Coming from a comfortable, middle-class, suburban life in Southwest Ohio, I used books as a way to escape from the ennui of daily life, and subsequently became attracted to magic or that which was so far advanced it appeared magical. Fantasy, science fiction, paranormal -- the idea of a world unseen or undiscovered excited me.
I've become very picky and superficial when it comes to books due to time constraints imposed on me by college. When I have two ten-page papers due within the week, a group project, and final exams to study for, I just don't have the time to devour books the way I used to. This has had an effect on both my reading and writing -- I'll set down a book if it doesn't grip me on the first page, and my own writing has become tighter and more fast-paced.