Month: May 2024

I’m currently rereading on my favorite books, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson. Pippa’s topic for her capstone project is investigating the death of Andie Bell, and although everyone in town thinks that they have solved the mystery, Pippa is just not so sure.

When you ask people in town what happened to Andie Bell, they’ll tell you without hesitation: ‘She was murdered by Salil Singh.’ No ‘allegedly,’ no ‘might have,’ no ‘probably,’ no ‘most likely.’ He did it, they say. Sal Singh killed Andie. But I’m just not so sure. (p. 19)

This quote summarizes the central theme of uncertainty  that runs throughout “A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder” by Holly Jackson. Pippa Fitz-Amobi, the main character, is doubting the assurance with which her town’s residents hold Salil Singh accountable for the death of Andie Bell. Even while everyone seems to agree, Pippa is not sure she can take this story at its worth. The quote emphasizes Pippa’s curiosity and her readiness to challenge presumptions, showing that she is unwilling to take the simple route and is committed to finding the truth, even if it means challenging the opinions of people close to her.

 

Last month I began reading Factfulness by Hans Rosling. The author discusses how news and social media warps our perception of how bad the world really is, and that some aspects of it are getting better. Although Rosling makes some good arguments, I believe some of the data is presented without context, and without consideration about what future predictions suggest. Ironically, he warns against using such data to form opinions. At one point, Rosling uses vaccinations as an example when discussing how important evidence is to ensure that your critical thinking is supported.

 

In a devastating example of critical thinking gone bad, highly educated, deeply caring parents avoid the vaccinations that would protect their children from killer diseases. I love critical thinking and admire skepticism, but only within a framework that respects the evidence. So if you are skeptical about the measles vaccination, I ask you to do two things. First, make sure you know what it looks like when a child dies from measles. Most children who catch measles recover, but there is still no cure even with the best modern medicine, one or two in every thousand will die of it. Second, ask yourself, “What kind of evidence would convince me to change my mind?” If the answer is “no evidence could ever change my mind about vaccination,” then you are putting yourself outside evidence-based rationality, outside the very critical thinking that first brought you to this point. In that case, to be consistent in your skepticism about science, next time you have an operation please ask your surgeon not to bother washing her hands. (p. 117)

 

Although this book was written in 2017, I think the argument is even more relevant after the world experienced a global pandemic. For conspiracy theorists such as flat earthers, the opinion they have becomes part of their identity. As a result, if you were to question said opinion, it would be interpreted as an attack on who they are, which makes it almost impossible to refute their opinion no matter the evidence. This is why being aware not only of how and why you formed certain opinions, but also what evidence it would take to change your opinion is exceedingly important.

“The Boy” by Roald Dahl is an autobiograpy he wrote about his childhood. One of the stories he tells the reader is about the surgery on his adenoids. Back then  taking out a child’s adenoids, and often the tonsils as well, without any anaesthetic was common practice.

The doctor now put some water to boil in an aluminium mug over a gas flame, and into the boiling water he placed a long thin shiny steel instrument. I sat there watching the steam coming off the boiling water. I was not in the least apprehensive. I was too young to realize that something out of the ordinary was going to happen.
Then a nurse dressed in white came in. She was carrying a red rubber apron and a curved white enamel bowl. She put the apron over the front of my body and tied it around my neck. It was far too big. Then she held the enamel bowl under my chin. The curve of the bowl fitted perfectly against the curve of my
chest.
The doctor was bending over me. In his hand he held that long shiny steel instrument. He held it right in front of my face, and to this day I can still describe it perfectly. It was about the thickness and length of a pencil, and like most pencils it had a lot of sides to it. Toward the end, the metal became much thinner, and at the very end of the thin bit of metal there was a tiny blade set at an angle. The blade wasn’t more than a centimetre long, very small, very sharp and very shiny. (p. 35)

Here he describes the surgery preparation process. The way he describes this causes a feeling of worrying in me and reminds me of my first surgeries I had. Even though I was under the effect of anesthesia and was asleep during the surgery, unlike Roald, I witnessed the preparation process and it still scared me the most.

