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The Alchemist: A Modern Classic Fable of Spiritual Healing, Self-Discovery, and the Power of Dreams
The Alchemist
by Paulo Coelho
illustrated by James Noel Smith
translated by Alan R. Clarke
In this fictional account of an Andalusian shepherd, you will find a hodgepodge of philosophy, spirituality, and a variety of religions. Both the writer and the main character Santiago have their childhood roots in Catholicism, but both add in a blend of mysticism, Islamic beliefs, magic, and omens cloaked in a veil of wisdom. The Alchemist is the kind of book that readers will love or hate depending on their backgrounds and what they are searching for—in life and in a good book. The story is an adventure as Santiago goes on a pilgrimage of sorts, trying to live out his Personal Legend. In the process, he learns about the Language of the World, which all things, animate and inanimate, speak, and the Soul of the World in which everyone is a part of everyone else. The goal of his Personal Legend, treasure at the Egyptian pyramids, introduces him to a wise man who calls himself a king, a gypsy, a crystal glassware dealer, caravan operators, thieves, an English seeker of wisdom, and an actual alchemist. He learns first-hand about the desert, oases, love, and tribal warfare.
The Alchemist is fairly short (175 pages) and mildly interesting, but well-written. I don’t consider it a “treasure” or “masterpiece” as some readers describe it. The main attraction of the book, for me, is the beautiful artwork. From tiny sketches to a few full-color, two-page spreads, the art echoes the text with atmosphere that draws me in, keeps my attention, and enhances my enjoyment of the book.
Rating: 4/5
Category: Philosophy, Fiction, Spirituality, Self-Help
Publication: 1988—first published in Portuguese
1993—Harper One (translated to English)
Memorable Lines:
He was sure that it made no difference to her on which day he appeared: for her, every day was the same, and when each day is the same as the next, it’s because people fail to recognize the good things that happened in their lives every day that the sun rises.
“I’m like everyone else—I see the world in terms of what I would like to see happen, not what actually does.”
“When a person really desires something, all the universe conspires to help that person realize his dream.”
The League of Tribes—Publication Day!
I am delighted to announce the publication of my husband’s first novel. It is available on Amazon as a paperback or in a Kindle version. Visit his website drjohnhiggins.com to learn more about the book and the author and see some of the illustrations included in the book.
Suppose you were by accident of time-space transported 13,000 years into the past of a wilderness area you have been visiting with your son. For a time, your survival depends largely on a small band of Ojibwe natives. In this book, the protagonist, Dr. Jackson, is an advanced engineering professional. At its core the book reimagines the purpose of civilization in a way that seeks to improve the lives of those it encompasses. Realizing ultimately that he can never return home, he gradually adopts his new culture and new family relationships. His final fifteen years are invested in seeding two important changes to help his adopted people in the future. He introduces domestication of the horse, avoiding premature extinction and securing the horse an early and permanent place in the native culture. He travels widely and then develops a durable school to prepare for the eventual arrival of Europeans: their avarice, disease, and advanced technology as well as their more positive characteristics. Can such a small seed in time amount to much effect?
A Sky Full of Stars–family secrets
A Sky Full of Stars
By Fay Keenan
When Dr. Charlotte James, a historical astronomical archivist at the University of North West Wessex, said goodbye to the last of the departing undergraduate students she supervised in dormitory housing, she moved for five weeks to Brambleton. With incredible timing, because she had just broken up with a boyfriend who returned to the U.S., Charlotte was offered a temporary job archiving the remaining documents at the Lower Brambleton Observatory, which was being decommissioned. A housing development is scheduled to replace the observatory when archiving and demolition of the structure are complete.
Although the site is remote, Charlotte is provided nice housing in an annexe to Lorelai Ashcombe’s cottage. It is within walking distance of the observatory with a nice area for her cocker spaniel, Comet, to play. Lorelai raised twins Tristan and Thea (her grandchildren) when their parents, both astronomers, died in a car accident. Mystery shrouds the observatory as well as the Ashcombe family. Many years later, they are still trying to recover from the trauma of the unexpected deaths. Charlotte’s discovery of an important document may change the way certain family members are perceived.
Tristan and Charlotte have a rocky start as he is very protective of his grandmother and fearful of her taking in strangers. It doesn’t help that their first accidental meeting occurred when Comet decided to explore the observatory site fenced off in preparation for demolition. The enemy to lover trope appears early in the book, and Tristan and Charlotte’s initial, bristly response to each other is fairly quickly resolved. Then the story branches out to Charlotte’s finds at the site’s records room and her interaction with various family members. A resident and aficionado of Bristol, she finds she also enjoys the quiet and beauty of Brambleton and the new friends she makes in the area. The denouement of the novel showcases a lot of breath-holding action followed by a satisfying conclusion.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 4/5
Category: Romance, Women’s Fiction
Notes: 1. #1 in the Brambleton Series
2. Contains one steamy scene, but nothing graphic. There is some swearing, but not a lot and mainly during a crisis scene.
