Eat, Pray, Love

I started with a nonfiction book more because it was the most readily available than anything else. I wasn't sure that I'd like it at first - not because I don't like nonfiction, because I do, but because I'm not generally impressed by my-life's-journey stories, nor do I trust "popular" to be the same as "good."

But this book was so good.

It's divided into 3 parts - Italy, where the narrator learns to enjoy life, India, where the narrator learns to appreciate life, and Indonesia, where the narrator learns to live her life. Her philosophy is interesting and convincing - and, I'll admit, I really enjoyed the short section in which she describes a weekend in Florence. Every other line, I was thinking "I did that! And I did that!"
But really, the whole book had a similar feel. Even though I haven't physically been anywhere else she went, the narration of her emotional/spiritual journey is so well done that it's hard not to identify. Eat, Pray, Love is an exploration of... if you'll excuse the reference... the answer (or perhaps the question) to life, the universe, and everything.

The ending caught me by surprise. I want to say it was abrupt, but I'm not sure I can. Just as I was thinking "wait, that's it?" I was also thinking, "of course that's it; there's nothing more to say." I like that there's no where-do-I-go-from-here summary. The whole book was about finding balance so that she doesn't need to know or worry about that, so it's fitting to just stop there, with thanks to the people who helped her along the way.