I recently finished reading Stargirl. “Stargirl” is not just a book, it is a journey into a world where every page impresses with its depth and wisdom. Going on an adventure with Stargirl, readers experience fun, joy, but also experience together with the main character joys and sorrows. Author Jerry Spinelli masterfully reproduces the realities of teenage life, absorbing into his story the most complex aspects of relationships, self-discovery and self-discovery. Each character in the book is a separate emotional palette, where each color, each shade creates a harmonious image of the big picture about life, friendship and the importance of acceptance by others and by oneself. As you read “Stargirl”, you will feel how every word touches your heart, causing a wave of emotions and helping you understand the deepest realities of the human soul. this is a book that will leave an unforgettable impression and inspire great concessions and good deeds in your own life.

“Make love, not war”

The phrase that I remember most of all, because war, quarrels, divorce is a terrible feeling, so this phrase resonated with me. It very aptly describes my state right now, because war is really a terrible thing.

                 Currently I am reading ‘Battles of Tolkien’ by author David Day. This is a rare book that my dad found in Sweden all about every battle form Tolkien’s books, that they found in scraps of paper and pieced together from blueprints left behind by the genius writer of books such as ‘Lord of the Rings’ and ‘The Silmarillion’. This book goes into plentiful detail into these battles establishing a timeline which goes to show Tolkien’s never-stopping mind. My absolute favorite aspect of the book is the numerous hand drawn illustrations that go with what you are reading. Each of the drawings is so detailed, that it feels you have been transported to one of Tolkien’s fantasies and this just adds another enchanting touch that many other books just do not have. This book has also taught me how every tale must have a fall to quote David Day,

“‘There cannot be any “story” without a fall,’ And so, right from the conception of his cosmogony, his model of the origin of the universe, ‘there is a fall; a fall of Angels'” (Battles of Tolkien p.22).

Following this, the speaker goes on to describe a battle before the beginning of time and the actual creation of this fictional universe, a battle fought by Angels and Fallen ones. This book is exciting to read, and I am looking forward to enjoy more beautiful illustrations, and maybe, just maybe, I will pick up some strategies I will be able to utilize in my own writing.

The book im reading is “Pride and Prejudice”, by Jane Austen. This quote was said by the narrator at the beginning of the book. This quote was said because in the 19th century dancing was not a form of entretainment, but it was a way in which young men and women could greet each other and they might fall in love.

To be fond of dancing was a certain step towards falling in love (p.11)

I chose this quote because dancing in this novel was a way of romantic actions and a interesting way to meet and to have connections, this in young people. But in unmarried people it could help to engage with each other. The writer Austen, also talks about marriage, and societal expectations in her novels, so its a way to let us know about how her times were.

The book I am currently reading is a book called Charlie Throne and the Royal Society written Stuart Gibbs. This story takes place a couple of months after Charlie and her companions Dante and Milana left the USA after stealing Einstein’s formula for nuclear energy. The CIA is after them so once they land in England they know they need to lay low. Their ultimate goal was to find another equation the CIA was after, except this time it was one from Newton. The only clue they had was the one Einstein left for them which mentioned Cambridge university in the Wren Library. While Dante and Milana lay low, under the guise of tourists, Charlie slips into the library in search for clues. Upon entering she meets a guy called Kenji who she admittedly finds attractive who claims he can help her look for clues after she lies and tells him that its for a scavenger hunt. Despite Dante warning her against it, she decides to agree and goes with him. He seems smart and ultimately helpful when searching for clues; however the second Charlie finds a box and manages to unwind it his expression turns.

The look on his face was no longer friendly. Instead Charlie only saw cold determination. And he was much stronger than she had expected. He wasn’t a student, she realised. He was an enemy. And she led him right to Newton’s discovery.

