Addicted to YA discussion
Debates
>
YA reader but not YA anymore
I like books with adventure, and magic, and mystery... Books where I can go to many different worlds. These books happen to have a main character that is usually in her/his teens. That's why they are YA.If there was a book about John Smith, social worker in his thirties that finds out his is the lost heir of a secret magical civilization / his family is keeping secrets from him that will change his life forever / there is a whole new hidden world he knew nothing about till now, I would read the hell out of that book. I'm sure there are books out there telling the story of John Smith, social worker by day. But the majority of these stories are about teenagers so...
Honestly, adult books always have this official vibe, like they take themselves too seriously. They promise more than they can deliver more times than not.
I have nothing against adult books, just the people who think they are better for reading them instead of YA
You should definitely write about John Smith!!! That sounds amazing. xD
I'm a YA author and am continually talking to people of all ages about my books. It's amazing how many adults still turn up their noses when they hear the term 'YA', although it's also interesting how many of them don't. :-) I was just at a book signing on Saturday, trying to convince some people that my books were for all ages. Some listened, some didn't but I think there are many adults, like me, who enjoy YA books.
I read and write YA. I read a lot of other stuff as well but I find something authentic in good YA fiction that I keep coming back to. For me it's also because my love of reading was at fever pitch as a teenager, and the books I read then have had more of an impact on me than any others. I'm 40! Though I find it hard to believe
I enjoy some YA and I have great grandkids! However, I think there is far too much being written with teen superheroes who are going to save the world! I totally avoid those, since that is just unbelievable. I can't even wrap my mind around that concept to even get into such a story.I like YA Adventure, Fantasy, Sci-fi, Mystery mostly, without the sex, and profanity of so much of the adult books.
I cannot leave the YA section at the bookstore. I don't care what anyone thinks! I am lucky to have a sister 9 years younger so I have someone to discuss and share books with
My sister is four year younger and looks down on YA! xDAll that isn't classics or nobel price material doesn't touch her book shelf. :P
Guys, theres this scene in a book thats stuck in my head but i cant remember which book its from or even the characters really, but its been frustrating me for a while now. Its a YA. Fantasy fic probably. The scene is when the heroine is a prisoner and after being attacked/assaulted by guards but saved, is curled up on her bed in her barren and cold, prison-like room and the male protagonist comes in, picks her up, deposits her in his bed and tells her no funny business, its just for tonight and he'd get a cot moved in for her in the morning.Oh and i think the girl used to be a slave?
Does anyone have any idea which book it could be?
Oddly enough I get uncomfortable moments of silence and/opr stares because I'm reading ANY book that isn't something directly related to my job. The lack of interest in reading any sort of books in Mexico isn't something to feel proud of.
I'm a thirty year old man who, outside of scripts, reads about 90% or YA, juvenile/children or comic books. I have no plans to change this in the foreseeable future. Claudia voiced my opinion as well as I possibly could, so go ahead and scroll up, read what she had to say and pretend I said it haha.
Urooj wrote: "Guys, theres this scene in a book thats stuck in my head but i cant remember which book its from or even the characters really, but its been frustrating me for a while now. Its a YA. Fantasy fic pr..."Urooj, your description sounds like Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas, the scene is exactly like you have written except that assault of guards, in this book the girl had a burnout (she used too much magic)
Hi there !I'm 25 (well almost) and I'm a bookseller. Because of that, some of my coworkers look down on my reading because you have to be pretty pretention to be a bookseller (in France at least). My mom also disagree with what I read because she thinks I should grow up. But I don't really care, because I am a young adult. Well yes, I'm not old, and I'm adult (or so they say) so why should it be embarassing ? And seriously, reading is awesome and that all that's count.
Lady Marguerite wrote: "Hi there !I'm 25 (well almost) and I'm a bookseller. Because of that, some of my coworkers look down on my reading because you have to be pretty pretention to be a bookseller (in France at least)...."
Very true! But the actual target group of YA books is somewhere between 12 and 18 I believe ... which I wouldn't call young adult. But well, I love the books I love. Screw everyone who thinks differently. I've hid my reading material for years because of the looks, but I'm done apologizing for what i love and what makes me happy!
Johanna wrote: "Lady Marguerite wrote: "Hi there !I'm 25 (well almost) and I'm a bookseller. Because of that, some of my coworkers look down on my reading because you have to be pretty pretention to be a booksell..."
I agree with you. Screw them !
Absolutely. I was asked recently what my "guilty pleasure" music was recently. My response was "I would say a lot of Taylor Swift's newer music, except I don't feel 'guilty' for liking it."If your enjoying something doesn't harm anyone else, they shouldn't have any say in it.
