Blog 2: Books

Three books that I have read that have had the most influence on my life are:
1. The Wall by Pastor Rick Hawkins
2. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
3. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

The Wall,  by Pastor Rick Hawkins is a book that was recommended to me by my own church. Rick Hawkins is a pastor in San Antonio, Texas and also a dear friend of my Pastor who recommended the book to all of us one night at bible study. That same night, I purchased the book and went straight home to read it. At first, I was a bit apprehensive, judgmentally assuming that any book recommended by a Pastor, that was written by a Pastor, would be a boring, subjective, and a controversial analysis of the bible that would somehow convince me that my behavior is "sinful", in which I would then feel shameful and unworthy. However, I was pleasantly surprised to learn as I read the book that it is a real, relatable, and raw story. It is nothing like what I had anticipated it to be. It is a moving story about a Pastor who like all of us at some point, "hit's a wall" (figuratively speaking) and how he overcame the many obstacles that were thrown his way. This book is about endurance, strength, and the test of your faith, not only in God, but in yourself. It provided me with a great sense of relief, revealing to me that I am not alone, that we all struggle, regardless of how intimate your relationship with God is, and it gave me the strength and motivation I needed to push through at such a pivotal time in my life.

The second book that I found to be very influential was of course, The Alchemist by Paul Coelho. For years my friends had recommended this book to me, ranting and raving about how life-changing and clarifying it was. I finally decided to read the book this past summer and was very impressed. It definitely lived up to all the talk and feedback it had received. This book contains so many profound quotes and parables that have truly moved me. It is a powerful story that inspired me to stay true to my purpose, to follow my heart, and to never lose faith regardless of how hopeless life may seem at times. It gave me that extra push I needed to do the things that I didn't have the courage to once do before, and helped me develop the self-confidence I needed to achieve my goals. One of my many favorite quotes from this book is, "It's the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting." - The Alchemist.

The third most influential book I have read is the ever so popular, The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. I also read this book this past summer after listening to everyone tell me how great the movie was, which I decided to wait and see until after I read the book. In my humble opinion, the book was significantly better than the movie. Surprisingly, the book made me cry, but the movie didn't. The book invoked many emotions in me... Laughter, sadness, love, hope.... Yet the movie, well... It did nothing. I was rather displeased. I highly recommend you read the book. If you liked the movie, you'll LOVE the book! It really shifted my whole perspective on life and reminded me that death is inevitable, therefore there is no sense in fearing it. All you can do is be present in the present and make the absolute most out of your situation. It made me realize that it could always be worse and that regardless of how hopeless your situation may seem, there is still hope to be had and love to be felt, and given. Sometimes, it's within the most hopeless situations where hope is revealed to you, which the book definitely did a great way of illustrating within the stories of these two teenage lovers.