In one fluid motion, Kenji wrenched the telescope from Charlie’s hand and threw her on the floor. He raised the scope triumphantly, displaying it to the thugs who just entered. “I got it!” He announced. And ran for the door.

(p. 60)

My favorite thing about this author is that he adds such intense scenes of betrayal and confliction in such unexpected and short bursts of time that it keeps me on my toes. I love this scene especially, as it demonstrates just how much every decision Charlie made in order for this sequence of events to happen affected what happened with Kenji. Additionally, the author writes it in a way that is relatable to certain situations that I have been in or have seen happen before.

 

I still continue reading book Fang by James Patterson and I really like it! This book is not hard to read and it’s still interesting, almost every chapter clearly explains us what is happening with every character. Story that is happening in the world is quiet interesting and unusual, because instead of people, main characters are hybrids that escaped from school where they were created.

“I’m a girl of extremes. When I love something, I’m like a puppy dog (without all the licking). When I’m cranky, I’m a wasp (like a whole hive of ’em). And when I’m angry, I’m a Mother Bear with a predator after her cubs: Dangerous.”

I chose this quote because it shows us how main character Max is ready for all the extremes and dangerous situations, he interestingly describes his character as animals. In my opinion the key meaning of this phrase is that Max illustrates her tendency to experience emotions in different situations, whether it’s love crankiness or danger

I’ve recently started a novel called Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood. The chapter title, “Toast,” refers to the artificiality and superficiality of the culture that the novel portrays. In this chapter, Jimmy, the main character, muses on his boyhood buddy Crake and their shared upbringing. Atwood offers a vision of a world ruled by corporate domination, scientific progress, and the destruction of true human connection through vivid descriptions and reflective reflections.

“A breeze riffles the leaves overhead; insects rasp and trill; red light from the setting sun hits the tower blocks in the water, illuminating an unbroken pane here and there as if a scattering of lamps has been turned on. Several of the buildings once held roof gardens, and now they’re top-heavy with overgrown shrubbery. Hundreds of birds are streaming across the sky towards them, roostward bound. Ibis? Herons? The black ones are cormorants, he knows that for sure. They settle down into the darkening foliage, croaking and squabbling. If he ever needs guano he’ll know where to find it.” (p.95)

The sentence that is quoted describes a vivid and moody scenario that perfectly captures the protagonist’s sensory experience at that precise moment. It portrays a tranquil and natural scene placed against the deteriorating metropolitan landscape. The first line, “A breeze riffles the leaves overhead,” establishes a calm and peaceful mood. The description of insects as “rasping and trilling” enhances the scene’s sensory richness by highlighting the robust life present despite the decaying surroundings. “If he ever needs guano, he’ll know where to find it,” the last line, conveys a realistic outlook and an understanding of the natural world’s potential value, even in its neglected state. This remark also highlights the protagonist’s resourcefulness and flexibility in this ever-changing environment. Overall, the beauty, fragility, and resilience of nature in the face of urban decay are captured in this passage. It emphasizes how crucial it is to protect and preserve nature despite the obstacles and disregard caused by human growth.

<The Good Earth> was written by Pearl S.Buck and won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction. This book talks about the arranged marriages between Chinese farmer called Wang Lung and O-Lan in the old society in China.At that time,Chinese people didn’t get married voluntarily, but their parents chose thier marriage partners for them because parents usually took it for granted that two people get married.However,people weren’t against parents’ choice,they just marry with their partner that they even didn’t familar with.But people will still love each other after they get married.

“I have not washed my body all at once since the New year.”said Wang Lung in a low voice.

He was ashamed to say to his father that he wished his body to be clean for a women to see.”

In this quote, it shows that people had no conditions or any water to clean theirselves everyday except during the Chinese New Year or on important days.Wang Lung get married with his unfamilar wife but he still looked forward the life with his wife, so he wanted to present the best of himself to his wide so that she wouldn’t despire him.This reflects the backwardness of China’s living conditions and tradional thought.