3. In the U.S., we call an addition to a building an “annex.” In Great Britain, it is called an “annexe.” Likewise, “realize” becomes “realise.”
Publication: March 18, 2025—Boldwood Books
Memorable Lines:
“Some things deserve to be torn down,” Lorelai replied, and this time there was no mistaking the dark edge to her tone, more pronounced than it had been last night when they’d first discussed the development. “It’ll be for the best when that place is gone. And then, maybe everyone can at last move on.”
Charlotte was more than used to encountering rogue pieces of information; documents that implied one thing but on further investigation revealed another; suggested truths that became elegantly constructed falsehoods after further investigation and research.
She hadn’t realised how accustomed she’d got to the quiet until she was back in the noise of the city.
Ambush–exotic animals
Ambush
by Colleen Coble
Paradise Alden returns home to Nova Cambridge, Alabama, to find some things the same and others completely different. She has the same feelings for Blake Lawson that she had in high school, and he reciprocates, but they have some emotional negotiating to do first. Paradise had a tough time in the foster care system, but is now a veterinarian. Blake was a Marine combat paramedic, but received a discharge to help his mother raise his two adorable stepbrothers when their father died suddenly in an accident. They meet up again at the family owned Sanctuary Wildlife Preserve where Paradise has been hired by Blake’s mother, Jenna, as an exotic animal vet and all-round help. Paradise is also recovering from a nasty wound she received from a black jaguar. She loves large cats, but needs to conquer her fear of the big animals.
Colleen Coble’s tale is definitely suspenseful, the type that will keep you turning pages, but not keep you up all night. In this mystery, there are a sequence of at least nine events aimed at hurting The Sanctuary or its workers. Negative attention is drawn to the wildlife park when a protestor is found dead on the premises. If possible, things just go downhill from there. As it becomes apparent that these are not isolated incidents, the main characters are convinced that someone is out to destroy The Sanctuary Wildlife Preserve, but who and why? A number of people in the area are suspected, but lech and bully Deputy Creed Greene is laser-focused on pinning it all on Blake.
Although the main puzzles and mysteries in this book are solved, there are still many threads that will lead to more excitement and discovery in the next books in the series. This novel has Christian overtones as Blake’s family models the love of Jesus so effectively that both Paradise and another hurting character are led to trust in God despite past traumas. It is clean and the romance is gentle. I’m looking forward to continuing this series.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Mystery, Suspense, Romance
Notes: 1. #1 in the Sanctuary Series.
2. #2 was published in November, 2025 and #3 is expected in July, 2026. I’m looking forward to both of these.
4. Clean in all aspects.
Publication: March 4, 2025—Thomas Nelson
Memorable Lines:
Being courageous led to more courage, while being afraid led to more and more fear.
“I never realized having the resource of prayer was such a big deal. It’s somehow comforting to know events are outside my control and that’s okay. It makes me realize I never had the control I thought I had.”
Blake wasn’t someone who spoke flowery words of love—he was a man of action who showed his love for those close to him with every decision he made.
Last Wool and Testament–mystery and fiber arts
Last Wool and Testament
by Peggy Ehrhart
Author Peggy Ehrhart is a multi-talented person as is reflected in her writing. A former professor with a Ph.D. in Medieval Literature, her writing is excellent. I usually get quickly bored with novels that describe repeatedly and at great length what the characters are eating and the locations of their dining experiences. This is not the case with the Knit and Nibble Mystery series. Although the protagonist Pamela Paterson has the same toast and coffee every morning, all the other meals, even the simple ones, are beautifully described with interesting details.
The author is also very interested in crafts, so Pamela is a work-from-home associate editor of Fiber Craft magazine. She reviews books for the publication and chooses and edits submitted articles. She frequently works on pieces that involve archeology that show how the fiber arts have been important through the ages.
Pamela with her friend and neighbor Bettina are the backbone of a group called Knit and Nibble who meet weekly in member homes to knit, chat, and enjoy a special dessert prepared by the host. Pamela and Bettina are frequently involved in various investigations when crimes occur in their town of Arborville, New Jersey.
