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Book for February

I know that Fantasy is not everyones cup of tea but since it is my favorite genre I chose a fantasy book. The book is Eragon by Christopher Paolini. What is most amazing about this book is that the author wrote it when he was 16 years old. Funny but that actually made me love the book more because I was impressed with the level of writing skill from one so young. If you have already seen the movie do not be deterred from reading the book. There is alot more to the story then they could include in the movie. It may even explain a few things. Also if you have already read this book and liked it you may want to read the next books in the series, Eldest and Brisingr.

Happy reading.

Questions for discussion of the Alchemist

Here are some questions I found on-line that might help to guide the discussion of this month's book. Feel free to comment on some or all of them, or to comment on other aspects of the book not mentioned here. Also, check back after commenting to see if someone else has something to say about your opinion. Just like a regular book club, it's okay to make more than one comment.

1. At the start of his journey, when Santiago asks a Gypsy woman to interpret his dream about a treasure in the Egyptian pyramids, she asks for one-tenth of the treasure in return. When Santiago asks the old man to show him the path to the treasure, the old man requests one-tenth of his flock as "payment." Both payments represent a different price we have to pay to fulfill a dream; however, only one will yield a true result. Which payment represents false hope? Can you think of examples from your own life when you had to give up something to meet a goal and found the price too high?

2. Paulo Coelho once said that alchemy is all about pursuing our spiritual quest in the physical world as it was given to us. It is the art of transmuting the reality into something sacred, of mixing the sacred and the profane. With this in mind, can you define your Personal Legend? At what time in your life were first able to act on it? What was your "beginner's luck"? Did anything prevent you from following it to conclusion? Having read "The Alchemist," do you know what inner resources you need to continue the journey?

3. One of the first major diversions from Santiago's journey was the theft of his money in Tangier, which forced him into taking a menial job with the crystal merchant. There, Santiago learned many lessons on everything from the art of business to the art of patience. Of all these, which lessons were the most crucial to the pursuit of his Personal Legend?
When he talked about the pilgrimage to Mecca, the crystal merchant argues that having a dream is more important than fulfilling it, which is what Santiago was trying to do. Do you agree with Santiago's rationale or the crystal merchant's?

4. The alchemist tells Santiago "you don't even have to understand the desert: all you have to do is to contemplate a simple grain of sand, and you will see in it all the marvels of creation." With this in mind, why do you think the alchemist chose to befriend Santiago, though he knew that the Englishman was the one looking at him? What is the meaning of two dead hawks and the falcon in the oasis? At one point the alchemist explains to Santiago the secret of successfully turning metal to gold. How does this process compare to finding a Personal Legend?

5. Why did Santiago have to go through the dangers of tribal wars on the outskirts of the oasis in order to reach the Pyramids? At the very end of the journey, why did the alchemist leave Santiago alone to complete it?

6. Earlier in the story, the alchemist told Santiago "when you possess great treasures within you, and try to tell others of them, seldom are you believed." At the end of the story, how did this simple lesson save Santiago's life? How did it lead him back to the treasure he was looking for?

7. Are omens really out there and are they important? What are omens? Are they just illusions that we see to justify something we feel or want to do, or are they something more?

8. What was the point of finding the treasure close to where it was first dreamed about?
Was the journey or finding the treasure more important? What does this mean about life? What happens in life when one actually achieves their personal legend?

9. Does the simplistic and primitive style of this book add or detract from the main goal, what ever you think the main goal is?

10. What does it mean to say "the universe conspires to help you achieve what you want"?

Gathering Blue, by Lois Lowry

For those of you who liked The Giver, this book is a must-read! It is advertised as the sequel to The Giver, but does not continue the story. Therefore, you can enjoy this book even without ever having read the first.

Lois Lowry explains that, "in the distant future, after the world we know has wrecked itself, . . . new kinds of societies will emerge." Gathering Blue is about a girl named Kira who lives in one such society. The story begins with Kira mourning her mother's death. She is left with nothing: no house, no money, no family (her father died before she was born). Kira's story is one of courage as she does what's "right" in the midst of danger.

Lowry's writing is so simple yet captivating that you will not be able to put the book down. With 215 pages and having been written for young adults, you can easily finish it in one day. The concepts portrayed are thought-provoking and applicable to our own lives, despite the sci-fi genre.

I highly recommend Gathering Blue and look forward to reading its own sequel, Messenger.

Twilight. . . again!

Okay, so I just wanted to admit how ridiculous I am. Today I bought a copy of Twilight again! Yes, I already have a copy. And yes, I already read it. But I read it before I got here to the UK. And then I left it in the storage unit in Ogden. And then I read New Moon. And then I read Eclipse. And then I got addicted. So now I had to buy another copy so that I can re-read the series. It's not like I could just re-read the other two without starting at the beginning of the story.

So if you still have not read this series, now is the perfect time! Why? Because the 4th book, Breaking Dawn, should be available sometime this year and the movie Twilight is scheduled for release Dec 12, 2008!

A Friend Like Henry, by Nuala Gardner

I just finished reading A Friend Like Henry today. It is a true story of an autistic boy Dale and how his dog Henry helps him. The author Nuala is the mother of Dale and tells a very detailed story of what it was like for her family to deal with Dale, his developmental issues, and health and educational professionals.

I enjoyed reading this book and was reminded of some of my former clients who also struggled with Autism. I was amazed at how much progress Dale made and all the hard times his parents went through to fight for him. As a social worker, I have been on the other side of the picture. But this gave me an opporunity to see how life was for this family with an autistic toddler. I worry that in the past I may have responded in similar ways as some of the professionals in the book did. This book gave me a new appreciation for families who deal with troubled children.

The story takes place in Scotland, and therefore it will also give you a chance to see what kind of English grammar I have to deal with here in the UK. Finally, I would not recommend this book to anyone who has recently given up a dog--it made me cry more than once for the loss of my own sweet puppy. (I really need to stop reading books about dogs! I recently finished another book about a lady who raises a guide dog and then had to give it away after a year. And let's not talk about my experience while watching I Am Legend!)