Young Adult Fiction for Adults discussion

I was curious, seeing as this group is YA4A, what ages we all are... I've started a poll (which is anonymous!) if you'd care to answer.
A map would be fun too... maybe I should suggest a map app to Goodreads!

http://www.goodreads.com/poll/list/11...

now I'm curious as well. *polls*

Why would we want to be anonymous??? I am 27 and love YA Fiction. I'm sure I will until the day I die :)

Well, many people prefer to be anonymous about their age...
but same here, I'll read YA4ever! ;)

I just hope that people aren't ashamed of enjoying YA novels because of their ages.

No, or none of us would be posting in this group! LOL

I'm 23 and I will read YA forever!

36. I love YA.

My middle name starts with a J - so I guess I can be brave too! I'm 54 and a grandmother. I read the entire spectrum from YA to Erotica.

Yay for Cindy!!!

I know, I know......I'm just awesome like that! LOLOL My 11 year old grandson often tells me I am the best Grandma ever! Of course, I'm the only one he knows. His sperm donor's parents live in CA and aren't interested at all. Their loss - he is a GREAT kid!

I'm 48 and love YA!!!

I'm 17 and I like YA very much! ^_^

Cindy (eclecticfirefly) wrote: "I know, I know......I'm just awesome like that! LOLOL My 11 year old grandson often tells me I am the best Grandma ever! Of course, I'm the only one he knows. His sperm donor's parents live in ..."

AAawww... How sweet is that, even if you are the only one he knows :)

Cindy (eclecticfirefly) wrote: "I read the entire spectrum from YA to Erotica."

Haha me too. Often I'll be reading 1 YA and 1 erotica at the same time which is a weird mix.

but probably easy to keep the storylines apart ;)

True.

19. and love YA novels

23, turning 24 and i love both YA and adult

YAY Stacia! Glad to find someone else who reads like I do..... Last week I read 1 YA and 2 PnR Erotica. The week before I read 1 YA and 2 M/M Erotica. Sounds wierd, but it works for me! I get burned out on YA just as easily as anything else, so I have to mix them up. Seldom read 2 books at once.

I'm not ashamed. I'm 43 years old and read YA books. I now actually read more YA than I do regular adult fiction. Really great stuff out there! And I look at it as doing future research for my 4 year old son. Later, when he asks, "Dad, do you know any good books for me to read?" he'll get this HUGE list! :D

I'm not ashamed either Lloyd! 39 and proud here!

I'm 24

I am too ashamed!

There is SO much good YA out there right now, and I think books like The Hunger Games are making it more and more 'acceptable' for adults to (be seen) reading YA. Notice how even the cover is more like an adult novel - I think the publishers were deliberately going after both markets.

Does anyone else think that in general, YA is much better than adult novels these days? (again - in general!) Or is that just my very biased take on it?

I'm old enough to have a college grad and a graduating high school senior. I write/read YA, paranormal fantasy, mysteries and British crime Novels. YA is buzzing with life, so I love it best.

26 is of Thursday!

Jody wrote: "There is SO much good YA out there right now, and I think books like The Hunger Games are making it more and more 'acceptable' for adults to (be seen) reading YA. Notice how even the cover is more ..."

Ha! I think your asking the wrong group of people. We all love YA!

Peep (Pop! Pop!) wrote: "I am too ashamed!"

pshaw!

Yay, Cindy! I'm glad to see I'm not the only one on here. I'm 57 and in no way ashamed to admit I love young adult fantasy, paranormal and urban fantasy. Not so much romance.

You can add me too. 51 this week (also thursday!). Also reading more YA than ever...not sure what that says!
And Cassi where was that Frey post...

Turned 45 this past Wednesday. The way I see it, a good book is a good book. That explains why I'm so picky and why I know there are excellent YA novels out there. I just finished one, .

LOL, don't let the title put you off. It's really great.

Cindy (eclecticfirefly) wrote: "YAY Stacia! Glad to find someone else who reads like I do..... Last week I read 1 YA and 2 PnR Erotica. The week before I read 1 YA and 2 M/M Erotica. Sounds wierd, but it works for me! I get ..."

I have to mix it up. Just like I have to read multiple genres. I can't just read one genre, or just read YA, etc. Gotta have variety.

With adult books it's not always about needing the sex scenes (although if it's erotica...yeah I guess that's what I'm going for), it's about getting some of the grit and life experience that doesn't always happen in YA. The women know themselves and know their world and aren't ashamed to act like women. With YA, for me at least, it's about going back to a time where things were still "new", if that makes sense? Sometimes you just need a bit of that wide eyed wonder, especially if life is beating you down.

Bill wrote: "You can add me too. 51 this week (also thursday!). Also reading more YA than ever...not sure what that says!
And Cassi where was that Frey post..."

It was in the "would you illegally download an e-book" post.

Cassi (is secretly listening to Heidi SHHH) wrote: "Bill wrote: "You can add me too. 51 this week (also thursday!). Also reading more YA than ever...not sure what that says!
And Cassi where was that Frey post..."

It was in the "would you illegally ..."

Haha... I was in on that Frey discussion as well...

I turn 55 in a few weeks. I enjoy YA books hence why I have joined the group.

I don't get the whole "YA" age range starting so young... 13 is it? I am 27 and I think that I am a young adult ... lol. But, I will think I am a young adult when I'm in my 60's :)
I really don't remember being referred to as a young adult when I was a young teen. There are some novels that I wouldn't want a 13 year old reading. When I started reading the House of Night series at the same time as my 13 year old niece, I was horrorfied when Zoe described the bulge in Heath's pants... I know that young teens are aware of sex and anatomy, but I wouldn't want to encourage them.. And I definitely didn't want to have a little book club meeting with after! Haha

Stacia ~ perpetually perplexed wrote: "Cindy (eclecticfirefly) wrote: "YAY Stacia! Glad to find someone else who reads like I do..... Last week I read 1 YA and 2 PnR Erotica. The week before I read 1 YA and 2 M/M Erotica. Sounds wie..."

