Simply A Lover Of Books

If you could have one breakfast for tomorrow knowing it’s the last day you will live, what would that be?

Probably some chocolate chip pancakes.  I don’t get to eat them very often, but when I do they’re always delicious.

Given the choice of anyone in the world, whom would you like as a dinner guest?

Alive?  Not sure.  I can’t think of anyone off the top of my head.

Before making a phone call, do you ever rehearse what you are going to say? Why?

Only if I have to talk to someone professionally or it’s very formal.  I do it because I have a hard time articulating my thoughts clearly and writing it down makes it easier.  

If a crystal ball could tell you the truth about yourself, your life, the future or anything else, what would you want to know?

How was the world/universe created?

If you knew in one year you would die suddenly, what would you change about the way you are living your life now?

I would be a lot more honest with my feelings and cut out all the negative things in my life.

Do you think your name affects your personality or choice of career?

No.  I don’t think a name has any impact on the choices you make in your life.

How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you are?

Probably my same age?  I may act a certain age, but I think experiences are what makes you older I guess??

If happiness was the national currency, what job would make you rich?

Cooking.  Being a chef.  Something along those lines.

Do you push buttons more than once and do you believe that makes it work faster?

I do, and I am well aware it doesn’t make things work faster.  

Would you want to be friends with yourself?

Probably not.

If you won a million dollars (or some large sum of money) would you quit your job?

It depends on whether or not I like my future job.

Do you feel like you’ve lived this day a hundred times before?

Sadly, yes.

Are you really wasting time if you’re enjoying it?

I don’t think so.  The happier you are in the moment, the more valuable the experience is.  

Would you rather lose all your money and valuables or all the pictures you’ve taken?

In an ideal world where money wasn’t really significant, I would rather lose the money and valuables.  If my pictures are gone, how else am I supposed to be remembered?

Would you rather have a horrible short-term memory or a long-term memory?

I already have a horrible short-term memory, and so far it’s not too terrible to deal with so I’d pick that.  

Would you rather go back to age five with everything you’ve learned or live now with everything you’ll learn in the future?

I would rather go back to age 5.  I think I could definitely pave a better future for myself and I would be fine with reliving it all.  

Are humans better at construction or destruction?

Destruction.  In the process of constructing new things, we destroy many more.  Even at this very moment, we are destroying the earth we live on because of our many new inventions.

What is a year of life worth? What about a day?

Who can really say?  I think it’s a good combination of being something important and also very insignificant.

Are emotions necessary for human survival?

Yes.  I think emotions are what give humans potential to learn and grow as a species.

What is the TLDR version of your life?

I have walked through my life very confused but at the same time successfully...surprisingly.

What should they teach in high school but don’t?

How to think for yourself instead of teaching you how to think a certain way.

What inscription do you want on your gravestone?

I would rather be cremated so, I don’t really plan on having any gravestones.

If you had thirty seconds to send a message to the entire world, what would you say?

You are good, you are smart, and you are important.

If you could ask a single person a question, and they had to answer truthfully, who and what would it be?

I can’t be trusted with just a single question.  One isn’t enough.  I’d rather just not have one at all.  

What is honor and does it matter?

Everyone has very different definitions of honor in different parts of the world.  I think it matters to the people who believe in honor.

Do you see yourself as the hero or the villain in your story?

Ideally, I would like to be the hero, but my story isn’t finished yet so I just don’t know.  

Is being open-minded a virtue if it allows destructive ideas to spread through society?

If it allows destructive ideas to spread then I don’t think so.  

What questions would you ask your future self?

The Color Purple was written by Alice Walker, and #funfact is also on the AP reading list.  The story starts off really strong, but may also put some readers off.  This isn’t a spoiler, but the book does start off with a scene about rape.  So before you read the rest of this review, thinking that this book is going to be great, keep that warning in mind.

This is a work of historical (?)  fiction (one of my favorite genres!).  The story centers around Celie who is unhappily married to a man she refers to as “Mr.____” which is confusing because this is how most of the men are referred to as.  She is separated from her younger sister Nettie and the story focuses on their lives apart from each other and other characters within the story.

This is a pretty amazing book.  I definitely felt some things as I was reading this.  Celie went on a tough journey, as did Nettie, and there was absolutely no way I wasn’t crying at the end of the book.  It brought up issues such as rape, racism, love, God, and even sexuality.  The book beautifully combined all of these things.  

Just a couple of heads up.  The writing style is very confusing.  There isn’t really any dialogue indicators.  By that I mean there are no quotation marks whatsoever.  Walker wrote it like that on purpose to portray Celie’s character better.  At times, it makes it somewhat difficult to read and to know who said what.  

My favorite character had to be Shug Avery.  She was a wild woman for her time, and there was never a dull moment.  She helped to further Celie’s character development through more ways than one (sorry but I can’t spoil anything) and she was just an all around great character.  I strive to be as confident as Shug and live my life as I want to.  

This was a truly amazing book.  There’s a reason it was put on the AP list, and it earned its place there.  If you’re a student trying to find exciting books to read on the AP list, this is one of them.  It’s a great book and I would recommend it to anyone.  

The Stranger was written by Albert Camus in 1942.  The protagonist's name is Meursault and he is a living representation of existentialism.  It's very hard to connect with Meursault simply because he does what he wants when he wants usually without any consequences.  He does not care about anyone, including his late mother.  He has very few personal relationships, and those that he does have are strictly physical.  He does little to relate his emotions throughout the entire story.  The story is mainly about Meursault's day to day life and his occasional excursions with his 'girlfriend' Marie.  One day, his whole life changes after he commits a serious crime.  He then has to live with the consequences of his actions, which he's never truly had to deal with.  

Meursault is definitely a strange character.  He's unlike most characters portrayed in books today.  He just honestly doesn't care about anyone or anything.  That is why he is such an intriguing character.  He has very few opinions about anything, so it's hard to believe that Meursault is so likable.  

The sentences are short and crisp in the first part of the book.  Everything is viewed very objectively through Meursault's eyes.  The first part isn't difficult to read because the analysis of the story is simply much harder.  Part 2 is written fluidly and the sentences are much more connected.  There is a steady stream of thoughts taking place.  The reader finally begins to gain a deeper understanding of what Meursault is like.  

Overall, the book isn't a very difficult read.  The hardest part is analyzing the story and why it's significant.  Analysis is the key to understanding Meursault and his relationship with the world.  

I would recommend this book to anyone deciding to venture into AP English or further their understanding of existentialism.  I'd also recommend it to anyone that likes brutally honest characters that have humorous responses in serious situations.   It's a short book and  doesn't take too long to get through.