Booking Through Thursday: Age Appropriate

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?

I read for all age groups. Some of the best story tellers of our day write for the Young Adult market and I’m not willing to miss out just because they aren’t meant for me. I just finished Five Flavors of Dumb by Antony John (look for my review on Friday) and I’m currently reading Sequins, Secrets, and Silver Linings by Sophia Bennett, both YA novels and both highly recommended for all ages.

I read picture books to scout out new material to read to the kids in SPROG. But even when I didn’t have that excuse, I have occasionally spent hours in the bookstore or kids section of the library looking at the illustrations as artwork. Also, I have never had much patience for poetry, but if it’s in a picture book, I will happily read, and even memorize, poems.

Romances and chick lit are starting to feel like they are written for women younger than me, but I haven’t stopped reading them yet. As many women do as they age, I’m also growing to like the mystery genre and mainstream literature, especially when it’s written by and for women.

My non-fiction reading is usually more age-appropriate, but I did recently skim Generation WTF by Christine B. Whelan and thought it would be useful to anyone in transition right now, not just the college-age and twenty-something crowd.

Comments

Booking Through Thursday: Age Appropriate — 6 Comments

Laurel-Rain Snow on May 12, 2011 at 9:28 am said:

I tend to read whatever appeals to me, whether it’s younger or older. Most books have characters younger than I am (at this point in my life, everyone is younger!), but I do tend to gravitate to anything with a story and characters to which I can relate. Mostly those are adult novels, but I’m open.

Here’s MY BTT2 POST

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Shirley on May 12, 2011 at 9:41 am said:

Ah, so it’s my age that has steered me towards mysteries and classics. You could be right on that one ;). I do love a good cozy mystery. I read from a great myriad of authors and genres, depending on my review schedule or my mood.

My Bookshelf

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Ali on May 12, 2011 at 10:05 am said:

I do read around. I’ve picked up John Green’s YA “Looking for Alaska” and liked it, reread “The Phantom Tollbooth” fom my childhood, and I have a couple of interactive fiction “Fighting Fantasy” books on order from when I was a teen and utterly obsessed with that series (Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone’s “The Warlock of Firetop Mountain is one).

I might skim Generation WTF also, I liked the preview chapters on the web site. Thanks for the recommend!

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- Joy Weese Moll on May 12, 2011 at 10:23 am said:
  
  The illustrations of The Phantom Tollbooth look marvelous!
  
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Margot on May 12, 2011 at 10:48 am said:

I like your suggestions here for YA books. I read YA occasionally and have loved them so I should read more. I have noticed a small trend in romance books for women over 50. There are also quite a few mysteries with main characters 60+.

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Bumbles on May 12, 2011 at 7:57 pm said:

And here I thought all books were meant for me…;0)

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