Read Whatever That Makes You Happy!

There's a certain "AGAINST YA" movement going around these days. And before you go googling for what YA means, it actually stands for "YOUNG ADULTS". So what's this AGAINST YA? Apparently, it's embarassing for adults to read young adults fictions and you should totally dig a hole and hide yourself forever there since you are actually reading something written for children when you are a grown-up adult yourself!

Honestly, few years back I wouldn't bother about this thing because at that point I was only a young adult. Now, no matter how much I want to deny this, I am getting older and right now I am at the NEW ADULT STAGE and I can't help to cringe at this movement because I am guilty as charged. I still read YA fictions! Hell yeah! I love them! And why should you control what I should be reading at different ages?

I started reading pretty late. English language has never been my first language and I remember how I used to hate this subject in schools. Luckily I grew out of the hatred and started realising just how important this lingua franca was; so I began drilling myself away to master this crazy language that seemed so difficult to me at that moment. To start it off, I had to read children's book because I couldn't understand the teenagers/Young Adults book. They were too hard. I sorta grasped the language eventually, if not I would not be writing this.

Anyways back to the AGAINST YA issue, I don't understand! I really don't. To me, reading is pretty much a very personal hobby. Sure, you can discuss about a book with someone else after you have done with it but at the time when you are in the midst of a book, you are the only one interacting and engaging with the pages right in front you. People may see you sitting at the bench in the book, however, you are the only one who knows where these words have carried you to be it a world of crazy fantasy, dramas, pain or love. It is like a personal connection, only you can feel it.

So the question is, why are you shaming other readers for whatever books they feel connected to?

Genre is there for a reason. As similar as the YA and Adult category can be, there is a difference. YA storyline often ends up to a happy ending or a positive one and often than not, the characters don't move beyond colleges. Life issues are not the major problems there because you know, mostly it revolves around high school/colleges scenarios, how many dramas can you have from there? While Adults fictions tackle a lot of real life issues and assert more maturity in how the story flows or how the characters handle the dramas. So there's a difference, but I don't mean that the other one is horrible or the latter one is better. It's just the genre. And seriously there are no faults nor shames in reading either genres. Why can't adults indulge in a little bit of teenagers' simple and totally nonsense dramas since the reality kinda sucks most of the time. Like they always say, there is always a kid in all of us no matter the age. And a lot of people actually read to escape into a different world, so why is it wrong when people choose to escape back to those pimpled eras where we only cared about getting drunks, puppy loves and maintaining grades in schools.

So what is wrong with reading YA and laugh about all the antics that we used to be so conscious about too? We have been there, done that and reading a YA or children books even is nothing to be ashamed of. At the end of the day, I just want to relive some of its simplicity without getting myself into all the adulthood dramas when our real lives are packed to the capacity with all the random issues.

To emphasize my point again, I feel that reading is a personal hobby, it's an intimate connection you are establishing with the authors and their overly imaginative minds to experience the angst or happiness they are going through. And it's not up to people to tell you what you should read and if it's a hobby, it should be enjoyable and you should get those books that make you feel connected. All those haters be damned!

Oh yeah, I love fanfictions, like tons, selectively too. There are plenty of talented authors out there and really, they don't need to publish their work into hard copies - books to prove themselves worthy.

I am not ashamed of what I read. I embrace all genres as long as I am happy and interested. Published or not. Adult or not.

I suggest you to do the same. And just enjoy the ride. :)