Ah, books. You've got to love them. Whether you're a sci-fi geek, fascinated by fantasy, a history buff, love to learn from non-fiction, or just love a good romance, drama, or mystery novel, there's something for everyone. Everyone necessarily has their own favorite genre or genres. But, is that set in stone? I used to love science fiction and fantasy books, because they always seemed to have the most action in them. I like books with adventure, fast-paced plot, and maybe a bit of drama. I wouldn't read anything besides sci-fi or fantasy, because I loved the action. (click below to read more)
I've noticed my interests changing with age, though. While I still like books like Eragon, I a becoming more and more fascinated with historical fiction and, in many cases, historical non-fiction, because I've discovered through books like Unbroken, by Laura Hillenbrand, and Bomb, by Steve Sheinkin, that history is just as full of action as straight-up fiction is, and it has the added drama of happening to real people. Real human beings have been tried in scenarios so insane that we would deign to call them fiction if we didn't know better, and have prevailed; knowing this makes me both enthralled and proud to be of the species Homo Sapiens Sapiens. I've also found myself enjoying the books we read in class, such as The Great Gatsby and yes, To Kill a Mockingbird, because of all of the drama. That's something else I've begun to enjoy more and more.
What does this say about human psychology? With age, many people tend to mellow a bit, but I wouldn't say that going from adventure to drama is mellowing if both cause thrills or send shivers down your spine. I think that it just means that the mind is responding to stimulants. As you are younger, you are more fascinated by playing "make-believe" and pretending that you are on some adventure. As you grow older, though, everything you do is more rooted in reality, and your thoughts are necessarily more rooted in reality as well. They need to be, to get through school and the responsibilities that come with age. This means that, when one reads, one still likes to get the thrill of adventure, but they need a more realistic way of getting it. At least, I think that that's what is happening in my case.
What does this say about human psychology? With age, many people tend to mellow a bit, but I wouldn't say that going from adventure to drama is mellowing if both cause thrills or send shivers down your spine. I think that it just means that the mind is responding to stimulants. As you are younger, you are more fascinated by playing "make-believe" and pretending that you are on some adventure. As you grow older, though, everything you do is more rooted in reality, and your thoughts are necessarily more rooted in reality as well. They need to be, to get through school and the responsibilities that come with age. This means that, when one reads, one still likes to get the thrill of adventure, but they need a more realistic way of getting it. At least, I think that that's what is happening in my case.