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Welcome back my blogging friends!
As you all know, this is the last day of Armchair BEA. I really would have liked to do both topic today, but due to lack of time, I'm forced to stick with only one. And since Offbeat YA is - as the title itself states - a young adult book blog, I will delve into such topic of course :)
Shocking reveal: I'm an adult. As in, I was a teen a long time ago. Nowadays it's fashionable to read YA, for those who aren't teens anymore...but I don't suppose there are many people in their forties who do so (someone please prove me this statement is not accurate!). Anyway, back when I was first drawn to the world of international YA lit (around 1997, I think), the genre wasn't fashionable yet. And I thought I was a weird individual with a guilty fascination for books not intended for my peers. Only much later - when I discovered Goodreads and all the great blogs out there - was I to find out I wasn't alone.
So well, why YA? Because I need the weirdness, the magic (or even black magic), the freedom that the genre provides. Because its world seems to hold no boundaries. Because of the child inside. I've been on a YA roll these latest three years or so, and it doesn't mean I won't read any Adult anymore - actually, I've got some in my TBR list at the mo - but right now, I'm still feeling that old pull. And till I'll found a good YA book to read, I proudly will.
And now, some recommendations for you...
Remember Me by Christopher Pike
The book that got me into YA (and afterlife novels). One of my absolute favourites. And my very first review :).
Cold Awakening Trilogy by Robin Wasserman:
My favourite trilogy. So underrated.
Sweethearts by Sara Zarr
I love me a good contemporary if it's not romance-driven. This one, despite the title, is not.
As for middle grade, I haven't read it since I was a kid. And by saying this, I'm not debasing anyone who still takes pleasure in this kind of books, of course. How could I? Just think about the prejudices that any adult YA reader like me has to endure. It's just that I have found my natural home in YA, and I'm not drawn to middle grade at this stage. But there is a MG book that has stayed with me all these years (I mean physically), and that I still find myself reading from time to time...Momo by Michael Ende. It's timeless. It's ageless - in the sense that anyone, at any age, can feel its magic. And I recommend it to...anyone. Especially those who think they know everything about time, or lack thereof...because, really, they don't.
For more recommendations, I strongly encourage you to check out my Reading Rooms in the left column, or my Categories list (also by star number) in the same place. Happy reading!
I also love YA books for the same reasons. I don't think there is an age limit on reading a book book. =)
ReplyDeleteI have not heard of these books but I will definitely have to check them out!
I'm glad that I'm not alone, but even if I were, I'd still read the same books LOL. It's more fun if one has company though!
DeleteI hope you enjoy the books I posted about :).
I'm saving the titles now! =)
DeleteOh I think you would be shocked by the range of people reading YA. I'm sure there's people in your range loving it!
ReplyDeleteIt's a fact that YA nowadays is definitely more sophisticated than it used to be, which I suppose helps adults to appreciate the genre. On the other hand, maybe I'm one of the few "oldies" who blogs about it though ;).
DeleteI did not read YA as an adult until after I began blogging. Everyone was like just try it! And I realized YA now is not the Sweet Valley High of my own youth. There are universal themes integrated into them now, not just oh no I have to go to the dance without a boyfriend. I love reading YA now, it's one of my favorite genres.
ReplyDeleteSo true. There are some YA oldies that did pass the test of time, but most of them sound a bit naive, or narrow-aimed, or outdated, if we read them nowadays. I suppose this won't happen so easily to the ones that have been published in the last decade or so.
DeleteAlso, I'm 34 and love it, so it's definitely not just the 20yo adults reading it!
ReplyDeleteWell, that's a relief! ;)
DeleteMaybe reading middle grade keeps me young? Since I am a school librarian and talk to young readers about what they want to read every day, I frequently worry I now have the taste of a 12 year old boy. It's tough to read adult stuff because nothing BLOWS UP!
ReplyDeleteHaha, I see what you mean. But I'm sure that reading MG or YA doesn't ruin our appetite for adult lit, or taunt our appreciation of it.
DeleteI read the occasional MG (the only ones coming to mind are Spindlers by Lauren Oliver and Everyday Angel by Victoria Schwab), but it's usually because the cover, author, or blogger friend appealed to me.
ReplyDeleteI'm not quite 40, but I am 37 and I don't see a time in the near future when I quit YA. Lots of YA bloggers are in their 40s or older. For me, I didn't read much YA when I was a young adult (Pike always being the exception). I wanted to be a "grown up" so I read Stephen King, Anne Rice, etc. Now I read what I want, which is pretty eclectic. Currently I'm reading two YAs (although I'm not sure the Girl From the Well is really all that YA), a cozy mystery, and listening to Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King on audio. I love the mix of all these stories floating around in my head, and I don't think that will turn off when I hit 40. I'm glad you read what you want to read, it's what everyone should do!
We've probably aged in reverse! Sometimes I feel a little guilty for it...but luckily, that state of mind doesn't hold for long...
DeleteAnd as usual, I love your enthusiasm :).
Quote "Because I need the weirdness." Hahaha... you are hilarious. Guess what? I'm back! Got to check all the blogs I missed! But also I have to finish another book analysis "Romeo and Juliet"... Oh God! Why me?
ReplyDeleteI hear you. You shouldn't be subjected to reading Romeo and Juliet. There should be a law against it - or a restraint order at least. LOL.
DeleteI missed you! {{{hugs}}}
Hahaha... Yes!!! Thank God someone understands me. I mean Shakespeare is great, but I prefer "Hamlet", and my fave "Macbeth" ( because there are three witches there)
DeleteI missed you too. And you just posted a Christopher Pike book review exactly today, the day I returned! Yay
Because I knew you were returning. I have psychic powers, you know ;).
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