OK, I admit it. I read YA fiction. Harry Potter is. Sure. And Series of Unfortunate Events. And Madeline L'Engle's books

Most recent find is Lockwood & Co. - kids having supernatural adventures. There are five books (so far) in the series and like HP, they build. Somewhat predictable, but it is the ride of getting there. What I like is the complete re-imagining of a social structure, with children being on top and adults along for the ride. It is done in a completely non-contrived way, as well. Sometimes brutal, often funny, with vivid characters and terrible haunts. Stock up on iron and salt.

Why can't it just be "fiction?" Some of those Newbery Medal books are terrific reads, however you label them.
We seem to over-label and over-categorize things just so we can limit our decision-making.

But what do I know. I was reading "adult" books in junior high. I just thought of them as books.

I loves me some YA fiction. Screw anybody who scoffs at that.

Agreed. I was that kid, too. In high school the English teacher had trouble finding books I hadn't already read. More often that not I had to read an alternate book to the rest of the class.

In our new library they have the young adult fiction on the top floor, all by itself. That is also where most of the graphic novels are. I may have to spend more time up there, if it doesn't make me look all stalkerish.

I read to keep myself young.

YES!!!! Working a treat, too!

In high school, I once did an oral book report on Faulkner's "As I Lay Dying." I still remember the look on the teacher's face when I announced my choice, as well as the looks from my fellow students as I described the plot.

— "My mother is a fish."

I love many books and series of books considered "YA". If it's not juvenile literature geared and written literally for 10-12 year olds, I'll check it out if the concept interests me. "YA" is really just code for "this concept has a target audience of teens", it doesn't make it childish.

You're probably pretty safe. Grown women who read YA books aren't that uncommon.

Now, if you were a guy who had passed the YA stage you might be in for some scrutiny if you hung out much in the YA section. But even there, librarians can tell who's there for the books and who...isn't. A colleague of mine who used to work in a YA section once told an obviously stalkerish guy that the teenage girls there didn't have barcodes on them--they weren't there to be checked out.

Also, my library puts most DC/Marvel trade collections in the YA section, so I'll hang out there every time.

Some of them, yes. And then there's the Newbery-award stereotype--a gloomy coming-of-age story in which the young protagonist experiences the death of someone close. They aren't all like that, of course, but the stereotype isn't entirely unfair either. A few years back they had such a string of unhappy reads that even some librarians started turning on them.

The Northern Lights - Philip Pullman
Skellig - David Almond
The Weirdstone of Brisingamen/The Moon of Gomrath - Alan Garner
The Earthsea Trilogy - Ursula K. LeGuin

Four YA novels that transcend their audience and can be read by anyone with an interest in what fiction can do. IMHO.

Watership Down, now that I think about it.

Alice In Wonderland and Thru the Looking Glass have also left the YA category far behind.

Wow. That is awesome! Librarians rock!

Love YA books, especially dystopian stuff (Feed, and Circle, recently).

My e-hold is running out on the first Lockwood & Co. (Screaming Staircase)... Tried to listen to it with Brotoro but couldn't get it to load... I cannot get it to work here at home, either.

Not from home either? You need to give that library a good kickin'.

Recently every morning on my walk I see a rabbit coming out to silflay in the same spot. Right in my path, which means I have to give the poor thing a scare every time I walk by.

Silflay, eh?

Silflaying rabbit. Tricks are for kids.

I also enjoyed the Ember series, for the most part. The movie was lame, tho.

I most recently read the Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians series.