My next IRJE centers around a quotation from Beloved by Toni Morrison. The story revolves around a former slave woman named Sethe, who is haunted by the ghost of her dead baby and the memories of her past life. The quotation takes place as we learn about the experiences which Paul D, another former slave from the same farm as Sethe, had after being imprisoned in a chain gang. The men in the gang pass the time by singing songs as they beat with their sledgehammers:

“And they beat. The women for having known them and no more, no more; the children for having been them but never again. They killed a boss so often and so completely they had to bring him back to life to pulp him one more time. Tasting hot mealcake among pine trees, they beat it away. Singing love songs to Mr. Death, they smashed his head. More than the rest, they killed the flirt whom folks called Life for leading them on. Making them think the next sunrise would be worth it; that another stroke of time would do it at last. Only when she was dead would they be safe. The successful ones – the ones that have been there enough years to have maimed, mutilated, maybe even buried her – kept watch over the others who were still in her cock-teasing hug, caring and looking forward, remembering and looking back” (p. 128).

This quotation shows the reader the bitter outlook that the prisoners have on life and their methods of dealing with their situation: by imagining their family, friends or past selves and beating away the memories of their past lives or picturing taking out their anger on their bosses who punish them. The author mentions that they beat away the most at “Life,” because of the way that she keeps them alive despite their torments. As they beat, they imagine what it would be like once they are dead, freed of the pain and suffering they have gone through.

Yesterday I finished reading “The Handmaid’s Tale”- world’s bestseller written by Margaret Atwood. This book is really easy to read because almost every chapter ends with a cliffhanger and leaves a reader with a feeling of hunger for more information. Throughout the story we are given information about what is going on in the world, where the narrator named Offred lives in. In the country named the Republic of Gilead, formerly United States of America, where following a military coup in which the president and most members of Congress were killed. All women were fired from their jobs and their bank accounts were transferred to their male relatives, later they became properties of men used either for reproductive purpose or for housekeeping.

“My name isn’t Offred, I have another name, which nobody uses now because it’s forbidden.”

The book brings out problems about the domination and governing of women by men. It was really interesting to follow the story and find out more about the world Offred lives in. The epilogue was just perfect, the book ends when a black van takes Offred somewhere, it was either the “Eye”- secret police that keeps everything in order and punishes those who disrupt it, or “Mayday”- opposition of Gileadean regime, then the book ends, we don’t know who came after Offred , we don’t know what happened to her we can suggest that it was “Mayday” who took her because it turns out the book was made out of recordings, Offred left for future historians after so called Republic of Gillead collapsed and she could only make those recordings if she made it out alive of the van, but we don’t know her exact fate because her other recordings were never found.

If he had been with me by Laura Nowlin, this book is about Friendship, Love and Loss during high school.  This novel guides us through the story of Autmn and Finny as they go through high school and relationships. Finny and Autumn were best friends since birth, but they distance each other due to misunderstandings all through high school, just to be pulled back together after graduation but then be ripped apart again.

My mother named me Autumn. People say to me “Oh how pretty,” and then the name seems to glide away from them, not grasping all the things that the word should mean to them, shades of red, change, and death. (chapter 2, page 4)

I like this sentence because Autumn returns to the topic of loss, connecting her name to both change and death. Her name is a reference to fall, a season of change, endings, and darkness when leaves fall off the trees and they hibernate in preparation for winter. This shows how Autumn will feel after Finny dies—hopeless and despondent.

In the book “7 Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen Covey there is a chapter that talks about starting by having the end in mind, visualizing you where do you want to be and what person do you want to be seen as. It helps you to think and see the position in which you are now and what steps you will take to achieve those goals or that person that you want to be. This is part of the second habit, “Begin with the end in mind.” There is a specific quote that I really liked. 

“To begin with the end in mind means to start with a clear understanding of your destination. It means to know where you’re going so that you better understand where you are now and so that the steps you take are always in the right direction.” (p.112)

The way I like to see this quote is that every step, action, or thing that we do right now, will contribute to our future and will create the person that we will be. That is why this quote is especially important to me, every step counts. Also, the meaning of what you are doing right now counts is about how we have to use time in our favor. 

