Thursday night link and mini-rant

Justine Larbalestier, author of, among other books, Liar, (an interesting read about which I'll likely post sometime in the future), has started a discussion on her blog about the common argument that anything that gets teens reading is good for their minds.

The discussion largely revolves around the most popular teen series of the moment, Twilight. I have read all four books and have mixed feelings on them--there are so, so many problematic themes going on there it makes my head spin, including the rarely discussed racism, yet I got totally sucked (ha!) in, in the manner of impressionable young women everywhere, much to my embarrassment. But after reading it, I talked about it. Actually, I talk about it a lot, which anyone who's ever mentioned Twilight in my presence will already know. And, yeah, I discuss it as an older person with an English degree, someone who has become used to deconstructing and analyzing books. But do people really think teenagers are reading these books blindly? You don't become obsessed with something to the degree that these Twilight fans are obsessed without thinking about it. A lot. These girls (and boys, but mostly girls, I'm guessing) might be dazzled by the sparkly vampire, but that doesn't make them stupid, and it doesn't give adults (or anyone) the right to tell them what is "good" for them and what isn't.

How you read is important. But reading things that you might later deem as "bad" (see my previously mentioned Sweet Valley High obsession) isn't the end of the world, and it might actually, one day, help you to further develop your reading tastes.

Certain people will always critique your taste in books, whether you love Meyer or Proust. Believe me, I have seen some skeptical looks when I reveal how much I love young adult fiction; I've done a fair share of judging people's tastes myself. But I don't let people deter me from reading what I want to read, and I hope I haven't deterred anyone from reading what they love. If you, as an adult, wouldn't appreciate someone saying that it's okay that you read "trash" because "at least you're reading something," you poor, unfortunate, barely literate soul, then why is it okay to say this to teenagers?