The Alchemist

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Published by Harper Torch in 1988
Genre(s): Fiction, Classics, Fantasy, Philosophy
Format: Kindle/Audiobook
Pages: 197

Goodreads synopsis: 

Paulo Coelho's enchanting novel has inspired a devoted following around the world. This story, dazzling in its powerful simplicity and inspiring wisdom, is about an Andalusian shepherd boy named Santiago who travels from his homeland in Spain to the Egyptian desert in search of a treasure buried in the Pyramids. Along the way he meets a Gypsy woman, a man who calls himself king, and an alchemist, all of whom point Santiago in the direction of his quest. No one knows what the treasure is, or if Santiago will be able to surmount the obstacles along the way. But what starts out as a journey to find worldly goods turns into a discovery of the treasure found within. Lush, evocative, and deeply humane, the story of Santiago is an eternal testament to the transforming power of our dreams and the importance of listening to our hearts.

I really enjoyed this book. It was slow at times, but it was a quick enough and interesting read. It had a pleasant overarching theme of following your dreams and I enjoyed the positive tone of the story as the main character works so hard to do so throughout the book.

This is my sister's favorite book, which is why I decided that I should read it. I felt, at times, a little lost in why characters were making certain choices...as if it didn't align properly to who they had been shaped to be in my mind. But other than that, I felt that it was a unique and enjoyable tale of being true to oneself.

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Hillbilly Elegy

Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by J.D. Vance
Published by Harper on Jun. 28, 2016
Genre(s): , Nonfiction, Memoir, Politics, Social Issues, Poverty,
Format: Kindle/Audiobook
Pages: 272
Goodreads synopsis: 

From a former Marine and Yale Law School Graduate, a poignant account of growing up in a poor Appalachian town, that offers a broader, probing look at the struggles of America’s white working class. Part memoir, part historical and social analysis, J. D. Vance’s Hillbilly Elegy is a fascinating consideration of class, culture, and the American dream.

Vance’s grandparents were “dirt poor and in love.” They got married and moved north from Kentucky to Ohio in the hopes of escaping the dreadful poverty around them. Their grandchild (the author) graduated from Yale Law School, a conventional marker of their success in achieving upward mobility for their family. But Vance cautions that is only the short version. The slightly longer version is that his grandparents, aunt, uncle, and mother struggled to varying degrees with the demands of their new middle class life and they, and Vance himself, still carry around the demons of their chaotic family history. 

Delving into his own personal story and drawing on a wide array of sociological studies, Vance takes us deep into working class life in the Appalachian region. This demographic of our country has been slowly disintegrating over forty years, and Vance provides a searching and clear-eyed attempt to understand when and how “hillbillies” lost faith in any hope of upward mobility, and in opportunities to come.

At times funny, disturbing, and deeply moving, this is a family history that is also a troubling meditation on the loss of the American dream for a large portion of this country.

A friend recommended this to me after I told him how much I enjoy reading memoirs, and I was so glad that he did. I went to Miami University, so I was more than familiar with the area in which much of the story takes place. This gave me a little perspective and a way to visualize and understand the scenes JD Vance was painting; however, even if I had never even heard of the small Ohio town, his descriptive writing made it easy to feel as if I had known it all my life.

The unique thing about the way that Vance writes is that in describing the hardships of his life and town, I could see my own town, family, and friends in the same way. While his story is unique, it is not the only one of it's kind. I don't think that Vance was trying to insinuate this, but instead the exact opposite- that so many American families experience life in poverty with varying hardships and if other Americans can take time to see and understand this, it will add value to how we connect and form relationships with those that are different from us.

This book was enlightening to read post-election, as well, after so many differences were brought up from each opposing party. I would recommend this memoir to everyone as a way to take a step back and appreciate another culture. I'm a sucker for memoirs, but this was without a doubt one of my favorites I've read, and I believe it will remain in my top 5 for years to come.

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The Last Anniversary

The Last Anniversary by Liane Moriarty
Published by Harper Paperbacks in Jan. 1, 2006
Genre(s): Fiction, Mystery, Contemporary
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 388
Goodreads synopsis: 

Sophie moves onto the island and begins a new life as part of an unconventional family where it seems everyone has a secret. Grace, a beautiful young mother, is feverishly planning a shocking escape from her perfect life. Margie, a frumpy housewife, has made a pact with a stranger, while dreamy Aunt Rose wonders if maybe it's about time she started making her own decisions.

As Sophie's life becomes increasingly complicated, she discovers that sometimes you have to stop waiting around -- and come up with your own fairy-tale ending.

As she so adroitly did in her smashing debut novel, Three Wishes, the incomparable Liane Moriarty once again combines sharp wit, lovable and eccentric characters, and a page-turning story for an unforgettable Last Anniversary.

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Three Wishes by Liane Moriarty

Three Wishes by Liane Moriarty
Published by Harper Perennial
Genre(s): Fiction, Contemporary
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 356
Goodreads

Lyn, Cat, and Gemma Kettle, beautiful thirty-three-year-old triplets, seem to attract attention everywhere they go. Whenever they're together, laughter, drama, and mayhem seem to follow. But apart, each is very much her own woman, dealing with her own share ofups and downs. Lyn has organized her life into one big checklist, juggling the many balls of work, marriage, and motherhood with expert precision, but is she as together as her datebook would have her seem? Cat has just learned a startling secret about her marriage -- can she bring another life into her very precarious world? And can free-spirited Gemma, who bolts every time a relationship hits the six-month mark, ever hope to find lasting love?

In this wise, witty, hilarious new novel, we follow the Kettle sisters through their thirty-third-year, as they struggle to survive their divorced parents' dating each other, their technologically savvy grandmother, a cheating husband, champagne hangovers, and the fabulous, frustrating life of forever being part of a threesome. A family comedy about sibling rivalry, "Three Wishes is an assured and warmhearted debut.

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