Random Reads

  A shepherd, a desert, and the treasure that was closer than he thought There are books you read, and there are books that seem to find you at exactly the right moment. For millions of readers over the past three decades, The Alchemist has been the latter — a slim little fable that somehow manages to feel like it was written just for whatever you're going through when you pick it up. If you're in a season of wondering whether to chase the thing you keep dreaming about, this is one of those books people hand to each other with a knowing look. What It's About Paulo Coelho's international bestseller follows Santiago, a young Andalusian shepherd who dreams repeatedly of a hidden treasure buried near the Egyptian pyramids. Encouraged by a series of mysterious encounters — a king, a crystal merchant, an alchemist — Santiago sets out across the desert to find it, trading the comfort and certainty of his simple life for the uncertainty of pursuing what he calls his "Pers...