These are the questions that came to mind as I scanned my recent reading list, trying to decide which book I would review to kick off this blog. But I found myself hesitating, looking over all the titles I had scribbled down and realizing it was mostly made up of young adult fiction and fantasy.

It made me pause for a moment.

As a thirty-one year old woman, and an English major whose senior thesis examined the themes between Henry David Thoreau’s Walden Pond and Jack Kerouac’s On the Road, shouldn’t I be reading something more substantial? Did I need to take a break from escapist reading and pick up a copy of Madame Bovary?

And then, I had an epiphany.

I thought I started this blog on a whim to post a few book reviews and connect to the reading community, but it turns out I’ve been writing it for a very long time.

I started writing it whenever I felt I had to brush off my love for YA fiction or fantasy as something I read as a “guilty pleasure.” I drafted a post whenever I heard someone – who usually had only ever experienced YA in the form a cinematic adaptation – roll their eyes at “this obsession with vampires and werewolves.” I took a mental note each time I felt embarrassed to be seen browsing the teen (and even children’s section) of a library or bookstore.

The truth is, I’ve been downplaying the depth of my love for YA fiction for my entire life, and I finally realized admitting I love it is just not enough.

The truth is, I don’t read YA or fantasy to escape – I read them for the world building and imagination, the great characters and relationships, and the different perspective they bring to complex issues.

The truth is, there is value in YA fiction for an adult audience, and it is more than a stepping stone to lure reluctant readers on to Great Literature.

The truth is, I love YA and fantasy as much (and in many cases more) than the classics. Garth Nix, Megan Whalen Turner, and Tamora Pierce are up there on my list with Jane Austen, Ernest Hemingway, and Dostoyevsky (and before your head explodes about that, sit tight until I have a chance to clarify this declaration in a later post).

I know we’re living in a post-Harry-Potter era where many adult readers are just fine casually admitting they’ve read the Hunger Games “for fun.” I know many YA and fantasy books has received recognition, and even crept into some notable must-read lists. I also realize that, if you’re like me, you must have stumbled across the statistic that about half of YA readers are actually much older than the 12 to 18-year-old audience the books are written for.

But even so, I think the conversation is just getting started. In my opinion YA is still (ironically) coming-of-age as a genre and experiencing all the awkwardness, confusion, and growing pains that goes with it.

I think it’s time to stop admitting we love YA. Stop apologizing, confessing, hiding, or rationalizing. Let’s lift our heads and proudly declare our love for these stories full of passionate, strong, relentless heroines and heroes who have inspired and transformed us.

That is what this blog will be about.

We’ll explore and analyze what makes something YA, including the history, the themes, the criticisms (including our own) and offer some defense. In between these posts I’ll also share reviews on books I’m currently reading. I should add that although I’ve been saying YA, the scope will be a bit broader than that. While the majority of this blog will feature YA or NA fiction – with a focus on fantasy, sci-fi, and some romance – I’ll also throw in other genres from time to time. My love of books is unlimited, and I think there are innumerable benefits to reading outside our comfort zone.

My hope is that this will be a place where YA fans and readers of all sorts can come to find good recommendations, share their own, connect to a community of book-lovers, and have a place to critically discuss YA fiction, fantasy, and other genres you feel are misunderstood. Whatever your opinion is on the subject, I invite you to engage in a respectful dialogue and join in the discussion.

I’m just getting started so it may take some time to find my posting rhythm, but I’m going to aim to post weekly. Check back soon to read my first book review on Naomi Novik’s new book Spinning Silver, or enter your email below to receive a notification whenever there’s a new post.

Thanks for stopping in, and I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this soon!