I read your rant, and I have a few things to say about it. :)
First, I read a lot of YA. I'm 32 and married with three young kids. I also write YA fiction. I have three out and one more coming in August. And lots more planned. Writing teen fiction is fun. It just is. So I read to see what's out there. (I do the same thing with romance novels, since I write those too.)
Just because I read YA doesn't mean I don't read (and love) other fiction or nonfiction. Right now I'm reading (among other things) Mark Twain's Life on the Mississippi. I highly recommend it. His writing is hilarious.
Second, I think that by refusing to read YA, you are missing out on some amazingly talented authors. (Not including certain authors in this category. Read: Twilight. lol). But really, there are some great voices out there.
You're going to be reading a lot of it when your girls get older and you'll be screening what they're reading :D
Don't take me the wrong way because I enjoy your blog a lot...but why are you concerned with what other people are reading anyway? You're probably seeing a lot of stuff on facebook about the Hunger Games since the movie just came out right? I have a huge issue with people judging something they haven't experienced ie-you refusing to read the book. Or assuming all the books in that category will be bad based on the fact that Twilight was. You of all people seemed quite open minded. Now go read the hunger Games and then come back and tell us how much you disliked it:D
Annie Dillard, Margaret Atwood, Jane Hamilton, Mary McGarry Morris, Anita Shreve, Ann Tyler, Elizabeth Berg...just a few more of my favorites in addition to the ones you listed. I read some great writing on blogs and like your comment about men authors...the list is so long.
There is some solid YA writing too but that's not the stuff that becomes hugely popular. When my daughter was pre-teen and throughout her teen years, I didn't care so much about what she was reading because I was thrilled that she read...a lot. As she matured so did her taste in literature. Her masters is in Library Science...she loves books and still reads...a lot...while working and raising three kids.
I am deeply curious though about why adult readers would want to settle for shallow stories and so-so writing aimed at an immature readership when there's so much else to choose from.
I guess I have one more thing to say. :) I think a lot of readers like the "shallower stories" and "so-so" writing because it is escapism. Not everything needs to be serious or high-brow or deep. There's enough room for everything if that's what you want in your life. And if it's not, that's okay too. I think it's great if people read. Anything. Why judge it for them?
I AM glad that people are reading, regardless of what they're reading, and I don't begrudge anyone the occasional brain candy - it's the cult-like status that these books achieve that baffles me. I feel like I'm missing something, because people (women) get SO obsessed and I just... don't get the appeal. Of course, it's not the first or last time that something has been popular and I haven't understood. See also: every boy band except New Kids On the Block, reality TV, Real Housewives of Everywhere, 95% of what's on TV, for that matter, teenage boy hair for the last 5 years or so since I got old, Ashton Kutcher (seriously I just want to punch him in the throat), Saturday Night Live since Tina Fey left, Michael Cera..... I could go on and on and on. (crossposted from Facebook)
Amy, I can't really answer about the obsessed thing. I've been pretty excited about certain things over the years, but not to the point of the obsession you are describing. I tend to be a big fan of keeping up with pop culture. Heck, I took full semesters of classes where we studied pop culture in college. My best guess as to why people (women our age) are getting so obsessed is that they have a space to fill and "x" becomes that outlet. As weird as it sounds, it seems like a hobby. :)
My best guess as to why people (women our age) are getting so obsessed is that they have a space to fill and "x" becomes that outlet. As weird as it sounds, it seems like a hobby. :)
I completely agree. I think that can be a large factor for some people's addiction to YA fiction - it's interesting, it's out there, and it's something to do that isn't work/small children/etc.
But I actually found Harry Potter interesting and clever. The writing? No, the first book especially is pretty badly written. But the actual story throughout the 7 books was pretty good, I thought. *shrug*
7 comments:
I read your rant, and I have a few things to say about it. :)
First, I read a lot of YA. I'm 32 and married with three young kids. I also write YA fiction. I have three out and one more coming in August. And lots more planned. Writing teen fiction is fun. It just is. So I read to see what's out there. (I do the same thing with romance novels, since I write those too.)
Just because I read YA doesn't mean I don't read (and love) other fiction or nonfiction. Right now I'm reading (among other things) Mark Twain's Life on the Mississippi. I highly recommend it. His writing is hilarious.
Second, I think that by refusing to read YA, you are missing out on some amazingly talented authors. (Not including certain authors in this category. Read: Twilight. lol). But really, there are some great voices out there.
You're going to be reading a lot of it when your girls get older and you'll be screening what they're reading :D
Don't take me the wrong way because I enjoy your blog a lot...but why are you concerned with what other people are reading anyway? You're probably seeing a lot of stuff on facebook about the Hunger Games since the movie just came out right? I have a huge issue with people judging something they haven't experienced ie-you refusing to read the book. Or assuming all the books in that category will be bad based on the fact that Twilight was. You of all people seemed quite open minded. Now go read the hunger Games and then come back and tell us how much you disliked it:D
Annie Dillard, Margaret Atwood, Jane Hamilton, Mary McGarry Morris, Anita Shreve, Ann Tyler, Elizabeth Berg...just a few more of my favorites in addition to the ones you listed. I read some great writing on blogs and like your comment about men authors...the list is so long.
There is some solid YA writing too but that's not the stuff that becomes hugely popular. When my daughter was pre-teen and throughout her teen years, I didn't care so much about what she was reading because I was thrilled that she read...a lot. As she matured so did her taste in literature. Her masters is in Library Science...she loves books and still reads...a lot...while working and raising three kids.
I am deeply curious though about why adult readers would want to settle for shallow stories and so-so writing aimed at an immature readership when there's so much else to choose from.
I guess I have one more thing to say. :)
I think a lot of readers like the "shallower stories" and "so-so" writing because it is escapism.
Not everything needs to be serious or high-brow or deep. There's enough room for everything if that's what you want in your life. And if it's not, that's okay too.
I think it's great if people read. Anything. Why judge it for them?
I AM glad that people are reading, regardless of what they're reading, and I don't begrudge anyone the occasional brain candy - it's the cult-like status that these books achieve that baffles me. I feel like I'm missing something, because people (women) get SO obsessed and I just... don't get the appeal. Of course, it's not the first or last time that something has been popular and I haven't understood. See also: every boy band except New Kids On the Block, reality TV, Real Housewives of Everywhere, 95% of what's on TV, for that matter, teenage boy hair for the last 5 years or so since I got old, Ashton Kutcher (seriously I just want to punch him in the throat), Saturday Night Live since Tina Fey left, Michael Cera..... I could go on and on and on. (crossposted from Facebook)
Amy, I can't really answer about the obsessed thing. I've been pretty excited about certain things over the years, but not to the point of the obsession you are describing.
I tend to be a big fan of keeping up with pop culture. Heck, I took full semesters of classes where we studied pop culture in college.
My best guess as to why people (women our age) are getting so obsessed is that they have a space to fill and "x" becomes that outlet. As weird as it sounds, it seems like a hobby. :)
My best guess as to why people (women our age) are getting so obsessed is that they have a space to fill and "x" becomes that outlet. As weird as it sounds, it seems like a hobby. :)
I completely agree. I think that can be a large factor for some people's addiction to YA fiction - it's interesting, it's out there, and it's something to do that isn't work/small children/etc.
But I actually found Harry Potter interesting and clever. The writing? No, the first book especially is pretty badly written. But the actual story throughout the 7 books was pretty good, I thought. *shrug*
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