Tommy wrote: "Absolutely. I was asked recently what my "guilty pleasure" music was recently. My response was "I would say a lot of Taylor Swift's newer music, except I don't feel 'guilty' for liking it."If you..."
Good for you! It took me a long time to come to that point and I still occasionally find myself falling back into old patterns. :)
Thank you, Tommy! I really admire your attitude. You are absolutely right. If you enjoy something and you're not hurting anyone, you shouldn't feel guilty. Just yesterday I was talking to a friend about books and it took her some time but she admitted that she loves romantic novels (the kind that have a shirtless dude on the cover), and she was so embarrassed! It is so sad that someone feels embarrassed for something they enjoy so much!
I'd rather talk about books with someone who reads books they enjoy, even if they are not considered smart enough (whatever that means), than with someone who read Ulysses but fought to keep his eyes open every page.
I'm reading for myself, to relax and I'm very happy when I read. I don't care what anyone thinks about YA books., Like anything else everyone has it's own taste, and important thing is to enjoy it :)
People are too judgy about books. If I find a really good book and I want to recommend it to friends, I just leave out that it's YA since so many people are of that mindset that YA are just for kids to read. YA just happens to have some of the best stuff out there more often than not when it comes to the genres I love, so that's what I read, and no regrets.
Age? Let's just say I'm old enough to know better. I love reading YA because of the authenticity of the characters. You care about them. As a best selling author of "adult" mysteries/thrillers, YA has opened up my imagination and invigorated my passion. I love the fantasy/paranormal subgenre.
I read whatever makes me want to keep turning the page, and ya sci-fi and fantasy has tons of books that I enjoy the most. And I'm not scared to admit that I'll be 39 in January!
I'm 33 and love YA! I would say I read 98% YA, no other books can grab my attention as much a YA does. I used to feel "old" when I would look in the YA section at the bookstores, but now... I could care less lol! Other people who judge me are clearly missing out lol
Okay this is a great topic. I'm not YA anymore but my first choice of books mostly YA. There's a saying goes 'age is just a number'? xD
I am glad I saw this. I am 25 and a majority of the books I read are young adult. I used to be embarrassed but I really don't care anymore. I think a good book is a good book no matter the genre.
I agree. Which is what makes goodreads such a great place, because I didn't have anyone in my read life to discuss these books with and that was depressing. ^^
Yeah age? Huh..I read to avoid reality...YA has some of the best characters and there isn't that kind of "shock value" feel I get from adult fiction. I have 5 sisters and they were so snooty about their choice of books, I wasn't invited in on it. So here I am! YA is probably my favorite but I enjoy so many good ones that I just wanted to find people that share the thrill of a great book. And lets be honest people we ALL like Taylor Swift music! You know it's true..... :p
Johanna wrote: "I agree. Which is what makes goodreads such a great place, because I didn't have anyone in my read life to discuss these books with and that was depressing. ^^"Same here. I NEED to talk about books that I've read, especially if they have some heavy stuff in them. Goodreads is awesome for finding new friends =)
I came to Goodreads because being in my late 30's and loving YA isolated me also my library was running out of YA! I believe what you said to be quite honest and especially true in my experience as a reader. Sci-Fi, paranormal, historical romance & fiction or any mix of these. They are all worlds you can lose yourself in.
Rachelle wrote: "Johanna wrote: "I agree. Which is what makes goodreads such a great place, because I didn't have anyone in my read life to discuss these books with and that was depressing. ^^"Same here. I NEED t..."
yes! Or if you just want to rant and swoon about your favorite characters. xD
Monica wrote: "I came to Goodreads because being in my late 30's and loving YA isolated me also my library was running out of YA! I believe what you said to be quite honest and especially true in my experience as..."And they aren't pretentious ... at least most of them. Sometimes when I pick up adult fiction I get the feeling they try to sound extremely smart and educated ... that just annoys me. Bonus. Ya is mostly HEA and i totally need that. Reality is depressing enough, don't need that in my fantasy as well. xD
Johanna wrote: "Monica wrote: "I came to Goodreads because being in my late 30's and loving YA isolated me also my library was running out of YA! I believe what you said to be quite honest and especially true in m..."I totally agree. I'm over 50 and prefer reading YA. I live reality, I read to escape!
How did I miss this thread? hey everyone!! So happy to see I am not the only NOT-YA reading YA books!! Whoohoo!
Tania wrote: "How did I miss this thread? hey everyone!! So happy to see I am not the only NOT-YA reading YA books!! Whoohoo!"I'm thrilled to have discovered this thread too.
Devin wrote: "Tania wrote: "How did I miss this thread? hey everyone!! So happy to see I am not the only NOT-YA reading YA books!! Whoohoo!"I'm thrilled to have discovered this thread too."
