If I should cry, my eyes would know, all the feelings I didn’t let show.
If I should cry, my eyes would see, all of the things I neglected to be.
If I should cry, my heart would hear, all of the secrets I hold dear.
If I should cry, my heart would feel, all of the things that can never be real.
Dedicated to my family, those alive and those lost.
(c) copyright 2008 ~ Nina Soden
For more poems, check out by collection on Amazon: Private Words Unspoken
Today’s #MindfulnessMonday Tip: Remember to take time to enjoy life and those around you. So often we find ourselves working tooth and nail so that SOMEDAY we might enjoy our retirement. Make sure you’re taking time to enjoy life today… not just hoping to do it SOMEDAY in the future.
Check out today’s #MindfulnessMonday video where I talk about stress; what it is, signs of stress, what to do when you start feeling stressed, and how to protect yourself from stress! You can check out the video by clicking HERE!
This is a partner activity. It can be done with a spouse, a friend, even your children. All you have to do is have a conversation that doesn’t have anything to do with work, school, stress, or anything else that has been bogging you down. For five to ten minutes, I want you to talk about only the things you notice around you. This is best done while taking a walk, sitting in a park, or even over coffee at an outdoor café.
If you’re having trouble starting the conversation or you find yourselves getting sucked into typical meaningless small-talk, try playing a game of eye-spy to get your started. You might just find the conversation takes on a life of its own, allowing you some time away from the daily stressors that tend to fill our minds throughout the day.
Don’t be afraid to let this conversation continue as long as is comfortable.
After completing the Observation Communication Exercise, take a few minutes to write down as many observations you made throughout the conversation. How many drew your attention back to work/school/stress related topics and how many were completely unrelated to any stressors in your daily life.
Keep this list and try this exercise when you are further along in your mindfulness practices and see if you do better.
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A Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Workbook (A New Harbinger Self-Help Workbook)
Stress and pain are nearly unavoidable in our daily lives; they are part of the human condition. This stress can often leave us feeling irritable, tense, overwhelmed, and burned-out. The key to maintaining balance is responding to stress not with frustration and self-criticism, but with mindful, nonjudgmental awareness of our bodies and minds. Impossible? Actually, it’s easier than it seems.
Would you prefer to watch the video review, instead of reading it? CLICK HERE
Title: John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum (2019)
Director: Chad Stahelski
Writers: Derek Kolstad, Shay Hatten, Chris Collins, & Marc Abrams
Stars: Keanu Reeves (John Wick), Halle Berry (Sofia), Ian McShane (Winston), Laurence Fishburne (Bowery King), Asia Kate Dillon (The Adjudicator), Lance Reddick (Charon), & Randall Duk Kim (Doctor)
Genre(s): Action / Crime / Thriller
Length: 2 hours and 11 minutes
In this third installment of the adrenaline-fueled action franchise, skilled assassin John Wick (Keanu Reeves) returns with a $14 million price tag on his head and an army of bounty-hunting killers on his trail. After killing a member of the shadowy international assassin’s guild, the High Table, John Wick is excommunicado, but the world’s most ruthless hit men and women await his every turn.
Let’s start with this… Keanu Reeves is going to be 55 years old later this year, September 2nd to be exact. Now, I’m not saying 55 is old, because it isn’t. However, I’m not even close to 55 yet and there is no way I’d have the energy it must have taken to do that role. Nor do I have the amazing abs that Keanu has… I’d love to know his workout routine because come on, it is bikini season after all.
I joked with my husband, as we left the theatre. I said, I bet if you took everything except the dialog out of the script, you’d be left with about 5 pages. There was virtually no dialogue in this movie. Don’t get me wrong, it didn’t bother me. You don’t really go to a Keanu Reeves movie to hear him talk… he is eye candy, plain and simple. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t dive into his characters, he does. He gave 110% to the role of John Wick and I can’t wait to see the next one. Chapter 3 left the story open for another sequel and I’m sure fans of all ages, like me, will be lining up to see it.
This movie will keep you on the edge of your seat the whole time. The action starts the moment the lights go out and doesn’t stop until the credits start rolling. Seriously, the fighting is insane… Its raw, with the grit of the Jason Bourne movies and the improvisation of real life. I love how they didn’t pretend that their guns had an endless supply of bullets; numerous times throughout the movies the characters had to stop fighting to change out their magazines. No more bullets, that’s ok just throw the gun at his head. Can’t find a weapon, no problem just run to the nearest antiquities shop and start tossing around daggers and hatchets.
