Not Quite What I Was Planning- Six-Word Memoirs by Famous & Obscure Writers Edited by Smith Magazine

If you only had six words to describe your life, what would they be? What would you be remembered for? What would you want to be remembered for? This is the question Smith Magazine asked on its website, and thousands of people responded with six words that were moving, poignant and bittersweet.

"Not Quite What I Was Planning" collects many of these six word memoirs and epitaphs in its 219 pages. Most of the writers quoted within are obscure, while others, like Joan Rivers, are quite famous. Hers? "Liars, Hysterectomy didn't improve sex life!" Even Joyce Carol Oates contributed "Revenge is living well without you." Mario Batali? "Brought it to a boil, often."

But who can resist ones like "We were our own Springer Episode"? Or "Followed White Rabbit. Became Black Sheep."? I also liked "Me See World! Me Write Stories!", "Baptist Mother, Jewish Father. Atheist. Surprised?", "At the end of normal street." and the even shorter "Editor. Get it?"

Whole stories are told in six words. "Aspiring Lady Pirate, disillusioned, sells boat.", "In a Manolo world, I'm Keds.", "Artsy married to Fartsy, has two kids.", "Never really finished anything except cake.", "Fell in Love, Married. Divorce. Repeat.", "Born a twin, died a loner."

Just reading this book makes you think about your own life, and how you would sum it up in just six words. I came up with many, but the one I can best describe for this blog would be: "Consumed books like candy. More, please?"