It was a while when I started reading a book called “Counting by 7s” by Holly Goldberg Sloan. The story is about a girl who has a unique way of thinking, and everything she does somehow ends up being connected to her favorite number 7.

I remember Mrs. King asking the class: 

“How does this book make you feel?”

The appropriate answer, as far as she was concerned, was “tired”… Half of the class was asleep…I recall looking around my fellow inmates, thinking: Would someone, anyone, just shout out the word tired?

…After days of hearing more lies from an adult than I’d been exposed to in my whole life… I had to tell the truth (p.16. Holly Goldberg Sloan. Counting by 7s).

I chose this quote because I find it funny and relatable. In my previous schools, we had to read assigned books from those teachers that everyone hated and discuss them in class. Unfortunately, all of them looked for a specific answer and did not accept anything that was slightly different from their opinion. I always sat there and silently bagged someone to say something. Then, in one of the essays about another book, I wrote what I truly thought of it.

Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale is a classic novel written in 1985. It explores themes of women’s bodies as political instruments, gender inequality, education as a privilege, and social classes. In chapter 23, page 211, Ofred goes on her first “date” with a Commander. She is re-running the conversations in her head and stressing about if she ever said something to give a wrong impression. This divertes her train to thought to communication barriers.

It’s impossible to say a thing exactly the way it was, because what you say can never be exact, you always have to leave something out, there are too many parts, sides, crosscurrents, nuances; too many gestures, which could mean this or that, too many shapes which can never be fully described, too many flavors, in the air or on the tongue, half-colors, too many.

I liked this quote because it resonated with me. Communicating exactly how you feel or what you need is really difficult. For some it comes easy, but for most it is one of the biggest and most drawn-out lessons they will learn in their lives. Atwood has described perfectly and exactly why communication is such a difficult skill. There are so many different elements to consider when you are trying to communicate something to someone and there will always be a gap that leaves the other person questioning you.

“Twisted Love” is the second book from the ‘Twisted’ series wrote by Ana Huang.  It’s about a tragic teenage romance between her brothers best friend and the main character.

We both had a twisted past, but together it didn’t feel so bad.

Recently I had finished the book “Dream Team ” by Jack McCallum It talks about the stories behind the 1992 Olympic USA basketball team which is known as the Dream Team because of the amount of famous NBA players on the team including : Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Karl Malone and many more. Of course the man himself Michael Jordan would be in the team. Knowing they dominated the Olympics with a blowout every game is insane. And the following quote is from one of my favourite chapter – <> everyone who watched this game would agree that Jordan and Pippen went off this game because of the Bulls team management and the following quote are some comments about the game.

Ewing: “They dogged Kukoc so bad. That was the best defense I ever saw Michael and Scottie play. By far. And they played a lot of great defense.”
Barkley: “Dude, it was scary what they did to Kukoc. And beautiful to watch.”
Malone: “You ever see a feeding frenzy? That’s what it was like “

These comments are from their teammates in the Dream Team and these 3 players had lost to Jordan and Pippen countless times, they hate them but they still made a comment about how good they played so from that we can realize that they had actually destroyed Kukoc out on the court.

I’ve just finished reading “It starts with us” by Colleen Hoover, which is the second book for her famous novel “It ends with us”. this book is a continuation to te first one, starting from where it ended, Atlas and Lily reuniting after everything that Lily had going on, one of the things that i liked from this book, is that they gave Atlas perspective, in book number 1 we would only get Lily’s perspective, but in this one the chapters alternate from perspective between the 2 of them.

“Atlas” I say his name sympathetically because he does look absolutely drained. “Do you need me to come over and give you a hug?”

“You mean do I need you to come home and give me a hug?”

I smile when he says that. “Yes. That’s exactly what I meant. Do you need me to come home and give you a hug?”

