Why I Read... YA!

Okay, let's face it - YA has taken the literary world by storm. It's popularity has soared over the last several years and it is no longer just for teenage girls. I have come across several literary bloggers who will not accept YA as legitimate high-value literature - I remember once reading a blog post from a girl who said she never followed blogs that even mentioned YA. However, despite the "literati," YA is quickly proving that it has a place in literature, in both the young and the young at heart.

Reasons I love YA:

* Revisiting those teenage years. I certainly wouldn't say that my teenage years were the happiest in my life. I was awkward (okay, so I actually still am), self-conscious, and definitely on the lower end of the social totem pole. But there is something so passionate about that time of discovering yourself and what you love. I love revisiting how that feels when I read YA.

* The first-love romance. I still remember just how absorbing crushes were when I was younger and just how it felt the first time I was called on the phone by a boy, held hands, was asked on a date, was kissed... While love has certainly become higher quality and more meaningful for me as an adult, I still love the way reading about YA relationships conjures up the memories of just how all of those firsts felt.


* Fun. I hesitate to say that YA is easier to read, because I don't want to give the impression that makes it less valuable. However, it is nice to pick up a book that I can read in a few days. It is nice to not beat my brains over what on earth the author is trying to say (although this does still occasionally happen to me in YA lit). YA literature can tackle important issues while still maintaining a high level of readability and entertainment. Who doesn't love a book that has it all?

* The community. I read many book blogs, but there is definitely a higher proportion of YA bloggers in my google reader. This isn't because I like YA better than everything else (because I don't, love it though I do) - it is because YA is everywhere on the internet. This makes sense, as it is a genre being marketed to a generation that spends a lot of time online. This has resulted in a fabulous YA community. The authors know each other, the bloggers know each other - if a YA book is coming out and you are a part of the community, you will probably hear about it pretty soon. I love that. I probably add more YA books to my TBR than any other genre because there is so much information available.

Recommendations:

I want to preface this by saying that within YA there are several subgenres, many of which I will be focusing on in future posts. I am going to keep my three recommendations contemporary for that reason. However, be aware that contemporary YA is only a small slice of the delicious pie and to stay tuned for dystopian and paranormal recommendations in the future.

* The Book Thief by Markus Zusak - Easily one of the most moving books I have ever read, The Book Thief follows a young German girl, Liesl, through the devastation of Nazi Germany and the rocky terrain of human emotion.

* Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta - My review for this is going to be posted tomorrow, and this is a very difficult book to describe. All I can say is that it is a powerful story of family and friendship through two generations.

* This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen - Sarah Dessen is more on the romance-y end of the YA spectrum, but she writes with an understanding of the teenage mind that blew me away with this novel. This is the first Dessen I have read, and I am eager to get my hands on more. 

Want more recommendations? Visit...

Books from Bleh to Basically Amazing. This lady will not disappoint. She covers a broad range of YA literature, focusing on award-winning works. I know I can trust her recommendations.

Anna Reads. Anna's posts are concise and enjoyable, picking out just why she liked a book, often with a humorous twist.