BTT: Reading in Your Age Group #Meme

Every Thursday, Booking Through Thursday asks a book-ish question. This week, the question was:

Do you read books “meant” for other age groups? Adult books when you were a child; Young-Adult books now that you’re grown; Picture books just for kicks … You know … books not “meant” for you. Or do you pretty much stick to what’s written for people your age?

Oh heck yes. I’ve always read books that weren’t in my age group. As a child, in middle school, I used to sneak my Mom’s books. Granted all she had was Danielle Steel (for the most part) I still read them. I remember pulling out the book to read in school and when I would come to a part that was steamy I would cower over it, wondering if anyone could see that I was reading about (whispers) s-e-x. It was rather funny and when my Mom found out that I was reading her Danielle Steel books, she didn’t mind. She only had one request — Don’t read Malice. I read it anyway.

The first adult novel my Mom bought me was books she read when she was younger, Flowers in the Attic by V.C. Andrews. Thus began my love of VC Andrews (that is, until the skinny novellas came out like the Orphans series) and I began to think the ghost writer was becoming rather lame.

When I was younger, I was in a rush to read adult novels. But now that I am 28 years old, I find myself in the teen/young adult section. My love for YA started in college. During one of my education classes (I have a degree in education) we were required to do a project that would require we read books from varying ages. So I was introduced to Sharon Creech and Jerry Spinelli. I then realized that there are a lot of great books out there that can be appreciated by multiple ages.

Now, I primarily read YA. I find their subjects much more interesting, for the most part. When I do read adult novels, I like mystery and suspense — like Dean Koontz or Mary Higgins Clark. I even find that I really enjoy chic-lit like Emily Giffin or Sophie Kinsella. However if you were to put me in a bookstore, I most likely will be found in the sections that belong to ages that have passed me a decade or more ago.