Read What You Want!

I recently heard about a post .. I am sure you all have heard about it too... that puts people down for what they are reading.  It basically says we as adults should be ashamed and embarrassed for what types of books we read. I will link to it here only because I can't stand when people start talking about the drama in the book world but won't actually say or link to what it is but will make you guess as to what is happening.  So there it is ... go there if you choose to.

For those of you who follow my blog you probably can see that I review a wide variety of books.  Adult books, YA books, comics, pop-up books.  I love them all.  I was not always a YA reader.  I read YA in middle school and the start of high school.  I then stopped reading in high school (boys, work, partying, blah blah took it's place).  Then I got married and moved away from home.  I had no friends and my husband deployed so I was all alone and picked up a book.. a Stephen King book.  I was pulled back in the world of reading.

I then joined goodreads.  This is when I was thrown back into the world of YA.  I hadn't heard much about it for years and then I met someone on goodreads who was starting two book clubs.  A scifi/fantasy group and a young adult group.  He needed help with them.  I volunteered.  The scifi/fantasy group filled up and he asked if I would be willing to help with the YA group. I said yes.  It had been years and years since I had read a YA book.  I remember the first book our group read was The Book Thief and I was blown away. I thought... wow, is this what I am missing??? I just love to read a wide variety of books.

I don't see why it matters what people read so long as they are reading.  I don't know anyone (IRL) who reads except my mom and my sister.  That is one reason why I blog and why I in book clubs on goodreads.  I think to myself .. what does it matter?  I also read comics and enjoy video games.  Why should we change who we are and be embarrassed? I could care less.. and yes... I do get the looks when I tell someone I am reading a young adult book.  Though why is it OK to read a classic YA novel??  Like the Secret Garden for example?  Instead of shunning those of us who read YA we should just all be happy that people are reading.  Maybe like me... you could pick up a YA book and see what you are missing.

This post shouldn't even just be about young adult books.  It should be about all books.  Do you love Manga, non-fiction, cooking books, even magazines?  Reading should be about our love for enjoyment, learning, getting out of the real world for a time.  As readers we should be united and we should be encouraging others to read.