Why I Read YA
Happy Friday!
It was a short week because of the holiday on Monday but I am sooo ready for the weekend. I haven’t been sleeping well so I’m hoping to squeeze in some naps. Tj and I also want to go ‘exploring’ around Melbourne and maybe check out a new area and do some furniture shopping.
Last weekend I did something totally crazy and went grocery shopping… without a grocery list! LOL. It was fun just going through the store randomly, except we ran out of dish soap and food halfway through the week. So this weekend I want to plan our meals a bit better and make sure we get everything we need.
I recently finished a really great young adult (YA) book. It was the best YA book I’ve read in a while. When I write up my monthly lists of the books I’ve read, I do try to indicate which ones are part of a series and which are YA. I flag these ones so you know which ones you might like and which ones won’t be for you. But I’ve never explained why I often read YA books and why I like them so much.
Growing up, there weren’t that many options. I loved Babysitter Club, some R.L. Stine books (but they were sometimes too scary for me), Nancy Drew, and I was obsessed with Sweet Valley Twins. But other than a few series, I don’t remember there being many books for me to choose from. Once I finished everything at my local library, my mom would drive me to other libraries around town. I would take out as many books as I could. When my younger cousin Taylor was a teenager, she had many more books to choose from. And she started lending me books that she loved. I think I borrowed my first ever Sarah Dessen book from her.
Here are some things I found online about YA books:
YA books are largely written for 12-17-year-olds
You can find YA books in every genre
A 2012 survey found 55% of YA readers are adults
The largest group of buyers in that survey are adults aged between 30 and 44 years
Even if you haven't read a YA book, you probably saw a movie based on a YA novel (Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, The Fault in Our Stars)
Here are some arguments I found in this article online about why adults shouldn't read YA:
You should be embarrassed when what you're reading was written for children.
These books indulge in the kind of endings that teenagers want to see, but which adult readers ought to reject as far too simple.
Fellow grown-ups, at the risk of sounding snobbish and joyless and old, we are better than this.
Life is so short, and the list of truly great books for adults is so long.
I am a big believer in non-judgmental reading.
Read whatever you want.
Or don’t read.
It doesn’t matter to me and I don’t see why my reading choices should matter to anyone else.
Here are some reasons why I like to read YA:
YA books usually a pretty quick read and only take me a few days (if even). After I read a long book (something that takes a week or longer to read), I love a quick read to entertain me.
The stories are good and things usually work out in the end. It is satisfying when I get to find out what happens.
YA books are kind of like reality tv for me. Entertaining and fun, but not exactly life-changing. I like to mix in YA between thrillers and mysteries.
They can also be deep and touching and address complex social issues in a really engaging way.
Cheaper than adult books
The library always has a good selection.
I like the simplicity
Some of my favourite 'adult' writers have YA books as well
And the most important reason… I read them just because I like them!