Probably the best action film series I’ve seen in a while. No, there isn’t much there in terms of story…
His wife dies… he gets a dog… the dog gets killed… he goes on a killing spree
Yup, that pretty much sums up all three stories.
I’m not going to tell you who gets hurt, who dies, who disappears, or who gets excommunicado, you’ll have to watch the movie to get all the gruesome details. Trust me, it is worth the watch!
Don’t wait until you can rent this one at home – See it on the big screen!
I’m not going to talk about John Wick… If you’re going to see the film you already love his character. I want to talk about two of the characters that I felt really stole the screen whenever they were on.
Randall Duk Kim the actor who played the doctor that helped John sew up his shoulder five minutes before his status of excommunicado was in effect. When he pulled out his gun and handed it to Wick so that he could shoot him it was powerful… emotional… and a sign of the honest friend he was. I thought his role, although small, was extremely well written. That had to be one of my favorite scenes in the whole movie.
“If you want peace, prepare for war.” ~ Winston
AMAZON DESCRIPTION:
Named One of Riffle’s Ten Best Haunted House Books of All Time
Built at the turn of the twentieth century by one of the richest and most powerful men in the world tucked away in the pristine Pocono Mountains, Summer Place, a retreat for the rich and famous, seems the very essence of charm and beauty, “a scene borrowed from a wondrous fairytale of gingerbread houses, bright forests, and glowing, sunny meadows.”
But behind the yellow and white trimmed exterior lurks an evil, waiting to devour the unwary…
Seven years ago, Professor Gabriel Kennedy’s investigation into paranormal activity at Summer Place ended in tragedy, and destroyed his career. Now, Kelly Delaphoy, the ambitious producer of a top-rated ghost-hunting television series, is determined to make Summer Place the centerpiece of an epic live broadcast on Halloween night. To ensure success, she needs help from the one man who has come face-to-face with the evil that dwells in Summer Place, a man still haunted by the ghosts of his own failure. Disgraced and alienated from the academic community, Kennedy wants nothing to do with the event. But Summer Place has other plans…
As Summer Place grows stronger, Kennedy, along with the paranormal ghost hunting team, The Supernaturals, sets out to confront…and if possible, destroy…the evil presence dwelling there.
MY 2 CENTS / THE CRITICAL POINTS:
WRITING (★★★★): Although a bit slow and repetitive at times, I feel like David Golemon is one of the best haunted house storytellers I’ve read in a long time. I was on the edge of my seat most of the time and even when the story slowed down, at no point was I ready to give up on it. He is descriptive and captivating and makes you feel what his characters are feeling. This is not the book to read at night in a large, dark house by yourself.
STORY (★★★★): I liked how Golemon brought the modern twist of reality television into his traditional haunted house story. It did get a bit repetitive, the same haunting events happened over and over throughout the book… the doors pushing in, loud banging noises, a misty black entity, and the animals in the woods surrounding the house going a bit mad. However, I still loved this story.
When I picked up the book, recommended by a friend, I was expecting to enter a haunted house and be scared. I wasn’t scared, nor did I enter the house never to leave. The story takes you to a number of locations before you’re even allowed inside the house with ‘The Supernaturals’ a group of ghost hunters that have gathered to not only seek out, but to kill, the entity haunting Summer Place.
CHARACTERS (★★★★★): I’m a huge fan of books where the characters have powers. That can mean vampires, shifters, or witches. It can also mean, as in this book the power to dream walk, possession, and to feel or sense the spirits and ghosts among us.
I loved each of the characters that, by the end of the book, were known as The Supernaturals; Professor Kennedy, John Lonetree, Jennifer Tilden, Leonard Sickles, George Cordero, Julie Reilly, Harris Dalton, Jason Sanborn, Kelly Delaphoy, and Detective Damian Jackson.
APPEARANCE (★★★★★): The cover is beautiful. The house looks creepy and the wispy tendrils of light floating around it are ominous. This book was given to my by a friend, but had I seen it on the shelf at the bookstore, I would have picked it up.
QUESTION: My only question is this, why has this book not been turned into a movie yet?