He nods. “I do, Lily. come home” (p.301)

I really liked this part because it explains how after everything that happened Atlas and Lily could stay together and overcome all the challenges in front of them as a happy and loving couple.

The book that I’ve been reading its called “It ends with us” by Colleen Hoover. This quotation is said by Lily when she had a fight with her boyfriend Atlas, and she said it because she really think people can make mistakes and learn from them and not do the same mistakes again.

All humans make mistakes. What determines a person’s character aren’t the mistakes we make. It’s how we take those mistakes and turn them into lessons rather than excuses. (p.192)

I really liked this quotation because Colleen Hoover is saying that we can be better by accepting the responsibility of our mistakes instead of running from them, and this is how we will show the strength we have. It also works as a reminder that learning and growing don’t come from avoiding our problems, but the come from reflection and making improvements. I also likes the quotation because Lily is giving Atlas another chance and trusting in him so that he can prove him wrong ad showing Lily that he is a better person, second chances are a real thing.

In the Novel Magnolia Parks, by Jessa Hastings. Magnolia and BJ are coming to an end, where they started off by being suspended in a strange kind of love. Their sad efforts to get over one another seem to be hurting, but successful. Both seem to realize their relationship can’t continue like it is:

How many loves, I wonder again?

Some loves, like ours was, are like wrecking balls in glass houses. (p.357)

-Parks

————————————————————

–I start to wonder how many people in your lifetime do you get to love how I love her? Can’t be that many. How many loves do you get?

Tell me it’s two.

[…]

Please, tell me it’s two. (p.381)

-BJ

When I read both of these scenes, I was again reminded of the author’s key question “How many Loves do you get in a lifetime”. For the first time, the key question is highlighted and used as a lyrical prose. This situation shows how the Protagonists both reflect on their decisions and relationships. They seem to hit the wall after every attempt to stop hurting each other and being together. The question that comes to my mind is, is hurting each other easier than making a Final Cut?

George Orwell was a brilliant writer on dystopia and political satirical novels, both 1984 and animal farm are classic. I’ve read 1984 before in Chinese, and currently I’m reading Animal farm, which makes me think and consider a lot about revolution. There are uncountable revolutions in the history, some of them were break out because religion; some of them led by the king who has not been given power or the relatives in noble family; some of them break out because people want constitutional monarchy, or even a little more radical, like French, who want the king to be cut off his head; some of them break out in colonies, led by the indigenous people or some special colonizers who would like to help the indigenous people to fight against their home country, just like the Brazilian, and Pedro the first, also known as the O Libertador.

However, the revolution in Animal farm is not one of these I mentioned above. The revolution in Animal farm is a mixture of multiple kinds of revolution: the colonies independent movement, and the communist revolution. The revolution is also a failed revolution, and George Orwell describes how it went to failed.

“I do not believe that Snowball was a traitor at the beginning,’ he said finally. ‘What he has done since is different. But I believe that at the Battle of the Cowshed he was a good comrade.”

“Our Leader, Comrade Napoleon,” announced Squealer, speaking very slowly and firmly, “has stated categorically-categorically, comrade-that Snowball was Jones’s agent from the very beginning- yes, and from long before the Rebellion was ever thought of.”

“Ah that is different!” Said Boxer. “If Comrade Napoleon says it, it must be right!”

“That is the true sprit, comrade!” cried Squealer.  (P56)

This quote is very similar to the Great Purge of the Soviet Union, squealer’s role is much like that of a Soviet commissar or the KGB. We can also consider Napoleon as Stalin, there’s lots of evidence can prove it. For instance, “If Comrade Napoleon says it, it must be right!”, this is simply a true portrayal of Stalin’s authoritarian rule, isn’t it? What Stalin said, must be right. What comrade Napoleon said, must be right. What Khrushchev said, must be right!

