What book or books geared toward young adults do you think grownups read most often? / LJWorld.com

Asked at Massachusetts Street on August 29, 2011

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“Probably Harry Potter.”

— Colin Chiles, sports management major, Lawrence

“The Harry Potter and Twilight books. My mom read them.”

— Aryel Dotson, high school senior, Eudora

“Those more childish ones, like Twilight.”

— Joshua Knaack, geology and business major, De Soto

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Pitt_Mackeson 1 year, 8 months ago

The Catcher in the Rye. That is a coming of age book! Mark Chapman shouldn't be reading that damn book! I love that book. Good old Holden Caulfield. He enjoyed the Great Gatsby. Old Gatsby. Old Sport. That killed me.

Did_I_say_that 1 year, 8 months ago

The Harry Potter series.

Did_I_say_that 1 year, 8 months ago

The Chronicles of Narnia.

pure_republication 1 year, 8 months ago

Catcher in the Rye! A great piece good old Caulfield! I also read the Tarzan series and all of Ian Flemings works on Bond, James Bond. There was also Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged" that one transformed me bigtime.

cait48 1 year, 8 months ago

"There are two novels that can change a bookish fourteen-year old's life: The Lord of the Rings and Atlas Shrugged. One is a childish fantasy that often engenders a lifelong obsession with its unbelievable heroes, leading to an emotionally stunted, socially crippled adulthood, unable to deal with the real world. The other, of course, involves orcs."

GreenEyedBlues 1 year, 8 months ago

LOL

clovis_sangrail 1 year, 8 months ago

I still have not finished reading Atlas Shrugged, which I started in 1951.

RoeDapple 1 year, 8 months ago

"Cows Are Freaky When They Look at You: An Oral History of the Kaw Valley Hemp Pickers" by Susan Brosseau, Roger Martin, David Ohle

Those of you that were here as it happened know what I'm talkinbout.

shadowbox66044 1 year, 8 months ago

The Chronic(what?)cles of Narnia!

LadyJ 1 year, 8 months ago

The Time Quartet/Quintet: by Madeleine L'Engle.

A Wrinkle in Time A Wind in the Door A Swiftly Tilting Planet Many Waters

LadyJ 1 year, 8 months ago

These books along with Tolkien's books were often banned from schools.

snap_pop_no_crackle 1 year, 8 months ago

The Little Bear Who Itched

trinity 1 year, 8 months ago

I'm a closet "Little House on the Prairie" series reader. Well not anymore. :)

LadyJ 1 year, 8 months ago

Ever read the cookbook that went with the series? Had lot's of fun making the food to go along with our study of the book.

trinity 1 year, 8 months ago

No! Will definitely look it up. I've really enjoyed reading the "after" the series books, written by LIW's daughter Rose...cool stuff.

pure_republication 1 year, 8 months ago

Melissa Howard is divorcing her husband!

LadyJ 1 year, 8 months ago

Who gets the house?

dogsandcats 1 year, 8 months ago

Grownups?

RETICENT_IRREVERENT 1 year, 8 months ago

The reason I think grownups read YA/MG lit is the same reason young adults / middle graders read it. Escape from the technologically forced instant gratification world created when the evil and vile Al Gore invented the damn blasted interwebs.

That being said, YA Lit is less constrained to follow a straight narrow defined path. Look at the Harry Potter series the Twilight series or even "Blood Magic" from Lawrence's own Tessa Gratton. They incorporate a wide path encompassing many sub-genres: fantasy/mystery/action adventure/thriller/romance/coming of age.
I think it is this genre blending aspect that makes YA Lit so appealing.

Trivia fact. German books have their spine inscriptions printed from bottom-to-top This is because those with German heritage are more inclined to tilt their heads to the left while perusing book shelves. (This is also the case in Argentina)

boxers_or_briefs 1 year, 8 months ago

Yet you care enough to post that you don't care. Thanks for nothing.

goodcountrypeople 1 year, 8 months ago

Lois Lowry's book The Gift is popular among all age groups. Everyone loves Doctor Suess.