FAVORITE QUOTE: “Now tell me I don’t know how to throw a Halloween party.” ~ Professor Gabriel Kennedy
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
David L. Golemon was born and raised in Chino, California. He come from a family steeped in military history, from the Civil War through to Vietnam. He raised three children, Shaune, Brandon and Katie Anne. After spending many years in Loveland, Colorado, he now makes his home on Long Island, New York.
In the Still of the Night: The Supernaturals II
Set in the world of The Supernaturals, one of Riffle’s Ten Best Haunted House Books of All Time, In the Still of the Night, a supernatural thriller from New York Times bestselling author of The Event Group series David L. Golemon, will make your Halloween extra spooky this year.
Event: A Novel (Event Group Thrillers Book 1)
In the summer of 1947, an unidentified object crashed in Roswell, New Mexico. There were no survivors. Now it’s happened again. But this time, two creatures have emerged from the wreckage alive . . .
Empire of the Dragon (Event Group Thriller)
230 B.C. – The first sovereign emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang, has consolidated his ultimate power with battles against the last of the dissenting tribes of China. With one last province to take, he knows he will be pitted against the one man he fears–his mysterious half-brother, Li Zhang, leader of a peaceful province to the north. The new Emperor’s goal was to murder Li Zhang for the secrets he has kept from the world that would give Qin Shi Huang the power to strike beyond the borders of ancient China. The power over earth, water, fire, and air. After a fierce battle by the Great Wall of China, Li Zhang used the powers of Air Bending to escape with his many villages into the expansive and brutal Gobi Desert. There, Li Zhang and his nation will vanish from the histories of not only the First Emperor, but of China itself.
The Mountain: An Event Group Thriller
In 1863 a meeting takes place between legendary war leaders–a secret alliance that will never show up in any American history books. A clandestine arrangement has been struck for a single chance to heal a war-torn nation. The mission is to bring the greatest prize in the world back to American soil-remnants of pre-history’s greatest ship and most startling mystery. The prize may lie on a mountain top inside the fierce Ottoman Empire, yet the men who seek it are only days away from trying to kill one another.
Carpathian: An Event Group Thriller
Rumors of the seemingly magical victory that allowed the Exodus of Israelites from Egypt have resonated through the archaeological world for decades. Now evidence has been discovered that points to a new explanation of how the ancient Hebrews destroyed the unstoppable army of Pharaoh with a tribe of warriors who disappeared a generation later, after the destruction of the City of Jericho, taking with them the most valued treasures of a people without a homeland.
If you’ve read any of the TOP 10 selections and recommend them, please comment below and let me know. If you see something you like and plan to pick up a copy, you can do so by clicking on the title or the [BUY IT HERE] button.
by Delia Owens
In a quiet town on the North Carolina coast in 1969, a young woman who survived alone in the marsh becomes a murder suspect.
by Dean Koontz
The fifth book in the Jane Hawk series. The former F.B.I. agent pursues a slew of bad guys, including a Vegas mob boss.
by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
The 18th book in the Women’s Murder Club series. Lindsay Boxer investigates the disappearance of three female teachers.
by E L James
Maxim Trevelyan inherits several estates and beds his cleaner Alessia Demachi, an Albanian piano prodigy who has been trafficked into England.
by Lee Child
Jack Reacher explores the New England town where his father was born and a Canadian couple now find themselves stranded.
by David Baldacci
The fifth book in the Memory Man series. The first man Amos Decker put behind bars asks to have his name cleared.
by George R.R. Martin
In the frozen wastes to the north of Winterfell, sinister and supernatural forces are mustering. Basis of the HBO series.
by Danielle Steel
Isabelle McAvoy faces challenges as she raises three daughters from three separate fathers on her own.
by John Sandford
The 29th book in the Prey series. Lucas Davenport goes after a serial killer.
by Jeffery Deaver
Colter Shaw, the son of a survivalist family, probes the underbelly of Silicon Valley to go after a kidnapper.
Today is the 18th Edition of #WritingWednesday!!!
The goal is 5 minutes of creativity.
Today I am writing in the voice of Nigel, a character in one of the novels I’m currently outlining.
Something that could not be logically explained? To you or to me? My whole life is filled with things that most humans would say could not be logically explained.
I’m blind. I wasn’t always blind, but when I was seven years old, I drowned. My family was at a backyard bar-b-q at a neighbor’s house, and I was playing with the other kids when I slipped and fell into the pool. I remember the feeling of the cold water rushing around me but after that, nothing.
