Countless journalists have bemoaned the decline of both the publishing industry and libraries for years. Oddly, since I earned my masters in Information Science (once referred to as a Master of Library Science but rebranded to be inclusive for the tech angle new to the program), I’ve seen more signs of passionate readers everywhere - primarily online. Whether it be the flood of new library students, many quite young and fired up about activist librarianship, or the wide array of book focused websites and podcasts popping up constantly, there’s no shortage of highly engaged, highly social readers on the Internet. I can’t even name all the new literary journals that have materialized in the past few years in my hometown of Austin. There are just too many. And with this influx of new hubs for content and communication come many avenues for criticism.

Recently, I have seen many articles concerning the death of the book critic, or the lack of need for book critics at all. A piece on Book Riot echoes some of my thoughts on this matter. I’m not a “professional book reviewer” in that I don’t write for the New York Times or LA Times, but I do write for a well regarded website that only posts book reviews - one that I truly respect. However, I do believe “professional reviews” aren’t the be all and end all of how to determine the merit of a book. My decision about procuring a book usually stems from many "unprofessional" sources such as blogs, book focused websites, and Good Reads.

I believe in a mixed approach to this issue. I don’t think professional book reviews are dying; I see their role evolving. They still exist, but people often (rightly, I believe) pair them with the views of the public when choosing what to read. I think a critical, honed eye is important when presenting the view of an established review site, and a keen awareness of each genre you’re reading is key as well. Some of the big name so-called professional publications may sometimes offer opinions by those who have truly delved into each genre - but more often, it seems to me that lesser known websites and blogs are run by readers who can offer more relevant insight. True fans of say, the mystery genre, can really tell you how JK Rowling's The Cuckoo's Calling stacks up against its neighbors on the shelves. A professional reviewer who mostly enjoys literary fiction (often an obvious bias) can review it from the context of the works they've read in the past, but they almost surely won't be able to bring the depth of knowledge a devoted mystery reader could.

One book critic recently stated that it might be helpful if critics gave context to their work by detailing where their view on books came from. Kind of like a history of their formative reading years. Though a well-meaning idea, I don’t think this is necessary. It's helpful to know if someone’s background matches up to yours - you’ll know immediately how much to trust their opinion. But it's unlikely you'll read the same reviewers work for every book you consider picking up. There are so many books coming out each year, no reviewer (or reader) can read everything (sadly).

Regardless, I’m taking this notion of a reviewer's reading history and running with it. I have compiled below a very short list of young adult books that turned me into a book lover. The young adult genre isn't always viewed with respect (another post), but that doesn’t make it less significant in shaping young readers. These books aren’t the only big ones from my first years as an avid reader, but they’re the ones that loom above all the others. As a (maybe) bonus, these are all from the ‘80s and ‘90s, so you won’t find many on recent recommendation lists.

If I had to give this name a list, I'd call it: Throwback to YA Paranormal Romance: The Early Years. Something like that.

These books have stayed alive in the back of my head like glowing corners in an attic, so there’s something to be said for that.

And I don't mean like Flowers in the Attic. Though yes, I definitely read that too.

1. The Dark Angel Trilogy by Meredith Anne Pierce

Those wings resemble a console controller - sinister, yet playful.

I loved these books so much I committed the ultimate library sin and refused to return my omnibus copy. I don’t know where it is now – but I had the hardback edition which was slate gray and featured a portrait of the Darkangel himself – looking much older and less ethereally beautiful as described (so many love interests in paranormal YA are described as ethereally beautiful but I swear, in this case, I believed it).

A powerful vampire, the Darkangel can’t come into full power until he’s taken his fourteenth bride. Enter Aerial, a slave girl he kidnaps to take care of his already accumulated thirteen. Of course, she finds him irresistible (and also insufferable at times). This sounds horribly cliché but don’t be fooled – this trilogy contains some of the most engaging world building I’ve ever read. It shifts into a quest story and Aerial and the many characters she encounters pull you in immediately.

This is the first trilogy that made me cry. And I didn’t cry because of the ending. I cried because it was over.

