My journey into YA and how it relates to this blog!

Since this blog is really new, I thought I'd share a little more about myself with my readers! This post is all about my journey into Young Adult literature.

Let me begin by saying that I am 25 years old. Do I feel old? No. However I do realize that to many people, I am not longer considered to fall into the "Young Adult" category. It's funny really. Ever since I first picked up a YA novel I have been smitten. To me, the best part about this fiction category is that it is so fun to read and crosses all boundaries! It is easy to appreciate a novel about budding romances, even if you have a full blown relationship, because it takes you back to the days when you were just like those characters. Stories about high school remind me of mine. Characters who are best friends make me smile and miss mine!

My reading experience kind of went in a backwards direction. From the first moment I was able to read, I devoured whatever books I was able to get my hands on. Living in a smaller town meant that there wasn't much choice in books to read. Our library was small and I powered through their Children/Teen section in a matter of months. That meant that at age 10 I was reading Grapes of Wrath, Anne Rice novels and Sue Grafton. My mom never censored what I read, only made sure that I understood that these books were FICTION and I needed to view them as such.

In fact I did not even know about the immense world of YA fiction until I was introduced to it by amazing friend Jes. She was studying to be a writer, and was my authority into this amazing category. Armed with her knowledge of The Horn Book, as well as tons of books read under her belt, she introduced me and I fell in love. (Note about Jes, she is currently working on an AmeriCorp farm! Follow her HERE!) As a hopeful teacher candidate, and a person who has worked with kids for many years, I felt like I finally had a way to connect with that part of my kids. Now I read a 50/50 mix of both "adult" and YA novels, and enjoy each and every minute of it!

So no my friends, this is not exclusively a YA book blog. Nor will I ever profess it to be. Instead it is a blend of the two categories, a sweet mash-up of adult and YA novels for your enjoyment! I will always warn you if a book is adult and if it contains sexual themes. I sincerely hope you enjoy being my reader and welcome any and all feedback!

Thanks for listening!