I’m told I spent six months in the hospital, most of which I was either in a coma or sedated. When I finally woke up, I had lost all vision in both eyes. I couldn’t remember what my parents looked like or even that I had a little brother, only three years old.
My parents sent me away, to a boarding school for the blind. They said it would be the best thing for me—that I’d learn how to deal with my new reality.
I learned.
I trained.
I grew.
My life is different now. I still can’t see, not in the way you do anyway. However, my sight goes so much deeper than yours ever could.
They call me a Precognitive. It’s a fancy word for someone who knows what will come…someone with the ability to see into the future. So you see, my whole life is filled with things that you might say are not logically explainable.
© 2019 Nina Soden
Alright, now it’s your turn. I’d love to see what today’s writing prompt inspires in you. So, if you are willing, go to the comment section below and start typing. Take 5 minutes and let’s see what you come up with!
Would you like more sources for daily writing prompts? Click on the links below for two of my favorite writing prompt journals. I think you’ll really love them too!
Are you an author who is looking for ways to stay organized and on track with all your writing goals? Check out my author workbooks below. They are full of all the tools I use in my writing process!
Are you working on a manuscript, but need a little help getting organized?Check out SO YOU WANT TO WRITE A BOOK ~ An Indie Author Guide to Outlining and Planning Your Next Novel It isn’t just for indie-authors. I have filled it with all the tools I’ve learned over the years and use on a regular basis with each book I write.
Today’s #MindfulnessMonday Tip: Remember that mindfulness takes time. Like learning to ride a bike as a young child, mindfulness is a practice that often times leads us to stumble when we’re first learning but gets easier and easier with practice.
Check out today’s #MindfulnessMonday video and hear the truth about 4 mindfulness myths that just aren’t true! You can check out the video by clicking HERE!
I want you to write the word ‘mindful’ on a blank piece of paper and look at it. Really focus on the word and how it makes you feel. What does it mean? What do you feel about the word mindful? What other words can you find in its letters? Write the word multiple times to see if it changes how you feel about it. Write it in different ways, fonts, and colors. What does mindfulness represent for you?
After spending a few minutes with just that single word, I want you to write down what it means, to you, to be mindful.
Mindfulness journaling can be very private. However, I would love to invite you to comment below and share what being mindful means to you.
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Check out my #MindfulnessMonday YouTube Series and don’t forget to click subscribe so you never miss an episode!
EPISODE 22 ~ Mindfulness Myths!
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I’m certified in Holistic Stress Management and Mind/Body Fitness. I’ve been practicing Mindfulness for 10+ years and am passionate about helping others in their pursuit of a more mindful existence.
Would you like to take the 52-week challenge and experience a more mindful existence? Check out The Invisible You ~ 52 Weeks of Meditations, Activities, and Writing Prompts to Help you Discover You!
Mindfulness in Plain English was first published in 1994, is one of the bestselling — and mostinfluential — books in the field of mindfulness. It’s easy to see why.
Author Bhante Gunaratana, a renowned meditation master, takes us step by step through the myths, realities, and benefits of meditation and the practice of mindfulness. The book showcases Bhante’s trademark clarity and wit as he explores the tool of meditation, what it does, and how to make it work.
This book is:
From finding your breath to feeling grounded, these practice-based exercises make integrating mindfulness into your routine easy. With over 75 essential meditations―that take between 5-20 minutes from start to finish―Practicing Mindfulness is an approachable way to apply mindfulness in your day-to-day life.
Reduce stress, improve mental health, and stay present no matter what the day holds when you practice mindfulness, with:
Today and every day, mindfulness takes practice. Practicing Mindfulness offers effective, modern meditations and exercises to start practicing everyday mindfulness, today.
Title: Room (2015)
Director: Lenny Abrahamson
Writers: Emma Donoghue (novel and screenplay)
Stars: Brie Larson (Ma), Jacob Tremblay (Jack), and Sean Bridgers (Old Nick)
Genre(s): Drama/Thriller
SHOW RATING OVERVIEW
Writing: ★★★★★
Cinematography: ★★★★★
Story: ★★★★★
Acting: ★★★★★
Overall: ★★★★★ (5)
BLURB:
Held captive for 7 years in an enclosed space, a woman and her young son finally gain their freedom, allowing the boy to experience the outside world for the first time.
