“The Alchemist”
by Paulo Coelho
Most college students remember the book the “The Alchemist.” Whether it was listed as one of the many books on your summer reading list or for a book assignment, this book found its most popular audience in high school teachers of the early ‘90s. Recently rereading this book has illuminated a lot of life lessons that didn’t sink in from high school until now. For those not acquainted with the plot, the book is about a Spanish shepherd who, after having a vision-like dream of treasure buried at the base of the pyramids, travels across the deserts of Egypt to find it. On the way he meets an English traveler looking for an alchemist, a mysterious man who can turn lead into gold (the alchemist), and a desert woman whom he falls madly in love with. Along the way, the young shepherd faces what seem to be insurmountable obstacles. With the help of the new people he’s met, he completes his journey finding more than earthly treasures, but finding inner strength and learning the meaning of true love. “The Alchemist” is a great story of inspiration and finding your personal calling. For everyone caught up on homework, this is a great and quick read that will leave the reader with life long lessons. — Tiffany Cullen
“The Complete Love & Rockets”
Los Bros. Hernandez
For over 25 years, three brothers, children of Mexican immigrants, have created the most dynamic, multi-dimensional, near-perfect American comics, all under the radar of the two major stateside comics companies. Now, the collected works of Jaime, Gilbert, and Mario Hernanzez has been re-released by long-time publisher Fantagraphics in seven gorgeous, inexpensive volumes catalogued according to the two main story arcs in the brothers’ canon: Las Locas, the adventures of passionate punk rockers in urban Los Angeles, and the stories surrounding the locals and visitors to the poverty-stricken Central American village of Palomar. These stories showcase the lives of those not often featured in mainstream hero stories, the life and loves of the poor, immigrants, punks, lesbians, Indians, with strong, complex women always at the center of the stories. — Michael Jewell
“Mad Men”
Iconic and beautifully grand but understated and full of minute details, “Mad Men” is not like regular television. With meager ratings, executive producer Matthew Weiner can take creative risks that pay off: longer, slower scenes that still captivate, politically incorrect insults that show us the ‘60s without the candy apple red sheen and subtle, effortless dialogue that flawlessly outlines each character. It’s not just a television show. It’s a dramatic arcing character study. Failing marriages, feminine struggles and the dog-eat-dog business world have been written about before, but not like this. Watch three episodes and you’re hooked, because Weiner has created a world that is sexy, touching, revolting, but always full of engrossing tension. No television show can compare with “Mad Men.” As office queen bee Joan Holloway would say, the other shows are hiding a very attractive girl behind too much lunch. — Tandy Versyp