Dejacrew423 1 year, 8 months ago

Twilight. Isn't there even a name for 30 something ladies that are obsessed with the Team Edward/Team Jacob love saga. I think it's the fantasy of having two men fighting over them that reels them in..... hum, maybe that's why I read Janet Evanovich's books.

RETICENT_IRREVERENT 1 year, 8 months ago

I wonder if Aryel is a great granddaughter of Hollis? (Not Hollis Brown)

CWGOKU 1 year, 8 months ago

What Babboy said

Later

boxers_or_briefs 1 year, 8 months ago

He said nothing.

Dejacrew423 1 year, 8 months ago

Love this!!

snap_pop_no_crackle 1 year, 8 months ago

The Giant Book of All the President's Relatives Who are in America Illegally (currently in volume XXIV) http://bigjournalism.com/wthuston/2011/08/29/obamas-illegal-alien-uncle-busted-for-drunk-driving-hits-police-car-media-silent/

cait48 1 year, 8 months ago

It's not new by any means but I have always loved the "Dark is Rising" series by Susan Cooper. ("The Dark is Rising", the second book of the actual series, was a Newberry Honoree in 1974. "The Grey King", the fourth book in the series, won the Newberry Medal in 1976.) I loved this series so much that my mother bought it for me as a boxed set for my thirtieth birthday. I still have it thirty years later.

snap_pop_no_crackle 1 year, 8 months ago

The Fellowship of the Lemurs

boxers_or_briefs 1 year, 8 months ago

Harlequin.

cait48 1 year, 8 months ago

LadyJ 1 year, 8 months ago

What to do if you get arrested

Evidently there are many versions of this book now, couldn't find the hippie version from back in the day.

psycho_theclown 1 year, 8 months ago

Daddy Drinks Because You Cry Strangers Have The Best Candy Bi-Curious George Kathy Was So Bad, Her Mom Stopped Loving Her The Pop-up Book of Human Anatomy Garfield Gets Feline Leukemia Pop! Goes The Hamster….And Other Great Microwave Games The Man in the Moon is Actually Satan Some Kittens Can Fly Everyone Poops The Boy Who Died from Eating All His Vegetables Adoption: A Fresh Start How to Become The Dominant Military Power In Your Elementary school Dad’s New Wife Timothy The Attention Deficit Disorder Association’s Book of Wild Animals of North America - Hey! Let’s Go Ride Our Bikes! Who’s My Daddy? Controlling the Playground: Respect through Fear Things Rich Kids Have, But You Never Will Babar Meets the Taxidermist The Kids' Guide To Hitchhiking You Are Different and That’s Bad You Were An Accident How To Make A Plastic Bag Space Helmet Challenges To Prove You’re Not A Sissy Places Where Mommy and Daddy Hide Neat Things Fun Four-Letter Words to Know and Share Mr. Fork and Ms. Electrical Outlet Become Friends Testing Homemade Parachutes Using Household Pets Curious George and the High-Voltage Fence The Hardy Boys, the Barbie Twins, and the Vice Squad What Is That Dog Doing to That Other Dog? You Can’t Help It If You’re Stupid The Care Bears Maul Some Campers and are Shot Dead Take a Walk Down the Railroad Tracks with Me Bullies Have More Fun Hammers, Screwdrivers and Scissors: An "I-Can-Do-It" Book The Little Sissy Who Snitched A Child's Guide to Final Arrangements Operation and Nomenclature of the Colt 1911-A1 All Dogs Go to Hell If It Feels Good, Touch It! Little Hands, Big Toasters Fun With Things Under The Kitchen Sink Patty Went Splat! (Don’t YOU Forget Your Seat belt) Mommy’s Got A New Baby To Love Where Would You Like to Be Buried?

LadyJ 1 year, 8 months ago

Ickle Bickle Robin, that book is hilarious.

redwombat 1 year, 8 months ago

I've found myself enjoying several late nights immersed in Rick Riordan's 3 current series. Percy Jackson, Heroes of Olympus (the third one comes out in a few weeks), and the Kane Chronicles are simply fun and I find myself picking up Homer and Virgil to remind me of the original mythology.