STORYLINE:
ROOM tells the extraordinary story of Jack, a spirited 5-year-old who is looked after by his loving and devoted mother. Like any good mother, Ma dedicates herself to keeping Jack happy and safe, nurturing him with warmth and love and doing typical things like playing games and telling stories. Their life, however, is anything but typical–they are trapped–confined to a 10-by-10-foot space that Ma has euphemistically named Room. Ma has created a whole universe for Jack within Room, and she will stop at nothing to ensure that, even in this treacherous environment, Jack is able to live a complete and fulfilling life. But as Jack’s curiosity about their situation grows, and Ma’s resilience reaches its breaking point, they enact a risky plan to escape, ultimately bringing them face-to-face with what may turn out to be the scariest thing yet: the real world. Written by A24 (IMBD)
MY 2 CENTS:
WOW! Back when this movie first came out, I remember seeing the previews and thinking it looked pretty good. I just never got around to actually watching it. Then, when the academy award nominations were announced and Room was up for Best Actress, Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay I was even more intrigued.
I still didn’t find time to watch it.
Now, four years after the theatre premier, I’ve finally watching it… Thank you Netflix.
Actress Brie Larson won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in Room. I can tell you this… it was well deserved.
As a mother, I can’t imagine losing my child to an obduction. Nor, could I imagine being abducted and raising a baby in a confined space like the one depicted in this film. This film, pulled at my heartstrings in so many ways. I hated Old Nick, played by Sean Bridgers. That’s the sign of a great performance. You’re not supposed to like his character.
With the first half of this film taking place in a single 10’x10’ space, you wouldn’t think that the cinematography would be much to talk about. However, the way the camera makes the view feel claustrophobic and the actors (Brie Larson and Jacob Tremblay) make you feel hopeful forces the viewer to really take in everything that is happening. The acting and the cinematography, together, pull the whole story together.
This movie will make you think… question reality… question the world in ways that might make you uncomfortable… and even question your own beliefs.
There’s a saying, “No matter how much you think you do, you can never really know someone.” This movie made me realize how true that is. Your next-door neighbor, the postman, the person running the cash register at your local grocery store… You can’t really know them. Isn’t there a change – no matter how small – that they could be hiding an abducted woman or child in their home? You can’t know, and that is my point.
This film brings out the paranoid in all of us. It certainly brought out the paranoid mother in me. I would do anything to protect my kids… this movie shows us that sometimes, no matter what we do, we can’t protect them from the evils of the world.
Have you seen Room? If so, what did you think. If you haven’t, what is stopping you?
MY FAVORITE QUOTES:
“There’s so much of ‘place’ in the world. There’s less time because the time has to be spread extra thin over all the places, like butter. So, all the persons say ‘Hurry up! Let’s get going! Pick up the pace! Finish up now!’.” ~ Jack
“When I was small, I only knew small things. But now I’m five, I know everything!” ~ Jack
Would you prefer to watch the video, instead of reading the review? CLICK HERE
TITLE: The Alchemist
AUTHOR: Paulo Coelho
RATING OVERVIEW (OVERALL: 3.75)
Writing: ★★★★
Story: ★★★★
Characters: ★★★★
Appearance: ★★★
AMAZON DESCRIPTION:
Combining magic, mysticism, wisdom and wonder into an inspiring tale of self-discovery, The Alchemist has become a modern classic, selling millions of copies around the world and transforming the lives of countless readers across generations.
Paulo Coelho’s masterpiece tells the mystical story of Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy who yearns to travel in search of a worldly treasure. His quest will lead him to riches far different—and far more satisfying—than he ever imagined. Santiago’s journey teaches us about the essential wisdom of listening to our hearts, of recognizing opportunity and learning to read the omens strewn along life’s path, and, most importantly, to follow our dreams.
Buy the book HERE!
MY 2 CENTS / THE CRITICAL POINTS:
WRITING (★★★★): Paulo Coelho is a wonderfully talented author who’s storytelling ability draws you in and keeps you reading. His writing style is intriguing and yet simple. With that said, The Alchemist is a very fast read. It took me all of maybe five or six hours to get through.
STORY (★★★★): On the surface, The Alchemist is a simple story of a sheep farmer who sells his sheep to set out on a journey to follow his dream… his calling… his Personal Legend as it is called in the book. Yet, in reality, there are deeper messages weaved throughout the story. Lessons we are all meant to learn, but maybe in each our own way.
