“Why are you reading that?”

Part I

I have always been an avid reader.  I will, and often do, read just about anything.  I will admit that I was never big on science fiction or fantasy.  I’m one of those people who need a foundation, a bit of reality.  I always say, ‘I need a place I can put my feet.’  In the world of fantasy, some of the scenarios are just a little too ‘out there’ for me.  Same with science fiction.  A very good friend tried hard to get me into fantasy and had pretty much given up on me.  Then Cassandra Clare came up with her Mortal Instruments series.  While reading the first book, City of Bones, my friend came to a part and thought to herself, ‘This is where Randee would put this down.’  We laughed about this, especially after I finished the book and gushed about how much I enjoyed it.  Yep, I was pretty surprised and yes, I went on to read the rest.  As the years have progressed, I will occasionally pick up a fantasy and she will pick up whatever I think to recommend to her.  In the department I worked in at the library, we had a great staff.  We each had a genre we favored and could go to that person if we couldn’t help a patron looking for something in particular.  One person was good at the romance, one with the realistic fiction and fantasy, and one that read mysteries, ghost stories and horror.  (hummm, wonder which one I am) Though we all read across our favorite genre we still read practically everything in our favorites. 

I have always been a big fan of mysteries and paranormal genres.  They are a great escape and were a wonderful way for a child who wasn’t very outgoing to spend a summer afternoon.  I will admit that I did read the early teen romance novels, Jean and Johnny, Sweet Sixteen. After those however, there weren’t a whole lot of books out there for teens to read.  During the preteen or tween years, I was witness to a neighbor cleaning out her recently married daughter’s room and dumping a huge pile of books into the trash can.  Nosey Nora that I am, waited until she went back into the house and proceeded to go through the books in the can.  Needless to say, I pulled them all out and brought them home.  They were an early printing of the Nancy Drew mystery series.  I was SO excited.  However, I was discovered by my mom who made me go over to the neighbor’s house and admit what I had done and ask for permission to keep the books.  She gave me a few more.  I read them all several times over.  As I grew tired of rereading them, my mother then handed me some of her paperback mysteries.  I became hooked on Mary Roberts Rinehart then moved on to Victoria Holt, Phyllis A. Whitney, Mary Stewart and even Taylor Caldwell.  Believe me, I have read my share of the romance.  I jumped into the bodice rippers in my twenties.  One of the things I enjoyed about the historical romances was the actual historical facts that surrounded the ‘searing heat of two hearts beating.’

I married a man who is a great lover of science fiction, especially Robert Heinlein.  He tried to convert me but alas, no luck.  During my years in the library, especially Youth Services, I have jumped into a few titles that were science fiction.  They were good and had a place for me to ‘plant my feet.’

As I continued to work with the teens in our community, all I read was Young Adult.  The trends were so noticeable.  The paranormal ran through YA fiction like wild fire after the publication of Stefanie Meyer’s Twilight series.  Don’t laugh.  They happen to be very good books and managed to set a fire under the publishing business.  Meyer’s Twilight books awakened reading in teens just as Rowling’s Harry Potter series got everyone reading.  Many adults started reading Young Adult soon after the Twilight publishing.  There are many very good books in the YA area.  I was very happy to see so many make this discovery.  Just because they are in the Young Adult or Teen area doesn’t mean they aren’t well written and interesting novels.