This quote satirizes two sense that would happen in communist revolution. Authoritarianism and The Great Purge. These two things always drag the communist revolution into the abyss, deviate from the original intention of the revolution, and turn the revolutionaries themselves into cruel rulers. This only starts the next cycle, and inequality remains, and even intensifies. But not only communist did that, we can also noticed it also happened in France Great Revolution, like what Robespierre did, Bloody reign.

 

I have been reading The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, it´s a very famous novel about a millionaire named Gatsby who is in love with this girl Daisy for years now, but by some things in the destiny they can not be together. The quote I choose appears in the first page of the book,

“Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone” he told me, “just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had”

p.1

This quote is said by the narrator who is Daisy´s cousin, retelling what his grandfather once told him; I picked this quote because I found it true not everyone knows what you know and you are lucky to know what you know, because you´ve had the opportunity to learn those things, so before crizicing someone for something dumb and small, think about what makes you feel that way.

The book that I have been reading is called Surrounded by Idiots by Thomas Erikson. Probably this is the book that I have enjoyed the most reading because this book is literally the vivid representation of the popular phrase that says “don’t judge a book by it’s cover”. When you read the title of the book you can think the same that I did, that the book was going to be about telling the reader that the other are idiots, but it’s totally the opposite.

“But the most important lesson that you can walk away with is that the idiots who surround you are, in fact, not idiots at all. Instead, they are individuals worthy of respect, understanding, and being valued.” (p.224)

I choose this quote because its the one that I still have fresh in my memory and I will every day from now on. The writer of the book ended this book with a phrase that he knew for sure was going to leave a mark on anyone who read the book. We are all worth of respect, we all are equal, and we have the same value. Sometimes we forget this and we don’t treat everyone with the respect that they deserve.

In the book “The Kite Runner” by Khaled Hosseini. Rahim Khan says the quote during a phone call with Amir, telling him to return to Afghanistan. This quote sets up the whole story and it hints at Amir’s past mistakes and the chance to make things right.

There is a way to be good again. (p. 2)

Rahim Khan’s words suggest that even though you have done mistakes in the past, there is always a chance to fix them and find forgiveness. This phrase hits Amir hard because he has been feeling guilty for many years. The call to go back to Afghanistan represents a chance for Amir to face his past, look for  forgiveness, and find peace with himself.

This IRJE is about the novel that is called The Paper Palace, by Miranda Cowley Heller, I have been reading it since I arrived from spring break, and now I have almost finished it, to read this book has been a challenging process to pass through everything it, but finally, I am so proud of me to finish it. In this quote who is talk is Elle the main character of the book, because during the book she has had a challenge decision between two boys and is always questioning herself as to who she is going to choose.

“But this time when I pull away from him, it is agonizing. Not found, but lost. I pause, stand on the precipice of memory, wanting so desperately to fall into it, knowing I can’t. Jonas is animal, Peter is mineral. And I need a rock.”

I chose this quote because I consider this is referring to a person who actually is mature and although all the challenges that she had to pass finally learned of all of those.

This IRJE is about a novel I am slightly unfamiliar with. I have been reading the novel Beloved by Toni Morrison. This novel is not my usual choice of genre, but I have surprisingly found the plot and narrative quite engaging and unpredictable. Although the plot is quite confusing, I have felt that the book carries a constant theme: memory. The novel is written in a way where everyone expresses emotion through memories. The novel begins with expressing memories of being a slave, freedom, loss, and love, and it is these recollections that allow the audience to connect and understand each character. Early in the novel, when Denver sees her mother praying by the side of her bed next to a ghost-like figure, the concept of ‘memory’ becomes readily apparent to the reader.

“It’s so hard for me to believe in [time]. Some things go. Pass on. Some things just stay. I used to think it was my memory… But it’s not. Places, places are still there. If a house burns down, it’s gone, but the place-the picture of it- stays, and not just in my memory, but out there, in the world.”

“If it’s still there, waiting, that must mean that nothing ever dies.”

“Nothing ever does.” (pg.38).

