his treasure. If he hadn't believed in the significance of recurrent dreams, he would not have met the Gypsy woman, the king, the thief or..."Well, it's a long list. But the path was written in the omens, and there was no way I could go wrong," he said to himself. 

     He fell asleep, and when he awoke the sun was already high. He began to dig at the base of the sycamore. 

     "You old sorcerer," the boy shouted up to the sky. "You knew the whole story. You even left a bit of gold at the monastery so I could get back to this church. The monk laughed when he saw me come back in tatters. Couldn't you have saved me from that?" 

     "No," he heard a voice on the wind say. "If I had told you, you wouldn't have seen the Pyramids. They're beautiful, aren't they?" 

The Wedding Girl, by Sophie Kinsella

It is only a matter of days before Milly's wedding. It's not just any wedding, but a wedding to a multimillionaire's son, a wedding that has required lavish plans, all of which have already been made as the story begins. Unfortunately, there's a problem.

Milly is already married to a man she wed ten years earlier, when she was eighteen, as a favor to help keep him in the country. It didn't mean anything to her at the time.

But now it matters, very much. Milly's wedding photographer just happened to have also been at her previous courthouse wedding, and is enjoying knowing her secret, a secret he might just spill to her family and husband-to-be, none of whom know she is already a wife.

The Wedding Girl (Thomas Dunne Books, 1999), by Madeleine Wickham, a.k.a. Sophie Kinsella, is another easy "beach read," good for an afternoon in the sun when you just want a fun, frivolous story to keep you occupied for a few hours. 

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, by Stieg Larsson

I did it. After one previous, failed attempt, I finally read this entire book, prompted by my friend L, whose book advice I am happy to take 100% of the time. It took me 100 pages or so to get into the plot, and admittedly, I usually say that's too long to have to read with only minimal interest. But it was worth it. The plot thickened, and I found myself unable to stop reading after awhile. 

Mikael Blomkvist is a journalist in this first Larsson novel (published by Vintage Crime/Black Lizard, 2008). He has just been convicted of libel, so finds himself with extra time on his hands before he is sent to jail for a short time. Right around this time, a member of the once-wealthy and powerful Vanger family requests Blomkvist's help in solving a 40-year-old mystery: namely, the disappearance of the young Harriet Vanger. Over the next year, Blomkvist uncovers unimaginable horrors and ties up the loose ends of the Vanger family's secret history once and for all. (Meanwhile revealing corruption in the financial journalism world as well, but that part of the plot was slightly less fascinating to me, I'll admit.) 

Heaven is For Real, by Todd Burpo (with Lynn Vincent)

This book is everywhere these days. And although I was curious about it, I was more than a little skeptical, too.

I probably shouldn't be.

If I really believe what I say I believe, why would I have troubling accepting that perhaps God does allow some people glimpses into Heaven? He certainly has the ability to do so. Yet instead of accepting this possibility by faith, I tend to assume the author of a book like this is motivated by recognition or wealth.

But what if I'm wrong?

If I'm wrong, then I'm missing out on an opportunity to be amazed. I'm ignoring a chance to let myself really imagine the awe of Heaven and a God who loves us more than we can imagine. I'm limiting myself to what I see on Earth, unable to grasp anything beyond what I can see or hear or touch.

So as I read Heaven is For Real (Thomas Nelson, 2010), I read with the assumption that what I was reading might actually be true. I read as a Christian, excited to see all the things Colton Burpo said he had seen while his body was undergoing an appendectomy. I read as a mom who got all teary-eyed when Colton told his dad he had seen his sister in Heaven, a baby that had been miscarried years earlier, a baby Colton's parents had not yet told him about, a baby he said looked a lot like his living sister, but with his mom's dark hair. A baby that didn't have a name in Heaven because it had never been given a name on Earth.

And you know what? I sort of loved this little book, and I hope every word is true. Because I really think it could be.

Writing to Save Your Life, by Michele Weldon

I picked up Writing to Save Your Life (Hazledon, 2001) for a couple of different reasons. First, when I was in high school, I really felt that writing played a tremendous part in helping me to "get through" adolescence. It's one of the reasons I wanted to teach English, because I knew the power of words first-hand and I longed to help other teenagers transition more smoothly into adulthood by writing down their emotions rather than turning to destructive means. So I was curious about this book. 

