Words and Their Beauty

I love writing.

I love pouring out thoughts, emotions, feelings onto paper, all the while enjoying the effect of the inky black words against the crisp white background. I love capturing a precious moment, then coming back, time and again, to relive it as many times as I choose. I love playing on people's emotions, making them feel the experience as I did - the lyrical song of a bird, the anguish of a lost loved one, the unexplicable, sheer rush of joy at this fickle thing we call life. I even love the frustration of trying to master these inflexible, stubborn creatures known as words, as I try to mould them into the lovely form I see in my mind's eye, instead of this jumbled mass of nothing.

But above all, I love other people's writing. At the age of three or four, I discovered the  vast world of books and have never gotten over its' sheer beauty. What other world contains such fascinating, witty people? What other world contains such spell-binding experiences, or inspires such a breathless wonder? In short, what other world allows you to live another's life by proxy? (In case you wondered, the answer is none. You're welcome. =)

I'd like to think of myself as an eclectic reader, but unfortunately, I'm afraid I would be better described as a sort of "Hodge-Podge Reader." HPR for short. In the space of an hour, I can be totally enthralled by the brilliance of a cold, logical detective and his trusty, often bemused, side-kick, Watson, the charm of a chatty, red-haired orphan girl called Anne (with an E), or the absolute and utter wit of a colorful children's book I picked up off the floor, one which my two year old sister had been enjoying seconds before. In truth, I could probably add "dated" to my title of HPR, because I love time-period books that whisk you away into a completely different time, one in which people really did drive wagons, and really did have kings and queens, and really did...everything differently.

So, tell me - what kind of a reader are you? Are you of the cold, logical sort and think poring over chemistry books is enthralling? (If so, please don't comment. I like reading about people like you. In real life, you terrify me. ;-) Are you the romantic, sighing type who cannot get enough of beautiful heroines and dashing heroes? The picture-loving type? The mystery lover, the sci-fi enthusiast - or maybe just...another HPR? I would love to know! =)