My Review of The Alchemist – Inspired by a School Reading Challenge

On Friday, my wife and I were visiting friends for pizza when the wife of the couple mentioned that she was making an effort to read every day this month in honor of National Reading Month. I was surprised—I hadn’t seen much buzz about this on Threads or Fable about National Reading Month—but I was excited nonetheless. She also mentioned that she had been using Fable more frequently to track her reading, which was great to hear since I had introduced her to the platform a few months ago.

Fast forward to today: I was making lunch when I noticed a green sheet on our table from my daughter’s class. It was her school’s Reading Challenge—and, of course, we somehow missed it in her backpack. 😅

P.S. I promise we read nightly, but I’ll be playing catch-up on this one!

As I looked through the challenge, I noticed that today’s prompts was to write a review of your favorite book. That got me thinking—what is my favorite book? A few immediately came to mind, mostly the ones that really kickstarted my reading journey and that I revisit often. The four that stand out are:

• The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway
• Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
• The Life We Bury by Allen Eskens
• The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

At the start of the year, I wrote a post called Six Books to Kickstart Your New Year Reading Goals, where I discussed three of these four books. So, I figured this was the perfect opportunity to talk about the one I didn’t include:

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

I first received The Alchemist as a gift when I was in high school. Back then, I didn’t read often, but for some reason, I decided to give this one a chance—and I completely fell in love with it. Since then, I’ve gifted this book to many different people because I truly believe it’s a story that resonates with almost anyone. At its core, it’s about following your dreams and listening to your heart, which is something I think we all need to be reminded of from time to time.

It’s been a while since I last revisited The Alchemist, but one of the things I love about this book is that, depending on where you are in life, different themes and messages will stand out. I think it may even be time for me to read it again.

The story follows Santiago, a young shepherd who embarks on a journey after having a dream about hidden treasure. Along the way, he encounters people and experiences that shape his understanding of the world and himself. The book explores deep themes of destiny, faith, and personal growth. While some of its ideas lean toward the spiritual or even religious, I think the broader message is universal: trusting in something greater than yourself and pursuing what truly moves you.

In many ways, The Alchemist reads like a self-help book disguised as a novel. It encourages readers to take risks, embrace uncertainty, and wholeheartedly chase what they want in life. It’s also, in its own way, a love story—one that reinforces the idea that love should support, not hinder, our personal journeys.

This is one of those books that has stayed with me for years, and I know I’ll continue to carry it with me.

Have you read The Alchemist? If so, did it resonate with you? And if you were to write a review of your favorite book, which one would you choose? I’d love to be inspired to find a new book to read.

If you’re not already following me on Threads, I’ll be sharing more of my favorite books there as I work through the rest of this list!