YA LGBT Books discussion
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Why Read YA LGBT?
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Why do I read YA books... short answer... because I enjoy them! Surely that is the main point of reading any book isn't it? Whilst some books are written and marketed with a target age range audience I don't believe any author would be disappointed to find that a wide range of age groups enjoyed their work. In the UK the whole concept of a YA market is only just catching on - the books tend to go from children's to adult's with nothing marketed as inbetween.
Your friends would be even more horrified at me, given that I am in my late 30's and regularly read not just YA books but children's books (in fact my children's bookshelf has one of my largest collections of books - mainly because one of the genre's I read (and actively collect) are "girls own" type stories from the early 20th Century)
As for why LGBT themed books - Although as a lesbian I have a vested interest in LGBT issues I am not sure that I actively select LGBT books over any other type in general terms, if a book is good I will read it no matter the orientation of the main or secondary characters. That said I do get very annoyed with books and authors that have "token", and usually very badly drawn, LGBT characters.
I don't believe that once you reach a certain age, you've got to stop reading certain books. There's no age limit where books are concerned. According to my shelf, it seems I prefer YA books although if you ask me, I'd say I have no preferences as long as the book is well written and has characters that are realistic etc.
I second what K said, I read it because I enjoy it. What is the point of reading something that you do not enjoy, that you cannot hold your interest.
I judge a book by it's content rather than it's categories e.g. Age or LGBT characters/issues etc. Personally I think people who only read certain categories are missing out big time.
Thao.. Don't get frustrated with your friends.. I bet most of them don't even read.. Officially you are still in the YA catagory age wise anyway..
I have a theory about life that can be applied to just about ANYTHING... If you enjoy something and there is detrimental effect to anyone (other than yourself), you should continue to do it. There are far to many things in this day and age that we must do, that we don't like, to deny ourselves the little pleasures..
As to why I read YA.. (and I'm nearly twice your age!) I enjoy the emotional angst, I love the fact that YA is far more 'pure' in the story telling and best of all, they are a rollicking good read!!!
Continue reading what you enjoy.. (I know a few adults who would cringe at YA books because the story lines are VERY heavy!!!)
Thao wrote: "So I've been criticized by some of my friends about reading YA novels saying they are too "childish" and "immature" for someone my age.What age actually defines a Young Adult? I'm 22. I don't thi..."
Dear Thao,
First, I always say "to thine own self be true" whether it be i reading choice or career choice--you are the on that is most important here--no one else.
Secondly, why...ah that is the question isn't it? I could give you all sorts of teacherly answers. I teach this age group (Music & Drama) so I relate to them on that level--understand and am interested in their world and this literature enables me to keep apace with young adults.
I could give you motherly wisdom--I am 51 with two children--one 26, the other 21 and again--this Literary genre enables me to connect with them, understand what they grapple with and see where they "live" so to speak.
I could give you the moderator answer and tell you that it would be wrong of me to moderate a group without involving my self in every aspect of that group--particularly it's very reason for existing--it;s literature.
While all of these things would be true they are really secondary to the real reason I read this genre. I really love it--it Ignites something within me...it speaks to a piece of my heart and mind that craves to know more about it...it transports me to a place where I can remember my youth, revel in it's goodness and understand its pain...it sometimes heals bitter or sad memories of that time and it tells me that someone else understands---is going through or remembers having gone through what I did when in high school...and in those moments I feel a sense of belonging and peace--a sure knowledge that I am not alone--that others "see" me and accept and understand me. I believe that is what good literature does for us---calls to us--reminds us of who we are, of where we came from and of how far we have traveled.
That is why I read this genre. Thanks for asking this question--it is good to see you here!
I read YA because I write it. Also because I've found that some YA novels are better-written than some novels intended for adults. I write YA because I'm kind of stuck in the teen years; my own were pretty horrible, so I like to re-create them in my stories and make things turn out the way I wished they had in reality.
I'm 41; I have two teenage daughters.
My plain and simple answer is because I enjoy it. I'm in my early 30's and I only stumbled upon the whole m/m and LGBT genre a few months ago so I have not read many YA ones, but gernerally with the ones I have read I get a more realistic feeling to the story and I love to read books that tear at my heart. Don't ask me why on that part I just do lol
I think YA is the next great movement in literature. Adult novels these days tend to be formulaic and limited to a specific genre, such as romantic or crime fiction. Sure, a lot of YA lit is garbage, but I've also seen some of the most dynamic, beautiful, and life-changing literature in YA. I think it is where the classics of future generations is going to come from, and where the most people can be truly impacted through literature.
I read YA for the same reason I read almost everything else: because there are gifted writers who craft YA stories with characters I love and believe in, plots that ring true, and emotions that reach my heart.I'm 52 BTW. My brothers who are similar age, and straight, read YA of all kinds. My 18 year old reads it. There is no age limit on a truly good story.
I think the best YA books have perhaps deeper emotional resonance than adult books. In my teens, life was, I think, more intense than at any other time in my life. I've had more serious things happen since, obviously, but with perspective behind me to handle them. In adolescence, trying to be independent and find your way through the pitfalls and joys of growing up is an all-consuming thing. It is new and every success and setback is momentous in its impact. The good books immerse me in that feeling again, when the adult world was new and everything MATTERED. And LGBT stories carry a built in source of emotions and conflicts that are unfamiliar to me personally as a straight woman, and yet speak to my experience as an outsider with an inner life that no one around me was allowed to touch. They embody the questions of fairness and justice and growth and love and integrity that are for me the very heart of an emotional story.