I'm with you, Stacia, about reading different genres. I don't just concentrate on YA, either. I like adult fantasy and sci-fi as well as mystery/suspense/thrillers.

I like a wide variety: fantasy, sci fi, dystopian, steampunk, mystery, historical fiction.. why cross out YA just because I am over 19?

I just turned 30. :) I really love YA better than most any other genre. I used to read mostly all adult until i wandered into the YA section. I love paranormal and fantasy. I love how it takes you out of your world and outs you somewhere else. And plus you get the excitment of first love and all that. :) I agree with you Jeanine-YA starts too young sometimes. I can't imagine a 13 year old reading some of this stuff....my daughter is 7 and i can't think that in a few years she'll read the house of night series!! lol.
Although, i think the Middle Grade aisles look kind of old too. I haven't yet read Harry Potter (yes, I know) but its in the MG section! Its huge! When i think of MG i think of R.L. Stine and those types of books....

Cambria wrote: "I just turned 30. :) I really love YA better than most any other genre. I used to read mostly all adult until i wandered into the YA section. I love paranormal and fantasy. I love how it takes you ..."

I haven't read Harry Potter either. Thank God I am not the only one... lol. My nine-year-old daughter just finished the first book. I like the movies, but it is because of the movies that I have decided not to read them. I like my novels with romance (YA first love and all that). I have a hard time getting into a book if the story is not built around a love story. I know Harry has a crush and eventually falls in love with Ginny or something, but it is not enough :) Harry Potter and R.L. Stines Goosebumps is exactly what I picture 13-year-olds reading.

I'm 21, but I can easily pass for 16, so no one ever questions me when I'm reading my YA. I love YA, I really enjoy YA romance, it's so cute and mushy. Adult Romance is another love, but the differences between YA Romance and Adult Romance are the maturity levels and the details of the sex. Which I have read quite a few YA's that have it, but don't go into detail.

I'm 30 (popular age around here) and I also like some of the MG books. I'm not ashamed, a good book is a good book, period.

I probably read mostly fantasy, then it's YA but because so many fantasy books are classified as YA... yeah... *rolls eyes*

I'm nearly 41, a voracious bookworm & I love reading anything I can get my hands on. HP & Twilight got me into YA novels & all I can say is I'm soooo jealous of the fabulous range of fiction available for kids/teens now. It's like having a second childhood and loving it. Avidly awaiting more books to sink my teeth into, woohoo !

Faye: I know! Whjere were all these great books when I was 13?! Oh, I managed to find plenty to read. But so much now is specifically written for YA and lots of it is very, very good.

I, btw, am 60 and still plan on reading YA and anything else I can get my hands on!

Mary JL wrote: "Faye: I know! Whjere were all these great books when I was 13?! Oh, I managed to find plenty to read. But so much now is specifically written for YA and lots of it is very, very good.

I, btw,..."

Sarah LaPolla wrote a great blog about the evolution of YA recently.

http://bigglasscases.blogspot.com/201...

Jeanine wrote: "Why would we want to be [age] anonymous??? I am 27 and love YA Fiction. I'm sure I will until the day I die :)"

I don't understand it either. I'm 66

I like lots of books that are called YA, but don't think the so-called YA age group has had enough life experiences to grok all the layers, eg Little Brother

I have teen grandkids. That's enough about age. As Jacob said in New Moon (my favorite line) "Age is just a number, Baby" I love YA although that is not all I read. I love historical novels and a lot of them are not YA - if they have a supernatural twist, so much the better.

Jeanine wrote: "I don't get the whole "YA" age range starting so young... 13 is it? I really don't remember being referred to as a young adult when I was a young teen."

YA started as a publishing term; it may later have been picked up by other industries. Basically it meant 'teen', hence starting at age 13. Some bookstores and libraries use the term 'teen fiction'.
The intended audience age does vary slightly from publisher to publisher; some concentrate on 'younger' YA; and only a few do 'older' YA (17-19) as by then most teens are reading adult books as well.

Jeanine wrote: "I was horrorfied when Zoe described the bulge in Heath's pants... I know that young teens are aware of sex and anatomy, but I wouldn't want to encourage them.. And I definitely didn't want to have a little book club meeting with after!
LOL - mind you, my friends and I were also reading Harlequin romances when we were 13, and that was BECAUSE we were looking for the sex scenes! Basically if we couldnt' find it in YA books we'd go looking in Danielle Steele type books.

An author friend of mine had a great idea, that mid-grade and YA books should come with a rating like movies do (PG, 14+, occasional nudity etc.) so that if an adult is buying a book for a kid, they know what's in it without having to read the whole book! - I think it's a really interesting idea.

Jody wrote: "Jeanine wrote: "I don't get the whole "YA" age range starting so young... 13 is it? I really don't remember being referred to as a young adult when I was a young teen."

YA started as a publishing ..."

I think that your author friend's idea is great. My daughter just turned nine, so I have a couple of years ahead of me before I start worrying about which YA book she chooses to read includes sexual content. Hopefully by then your friends idea will have taken to the publishing houses :) And of course, I mainly read YA so I will have an idea. I should just start making a list right now of all the books I forbid her to read. House of Night is definitely one of them. While sex is natural, I do not want my daughter asking me what a blow job is... lol.. Please, no!