Book Fair Friday

Since I was a child, I have always been a voracious reader. I attribute that to my mother, Sharon, Satan’s Co-Regent, taking me to the library every Tuesday growing up. Where price was no object because anything I wanted was accessible.

I quickly ran through the children’s section, and although it remained alluring because of it’s cage of rabbits you could pet and it’s aquariums, mazes, and comfy chairs; around ten I had grown tired of the downstairs child area and made my ascent up the two floors to the uncharted territory of the adult section replete with it’s marble floors, soaring ceilings, and the feeling that you were apart of the select.

I have decided, for as long as it holds my interest so that there are no guarantees, to begin a Book Review Friday Series. In an effort to keep record of the books I am reading, my thoughts, opinions, impressions, and readers, an opportunity for you to share yours as well.

A forum of sorts.

Let’s Get Started.

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

This book made the cut for August by the recommendation of one of my many former lover’s new girlfriends. I like to keep my former lovers around because I clearly found value in them for one reason or another and they usually turn out to be the best advisors because they know me and my ways well enough to offer valuable counsel.

What I was told via third party was that The Alchemist would teach me about life. And I need to know more about life as I am fairly certain that either I am doing the very best or possibly the very worst, and nowhere in between.

Therefore, any book that will give me insight as to if I am on the right track will rank fairly high on my list.

Walden by Henry David Thoreau

This past year I have been conducting an experiment into simplicity and questioning, how much does one really need? It is a fairly fun yet challenging experiment and I must say, only fun because I have the freedom to end the experiment at any time I choose.

We even had a close family member decide to conduct their own experiment and quit their job to live in the woods with a commune of hippies who caught their own fish and eschewed money.

I am not that extreme and perhaps that is why my experiment has lasted longer than my fish catching counterpart. More on this later. Another time. For another essay/article.

I should have read Walden for an advanced placement class in high school. But I wasn’t selected as gifted for no reason. I figured out that an A was an A back then, and I wanted an A with the least amount of effort. So I skipped that course and took regular English where I could sail through only paying attention for tests and to be honest, not really even then.

As an adult, I am finding it necessary to go back and read those works I missed in my more formal education. Perhaps, I needed life experience in order to fully understand the concepts presented in some of the books I am now reading.

Perspective and experience count for quite a bit I think.

Walden is the work that put Thoreau on the map although he was buddies with Hawthorne and few other notable American writers. I wonder if they are notable because of what they said, or notable because of who they were, who they knew, or who they married.

The poor rarely get noticed in history or in literature unless it’s as a character.

Walden is intriguing because it explores the same question I am working through. How much does one need for true happiness? If anything at all?

And just how difficult is it to achieve contentment and happiness once one has evaluated what you really need?

Again, this book was selected as I believe it will bring more perspective and insight for my own life. Perhaps yours as well? We shall find out.

It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover

This one is purely because Instagram has filled my to be read list with Colleen Hoover. And as a writer, I feel one must be abreast of what resonates the most with the general audience. It gives me a gage for the common pulse.

Other than that, I know nothing of this book at the time of writing. I am hoping in comparison to the other two selections that made this list so far, that this book will be more light but I could be wrong.

Feel free to comment on your thoughts if you have read this one, or other pop reads that you feel I must look into.

Final Thoughts

Those are my reading selections for August 2022. I am hoping to find great themes of life, perspective, and some respite from what has been quite a challenging five to six years.

I feel that I am at the precipice of the breakthrough that most wait for and some only see in movies or tv shows.

Please feel free to comment with any book suggestions you would like to see. Next Friday, we will be reviewing these three selections, and looking for more.