Week 3:Books

     In my junior year of high school, my English teacher had a list of the top 100 books you should read before going to college that she suggested for any of us who were interested to read but was not mandatory. I made it my goal to complete all of it before the end of high school. Although I was not successful, I did manage to read the majority of it. From that list, I discovered a lot of books that changed my opinions and influenced me a lot and they also became my favorites.
    "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho would be my top number one. This book is basically about a young boy who goes on a journey to find a treasure but in the end, he found something much more valuable than any superficial thing can offer. This book made an strong impact in my life because it subtly conveys the message that people are in control of their own lives and they can determine how everything plays out.

       The second book that I absolutely love would be "A Lesson Before Dying" by Ernest J. Gaines. This book for me was so powerful that I actually teared up towards the end. It is about a young African-American man named Jefferson who was convicted for a murder that he did not commit. At the trial, the lawyer who was trying to "defend" him, concluded that he was nothing but a hog, and was too dumb to do the crime. The words affected Jefferson's self-reflection so much, that his grandmother asked an inspiring school teacher to teach Jefferson how to die like a man and not a hog. In the end, Jefferson and the school teacher both learn a valuable yet heart-breaking lesson.

       The last book would be "The Catcher in the Rye" by JD Salinger. This story would be about a more modern/recent time compared to the other two books. It is about the main character boy Holden, and his self-discovery as he is forced to grow up in painful ways and make the transition from a boy to an adult. The title was what really made an impact for me, because it was really catchy and clever. The "catcher" would be Holden, who wishes that he can metaphorically catch the children who are about to fall into the harsh reality of adulthood, and make the transition less painful than it was for him.