YA Love

For the last 3 years I have found myself reading vast amounts of Young Adult Novels, in spite of my no longer "young adult" age. It started with Twilight one Thanksgiving Weekend. I freely admit I succumbed to the temptation of sparkly vampires and shape-shifting werewolves. It was a family member, older family member, who suggested I read the series. I was hooked very early on, and never looked back.

Since then I have found other series and books to whet my growing appetite for the genre. For some reason I find myself drawn to stories about coming of age, which is a process that seemingly never ends. Finding oneself in this life is a continually surprising journey, and stories about love, family, life, etc. are always compelling.  In spite of the age of the protagonists, I find it well worth reading.  I still read and enjoy more adult novels, but I can't get enough "teenage angst."  In fact, a co-worker continually suggests books, so I find I am never at a loss for new books. 

I love Cassandra Clare's The Mortal Instrument and The Infernal Devices series, as well as Suzanne Collins The Hunger Games series, for all these reasons.   I love the feisty heroins, dashing heroes, discovering of oneself, dealing with life and family, and the plain old fun of following an exciting story.  I suspect as long as I have these novels I may just never really have to grow up.

Nook - A Year Later

Well over a year into my e-reader conversion, I am pleased to say I have no regrets. What drew me to an e-reader all that time ago has yet to disappoint me. The relative ease of finding books to read, purchasing books, carrying a library with me, etc. still satisfies me. Thinking I would end up missing the feel of paper books, I can say after over a year, I really haven't looked back. I am finding I read so much more, and books I never thought I would, because it is right at my fingertips. I still love the satisfaction of finishing a book, and now I can easily begin reading my next book, so I am never at a loss for something new to read because I am usually anxious to begin my next book. Maybe someday I might read a paper book again, they still are lovely, but with a ferocious appetite for books I am finding it easier to feed the monster electronically, so I will continue my love affair with my e-reader :0)

Fiction is Stranger Than Truth

I have recently discussed with a good friend our seemingly opposed reading habits.  Our discussion had me thinking about why I choose to read what I do.  My friend lands clearly on the side of non-fiction, memoirs, or the like; I unabashedly remain a novel reader, going for fiction almost every time.  That realization has made me decide some analysis of such choices would be interesting.  Clearly one would think I must live in a fantasy world, oh contraire, as a stubborn Taurus I am way too grounded set in my ways to live in any fantasy about how things could be.  I suppose it could be for that very fact, that I am so glued to the ground and that "reality" that I enjoy the fiction world for the enjoyment and escape it offers my Earthbound spirit, for I am no dreamer.  Reading on my lunch break offers an amusing escape from the normal routine, the demands of what must get accomplished.  That time I have to get lost in the book I am reading is for my "mental health" as much as a way to pass the time during lunch.  I admit to enjoying the time I get engrossed in what the characters are going through, and fiction it is, but it sure is fun plain and simple.  I know the real world awaits me, it is always there, always looming, so hey, a break for my thoughts to roam along with the feisty heroine, daydream about the amazing hero, or read on to see the villain I sometimes love to hate meet their end, bring it on.  I know a great deal can be learned from the experiences real people write about, it can amuse, teach, etc., but that is not what I am in the mood for when I pick up a book most of the time.  Preachy self-help books annoy me, why should I pay money to read a book of your advice again?  Memoirs, what makes your story interesting enough for me to spend time reading it?  I want the drama, the romance, the fun of it all, and even though I know it didn't really happen, the journey is a hell of a good time.   I guess my friend and I probably will continue to agree to disagree, and that is fine with me, bring on my next novel I am ready to read since fiction will remain stranger than truth :0) 

Literary Heroes

As I read I am continually struck by how literary heroes I encounter in novels do nothing to make accepting the realities of what (or whom) is actually out there any easier.    Elizabeth Bennett encounters the arrogant and off-putting Darcy, only to come to find him to be really not so bad as the novel concludes, and women to this day seem to swoon over the guy.  This has set up countless women to think they can actually experience a similar lovely metamorphosis in that boorish man-child they just met.  Sadly, it is not to be so. While in kindergarten it was pulling pigtails and telling saying we have cooties, as adults it is the not calling but letting us think you were interested in us because they are not man enough to say at the end of the date, "yeah, let's not do this again, sorry."  I guess despite Darcy, or any other bookish girls fantasy man, the sad fact is, they are a fantasy and not the reality.  There will never be a guarantee of the "meet-cute" in real life, the silly and inane way the two destined-for-life-and-love-and-passion characters meet in a book.  I admit I am particularly guilty of getting wrapped up in the literary fantasy men.  I guess as escapism and for pure fun it is not so bad, but as for being any model for how to conduct a real life relationship, I know it is imperative to look elsewhere or face total annihilation of the heart.  So sadly while Darcy, Gilbert, Captain Wentworth, etc. remain pretty on the page, they are destined to break your heart in reality.