The Knit and Nibble series is one of the calmest, gentlest, cozy mystery series I have read. There are indeed murders to be solved—two in this book, but there is so much emphasis on friendship and community relationships that it is a low stress book. Pamela and Bettina follow some leads, but they don’t constantly put themselves in danger as the protagonists in many cozy mysteries often do. There is a big emphasis on looking at the mystery as a puzzle and putting the pieces together as they discover clues, often though observation.
In Last Wool and Testament, an artistic neighbor specializing in fiber arts is killed shortly before she was to have a showing at a local gallery. There are a number of possible suspects, but just as they narrow the field to one, he is also murdered!
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 4/5
Category: Mystery
Notes: 1.This is the 12th book in the Knit and Nibble Mystery Series. I have not read all of them; but I have enjoyed a number of them, and I recommend the series. Reading some of the earlier novels would be helpful, but the author does give background to each character when they appear in this book.
2. At the end of this book, the author includes information on Intarsia, a special knitting technique, and then refers the reader to her web page that has even more information along with illustrations.
3. She also has recipes for three of the dishes the Knit and Nibble group enjoy in the book and has photographs on her web page of the steps involved in cooking them.
Publication: April 29, 2025—Kensington
Memorable Lines:
Two pieces remained, themselves quite inviting—each edged with a puffy ridge of golden-brown crust, layered with mozzarella-streaked tomato sauce, and dotted with lustrous rounds of pepperoni…Then he flipped the box’s lid back to release an aroma that combined tomato, garlic, and olive oil with the seductive lure of fresh-baked yeasty dough.
Pamela hadn’t actually thought that until she heard herself say it. Clearly, the act of walking had set her mind free to roam as well, and it had been mulling over the journal images she had studied anew before heading out the door.
By the time all six dishes had been filled, the layered chunks of pudding remaining in the compote evoked a stratified landscape disrupted by a seismic upheaval.
The Pretender–Amish mystery
The Pretender
by Wanda E. Brunstetter
The Mifflin County Mystery Series a successful blend of cozy mystery and Amish romance. In Belleville, Pennsylvania, there is an Amish community that is rocked by the disappearance of Rosa, a young Amish woman. Always in the background of the first two books in the series is concern for Rosa. Is she dead? Did she run off so she wouldn’t be pressured to join the Amish church? If so, why didn’t she contact someone, anyone, to let her family know she is alive? Her boyfriend Ephraim, her best friend Ada, or her oldest brother Norman who desperately looked for her?
As anticipated, the author shares Rosa’s story in The Pretender. It has been two years since she disappeared. Everyone has moved on as best they can. Ephraim and Ada have a relationship. Rosa’s sister, Susan, has taken over her room and tried to replace her in a close bond with their mom.
I don’t want to spoil The Pretender by sharing details. I do encourage you to read the whole series. There are lots of twists and turns as various characters grapple with what is morally appropriate to do in certain situations and what will cause the least pain to the fewest number of people. One of the main characters is English which, romantically speaking, is the basis of trouble in the Amish world.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 4/5
Category: Christian, Religion, Romance, Mystery
Notes: This is the third book in the Mifflin County Mystery series and I would recommend reading them in order. I read #2 first, then #1, and finally #3. While I understood the second book as a standalone, I wished I had read them in order.
Publication: August 1, 2025—Barbour Publishing
Memorable Lines:
“…life doesn’t always give us what we want or think we need. I guess the good days help to prepare us for the not-so-good times and teach us to appreciate those times when things are going well for us.”
One thing was for sure: It would be a cold day in the hottest part of Arizona before Anthony would ask his folks if he could move in with them. Nope, that would never work out.
These negative thoughts don’t come from You, do they, Lord? Isn’t that just like the enemy to sidetrack a person when they are praying, while trying to trust and seek God’s will?
Hinds’ Feet on High Places: an Engaging Visual Journey
Hinds’ Feet on High Places
By Hannah Hurnard
Illustrated by Jill de Haan & Rachel McNaughton
Chapter One of Hinds’ Feet on High Places begins with a summary: “This is the story of how Much-Afraid escaped from her Fearing relatives and went with the Shepherd to the High Places where “perfect love casteth out fear.” This one sentence alerts the reader to the style and genre of this book—an allegory. It follows the journey of the protagonist, Much-Afraid, as she progresses through the ups and downs of life, learning to trust and follow the Chief Shepherd. With deformities to her face that affect her speech and problems with her legs which limit her mobility, she has been bullied mercilessly. When she decides to follow the Chief Shepherd to ascend mountain heights where all will be healed, she is embarking upon an adventure with Sorrow and Suffering as her companions, but she eventually sees the value of these new friends and learns how to fight against her old foes from the Valley of Humiliation.