I started it for exactly that reason! It's fun talking to younger people about YA books, but sometimes I miss talking about them with people who have a bit of a different perspective on things xD
I find that because YA is directed towards younger audiences, they often treat a wide variety of issues with a care that can be missed in adult fiction. I like adult fiction but sometimes problematic stuff is thrown in there for shock value and not dealt properly. It's not the rule but it happens often enough for me to notice
Claudia wrote: "I find that because YA is directed towards younger audiences, they often treat a wide variety of issues with a care that can be missed in adult fiction. I like adult fiction but sometimes problemat..."True! Very true!
I absolutely agree Claudia...I think that YA can be a breath of fresh air...I have found many authors that I enjoy and something about the storylines resonate with me...I love adult fiction as well, but I have a special place in my heart for YA!
YA books have a kind of innocence to them that I love.
I'm leaving teens now! 23 next year and still only really read YA. I'm lucky Boone disapproves as such my mum sometimes use to read similar series but has since moved on. I don't know many people who read the same stuff as me and have been struggling to start a book club in my area because of my age/ things that I read! Maybe no one is interested anymore, I miss discussing books with people who love them as much as me.
Devin wrote: "I live reality, I read to escape!"
I completely agree :)
I completely agree :)
As I've just begun adventuring into my 20's, I can't help but wonder if I'll ever "grow out" of YA like I did for Youth. I recently discovered the world of adult fic and new adult, but I still find myself pulled toward the YA section at libraries, book stores, etc.YA is like a comfortable blanket for me. I know of many release dates, authors, and titles from this genre, and stepping out of that comfort zone doesn't appeal to me right now. I guess I'll have to find out where I'll be in another 20 years!
Y love reading (and writing) YA books. And I am 60!I suppose you're just as young as your heart is.
I love when conversation with my wife and friends turns to books (most of us in our 40s). "Yes, I loved The Girl on the Train and Team of Rivals. Now what did you think of Book 2 of The Ascension Series or A Court of Mist and Fury?" And the inevitable silence and rolling of the eyes always makes me laugh.As Ramon said above, you're just as young as your heart is. I hope to be reading YA or NA for as long as I can!
I didn't read YA when I was a young adult. I went from goosebumps to fear street then adult romance haha. I stuck with adult romance for a very long time. Nora Roberts and Jude Deveraux got me hooked. I remember at 19 or 20 another girl my age talking about loving Harry Potter and I though what? that is a kids book. I read vampire romance before Stephanie Meyer made it cool. I was reading Amanda Ashley and Linda Lael Miller(she has a vampire series that got me into the vampire romance thing) So Twilight was my first YA book because someone online recommended it and I loved vampire romance at the time. Boy was that a big mistake. I hated it. That put me off YA for awhile because I thought they were all like that. It didn't help that I happened to pick up other YA books that weren't very good imo.
It wasn't until 2014 when I really started reading YA. Hunger Games showed me that YA can be interesting. I still feel a little awkward in the YA section at the library. It helps when I have my kids with me though lol. I try and tell myself not to care what people think. I do enjoy some YA because it is easier to get into the story usually. Unless the characters are in high school it is pretty easy to imagine them as being older. Especially in fantasy or retellings which is what I prefer.
There's plenty of statistics that show nearly half of YA Fiction readers are over the age of 30. I think the stigma is coming from the number of rinse-and-repeat YA fiction that's been out lately. It makes people overlook the really good stuff that does come out. But it's nothing new, we just gave it a tag of "YA" in the last decade. Huck Finn is YA by all accounts and it's a classic!
I'm 22 and so I still count as an official YA reader. but even I have to look at those faces every once in a while. I can only imagine it getting worse... Soo, Christmas 2016, happy me unrapping Christmas presents which happen to be only books: My uncle who kindly bought three of them leans over and says "You know, are you sure those books are for your age group? I mean, they were listed as children's books on Amazon. children's books!!" *chuckles* Yeah, thanks Chris :D
Well, I'm still YA aged, but I get a lot of my YA books-to-read suggestions from what my grandma is reading, and I'm pretty sure I'll love YA for the rest of my life.
I love the YA genre so much, it's the main reason I became a high school English teacher. Definitely not YA anymore, but I still mainly read YA stuff. It's fun because it gives me stuff to talk and rave about with my students. I've never felt awkward in the YA section of the bookstore--I guess that's just where I feel I belong.
Do you know this, you rave about a new book to your friends or family and as soon as the term YA falls they look at you like your nuts. My family and friends are tiny bit pretenious when it comes to books it seems. YA is for kids ... with very few exception (almost all of them read Harry Potter :P)
That was actually the reason I joined Goodreads. To find fellow readers.
How do you deal with such situations? Do you even know it?