THE ALCHEMIST

no surprise, another self-help-ish book back on the shelf.

in the meantime, a great bday present i received! the alchemist, which i'd heard of, but didn't know what it was about... and was skeptical of the bandwagon phenomenon... BUT, it was simply wonderful! i read it in a day, ear-marked it sparingly, but absolutely will re-read. so much depth and simplicity. not cliched but rich with lessons, wrapped in an engaging plot and encompassed by FAITH. i cried, meaningfully. i'll write in more detail as i reread.

actually paused the other novel i was reading, the effects of light. the frontcover summary was interesting enough to get me to purchase the book, but i'm a bit disappointed so far. the writing style lacks creativity, and though i'm curious enough about the plot to keep turning the pages, i'm not hungry for the words (as i was with the alchemist!)

i love the books that you can't put down. i love the rush and the exhausted sigh of relief as your bloodshot eyes race toward the final phrase. i especially love the ones that whisk you away, literally to far-off lands and times. though the alchemist didn't quite make me fly, it was certainly a page-turner.