Hinds’ Feet on High Places has maintained its popularity with Christians with many rereading it at various stages of life. I can see how multiple readings would be valuable: learning new lessons about drawing close to Jesus in every stage of life. This is my first reading of the book (a book club selection), and I chose this illustrated version. It is a masterpiece of art and design. There are lovely watercolors and photographs throughout. Verses from the Songs of Solomon (canticles) are part of the story and are illustrated with delicate, color drawings. The book includes designated places for the reader to briefly note the “memorial stones” in his or her life just as Much-Afraid collected a memorial stone to put in her pouch from each of the altars along the way that commemorate her laying down a fear or trouble.
There are a number of verses that are drawn out on a full page with color illustrations. Then those same drawings are repeated again at the back of the book as outlines for those who enjoy coloring.
An independent missionary in Israel, Hannah Hurnard wrote this book during a three week period when she was visiting Switzerland following the death of her father in England. Her story of that visit and a brief autobiography are included at the end of the book. She wrote several books, but she is best known for Hinds’ Feet on High Places.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Christian, Allegory, Fiction
Notes: 1. Inspired by Habakkuk 3:19: “The Lord God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places.”
2. Full disclosure—I did not write or color in my copy of the book. It is just too beautiful!
3. This version makes a wonderful gift to be enjoyed and treasured.
Publication: 1.This illustrated version: January 1, 2017—Tyndale House
2. The original paperback version without illustrations was first published on January 1, 1955 by Christian Literature Crusade.
Memorable Lines:
“You can’t mean it. You said if I would trust you, you would bring me to the High Places, and that path leads right away from them. It contradicts all that you promised.” “No,” said the Shepherd, “it is not contradiction, only postponement for the best to become possible.”
She had the feeling that somehow, in the very far-off places, perhaps even in far-off ages, there would be a meaning found to all sorrow and an answer too fair and wonderful to be as yet understood.
“That is the only really satisfactory way of dealing with evil, not simply binding it so that it cannot work harm, but whenever possible overcoming it with good.”
The Next Deadly Chapter–disappearing body
The Next Deadly Chapter
By V. M. Burns
Samantha (Sam) Washington, bookstore owner and author of the historical cozy mystery Murder at Wickfield Lodge, is heckled by a man at a book talk presented on land owned by the Pontolomas in Michigan. The embarrassed leader of the tribal council of this newly recognized Native American tribe gives Sam and several of her friends a weekend at the fancy resort and casino owned by the tribe.
This gift is perfect as a retreat from pre-wedding chaos for Sam, her grandmother Nana Jo, and her grandmother’s friends. Well, perfect until a dead body shows up in the future mother-in-law’s suite…and then disappears. The book, of course, focuses on finding the body and the murderer.
This series uses a technique of a book within a book. When Sam is restless or searching her brain for clues, she turns to writing her historical mystery series. The brilliant thing about this stress reliever is that it usually provides Sam with insights into untapped avenues of investigation. The use of this tool gets mixed reactions from me in this particular book. I think it is very clever, but the characters in the book Sam is writing have very long names and/or two completely different names due to the alternative use of titles like “Lord” and “Lady.” This cumbersome name assignment bogged the writing down for me. The other issue is that the historical mystery is less important and therefore is assigned less space in The Next Deadly Chapter. If the interspersed passages were combined, they would be about the length of a novella, not allowing enough space for plot or character development.
Sam’s future mother-in-law, a doctor, is intimidating at first, but loosens up during the course of the book. The change in her character is a little too sudden to be convincing. Dawson is a young man that Sam has taken under her wing. He is approached by his father who is newly released from jail. They have a troubled relationship which the author writes about very effectively, and then the whole plot thread is dropped. It seems like a missed opportunity to involve the young man in the story and delve into some social issues.
In general, the main plot and mystery were good. I didn’t figure out the perpetrator until the reveal at the end of the book. There were lots of relationship complications and twists in the story.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 4/5
Category: Mystery
Notes: 1. #10 in the Mystery Bookshop Mystery Series. I have only read a few of the books in this series, but I had no problem dropping in at this point.
2. Don’t expect to see much of Sam’s two small poodles in this volume. She goes to a resort and leaves the dogs at home.
Publication: February 25, 2025—Kensington
Memorable Lines:
“When you read a cozy, the author won’t describe the murder in graphic detail….If you think about Jessica Fletcher in Murder, She Wrote, she always just stumbled across a dead body. The important thing wasn’t the body. The important thing was the puzzle. It’s about figuring out the clues to determine whodunit.”
Leon’s battle with cancer was short, and it taught me that life is too short not to spend it doing what you love.
Baking was how Dawson reduced stress and worked through his problems. My stress reliever was writing. I sat down at my laptop and took a trip back in time to 1939 and the British countryside to relieve my own stress.
