Ep. 430 The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho — The Stacks Book Club (Mary H. K. Choi)

Today is The Stacks Book Club Day, and we’re joined by bestselling author Mary H.K. Choi (Pool House) to discuss our June pick, The Alchemist by Paolo Coelho. This allegorical novel follows Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy whose quest from Spain to the Egyptian desert in search of buried treasure transforms into a life-changing journey of self-discovery. We discuss the book’s legacy, how it relates to the cultural phenomena of “girl boss” and “the manosphere,” and which parts we loved and hated.

There are spoilers in this episode.

Make sure you listen to the end of the episode to find out our July book club pick!

You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2026/6/24/ep-430-the-alchemist

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