2. The Forbidden Game Trilogy by LJ Smith

I can’t express how obsessed I was with everything LJ Smith wrote, for most of my childhood. Her books lead me to my first experience with Internet fandom and friends. Back in the days of dial up, I’d log-in to the fanclub chatroom or my AIM or ICQ and wait for the ridiculous screen-names of my friends to appear so we could discuss who we shipped before shipping was a concept with a name. Back then, before The Vampire Diaries became a TV show (which I have yet to investigate), I used to have dreams about finding all of the out of print LJS books in creaky, dusty bookstores. I called out of print book specialists I found in the phonebook.

No one ever had them.

And though I just found out Smith didn’t originate some of her book ideas, that doesn’t lessen my feelings.

The Forbidden Game: The Hunter leapt out at me from a shelf at Hastings (anyone remember those?). The cover featured what appeared to be a haunted house perched on top of a board game and a boy who looked just like Billy Idol.

A young Billy Idol.

Our protagonist, straight-A student and preternaturally beautiful Jenny, stumbles into a mysterious game store when looking for ways to entertain guests at her boyfriend’s birthday party. Billy Idol doppelgänger Julian mans said store. He gives her an unmarked board game that seems to hum in her hands. It turns out this strange storeowner has been following her since she was a child (I didn’t think this was creepy at the time, at all) and he’s created a game that pulls all of her friends inside of it. He's not a small business owner at all! Which means suddenly, Jenny and all of her friends, all transported into the looming house from the cover of the book, forced to face their own greatest fears. These fears include plants sprouting from their skin, an alien encounter, and a deadly, messy room. Yes, deadly in its messiness. You must read the book to truly understand that sentiment.

This was my first foray into the trope of “creepy bad guy seems more alluring than boring bland boyfriend, startlingly perfect girl in love triangle must choose between them and is often frustrating in her indecision.”

But there’s bonus Norse mythology! And dark elves! I’m not sure how I’d feel about the relationships in this book now, but I loved the whole thing as a teenager. I probably reread it ten times. If you're worried - know that Jenny makes a responsible decision in the end. And there are a lot of awesome runes and giant bridges in the end. It's great. Trust me.

Again, the strength was in the world building. I can see now that I definitely favored world building over character depth growing up. I have almost entirely reversed that preference as an adult.

3. The Night World Series

I mean, the caption on this cover speaks for itself. No lies found.

More vampires! And witches, too! These books are far more hinged on romance than even the two previous series. The word “soulmate” flies around with wild abandon, and each book is about a different girl finding hers. Also, Smith never finished the series, so the impending battle hinted at from the beginning never occurs and the whole thing really boils down to romance without it.

My personal favorites were Secret Vampire (vampires and terminal disease), The Chosen, Black Dawn, and Dark Angel, the last being an obvious theme for me, and also the most clichéd of them all – a She’s All That riff featuring an untrustworthy angel.

Clearly, I was a bit of a sap. Many of the stories I wrote myself were in this same vein: paranormal element, young female protagonist finding herself, and an intense romance plot. I can’t stomach nearly anything romantic in literature as an adult. It feels contrived and there’s no sense of the magic I felt reading it while growing up. Perhaps I just haven't found the right books yet. I make it a point to explore different genres, so maybe this one warrants revisiting.

In spite of my different taste, I feel no embarrassment for paranormal romance being my preferred genre growing up. I owe these books my lifelong love of reading and writing. This is why I don’t believe in shaming anyone for his or her reading choices. You can love Dan Brown or you can love David Foster Wallace or you can love them both and everything in between. You do you.

These books (and many more I will post about) saved me from the perils of my own intense shyness and insecurities as a child. I read under tables while everyone else ate, I read during gym class on the sidelines, I wrote my own versions of these stories and found pride where I’d previously found pain. This is why I believe in young adult books and the work of youth librarians.

This is where I come from.

I don’t think the number of readers or reviewers are lessening and they certainly aren't dying out. Everyone has a reader origin story, and everyone has a right to an opinion.