Paulo Coelho is a philosopher. The over-arching theme I believe he is trying to get across is that everyone and all things are connected. The past, the present, and the future are all intertwined.
One could read this story and take away that you must live in the moment… be mindful of the life here in the present because the past and future can not be changed.
Another reader may take away that the author is telling you to stop working to live and just start living. Follow your dreams and give 100% of yourself to the journey to reach your Personal Legend. If you’ve ever heard Arnold Schwarzenegger talk about his life – this is similar to the message he tries to get across; that you must be all in – with no backup plan.
I’m sure there are a dozen other life lessons that one could read in the passages of The Alchemist and I would argue that each and every one is right, for the reader that interprets them.
If you’ve read The Alchemist, I’d love to know what lesson or message you took away from it. Comment below and tell me what you thought of the story and what your major take away was.
I highly recommend this story for teens and young adults. They are still trying to find themselves and figure out exactly what they want out of life. I would argue that this story is a great source of encouragement to never give up and always strive to achieve what you are truly passionate about.
CHARACTERS (★★★★): I enjoyed all of the characters, for what they were. However, the lead character, the young sheep farmer named Santiago, was written extremely well. His backstory was laid out beautifully and I felt a connection to him and an investment in his journey.
The character development and connection from chapter to chapter flowed wonderfully. It was nice, for once, to read a book where the author didn’t introduce a thousand new characters in every chapter.
APPEARANCE (★★★): The cover is simple and yet aged. I don’t think I would have picked this book up if I had passed it in the book store. However, because it was given to me by someone I trust, I ignored the cover and jumped right in.
FAVORITE QUOTES:
“What you still need to know is this: before a dream is realized, the Soul of the World tests everything that was learned along the way. It does this not because it is evil, but so that we can, in addition to realizing our dreams, master the lessons we’ve learned as we’ve moved toward that dream. That’s the point at which most people give up. It’s the point at which, as we say in the language of the desert, one ‘dies of thirst just when the palm trees have appeared on the horizon.’”
“Every search begins with beginner’s luck. And every search ends with the victor’s being severely tested.”
“Don’t give in to your fears, if you do, you won’t be able to talk to your heart.”
AUTHOR:
The Brazilian author PAULO COELHO is considered one of the most influential authors of our times. His books have sold more than 165 million copies worldwide, have been released in 170 countries and been translated into 80 languages.
Born in Rio de Janeiro in 1947, he soon discovered his vocation for writing. He worked as a director, theater actor, songwriter and journalist. His collaboration with Brazilian composer and singer Raúl Seixas gave some of the greatest classic rock songs in Brazil. In 1986, a special meeting led him to make the pilgrimage to Saint James Compostela (in Spain). The Road to Santiago was not only a common pilgrimage but a turning point in his existence. A year later, he wrote ‘The Pilgrimage’, an autobiographical novel that is considered the beginning of his career.
In the following year, COELHO published ‘The Alchemist’. Slow initial sales convinced his first publisher to drop the novel, but it went on to become one of the best selling Brazilian books of all time.
ALSO BY PAULO COELHO:
Brida (1990)
Brida, a young Irish girl, has long been interested in various aspects of magic but is searching for something more. Her search leads her to people of great wisdom. She meets a wise man who dwells in a forest, who teaches her to trust in the goodness of the world, and a woman who teaches her how to dance to the music of the world. As Brida seeks her destiny, she struggles to find a balance between her relationships and her desire to become a witch.
This enthralling novel incorporates themes that fans of Paulo Coelho will recognize and treasure. It is a tale of love, passion, mystery, and spirituality from the master storyteller.
The Valkyries (1992)
A Magical Tale About Forgiving Our Past and Believing in Our Future
The enchanting true story of The Valkyries begins in Rio de Janeiro when author Paulo Coelho gives his mysterious master the only manuscript for his book The Alchemist. Haunted by a devastating curse; Coelho confesses to have seen my dreams fall apart just when I seemed about to achieve them. In response he gives Coelho a daunting task: He must find and speak with his guardian angel. The curse can be broken; he replies; if you complete the task.
By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept (1994)
Rarely does adolescent love reach its full potential, but what happens when two young lovers reunite after eleven years? Time has transformed Pilar into a strong and independent woman, while her devoted childhood friend has grown into a handsome and charismatic spiritual leader. She has learned well how to bury her feelings . . . and he has turned to religion as a refuge from his raging inner conflicts.
