Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Why I Read Mostly YA, As an Adult

I get it, I totally do! I'm 29 and I'm still reading Young Adult fiction? That's kinda odd....right? I mean
shouldn't I be reading "adult" books, fit for my age, and maturity? Something with more depth that will build the mind, restore order to life, and feel like I accomplished something amazing so that I will be able to talk in certain circles about the meaning of life and what I have found in the heavy in depth study books for adults?

No.

Instead as a mother of 2 (and more to come....someday), wife of a police officer, church goer with responsibilities there, plus my own photography business. So when I want/need to relax I want to escape, go on an adventure and read something brainless, silly, enjoyable, fluffy. Pure cotton candy or as I like to call it, my "junk food" books.

I want, no, NEED fluff books. I need that time out. When kids are napping and I am in a "cleaning slump" I just want to relax, enjoy the peace and quiet and just read something light and fun.

Are all YA books you read considered, "fluff books?"

Actually, no.

There are YA books that do have depth, the can make me cry, or laugh, that draw on those emotions just as well as any "adult" book out there. There are YA books that can make me think and see a bigger better picture that can be uplifting and inspiring. Not all YA books are about sparkling vampires and over hormonal teens who can't see beyond high school and their drama.

But I choose to read these books because I want something easy, something that doesn't require my mind to focus on the intellectual ramblings of someone, or the depressing eras of the past and the struggle to live.

NO! Send me to a place where I am a demi-god, where I can go to a world within my own and wave a wand to defeat evil, send me to a space ship destined for lands unknown, make me laugh while inside the mind of an 11 year old boy, just let me GO!

But you can GO to all these places in classics by Tolkien, Stevenson, Sabatini, and all those great writers! Yeah, so what?! I know their stories and they are great! but sometimes they are wordy and currently I don't want to have to wade through all the extra words to get back to the main story.

Do I ONLY read YA? No, I LOVE real life survival stories where I am fascinated with how one survived in war, abuse, torture etc. I do! I love those type of books and I do read them! They are just not my "go-to" genre right now in my life. I love a good religious doctrinal book...on Sunday :) when I want to focus on the spiritual aspects of things. But these are when I'm in the mood for something heavier.

And THAT is why I read YA. At this point I just want fluff. Give me my cotton candy book and I am content. Who knows maybe I will grow out of it! But for now I am content.

Peace out...

1 comment:

  1. Yeah, there's that. But I also YA because they're usually cleaner than adult books. Less language, less sex and all-around lighter themes. Usually. I've come across some YA books that probably shouldn't be classified as YA.

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