Eat Pray Love
I have to take a moment to pat myself on the back. The challenge I faced from POPSUGAR was to pick a book that had at least one million ratings on Goodreads. Out of 66 books, there were only about 7 that I hadn’t already read! This was a proud moment for me as an avid reader, but a smaller list for me to choose from now. So I went with a novel I have heard talked about many times, but never really knew what it was all about – Eat Pray Love.
This epic real-life adventure follows the author on an emotional roller coaster ride as she finds herself on the other side of a nasty divorce and lost inside. So, she leaps off the proverbial cliff and takes a year to herself to travel the world looking for balance and peace. She takes roughly 4 months in Italy (to enjoy all things edible), India (to find her inner peace), and Bali (to find love again).
I have to admit, I didn’t really understand the hype around this book at first. The synopsis peaked my interest, but I had no idea what moving journey awaited me. On a technical level, this book would not be considered a self-help book; but as I listened closely to Elizabeth’s pilgrimage with an open mind and heart, I found inspiration and guidance that could be applied in my daily life. I rooted for her as she grew up, but also reflected on her lessons as food for thought. I listened to this one on audiotape and have struggled with that decision the whole way through. The PRO: this audiobook was read by the author herself which, in my opinion, no one can do it better than the author themselves. Because she was the narrator, there were many jokes I wouldn’t have found nearly as humorous because I wouldn’t have read them with the same inflections. There were numerous times this book made me smile from ear to ear and many more where I laughed out loud. The CON: This book was remarkably inspirational to me, and I lost count of the number of times I thought “I wish I had this book in front of me so I could highlight that thought and read it again later.” The nice thing about this so-called con to the audiobook, is that I can simply fix this by buying the book and giving it a second read.
I think it’s important in life to learn from others and gather inspiration from the world around us. Because of this philosophy, I highly recommend everyone to give this stunning novel a shot!
Malia's Pizza Rating
“I love my pizza so much, in fact, that I have come to believe in my delirium that my pizza might actually love me, in return. I am having a relationship with this pizza, almost an affair.” Elizabeth Gilbert