Now they are together once again, embarking on a journey fraught with difficulties, as long-buried demons of blame and resentment resurface after more than a decade. But in a small village in the French Pyrenees, by the waters of the River Piedra, a most special relationship will be reexamined in the dazzling light of some of life’s biggest questions.
The Fifth Mountain (1996)
In the ninth century b.c., the Phoenician princess Jezebel orders the execution of all the prophets who refuse to worship the pagan god Baal. Commanded by an angel of God to flee Israel, Elijah seeks safety in the land of Zarephath, where he unexpectedly finds true love with a young widow. But this newfound rapture is to be cut short, and Elijah sees all of his hopes and dreams irrevocably erased as he is swept into a whirlwind of events that threatens his very existence.
Written with the same masterful prose and clarity of vision that made The Alchemist an international phenomenon, The Fifth Mountain is a quietly moving account of a man touched by the hand of God who must triumph over his frustrations in a soul-shattering trial of faith.
Manual of a Warrior of Light (1997)
Warrior of the Light: A Manual is an inspirational companion to The Alchemist, an international bestseller that has beguiled millions of readers around the world. Every short passage invites us to live out our dreams, to embrace the uncertainty of life, and to rise to our own unique destiny. In his inimitable style, Paulo Coelho helps bring out the Warrior of the Light within each of us. He also shows readers how to embark upon the way of the Warrior: the one who appreciates the miracle of being alive, the one who accepts failure, and the one whose quest leads him to become the person he wants to be.
Paulo Coelho is one of the most beloved storytellers of our time. Now, in the long-awaited companion to his first novel, Coelho presents a collection of philosophical stories that will delight and guide seekers everywhere.
Eleven Minutes (2003)
Eleven Minutes is the story of Maria, a young girl from a Brazilian village, whose first innocent brushes with love leave her heartbroken. At a tender age, she becomes convinced that she will never find true love, instead believing that “love is a terrible thing that will make you suffer. . . .” A chance meeting in Rio takes her to Geneva, where she dreams of finding fame and fortune. Maria’s despairing view of love is put to the test when she meets a handsome young painter. In this odyssey of self-discovery, Maria has to choose between pursuing a path of darkness – sexual pleasure for its own sake – or risking everything to find her own “inner light” and the possibility of sacred sex, sex in the context of love.
The Zahir (2005)
The narrator of The Zahir is a bestselling novelist who lives in Paris and enjoys all the privileges money and celebrity bring. His wife of ten years, Esther, is a war correspondent who has disappeared along with a friend, Mikhail, who may or may not be her lover.
Was Esther kidnapped, murdered, or did she simply escape a marriage that left her unfulfilled? The narrator doesn’t have any answers, but he has plenty of questions of his own. Then one day Mikhail finds the narrator and promises to reunite him with his wife. In his attempt to recapture a lost love, the narrator discovers something unexpected about himself.
The Witch of Portobello (2006)
How do we find the courage to always be true to ourselves—even if we are unsure of who we are?
Aleph (2010)
In his most personal novel to date,
internationally bestselling author Paulo Coelho returns with a remarkable
journey of self-discovery. Like the main character in his much-beloved The Alchemist,
Paulo is facing a grave crisis of faith. As he seeks a path of spiritual
renewal and growth, his only real option is to begin again—to travel, to
experiment, to reconnect with people and the landscapes around him.
Setting off to Africa, and then to Europe and Asia
via the Trans-Siberian railroad, he initiates a journey to revitalize his
energy and passion. Even so, he never expects to meet Hilal. A gifted young
violinist, she is the woman Paulo loved five hundred years before—and the woman
he betrayed in an act of cowardice so far-reaching that it prevents him from
finding real happiness in this life. Together they will initiate a mystical
voyage through time and space, traveling a path that teaches love, forgiveness,
and the courage to overcome life’s inevitable challenges. Beautiful and
inspiring, Aleph invites us to consider the meaning of our own
personal journeys.
Adultery (2014)
I want to
change. I need to change. I’m gradually losing touch with myself.
Adultery, the provocative new novel by Paulo Coelho,
best-selling author of The
Alchemist and Eleven Minutes, explores the question of what it means to live life fully
and happily, finding the balance between life’s routine and the desire for
something new.
Nina Soden 