Hi Kaje, I completely agree with you. Adolescence is a very intense time in life, a lot of firsts, a lot of big changes. The really good YA lit out there speaks to that intensity and those experiences, which become a part of who we are as adults. And it seems to me like the older we get, the more we start to reminisce about those times. It probably has to do with the whole "life is so new & fresh" nature of the stories. So the excellent YA stories rise to the top because they speak to adolescents AND adults, even if for different reasons.
Meghan (mm_reads) wrote: "the whole "life is so new & fresh" nature of the stories...."Well, new and fresh and painful. It took me thirty-five years as an adult before having experiences that cut as deeply as the more minor but unfamiliar pains of adolescence. Which make for emotional and engrossing reading.
Kaje wrote: "Meghan (mm_reads) wrote: "the whole "life is so new & fresh" nature of the stories...."Well, new and fresh and painful. It took me thirty-five years as an adult before having experiences that cu..."
agreed
Thanks everyone for all your comments. I think the general consensus here is that we read YA because we enjoy reading it. I was just a bit peeved because of my friends criticisms. A lot of their defense has to do with how the writing lack use of big vocabulary or complicated sentence structure, which in turn won't "expand my mind" (I'm thinking they are trying to infer that it won't help me build my grammar and vocabulary), and the writing lacks maturity (as in the writing is aim at young people who hasn't develop a strong grasp of the English language yet).
So if I can get a little perspective on this. I know a book does not need to have big words or complicated sentences to make it good but I do like it when I read books and stumble across a word that was use that I don't know which cause me to look it up. By doing this I do slowly build my vocabulary overtime (I wish I had read a lot sooner when I was actually had to take the SATs because I would have totally aced that English section).
Do you guys think that YA lacks those kind of thing?
P.S. I do not mean any offense to the YA genre and to those who write or read them. I don't agree with the views personally but I've been told (and I know so) that my grammar and vocabulary is well underdeveloped for my age so my opinion could be bias...
Thao wrote: "Thanks everyone for all your comments. I think the general consensus here is that we read YA because we enjoy reading it. I was just a bit peeved because of my friends criticisms. A lot of their ..."
Well Thao, I am a teacher and so this is whre I am speaking from--just to et you know--not to sound all bossy or anything. Anyway I can tell you that reading of any kind is considered to be beneficial to brain and speech development in children. It is considered to be great for the old brain like mine (I am 51) because it keeps us nimble--helps ward off things like Alzheimers. Plus lots of YA is writtten by adults-obviously and they try their best not to "talk down" to teens--so I am not sure that it is a valid criticism by your friends that YA lit is not "educational" enough to be of benefit.
Do you like it?? Do you like YA?? Then dear friend you should read it--because the fact of the matter is that we read more if we love what we read---and reading is ALWAYS a beneficial thing--at least that is what I tell the parents of my students.
Thao wrote: "Thanks everyone for all your comments. I think the general consensus here is that we read YA because we enjoy reading it. I was just a bit peeved because of my friends criticisms. A lot of their ..."
I really think it depends on the author. There are great YA books and there are terrible YA books, just like there are in any other genre. I think the stereotype is that YA is very simplistic and frivolous, but I've read some YA books that have challenged my vocabulary and comprehension as a reader, as well as contain deep characters, plot, and theme.
Also, I think some people have the expectation that literature written at an earlier stage in our language's development, the typical classics we read in school, are automatically superior to anything written in the modern day vernacular, such as most YA. If you think about it though, some of the most revered classics earned their status from being written in the vernacular of the time (Canterbury Tales, Les Miserables) and were thereby accessible to a wider readership. Could it simply be that our language is evolving (not necessarily for the better)?
Personally, I prefer a story that I enjoy and that speaks to me on a personal level over something that is linguistically challenging. We just had this discussion in my Creative Writing class, so sorry for the long rehash.
Thanks Sammy and Haley. This really put it into great perspective for me.I guess when you grow up and are taught that certain books are the "right" educational book to read you forget about books written in our time. But thanks so much for pointing that out! I totally forgot about that.
Thao wrote: "Thanks Sammy and Haley. This really put it into great perspective for me.I guess when you grow up and are taught that certain books are the "right" educational book to read you forget about books..."
There are definitely YA books with good literary merit as well as emotionally satisfying content. The best YA does both. And using big words is not better than using words that are right, that resonate and say exactly what the writer is trying to convey. Expanding your vocabulary is pretty low on my list of reasons to read a particular book, making an educational chore out of what should be a joy,
What age actually defines a Young Adult? I'm 22. I don't think I'm THAT old right?
So I just wanted to know why you guys read YA novels.
I personally like YA LGBT novels because they relate to me. I did have to deal with my sexual orientation when I was young but it wasn't that big of an issue really but when I read YA LGBT novels it just makes me reflect, yeah sometimes I felt like that and I can totally relate. I honestly don't think age makes a difference whether or not you like YA novels and I don't find it immature or childish. While the themes and topics may be lighter than an "adult" novel I believe that at that point in my life I wasn't really thinking of "adult" issues. Not that I don't read "adult" novels hurr hurr hurr...
So what's your opinion on all this?