Y'all. I know it's weird that I teach high school and until this year I hadn't been actively reading new YA books. It's probably especially awful that I'm an English teacher who didn't really stay on top of the new things going on in YA. I have reasons that absolutely make me look like a jackass..things like: I teach AP and had to read a ton of the literary canon, I 'lived' in high school drama and didn't want to escape into it through reading, the YA of my day was Sweet Valley High and I wrongly assumed that's what YA was all about, etc. etc. I know many adults probably have similar dumb things to say about YA but have you picked up any new YA? I have. Thanks to Dahlia Adler (I owe her lots and lots of macarons and gifs of Idris) I now have great reading recommendations; she's shown me so much that is wonderful about YA (look her up on Twitter if you are looking for fantastic recommendations: https://twitter.com/MissDahlELama ). The YA of today often includes protagonists of diverse backgrounds, tackling issues that are relevant, and they're doing it in a way that feels heartbreaking, provoking, funny and everything in between. I honestly think that the YA novels I'm reading are more thought provoking and unique than many of the NA things I've read and I secretly hope that some of the YA writers try to write some NA stuff too (Is wanting this blasphemy? Oh well.).
YES> My greatest joy are the words that Shelley has just spoken. Truly. I have read a lot of young adult books in my day (Hello, Sarah Dessen collection) and I have learned a lot of stuff from each YA title I have read. Because genre classifications are so limiting if you look at it just as an age group (which it is, but it isn't) and can be an endless supply of lessons, laughs and love if you give it a shot. Check out these titles below. They're the bees knees.
The list for this year is pretty skimpy but I have a TON of books to read in 2016 now that I am no longer a jackass and have found that I'm liking YA more and more.
Here are just a few YA titles that I was fortunate to read this year:
I'm very excited to delve more into YA in 2016 and I hope you'll join me in reading some of the great novels that this category has to offer.
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