Armchair BEA: Young Adult and Children's Fiction

There are people out there who think it's childish for grown-ups to enjoy YA novels.  Sometimes they even write to advice columnists about it.  I started reading YA as a child, true.  When I was ten or so, I still loved Nancy Drew and Animorphs.  But each book took me maybe twenty, twenty-five minutes to read.  I needed something more substantial, for the sake of my attention span and my parents' wallets.  My dad tried by giving me novels such as Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles, but she had this terrible habit of interrupting the awesome vampire action with boring sex.  Then I discovered the YA section of the library, starting with WILD MAGIC by Tamora Pierce.  I've never outgrown it because there's nothing to outgrow.

I like books about teenagers.  No, I'm not a teenager.  But I like books about gay Chinese dragon tamers*, and I am not gay, nor Chinese, nor a dragon tamer.  If the only books I could read were about lower middle class, white, twentysomething technical writers from Texas I would be very bored.  YA is just another type of book.  Yeah, it's marketed mostly to teens.  I love science fiction and that's marketed mostly to men.  About the only genre I read actually marketed to me is romance.  I can deal.  If the person observing me read can't, why should I care?

My policy: read what you like.  Read how you like.  No shame.

If you like YA, MG, children's books . . . the only childish person is the one concerned about someone else's reading habits. 

*I am sadly not referring to an actual book.  But I would read that book in a hot minute.

Armchair BEA: Genre Fiction

Today's Armchair BEA topics are blogger development and genre fiction.  Despite the fact I've been blogging for five years, I don't think I have much to say about blogger development that hasn't already been said.  I gave a little advice last year, as well as some thoughts on monetization.

But I can say a few things about genre fiction!  I've you can't tell by the fact I'm featuring a science fiction writer (interview with Dan Krokos) today, I enjoy a good genre story.  I love vampires and time travel and mad scientists and girls with mysterious abilities.  Bring it on.  Here are a few of my favorites in various (general) genres:

Fantasy

I am really loving several urban fantasy series now.  Karen Chance's stuff, Cassie Alexander's, Stacia Kane's, Diana Rowland's . . . urban fantasy is a great genre for anyone looking for fantasy catering to women.  (Not that guy-centric stuff like Jim Butcher's novels aren't great fun.)  If I'm in a more epic mood, I like INDA by Sherwood Smith.  Or perhaps ASSASSIN'S APPRENTICE by Robin Hobb.  I could go on.

Science fiction

I think TUNNEL IN THE SKY by Robert Heinlein started my YA obsession.  I adore FOR DARKNESS SHOWS THE STARS by Diana Peterfreund - also known as Persuasion in space!  And talking about "in space,"  I love John Barnes's LOSERS IN SPACE.

Romance

Don't force me to choose!  Let's spread it out a bit with a historical, a contemporary, and a paranormal.  THE VISCOUNT WHO LOVED ME by Julia Quinn was my first romance and still a highlight.  I love her light, humorous romances.  BLUE-EYED DEVIL by Lisa Kleypas is set in Houston, where I live now, and just as hot as the summer temperatures.  Kleypas's historicals aren't to be missed either.  DARK NEEDS BY NIGHT'S EDGE by Kresley Cole is the best in a terrific series, full of heroines who are all fierce in their own right.  Who can resist a ghost ballerina in love with a crazy vampire?

Horror

'SALEM'S LOT by Stephen King

You never forget your first book by the King.  He has, of course, written a ton I could list here, but I'll stick to this one.

After all, vampires.

Armchair BEA: Introductions 2013

Armchair BEA is a blogging event for those of us who can't make it out to New York.   If you want to participate in today's activity, just answer five of these questions.  My answers are below, but please feel free to ask me anything in the comments.  Let's get to know each other!

1.  Please tell us a little bit about yourself: Who are you? How long have you been blogging? Why did you get into blogging? 

See last year's answer.  The main difference is that I now have a full-time job as a technical writer.  Oddly, I don't actually write anything.  I mostly copyedit and beg people for graphics plans.

2.  Where in the world are you blogging from? Tell a random fact or something special about your current location. Feel free to share pictures. 

I am blogging from Houston, which I moved to in late April for a job.  Houston is a fantastic town for food, especially seafood.  I have previously blogged from Austin, Fort Worth, New York City, and Oxford, England.

3.  Have you previously participated in Armchair BEA? What brought you back for another year? If you have not previously participated, what drew you to the event? 

Last year was the first year that I participated in Armchair BEA.  You can read my 2012 posts here.   I'm back because I had tons of fun - I met lots of new bloggers, got to spread the word about some fabulous books, and won some cool stuff.

4.  What are you currently reading, or what is your favorite book you have read so far in 2013?

I am currently reading UNSTICKY by Sarra Manning, on the recommendation of Angie.  My overall favorite of the year so far is IN THE SHADOW OF BLACKBIRDS by Cat Winters (review).  In close second is THE SWEETEST DARK by Shana Abé (review), which I actually read last year.  My other favorite books of 2013 include THE 5TH WAVE by Rick Yancey (review), DARK TRIUMPH by Robin LaFevers (review), FIREBRAND by Gillian Phillip (review), JINX by Sage Blackwood (review), WHITE LINES by Jennifer Banash (review), and OUT OF THE EASY by Ruta Sepetys (review).

5.   Tell us one non-book-related thing that everyone reading your blog may not know about you. 

See last year's answer.  My niece definitely inherited my laugh.  But since ya'll might remember that fact from last year, a new one is that I like to name my belongings.  The laptop I currently write IBWB on is called Brucie, after Batman's alter ego.

How about ya'll?  Feel free to share a fun fact about you or your blog in the comments!