You recall those horrible icebreakers from back in school? When did you have to go around the room and introduce yourself to everyone, saying your name, favorite color, interesting fact about yourself, and preferred ice cream flavor, among other things? Since none of these exercises were particularly thought-provoking or profound, it's likely that none of them ever motivated you to reflect on anything about yourself. Furthermore, it's likely that none of these activities ever improved your relationship with your classmates. But I did encounter one ice-breaker question in graduate school that caused me to consider things slightly differently.
That was the first time I had ever consciously acknowledged how I frequently choose my favorite book based on the person asking the question. It now seems ridiculous. Never Let Me Go, written by Nobel Prize winner Kazuo Ishiguro, has always been my go-to amazing novel. My favorite book, however, may differ depending on the audience because I can read and reread John Green or Harry Potter without becoming tired of them. The sheer number of novels I've read and loved throughout my life causes me to freeze when people ask me what is my favorite book, of course, and other times when they do, I simply cannot answer. My favorite book is occasionally literally just the one I just completed.