The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

I didn't get much reading done on the flight to and from Chicago, due to post-midterm fatigue on the way there and post-trip exhaustion on the way back, but I did finish this book shortly after returning. It's about listening to your heart and finding your Personal Legend, but despite the happy message it falls short of my list of good books. Coelho tends to make lots of statements about the truth of the Universe which was kind of a turn-off for me. It's hard to relate when there are no questions asked and nothing to contemplate. I'm sure though that it's one of those books that I will return to in a year or two and be like, "Whoa! there is so much that I missed when I first read this!" So now The Alchemist is sitting on my desk between Rainer Maria Rilke and Thomas Moore becuase the spine is a pretty soft brown color. and yes, I like poetry and self-help books.

The boy didn't know what a person's "Personal Legend" was.
"It's what you have always wanted to accomplish. Everyone, when they are young, knows what their Personal Legend is.
"At that point in their lives, everything is clear and everything is possible. They are not afraid to dream, and to yearn for everything they would like to see happen to them in their lives. But, as time passes, a mysterious force begins to convince them that it will be impossible for them to realize their Personal Legend."