Reading is FUNdamental. Or something.
Look, I just ranted yesterday, so sorry about this, but there was an article that I am absolutely not going to link to (because more readers make the source happy) that basically said that adults who read young adult books should be ashamed, and that writer can bite my butt. Unless she likes that, in which case no, she can’t.
Certainly, there are better and worse books in the world. ‘The Red and the Black’ = better. ’50 Shades of Grey’ = horrifying. But this snobby need to dismiss an entire genre of books BECAUSE it’s a genre is not new, and it’s not cute. If you think YA is worthless, then you miss out on The Giver, and Jane Yolen’s Briar Rose, and Harry Potter, and Peter Pan (the original is far more YA than children’s book), and the Heinlein juveniles, and so many more wonderful books I can’t list them all, many of which weren’t written yet when I was a YA, so how am I supposed to experience them, exactly? I hear the same thing from people who sneer at science fiction, or fantasy, or mystery, or the amorphous-and-mostly-BS-tag, chick lit. I’m guilty of it myself whenever I’m embarrassed to check out from the library with romance novels or Pride and Prejudice sequels. The fact is, you can’t determine a book’s worth by its genre, and telling people what not to read, or to be ashamed of what they want to read, is bullshit.
Geordi knows what I’m saying.
In the last few weeks, I’ve read a Martha Grimes mystery, P.G.Wodehouse stories, George Sand novellas, Mr. Penumbra’s 24-hour Bookstore (novel, but SF-ish), a delightfully trashy romance – I can’t remember the author’s name (sorry!), two historical fictions about lesser-known female artists, a Pride & Prejudice sequel (there! I admitted it! I love P&P pastiche!), and comics including Ms. Marvel, Loki:Agent of Asgard, and Rat Queens. Oh, and an awesome erotica series written as a direct response to all the things that are wrong with 50 shades (plot! likeable characters! informed consent! safe b&d! safe sex! readable fucking English! also, readable fucking! {‘The Boss’, by Abigail Barnette — the first book is free, and the hero is loosely based on Anthony Stewart Head. Nom. I’m not actually big on b&d, and not every sex scene worked for me, but lots did, and the story and characters were so engaging that I read the whole trilogy over a weekend.})
I got distracted there. The point is, I read widely and voraciously and constantly, and anyone who thinks I should be ashamed of the things I read is a douche. Even more than me, of course, that writer was bitching about adults who ONLY read YA, and to that I still say fuck you. Taking away a seldom sort of reader’s Hunger Games will not cause them to pick up The Three Musketeers instead. Making people ashamed to be seen with books is an excellent way to make people stupid, so please to shut up. THANK YOU.
Neurotic Owl 