The Alchemist

This weekend our book club met to discuss The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. It is a quick read, and I liked it. I definitely thought that it contained some good, inspiring quotes (see Mantras post for one of these). I liked the message that when you are a child you have dreams many of which are attainable, but the rest of your life you are told that you cannot achieve them. I think this is especially true for people who have an artistic talent that they want to pursue. The book does become a bit unbelievable toward the end, if you read it literally, but I am not sure that is how Coelho meant for it to be read. I believe he is trying to explain that just because something seems impossible at first, doesn't mean you should give up immediately without trying. One book club member mentioned that she found it extremely religious. I didn't think the book was religious so much as spiritual (per the dictionary, there is a difference). We didn't discuss the book as much as I would have liked to, but I always enjoy book club as it is me time!

Also, I wanted to mention a book I've read recently that I really liked and that made me laugh: Be Happy or I'll Scream! by Sheri Lynch. It's all about her quest to have the perfect (sitcom) family. To be honest, it actually has inspired me a bit. She is really honest, commenting that no one told her and her husband that having two small children was pretty much the same as being under house arrest! It's a great book to make you realize most other moms and wives are dealing with the same things you are dealing with. You are not alone!