Fun With Books

I am loving the exploding genre of young adult and older children's books. It's so fun to relive a simpler time without the complication of having to live through it - again. If that makes any sense.

The discovery of new ideas. The struggle with adults and their choices. The excitement of first or new love - as can only be described by a teenager. It's a great time in life, that often is only appreciated once it's past (and one can rest easy it will never come back). Not that I want to go back to high school or junior high. Let us not be ridiculous.

I'm not talking about the classics, either. Purely the brain candy. There might be a discussion topic or two thrown in but nobody will be writing term papers about these books. These are the ones that end well rather than with a bunch of half-naked boys running around an island trying to kill a pig or a boy named Piggy (was that his name?). You also won't find handmaidens or WWII tragedies in the books I'm reading.

Fantasy. Adventure. Drama. Magic, sometimes. Happy Endings, always. That's the key. There must be a happy endings. And it can't be after a character I loved has died and everyone is making the best of it. Smiling through tears. No. That won't do at all. If someone dies the reader had better well be assured that the character is not in fact dead but in a in-between world and will be choosing to come back to finish off the bad guy (you know who I mean).

Yes. Fun books. It's all I seem to be into these days. I even checked out some real books and let them sit on the shelf until the due date and then returned them (GASP) unread. It's true. I checked out The Book Thief and it also sat on my shelf until it was recalled. Then suddenly I was interested again because, if someone else really wants it - it must be good -and I better get reading - library fine or no. However, even that faded when I realized that this was a very sad book. Great. But very sad. It too, went back to the library unfinished.

I can't do sad right now. Or heavy. I tried Slaughterhouse Five. Nope. Great writing, too heavy. And bitter. Oh the bitterness! Back to the library. Even the Secret Life of Bees is sitting on my shelf patiently. It came with such high recommendations that I went out and bought it. Some day I will be ready for it and it will be ready and waiting for me. Not today, though. Not even tomorrow.

I'm really hoping it's a phase. Because, seriously, I need to read books that I can discuss without a little shame or apology. Or maybe (as Justin has suggested oh so many times) I need to change my elitist attitude and just accept all books as valid and just be happy to be reading. Which is it? What is your feeling/attitude toward reading? Do you set expectations for your reading lists? Please share.

And because this post is not nearly long enough, here are a few of my favorites over the last six months or so. You can also check out my list at goodreads.com.

Shannon Hale
Stephenie Bray
Scott Westerfeld
Gail Carson Levine
Libba Bray
Cornelia Funke
Beverly Cleary
JK Rowling (yes, I re-read them)
Spiderwick author that I can't remember right now
Jessica Day George

others that I can't remember

and so on...