The Alchemist

I couldn’t give you an overview of great books to read without giving you a sneak peek into one of my all time favourite books – The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. I discovered Paulo Coelho during a period of reflection and soul searching, at a time when I was trying to figure out how to rebuild my life.

The Alchemist follows a young  shepherd named Santiago on his journey to Egypt, after having a recurring dream of finding treasure there.Without giving too many of the twists and turns away I can tell you the book’s main theme is about finding your destiny. It is probably more inspirational/self help than a classic piece of literature but that doesn’t make it any less worthy of a read. The core of the novel’s philosophy is ‘when you really want something to happen, the whole universe will conspire to make your wish comes true.’

I love the simple message, the simple writing style – it reads like a children’s parable and you could read it in a day if you were so inclined.

If you are in need of a little TLC, or you’re at the point you are trying to figure out your purpose in life, then pick up a copy. I guarantee you’ll let out a contented sigh at the end and all will be well in your world again.