My So-called Life- Catherine Clark

Every bit as good as the tv series, the book is just a written version of original season. There was only one right? I remember when the series was on-air and how much it resonated with me during my teenage years. Then when it got cancelled for being "too realistic" how devastated my best friend, Michelle Winther, and I were. Reading the stories transported me right back to those passionate, youthful years when everything always seemed like a big deal. It was a nice little trip down memory lane.

Eat Pray Love- Elizabeth Gilbert

I had seen this book floating around the hostel for a while, but the cover and name just looked and sounded too cheesy for me to even pick it up. Then my cousin Monica sent me a copy along with a rave review and I decided to give it a shot. Basically the author went through a messy divorce, followed it up with a less than perfect relationship and decided she needed to get some perspective in her life. She took a year off (of life) to essentially eat, pray and love by spending 4 months each in Italy, India and Indonesia respectively. This book is her story. I salivated when I read about her experiences in Italy. I thought a lot about religion reading her experiences in India. And Indonesia sounded a lot like my experience here in Burkina. I'm not sure how much guys would love this book (although I know at least one Peace Corps guy has read it), but I think all of my girls and fam would probably really enjoy it.

The Alchemist- Paulo Coelho

This was definitely one of the most thought-provoking books I've ever read. The story is about a shepherd boy who has a chance encounter with a king that tells the boy about a treasure in Egypt. The boy sells his sheep, essentially giving up life as he knew it, to go in search of this treasure. Throughout his experiences and journey on the way to find this treasure the boy is constantly questioning whether or not he made the right decision. It always go back to the original idea the king shared with him about following his "personal legend" (i.e., life path / destiny). Cover to cover the book is 167 pages, an easy weekend read, and definitely worth the time.