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.

Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix- J.K. Rowling

By far the longest book in the series so far with 800 plus pages. The storyline is decent, but it gets totally dragged out. I felt like a million things were brought to my attention more than once. I mean, I guess if J.K. Rowling is writing for kids with the attention span of a fly then it makes sense to reiterate things. It was just a little overkill for me. The storyline was more of the same with Voldemort still in the picture and the need for Harry to step in and save the day. Still, I look forward to book six in the series (hopefully I can find a paperback in the hostel).

Three Cups of Tea- Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin

If you think you know where the war on terrorism started and the driving force behind it maybe you should think again. This is the remarkable true story of a mountain climber turned philanthropist. Greg Mortenson lost his route during his descent from an unsuccessful ascent of K2 and found himself in a remote village where he fell in love with the people’s warmth and hospitality. This chance happening led to a dialogue where Greg discovered the need for a school. He went to work procuring funds to build this first school which eventually led to more schools in other places. During 9/11 and the surrounding aftermath Greg was actually in Pakistan and Afghanistan working on building schools and shares his account of what was really going on. This is an incredible and inspiring story of the difference one person can make.

The Only Road North- Erik Mirandette

This is a true story about a Michigander who interrupts his college education to volunteer in Africa. After completing his volunteer work, Erik organizes a motorbike trip beginning in South Africa and ending in Egypt. The book chronicles the journey of Erik, his brother and two friends as they make their way north through war-torn countries, border crossings, jungles and countless breakdowns. I believe their trip took place in 2004, and while you may be tempted to assume this is the African version of The Motorcycle Diaries, the stories are not at all alike. This book really resonated with me. Maybe it’s because it didn’t happen that long ago. Maybe it’s because Erik is in his 20’s and from Michigan. Regardless, it is a great story worth reading.

Black and Blue- Anna Quindlen

An Oprah's book club book that I definitely do not recommend. This book is a fictional story about a woman that left her abusive husband by taking her son into hiding. The book tells the story of her transition to her new identity and life while flashing back to life with her husband. It clearly explains the vicious cycle of love and forgiveness that the main character experienced during her marriage and that happens all to often in abusive relationships. I found the bookto be sort of textbook in it's description of spousal abuse and it didn't really bring anything new to the table. It wasn't a bad book, but it wasn't anything to write home about either.