This book is profound in its simplicity. If you're interested in spiritual journeys woven into a good story about a poor shepherd boy who travels in search of a treasure he sees in a dream, this is a book for you. I think everyone should read it.

This is the first of her books I read and I loved it. I read it in Spanish, which fits given the family she's dealing with. It's a great novel in the spirit of magical realism and historical fiction.

This book captures a lot of the Mexican soul in its characters. I loved it, even if it's sad in many ways. It takes place against the backdrop of the Revolution, the class and color distinctions in Mexican society, and manages to tell a few haunting love stories without shying away from the reality of violence Mexico's families endured.

I read this book in a college English course and it is not for the faint-hearted. It takes a bit to get into it because it begins with the perspective of an "idiot." That said, once you get past that and weave it into the wider story of this Southern family, you see it could not have been told any other way. Faulkner is difficult, but this book is amazing.

This is the story of a woman born before her time. It is about a woman who lacked the "mother" gene, took a lover, and in the end, refuses to live a life that is not her own to choose. The interesting part of this book is the way she perceives her choices and constraints. Short and excellent.

Dark, dry humor, and a little nonesense. A must read for everyone, especially if you have ever used the phrase but don't know where it comes from.

This is good for a teenager as well as an adult. It is a great story about a boy who chooses three faiths, grows up as a zookeeper's son, and is the sole survivor when his ship sinks. You won't be able to put it down. You'll ask yourself at the end which of his stories is true, and the answer might just be both.