Top five Paulo Coelho books for reflective deep thinkers

In honor of Paulo Coelho's new novel The Spy, which is currently sitting in a package by my door, I want to go back in time to review his some of his novels. As a Paulo Coelho fan, I will be the first to tell you that it is impossible to pinpoint "the best five" or even a "top ten" of his novels. Each of his literary journeys is a work of art in its own right, precisely because his writing style and themes are everchanging

So I'm writing this "Top Five" list with a twist -  the books on this list are Coelho's most thought-provoking pieces, often controversial, and always incomplete without some serious brain activity on the reader's behalf. Bring your self-reflection and self-awareness to the table!

At the risk of being cliche, I have to include The Alchemist on the list. Really, no Paulo Coelho list is complete without this, his most famous novel. The Alchemist is a gateway book into the rich literary world of Coelho's spirituality, philosophy, and overall Zen.

Why you should read books from the previous centuries

Every November the Goodreads Choice Awards announce the nominees for the best books of the year in every category, from Literary to Poetry. Every November I smugly peruse the list, having read over 80% of the candidates and vote for my favorites. The winners always smile at me from my shelves throughout the year as I continue to immerse myself in googling New York Times Bestsellers.

This year, I stared at my screen in dismay as I realized that I wasn't familiar with a single book on the list. How did I miss the entire 2016 of literature, science fiction, memoirs and poetry? I've been on a Classics kick that slowly morphed itself into a What's the oldest book I can enjoy? challenge. So often, I hear from my literary and not literary friends that old works are not accessible to the average 21st century Joes and Janes. I can relate to that sentiment, having spent a good six months slogging through 1860's The Mill on the Floss despite the fact that it had plenty of drama and action. Yet the intense draw of the literature from a time we can only vaguely imagine in our minds remains. There is no better way to understand the daily minutia of our brethren from long ago than reading these tomes and bringing them to life in our mind. Through the list of titles I picked up this year I could relate to the gentlemen and ladies of yore far better than I could by reading a history textbook (or Wikipedia articles, which have all but replaced history textbooks).

I've delved into the belly of the 19th and early 20th century beasts and emerged with plenty of recommendations for accessible and semi-accessible stories of people just like you and me - but in far stranger clothes and with a lot more hangups.

Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog)

Don't let the boring cover and the fact that this "travel guide" was published in 1889 turn you away from a lighthearted and hilarious dive into a timeless silly mind of Jerome K. Jerome. You may not believe me when I say that a semi-fictional memoir from 127 years ago will make you laugh out loud - but your doubts will dissipate on the very first page. From the introduction of main characters as lazy hypochondriacs out to plan the easiest vacation with the most sumptous dinner options, to the fact that the story of said vacation gets interrupted repeatedly for the author to share random amusing anecdotes, to the adorable illustrations that go along with the most random tangential storylines - this book will make you wish you were the fourth man on the boat to enjoy the company.

Vegetarian on a budget: Baked veggie eggrolls

I like the idea of eggrolls. Delicious food wrapped in delicious dough - it's like a tiny bean-less cheese-less rice-less burrito. What I don't like about eggrolls is that they are often tasteless, filled with vegetables I don't like, dripping with grease and too crunchy (or not crunchy enough?).

The solution, of course, is to make my own eggrolls. These are a little time-consuming, but easy and healthy. 

The most difficult part is finding eggroll wrappers. If you have Chinatown or an Asian foods store nearby, look for SpringHome brand (on the right). If you don't have access to these, almost every supermarket carries the Nasoya brand(on the left). These are usually located in a refrigerated aisle next to veggie hot dogs, fancy salad dressings, and tofu. 

The filling can be anything you want it to be, but if you want to go the traditional route, here are the basics for your shopping list:

Vegetarian on a budget: Stuffed bell peppers

Sometimes you want to cook something delicious and filling, but don't want to go grocery shopping and get specialty ingredients that are too expensive or won't get used up before their expiration date (I still have a mostly full half-gallon of milk left over from Russian pancakes I made over a week ago). 

Here is the answer to all of your financial and gustatory problems - stuffed peppers. This dish is incredibly versatile, as you can stuff said peppers with virtually anything you have around the house. Here is the basic recipe - feel free to experiment with it to make it your own. 

Ingredients (essential)

Bell peppers of any color (green are usually the cheapest)
Rice, or any other grain of your choice
A can of diced tomatoes (regular tomatoes or even tomato paste will do in a pinch)

Ingredients (non-essential)

Fake meat
Mushrooms
Eggplant
Beans
Any vegetable or protein you have lying around the house
Cheese (for topping)