Lily Tripp: Diary of an Accidental Time Traveler
Lily Tripp
by Amelia Tait
Thirteen year old Lily Tripp never planned on being a time traveler. It just happens. One minute she’s in the twenty-first century, and then with the New Year’s countdown she finds herself in an entirely different era. Each year has new challenges and she has to learn about the customs and technology of each age from Victorian England to Ancient Rome to America in the 1970’s. Lily’s best friend Poppy, her nemesis Georgia, and her special friend Ollie appear wherever Lily “lands.” Her family and pets are there too, but everyone takes on a role different from the one they have in their original time frame. For example, in the seventeenth century, Lily is Georgia’s servant and sleeps on a trundle bed at Georgia’s side. Lily records all of her travels in a diary along with lists and special notes about her experiences.
As you can imagine, there is a lot of humor in this book. Readers are also exposed to the history of various time frames, and will have to decide how they would confront various situations. Being a young teenager is hard enough without being thrown into completely new expectations. Bullying and friendship are major themes. Young love in the form of a possible budding romance is woven into the story also. I liked watching the characters Lily and Poppy navigate the minefields inherent in being thirteen years old. The diary format was a good one for this tale. I will watch out for the next book in this series, and I recommend it for middle age readers, especially girls.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 4/5
Category: Children’s Fiction, Middle Grades
Notes: 1. Ages 10-14
2. #1 in the Lily Tripp Diary Series
3. Includes notes explaining what is historically accurate and what isn’t.
Publication: May 12, 2026—Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group (can be pre-ordered)
Memorable Lines:
Every New Year’s day until the last one, I entered a New Old Year. And everyone I know came back to a different time with me and spent a whole year in the past. But here’s the kicker: absolutely no one seemed to notice it was happening except for ME.
Fairly early on in my time travels, I realized that while everyone’s memories get adjusted, they don’t disappear…And if old memories won’t fit into new perspectives, then it seems they end up sort of jumbled, so people don’t remember exactly what happened, but they do remember how they felt.
The one thing I can say for certain about Joey or Joseph or whoever he is—the one thing that was true in 1922, 1621 and the 1970s—is that he has a knack for staying out of trouble while getting other people into it.
The Paris Bookshop for the Broken-Hearted–starting over again
The Paris Bookshop for the Broken-Hearted
By Rebecca Raisin
When Coco is betrayed by her romantic and business partner, she loses not only her lover and her small, London publishing firm, but also her reputation. Although she did nothing illegal or unethical, she finds herself unemployable. Picking herself up, she takes her teen daughter out of their home and comfort zone and moves into one bedroom in her parents’ apartment in Paris. Fortunately, all four of them are bilingual.
Just as Coco acknowledges to herself that she will be unable to find a job in a publishing firm, she wanders down a cobblestone side street and discovers The Bookshop for the Broken-Hearted. The owner of the combination chaotic bookstore and unusual bar with cocktails (potions) and bespoke passages is Valérie. She hires Coco to help in the shop. Coco helps with traditional clerking duties and makes innovations in the running of the store. She also takes over the store’s book club introducing a number of interesting characters to the story. There are several mysteries in the shop. Where does Valérie disappear to every day? How does she seem to know just what each customer needs? Who is this Henri who keeps crossing paths with Coco? Where does he go every day at 4:00?
While Coco is settling in to her new job, she also has to tread untested waters with a resentful teen who misses her friends back in London. Eloise is being bullied at school and all kinds of difficulties arise from that.
The plot is well-written with some surprising twists and romantic turns that provide opportunities for character development. The crisis in Eloise’s life is complicated by her mom’s possible entanglement with Henri. The other characters see the romantic interest between Henri and Coco before the pair recognizes it, but that doesn’t mean it will progress smoothly for the couple. By virtue of its setting, the book has a lot of the feel of Paris in it. That ambiance will be a big draw for some readers as well as the bookish mood that permeates The Paris Bookshop for the Broken-Hearted.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Romance, Women’s Fiction
Notes: Includes several instances of one vulgar French word and one English expletive is uttered a few times. Otherwise clean.
Publication: February 3, 2025—Boldwood Books
Memorable Lines:
Eloise and I have left London with only two suitcases and a backpack full of books. I also have a couple of extra bags, but those are under my eyes and here for the duration.
I’ll probably lose my French citizenship mentioning that fashion doesn’t inspire me, but honestly, who can pretend about these things? “If I were to spoil myself, it would be a book-buying spree, not a blouse with or without frills.”
“Your car has more dimples than a golf ball.” “Parking in Paris is a blood sport.”
education pathways 