The Stand By Stephen King

The Stand really left an impression on me (because it can happen) about the end of the world and the behavior of humans. The idea of a deadly flu doesn’t play favorites. It’s anyone’s guess who will survive and who will die. Nothing can help you, not money, status, politics, good looks and so on.

After a plague (called Superflu or Captain Trips) is accidentally released upon the world, 99 percent of the world’s population dies. The first section of the novel charts the total breakdown and destruction of society in some very graphic scenes. The few survivors are divided between the forces of good and evil, as the two groups become aware of one another, they see the other as a threat to its survival. The Stand determines who will rebuild the world; the good or the evil.

The Shack

This book was a very nice surprise. Very Christian oriented. The story was beautifully told.

A man’s youngest daughter is abducted and murdered in a shack in the Oregon wilderness. Four years later he gets a note inviting him back to the shack for a weekend. Oh yeah, the note is signed God.

He has some interesting conversations with God (The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit).

Warrior of Light by Paulo Coelho

I bought this book years ago and didn’t really care for it because it wasn’t a story. In hindsight, it’s because I wasn’t ready for it.

I really love this book because it is individual pages of positives reinforcements and affirmations.

“A Warrior of the Light knows that he has much to be grateful for.”
“A Warrior can distinguish between the transient and the enduring.”
“A Warrior of Light knows what he wants. And he has no need to waste time on explanations.”

The Pilgrimage by Paulo Coelho

Paulo’s first book is about his journey across Spain along the legendary road of San Tiago. “We must never stop Dreaming” seems to be the main theme.

He has specific rituals that he practiced along the way and how to perform them (they are a little scary to me). These adventures include a lot of mysticism and miracles which were difficult for me to believe.

I did not relate to this book as much as I have with many of his other books. This one is a little bit out of this world for me, but one can tell that it was important for Paulo to share this experience with the world.

The Zahir by Paulo Coelho

Zahir, in Arabic, means visible, present, incapable of going unnoticed.

I don't understand how I could have forgotten this book. It's only after reading little pieces of it do I remember the lessons this book taught me. Why is it that we need to be constantly reminded of what is really important?

A famous novelist’s wife, a war correspondent, has disappeared along with a friend who may or may not be her lover. Was she kidnapped, murdered or did she simply escape a marriage that left her unfulfilled? In his attempt to find a lost love, he discovers something unexpected about himself.

By The River Piedra, I Sat Down and Wept by Paulo Coelho

“True love is an act of total surrender”. (I don’t know what this means)

“To love is to be in communion with the other and to discover in that other the spark of God”. (This I understand a bit better)

The River Piedra is in a small village in the French Pyrenees. Pilar is writing her story on the bank of the river. Her hands are freezing, her legs are numb but she must write her story of love so she can toss it into the Piedra and be free of it.

The main focus of this book is the many conflicts we face in search for love. But there’s a lot of talk of Priests, Angels, God, Mother Theresa and so on.

Eleven Minutes by Paulo Coelho

I took this book with me to Turks and Caicos to read by the beach. I had a little notebook and took 14 little notes. Here are a few:

In order to master the soul, one must also learn to master the body

She was no longer dependent on what happened in order to be happy

The greatest pleasure isn’t sex, but the passion with which it is practiced

“Good enough” is very different from “Best”

Maria, a young girl from Brazil decides love is a terrible thing after suffering her first heartache. She follows a talent scout to Switzerland, believing she will become a famous model, only to find that she is to become a night club dancer and a prostitute.

Veronika Decides to Die by Paulo Coelho

This book like most of Paulo’s stories had a profound effect on me. Don’t judge a book by its cover (negatively or positively).

Veronika is 24 and seems to have everything – youth, beauty, boyfriends, a loving family and a fulfilling job. But one morning she takes a bunch of pills hoping to be done with it. Instead she wakes up in a mental hospital where she’s told she has only days to live.

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

This was my first Paulo Coelho book. I find that people either like The Alchemist and get it or totally dislike it and ask “What’s the big deal?”

I truly enjoyed this book and have read it twice. It’s a soft gentle journey that teaches you to embrace the obstacles life throws your way and to trust yourself as you follow your dreams.

The story is about a young sheppard boy who travels from his homeland in search of a treasure buried in the Pyramids.

A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle

“Don’t sweat the small stuff”
“Do you control your thinking or does it control you?”- just two of the lessons that stayed with me after reading this book.

New Earth is easier to understand then the Power of Now. This book can really help you see and think about life differently. It’s great when Eckhart describes the ego and how to deal with it. It’s weird to think of your ego as a separate part of you with its own agenda.

The Power of NOW by Eckhart Tolle

I’ve read the book twice and have lots of book marks that I can read when I need a reminder or a pick-up. It is a spiritual journey and Eckhart tries to teach you a new way of thinking and perceiving life. Nothing matters more than right NOW. Yesterday is gone and tomorrow may never come.

It is written in the form of question and answer (questions that were asked of him over the years). It’s not always easy to understand, on a few occasions I had to put the book down and come back to it at a later time.