This passage introduces the concept of the physicality of memory, how even if something is physically gone, it still remains somewhat engraved in our minds. The protagonist Sethe who experienced slavery herself, expresses the importance of acknowledging that your past still exists, even if that place is no longer physically existing. Sethe’s passage implies that when revisiting your past, physically returning to a certain place, will cause you to remember everything about it. I felt that this perspective represented an abstract way of interpreting memory and showed wisdom and emotional maturity from the character. The passage ends with irony when she says that “nothing ever dies”. Sethe has lost almost all her children, but she is inferring that none of them are dead in her memory. Physically they are gone, but spiritually and emotionally they are within her. This is apparent with the presence of Beloved, and the hauntingly familiar daughter-like connection she seems to share with Sethe.

In the world of Crescent City by Sarah J. Maas, there is magic, love, strength, and vulnerability. The depth of the characters, particularly Bryce, the protagonist, comes not from just her physical characteristics and strengths, but from her ability to open herself up and share her weaknesses. The following excerpt occurs when Bryce is faced with a daunting challenge ahead, and her best friend, Danika, guides her from the afterlife through fear and trepidation

She whispered, “I’m scared.”

Danika grabbed her hand again. “That’s the point of it, Bryce. Of life. To live, to love, knowing that it might all vanish tomorrow. It makes everything that much more precious.” She took Bryce’s face in her hands and pressed their brows together.”

This discourse between the two characters shows the true power of friendship, and how support can help one overcome even the toughest of challenges. It can also be applied universally, Danika’s message reaching far beyond the book and applying to everyday life. It makes one reflect and take the time to realize that life is so precious, and implores one to live it while they can. This reflection on the impermanence of life only adds to its value and echoes another phrase in the book, “momento mori,” which is a Latin phrase that means “remember that you will die.” Such an important sentiment to remember, and yet also one not often appreciated.

Just this week I began re-reading a novel I read a few years ago. I decided to re-read it because the premise was interesting and I wanted to remember the details of the first book so I could connect it to the second book in the series I plan to read. The novel is called They Both Die at the End and is written by Adam Silvera. The general idea of the novel is that in an alternative world, there is a company called Death-cast that will contact people when they only have twenty-four hours or less to live. These people are never told how they will die or exactly how long they have left but it gives them time to say goodbye to loved ones. In this quotation, the protagonist, Mateo Torrez has already learned that he is going to die as he is called by the Death-Cast company,

“Because I refused to live invincibly on all the days I didn’t get an alert, I wasted all those yesterdays and am completely out of tomorrows. I’m not going to tell anyone…….I don’t want to spend my last day wondering if people are being genuine when they throw sad words at me” (Pg. 10).

I chose this quotation because it made me try putting myself in the protagonist’s shoes. How would I react to someone telling me I was going to die in the next twenty-four hours? Would I tell my family? Would I cry? Would I be angry? Contrary to the protagonist I would tell my family but mourn that there would be no tomorrow to experience. Similarly to the protagonist, I would feel that I have wasted my days not trying new things and spending time doing hobbies I enjoy.

Zora Neale Hurston’s “Their Eyes Were Watching God” contains the following powerful quote:

“Love is lak de sea. It’s uh movin’ thing, but still and all, it takes its shape from de shore it meets, and it’s different with every shore.” (p.191).

This quote captures the spirit of love as it is portrayed in the book. The main character, Janie, discovers through her experiences that love is a dynamic concept that changes depending on the people and situations involved. Love is compared to the sea to emphasize its enormously, unpredictable nature, and capacity to both shape and be shaped by its surroundings. This concept is reflected in every relationship Janie enters as she moves through a variety of unique and relationship-influencing types of love.

This quotation in particular interests to me because it effectively portrays the difficulties and flexibility of love. It recognizes that love is complicated and varied, changing over time according to events and circumstances. The metaphor is further deepened by the sea imagery, which emphasizes the length and profundity of love’s emotional spectrum. All things considered, I find significance in this quotation because it offers a deep understanding of the nature of love and relationships.