The second reason I picked it up was that I was hoping it would be a good resource to use in my composition classes. I did find two paragraphs or so that would be useful toward the beginning of Comp 101, but that was about it. Mostly what I found, instead, was an empathetic author reaching out to adults that feel timid telling their own stories and encouraging them to do it anyway, even if no one else reads what has been scrawled across the page. If you are looking for this kind of encouragement, Weldon provides a safe and comfortable atmosphere for beginning writers. If you are looking for more concentrated writing tips, however, I wouldn't recommend this book as a starting place. (William Zinsser's books, however, are packed full of solid writing advice...but I'll save that for another post.) 

The God of All Comfort, by Dee Brestin

The God of All Comfort (Zondervan, 2009) was another of those random rainy day finds at the public library. I had never heard of the book or author, but it fell into the category of "grief books" I've been dipping into thoroughly immersing myself in lately, so I added it to the growing stack in my arms. And honestly, at first I didn't like it a whole lot. The first third or so is devoted to telling the story of Brestin's husband's cancer and subsequent death. It was sad and depressing (I'm not sure what else I thought a grief book would be...) and I couldn't relate to much (which doesn't make it a bad book, by the way, it just didn't speak to me personally). But once I got past the first 100 pages, I found myself dog-earing more and more pages. 

I was inspired by Brestin's family's response to their husband/father's death, and by the obvious way in which they were held up even during these lonely, dark days. 

I was able to relate to Brestin's focus on "psalms, hymns, and songs," as those have been of great comfort to me in sorrow, too. 

But my favorite section of the book spoke of God's sovereignty and how, when we doubt Him, we can be reminded of His: 

"Heart: 'As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him.' (Psalm 103:13

History: 'He guided them with the cloud by day and with light from the fire all night.' (Psalm 78:14)

Heaven: 'May you be blessed by the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.' (Psalm 115:15)" 

The Lace Reader, by Brunonia Barry

"My name is Towner Whitney. No, that's not exactly true. My real first name is Sophya. Never believe me. I lie all the time." 

- excerpted from The Lace Reader 

You know those books you just devour? You start them at the beginning of the weekend and stay up late to finish them by Sunday night? The Lace Reader (2006, Harper) was one of those kinds of books for me. It was high time, too, because lately I haven't found a lot of books that I can't put down.

I'm not sure exactly why I loved this book so much. I think it has to do with the surprise ending, and the fact that the novel begins with the narrator admitting she's a liar. That always keeps me on the edge of my seat.

The book is divided into several different sections (my favorite format), and each is narrated in a different way or by a different person. I was caught off guard when one section that had been told entirely in the first person was suddenly followed by a section told in third person, enough so that I turned the pages back to double check. It was interesting, though. I liked it.

The story revolves around a family of "lace readers" that live in Salem. The women in this family are able to see the future in the lace that they sew. When two people in the town suddenly disappear, the town is thrown into mayhem and we go along for the ride as Towner (the main narrator) begins to piece together her own life and history, one that is filled with secrets.

I've told you before, I'm terrible at summarizing a good plot without giving things away, so vague as that is, I'll stop there. I'm bringing this book highly recommended to my next book club to share. It won't change your life, but it'll take you on a good trip.

The Enemy, by Lee Child

Lee Child's "Reacher novels" are fast, entertaining reads. I stumbled across Lee Child completely by accident several months again and was thrilled at the number of mystery novels he has written that I now have at my disposal! I haven't read these in order (and am not even sure what the correct order is), but it doesn't seem to matter. 

In The Enemy (published by Dell in 2009), Jack Reacher (a military policeman) is brought into an investigation of a general found dead in a motel on New Year's. Soon, two more military personnel are discovered dead, and Reacher begins to piece together how these deaths connect and who could have been responsible. Meanwhile, he is urged to stop investigating and becomes a prime suspect himself. 

This wasn't  my favorite Reacher novel, but part of what labored my reading might have been my lack of expertise when it comes to the military. There were sections that I didn't quite understand because of this lack of knowledge, and I might have appreciated the book more had I known more.