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Hello folks, My name is Kurt. I am a second year engineering student from Massachusetts at age 41. I find it difficult to choose my favorite reading genre because reading fills a void for me, it satisfies a craving, and these things change with time. I will tend to gravitate toward hearing a persons story, simple or complex, most have an amazing quality that we can learn from. In browsing through this site before my introduction I came upon many titles I wish to explore. Thank you for the terrific resource.

Welcome to the community, Kurt.

Hi Kurt:

I definitely agree that reading fills a void and satisfies a craving, although I can't describe the way it does. I think maybe it's just provides relief from the stress (or lack of stress?) by disappearing into a story.

Melissa

Melissa good point, I do find myself searching for fiction while studying, and non-fiction while on break.

I agree that preference can change depending on many variables. Even working on a different project at work slightly alters preferences. Some experiences can increase or decrease passions in certain areas. An interesting philosophical conversation will encourage me to read a book on philosophy. Boring and mundane work will find me reading fantasy at night. Reading Popular Science magazine on an airplane will make me more likely to buy a sci-fi book at the airport. These preferences are influential, not directive. They aren't hard rules, but subtle variables.

I've learned I have to be very careful about what I'm reading when I've got a writing project going. There is a strong tendency for my writing to echo whatever style of book I'm reading. I have to make sure that I read something compatible with whatever I'm working on.