YA and Adult Books: A Perspective

Today I had the opportunity to attend a conference presented by Michael Cart, who is a well known expert on YA books. He was fantastic! The presentation was on adult books that appeal to YAs, and I must say, by the end of the day, I wanted to go out and read nearly every book he mentioned! His descriptions were marvelous. I will definitely be scouring Baker & Taylor with my bibliography in hand. I was pleased that I had heard of at least a few of the books mentioned, and that they were in the GBN library. The ones I was most familiar with were:
The Book Thief
I am the Messenger
The Lovely Bones
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Tamar
Goat
Diamond Dogs
Water for Elephants.

So I'd say we are on track! :-)

Here are some books that I am dying to read. I highlighted quite a few, but these stuck out:
Mistik Lake by Martha Brooks
Someday This Pain Will be Useful to You by Peter Cameron
This is all: the Pillow Book of Cordelia Kenn by Aidan Chambers (this was a Booklist starred review)
As Simple As Snow by Gregory Galloway
Brother, I'm Dying by Edwidge Danticat
The Dead Father's Club by Matt Haig
The Beautiful Miscellaneous by Dominic Smith
When We Get There by Shauna Seily

Two other points about the conference:
1. The definition of YA books is flexible and is really more of a marketing term for publishers than anything else. Michael Cart emphasized that teens and young adults will read what interests them, regardless of its labeling. If a book has a strong narrative thread, features a young adult character, addresses the developmental needs of young adults, features a story about a media personality, or is a nonfiction account of a great adventure, then it will probably appeal to a young adult. So that's something to keep in mind.

Also, in regards to the YA labeling of 12-18....well, Michael Cart pointed out that in some cases, YA can mean up to 25...or even 30. This amused me because I fit in that age group. After some thought, I decided that it is essentially true. I am a young adult! I am in my first job, living on my own, and learning how to live in the real world. I say this because I spent the last 6 years out of high school living on a college campus and acquiring degrees. It is quite different from the realities of a full time job! So I am definitely facing a lot of similar issues to many YA characters...searching for identity, establishing relationships, establishing one's place in the world, etc. I don't want to get all philosophical-metaphysical, but I think there is some merit to the idea of childhood/YA-hood being extended well into the 20s. Perhaps I can do a sociological study someday....

And now, on to point #2:
The publishing industry is all about marketing and profit. Perhaps that sounds obvious, since publishing is a business, and all businesses seem to be about marketing and profit. It was fascinating to hear Michael Cart's insider view on the publishing industry. Publishing books is a risky business, and editors essentially have to predict what books will sell. It's a lot like movies, I suppose, but with far smaller profit margins. I also never realized that certain publishers get paid by advertisers for product placement in their books. This makes sense, especially in the Gossip Girl context. Every Gossip Girl book is full of designer labels and names. I never thought publishers could be so devious! I guess I am just too trusting. My ideal view of publishers publishing the best books, solely based on their literary merit has been shattered! However, I am now developing an interest in the publishing industry. I hope to write a book someday, so I think it's a good idea to gather as much information about publishing as possible.

I was very happy to be able to go to this conference! I enjoyed meeting librarians from around the area, and I am looking forward to reading the pile of books that will soon be appearing on my desk!