The Alchemist.

I believe one hundred percent that you have to be in the right place and time (also frame of mind) to enjoy a book. This might not make complete sense, so here is an example, "The Alchemist." I read this book the winter after I graduated from college. I wouldn't say that I was necessarily feeling lost at the time, but I didn't have a map and I had never learned how to use a compass. So when I say that this book changed the way I looked at my life I don't mean to sound pretentious. I'm not going to give details about why I loved this book so much, I'll just say that it came to me at the right time in my life.

People come to coffee shops to sit and read, be amid a blur of people while traveling to a different world through the pages of a book. When I see these people it makes me really wish I didn't work in a coffee shop so that I too could get the same pleasure from sitting in a cafe enjoying a book. When a customer comes in holding a novel I almost always ask them what they are reading, or at least attempt to read the title or authors name. So about three weeks ago when two women came in and one was holding "The Alchemist," it wasn't out of the ordinary for me to strike up a conversation about the novel. It went a little something like this:

Me: Oh, I loved that novel. It is one of my favorites.

Them (after sharing a knowing look): Oh, Really?

Me: Yeah (pause) you didn't like it very much?

Them: Lady 1- Well not really, actually I almost couldn't stand to finish it. Lady 2- It was in my Goodwill pile until she asked to borrow it for a book club.

Me: oh really? That's too bad I really liked it.

Them: Well if you don't mind me asking, how old are you? (I answer 23) Yeah, that is what we were just talking about. Younger people probably really like it. But I have already learned all of those lessons.

I assure you that this was all said in a rather condescending way. Even though this was a few weeks ago, this conversation still bugs me for a couple of reasons. One,I'm the type of person who wants everyone to love the things I do. Two, I would hate to be in a book club filled with people who believed that they had already learned all the lessons life had to teach (The book is about life lessons and following your personal legend). But, in the end I decided that a little bit of what they felt was true, maybe they just needed to have read the book at a different time in their lives. So yes, I have started books gotten a few pages in and quit but I still keep those books on my shelf, waiting for when I'm ready for to appreciate them.

This brings me to my next next point, you may have noticed a sever lack of postings this past week or so. I haven't stopped reading, but I have slowed down......a lot! A few of my excuses include: Lots of theatre stuff, working at 6am everyday means I can't stay up 'til 3 am reading, the sun was shining and begging me to be active, and finally--the olympics are on! But I do have two updates!

Update Book 16 &17: Belong to Me by Marisa De Los Santos and Racing Hearts by Various Authors

Book 16

There is nothing I hate worse than the phrase "End of Book One," except when a book has a sequel but the author thinks it can stand on its own so nobody calls it a sequel. This is annoying because you could pick up the second book and never know there was a first. Luckily, the first book was book 4 of my challenge. I really enjoyed "Loved Walked In" so maybe that was why "Belong to Me" wasn't quite as magical to me. I like the style of writing Santos uses and enjoyed the book very much, but there are a few things that bother me. I felt that there were too many narrators and everything wraps up a little too nicely in the end. Maybe these can be seen as good things as well. You're never left wondering how someone feels and every once in a while it is nice to feel things worked out perfectly---because most books and real life are hardly ever like that.

Book 17

If you will remember back to my original set of resolutions they included travel more and be more fearless (which I decided means something along the lines of get out of your comfort zone and do things you wouldn't normally do). So in April I'm traveling to Arizona for a NASCAR race. My eldest brother is the fan, but my parents and I are giving it a try. So the first thing I did was pick a driver and research what you wear to a race. Then, while walking through B&N with my friend Ashley I picked up "Racing Hearts" as sort of a joke. Basically it is a bad romance novel comprised of three short stories based around NASCAR. Pretty hilarious really. I did learn something though--- Forty percent of NASCAR fans are women. Also, there is an entire series of NASCAR romance novels. I think for now, "Racing Hearts" will be the only one I pick up.