I’m Becoming a YA Enthusiast, Again

Over the weekend, I found myself in the teen/tween/young adult section of the library.  It was only natural since this area was next to the children’s section where my six-year old was browsing.

My fingers edged the pages of several books from my youth bringing a smile to my face.  I spotted the The Babysitters Club series, in addition to classics like The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and To Kill A Mockingbird.

As my daughter was selecting a new Pinkalicious book that she hadn’t read yet along with a Dr. Seuss one and a brightly colored tale about a tea party, I was grabbing a few YA (young adult) books for me to take home too.

I chose Tuck Everlasting, Everybody Sees the Ants and For One More Day – an immortal slightly romantic story, a serious insight into bully-ism and isolation and a life-lessons book by Mitch Albom.   Last week I read Ella Enchanted for the first time and really enjoyed it.

Why did I choose to take home these YA books?  My first thought was, they’re shorter and easier to read.  I can make more time for these instead of a 500+ page adult mystery.  My second and final thought was they looked/sounded interesting.  Sometimes I need a break from other adults raising children like me.  I read children’s books every night to my two girls so a YA story is in-between and often a welcome escape for me.

YA books are growing ever popular these days.

The Twilight series falls in that category.  Sorry, but I did NOT like that one.  I made it through the first book and half-way through the second one before I said, enough already with this vampire romantic bullshit.

The Hunger Games is in this YA  genre.  I did enjoy those books, but more in an incredible, interesting-I’m-glad-I-poured-through-it-but-will-never-read-it-again way.

I’ll be honest though… the only reason I read Twilight and Hunger Games is because I had people lend them to me.  I borrowed them.  I typically read “best-sellers” way after they’re off the top ten list.  Why?  Because I’m cheap and don’t want to pay for them when they’re popular.  I would rather obtain them for free at the library.  I don’t keep up with the best-seller’s list too much even though I’m a writer and editor.  I just have too many lists in my life these days.

I am becoming more of a YA story reader and enthusiast though…. The last several I’ve read were really good, compelling books.

As I was researching YA books and the popularity of them, I came across this article.  The author of this piece states rather bluntly that adults should be embarrassed to read YA titles like “The Fault in Our Stars,” and “Eleanor and Park.”  She points out that YA is for ages 12-18, not ages like 30’s to mid-40’s – women that are really buying up these best-sellers and movie tickets.  I confess, I haven’t read the two top titles she mentions, not yet anyway, after all they’re still best-selller’s.

But I was intrigued by what she said.  I admire her brutal honesty but I disagreed with her reasons behind her stance.

You see Ruth, I’m not looking to relive my youth.   I was such an awkward book-worm when I was 12-17.  I didn’t have a clue who I was and I tried really hard to fit in and find my place.  I didn’t know a thing about love. Now I’m an almost-36-year-old, married for over a decade woman.  My heart doesn’t flutter over teenager language and crushes.  Heck, I’m still an awkward bookworm.  The difference is that I accept and embrace that now.

No in my case, I’m just looking for an interesting story that I can read in a short amount of time.  If I can’t find a $1.99 or free novella on my Kindle device, then it’s a YA book I’m reaching out toward

So there you go, I confess!  I’m a YA lover!

Just not for the reasons that most people are.  I’m just short on time and want a quick but still-interesting story that will let my adult mind enjoy a little escape from reality.

So long-live YA books and ya-ya-sisterhood and all that jazz!