storybound girl: GUEST POST: Just Contemporary Week One

Part of November's #JustContemporary is swapping guest posts each week on different topics. This week, let's welcome Candace from Candace's Book Blog. (Be sure to click here to head to her blog & read my answer to the same question.)

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First of all a big thank you to Sarah for swapping posts with me for contemporary month and for Shanyn {Chick Loves Lit} and Ashley {Basically Amazing Books} for putting together the month of Just Contemporary. I think that we'll all be adding massive amounts of books to our To-Be-Read lists by the time the month is over!

Now, onto my reasons for 'Why I Love to Read Contemporary'. I suppose many of us have the same reasons, it's nice to read about real life, it's a way to connect with people we may otherwise misunderstand, it's nice to know we're not alone in our own issues and life and it's a way to relive our teen years (including that insane feeling of being 'in love'). I definitely read it for all those reasons and probably more I'm not thinking of. I love to learn about things that aren't maybe 'my' thing but I kind of wish it was.

When I was growing up we did not have a television or stereo, I wasn't allowed to wear makeup or color or cut my hair. I was simply bursting at the seams to find a way to express myself. Unfortunately they led from the simple act of changing in the bathroom at school to skipping school completely to 'express' myself through the doing of illegal activities. I didn't find a good outlet and it led me in a bad direction until around the time I turned 20 and then I switched gears completely.

Back to my point -- I spent the years I should have been finding myself and my own 'thing' wasting away and once I discovered that I needed to change I really didn't know who I was or what my 'thing' was. Now my 'thing' is being a wife and a mother and reading about other peoples lives. Sometimes I have the urge to dye my hair blue or green but usually stick with red (that seems to be what fits me best). But what I love to read about is these kids that found their way through ballet, or their band, or even something like skateboarding. I also enjoy (though I'm not exactly sure enjoy is the right word...) reading about those that have gone through similar experiences I have. It's not easy to read about drug addicts or those that make the same mistakes I did, but it reminds me that I'm human and it encourages me to help those I can. I also have a thing for books about abuse. I spent a couple years in an abusive relationship and suffered through nightmares for many years afterward. I'm lucky to have escaped at all and my heart goes out to anyone, everyone who's gone through something like that. I remember those emotions so vividly and it took many years before I could read anything to remind myself of it, but now I read them to remind myself because it's important to me to remember so that I can help others. And it's not that I really need reminding (seriously, I'll never forget) but it gives me that extra push to get myself down to the women's shelter to help out, or even just ask the girl crying on the corner if she's okay. Helping others is the way I can forgive myself for allowing myself to go through that. And reading about people makes me feel less alone.

Okay, onto a happier reason I enjoy young adult contemporary -- the romance. I remember falling in love as a teen. That intense, super insane feeling inside that feels so strong it hurts. That all consuming love that I just don't feel as an adult (except a different sort towards my children, of course). I love reading about that because it makes me feel. As an adult I feel like my 'feelers' have gone numb. Books bring them back.

Candace is a book blogger at Candace's Book Blog. You can also find her on twitter and goodreads.