Y is for YA

I know I’ve talked about books once already, but I wanted to dedicate today to my favorite genre, Young Adult literature. I used to think that reading YA was beneath me (this was when I was probably much closer to the intended age range, too!) and that I should read “serious” literature if I wanted to be “serious” reader.

That was dumb.

The truth is, although I can appreciate Sense and Sensibility and Great Expectations, they are not books I want to read over and over and over again. I have read a lot of Jodi Picoult and John Grisham, but I find them a little dull and formulaic after all these years. I have a handful of adult authors I really like, but mostly, I find a lot of the books I’m “supposed” to read boring, overly sexualized or just…not me.

I love to lose myself in books – to read about a different world and to find myself in the characters. I love to read sweet love stories and escape to places that can only exist in my imagination. I love to read books that are smart, funny and interesting. And while I’m sure there are a lot of books that fit those categories, I find that I still enjoy YA a lot more. Plus, the books are usually a quick read for me, meaning I can read a lot of them!

There are always people saying that there is no redeeming value in Young Adult books; and to those people I say, read it before you bash it. Sure, there is a lot of fluff and trash out there, but there is also a lot of really good stuff.  Just like ANY genre.

So, today, i think you should give YA a chance!