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

The book is separated in two parts and it felt like two different books and two different authors. I really loved the first half and didn’t like the second part at all. Our book club discussion thought maybe the author wanted it this way to show the difference between fantasy and reality.

The story is set in a private college in Vermont where an inner circle of five students are selected to study the mysteries of ancient Greek culture. Well of course somewhere along the line, reality and fantasy collide and the group commits a crime.

Roxana by Daniel Defoe

I truly am enjoying the 18th century literature they make our Soap Operas look like child’s play. But authors of that time wrote to make a point or teach the audience a lesson. It is very important as you read the story to keep in mind the history of that time.

Roxana sells her virtue for survival, then for fame and fortune. She tells her story as a mistress of rich and powerful men. She hates marriage for what it stood for during that time. She says “that a woman gave herself entirely away from herself in marriage, and capitulated only to be at best an upper servant…”

Idiot's Guide to Total Nutrition by Joy Bauer

This was really easy to read and had all the major recommendations on how to eat healthy. I used it like a school books (took notes). It’s not a diet book, the focus is healthy nutrition.

Atheist Spirituality by Andre Comte-Sponville

Andre Comte-Sponville is one of France’s contemporary philosophers. He asks: Can we do without God? Is there Spirituality without God? Can we have ethics without God? Is there such a thing as Atheist Spirituality?

This is an interesting book for atheists and believers. He even questions if people who say they believe in God, really do believe in God as described in mainstream or the dictionary.

Aristotle: Pioneering Philosopher and founder of the Lyceum

Socrates was the originator, Plato was his student, and then Aristotle was Plato’s student. These men loved knowledge and dedicated their lives to learn everything they could.

One of Socrates’ most famous quotes: The unexamined life isn’t worth living.
Two from Aristotle: “We are what we repeatedly do”; “Nature does nothing useless”

This book is part of an elementary school series but I think it’s great for any beginner. It is easy to read with great information and beautiful art.

Harry Potter Series by JK Rowling

This is a great series. Absolutely one of the best coming of age stories ever written. The story is well written and wonderfully told in its magical setting. JK Rowling creates this dual world with lots of surprises. The Goblet of Fire and The Half-Blood Prince are my favorites. The movies (though they try and try hard) cannot do any justice to the books.

Harry is an 11 year old boy who learns that he is a wizard and the evil wizard who killed his parents is now after him. So not only does Harry have to deal with all the challenges of puberty but he is constantly dealing with death threats.


Universal Studios is working on a Harry Potter Theme Park scheduled to be open Spring 2010.


http://www.universalorlandoresort.com/harrypotter/

Twilight Series by Stephenie Meyer

A teenage love story except that he is a 100 year old vampire. The author truly captures the love between Edward and Bella. When she describes their feelings, passion and chemistry it truly touches the readers to the core. You are transported and may even be able to experience the lovers’ passion.

As a writer she is inexperienced and doesn’t write well but I couldn’t put the books down. I was up until 2am trying to finish Twilight.

Of the four books Twilight and Breaking Dawn are my favorites but if you like Jacob and the werewolves, you will probably prefer New Moon and Eclipse.

This picture will forever be ingrained in minds of teens and many adults too I’m sure.

The Reader by Bernhard Schlink

Boy talk about depressing. This is the first book we read in the book club that I belong to. I did not feel the need to see the movie. Why be depressed twice –LOL. It was published in Germany in 1995 and won several awards in The US.

A teenage boy has a passionate affair with a woman with a deep dark secret. The book also deals with the difficulties younger generations had in comprehending the Holocaust. The story is intriguing and great to discuss in a book club.

I try not to be judgmental, but I cannot wrap my head around the fact that someone would rather die than bare the shame of a short coming.

Fantomina: Or Love in a Maze by Eliza Haywood

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Fantomina (a short fiction written in 1724) is about a young socialite who disguises herself as a prostitute just to see what it would be like. The story takes a twist once she falls in love with the man she sleeps with and now she has to continue disguising herself as a house maid then as a mourning widow to keep his interest.

I have to tell you this girl makes Britney Spears look sane. But seriously, during the 18th century, women were rarely depicted as being able to take care of themselves let alone to be clever. Ms. Haywood dared to allow her heroine to carry out her sexual desires. And in the end Fantomina neither killed nor disgraced.

Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

I think I read this book about two years ago and I hope the movie does it justice. When I went to Bali my sister and I hunted Ketut down and yes he is real. I wonder if they will use him in the movie.

Lying on the floor and crying her eyes out Elizabeth realizes, even though she’s reached the American dream, she is truly miserable. The story takes you through her search to find herself and happiness during her travel to Italy, India and Indonesia. It’s easy to read, funny and very insightful.

The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown

So drawn out!!! This is a good story with great historical facts, but it is buried under a lot of nonsense. It seems that he added 200 pages just to stretch the book. Towards the end I had to force myself to finish the book. It’s too bad because it has the potential to be a very good fiction.

There’s a lot of interesting information about America’s forefather and Masonry. It makes you think of Washington DC in a different light.