Now that I've gotten your attention, I want to make my point right off the bat: it doesn't matter how old you are, you can still read that book that you've wanted to read since you were fourteen. Please don't be ashamed of picking up that book that's generally marketed to teenagers. You know what? Go for the middle grade books meant for preteens. Reading is reading and you should enjoy whatever you read. And if people give you weird looks when you pick it up, they don't know what they're missing. A story is a story and they're meant to be savored and appreciated.

For years, I couldn't wait to be an adult so I could officially read "adult books" with their taxes and their jobs and their whatever. But I still crave a good high school novel every once in awhile. You know the kind. The pink covers, the mysterious girls in dresses, the tough looking boy-men frozen in an adventurous moment. I'm going to be honest with you, sometimes the characters in books targeted for younger audiences are more mature or handle situations better than in books marketed for adults. If you don't believe, go ahead and read two well-acclaimed books in different age brackets and compare the main characters.

Once I graduated high school, I thought it was taboo to read anything labeled as "Young Adult." Let me tell you, at 21 years old, one of the first places you can find me at my local library is checking out the Young Adult section. You know where else you can find me? In the Juvenile section. And I have spent many hours in the Children's section. I do have an excuse as an education major who tutors young students, but I love to find good stories. Good stories can be found in adult fiction, in the Young Adult section or even in a picture book. Don't ever be afraid of what people are going to think of you if they see you reading a book with a pretty girl in a gown on the cover. Don't be afraid to read a book where the narrator is eight.

Now that I've gotten that off my chest, I do want to give you a list of YA books that are perfectly okay to read as an adult. That being said, the actual list I want to lay out for you is nearly infinite, so this is just a small sampling. Any book you find in the library can be the right one for you. You just have to give it a chance.

1. "The Wrath & the Dawn" (The Wrath & the Dawn #1) by Renee Ahdieh

I actually just finished this book a couple days ago and it was amazing. Not only is the cover beautiful, but the world-building was amazing. I always love books that are centered in a different culture than my own and this book was no exception. It tore out my heart and put it back and then took it away again. Now I just need to get my hands on the second book.

2. "Graceling" (Graceling #1) by Kristin Cashore

I actually first became aware of this book because there's a small fandom for it on Tumblr. I asked for book recommendations and this was mentioned once or twice and the premise sounded interesting. I loved it, and I'm pretty sure I read it as a college sophomore. Again, this book was set in a beautifully built world and the story didn't disappoint. It is kind of fantasy/adventure/romance mixed in one.

3. "The Maze Runner" (Maze Runner #1) by James Dashner

This entire series has a really cool premise. Where else can you find a group of teenage boys trapped inside a giant maze just trying to figure out how to survive? This dystopian novel is insane and the characters are teenagers who literally have no idea what they're doing. Sound familiar? Real teenage (and adult) characteristics are brought forward in this book and it has you twisting and turning until the very last page (and then through some more).

4. "The Diviners" (The Diviners #1) by Libba Bray

If you've read any of my previous book-related articles, you'll know I love Libba Bray with my entire heart. She writes the most vivid worlds and characters that you can really relate to. This series follows a bunch of teenagers living through the Roaring Twenties who have special powers. The first book really stunned me; a Libba Bray novel does not disappoint.

5. "The Demon King" (Seven Realms #1) by Cinda Williams Chima

This book isn't loved nearly enough. I root for the underdog and I root for the princess that isn't all frills, ribbons and flowers. Let there be a warrior queen. You may be noticing a trend, but I swear I read other books outside of the fantasy genre. Chima also does an amazing job of creating the world this story takes place in. This book mixes fantasy, magic and adventure and it's not one that should be overlooked.

6. "Legend" (Legend #1) by Marie Lu

Lauren DeStefano would be proud of this recommendation (and I'm pretty sure she'll also show up on this list I'm creating). I don't know where I first heard about this book (probably Lauren DeStefano, honestly), but I fell in love with the idea of reading about a dystopian United States (let's not go there). Then I saw that the main character, a male lead, was the country's most wanted criminal. Yes. Then, the female lead, is being trained to be a high military official. Give me more!

7. "Clockwork Angel" (The Infernal Devices #1) by Cassandra Clare

I read this before the original series by Clare, but I really do love this series more. It's set in London in 1878. I'm a sucker for anything even remotely related to historical fiction, so I think you can see why this is right up my alley. This series is a perfect combination of steampunk and paranormal. Does anyone want seconds?

8. "Blood Red Road" (Dust Lands #1) by Moira Young

I think I picked this book up at my high school library, not necessarily expecting much, but I literally loved this book so much. You have female cage fighters, a ruthless government official and some adventure. What's not to love? Oh, and the main characters unravel a horrible plan.

9. "Wither" (The Chemical Garden #1) by Lauren DeStefano

Again, I don't know how I came across this book, but it always intrigued me. In a society where men and women are dying at a much lower life expectancy than we have now, polygamy has become a viable option to help figure out why this is happening or as a way to figure out how to stop it. The world created in this series is a beautiful and terrifying one.

10. "The Body Finder" (The Body Finder #1) by Kimberly Derting

Violet can sense murdered bodies. Okay, interesting premise. It had me by the collar right away. Not only is Violet dealing with this, but she also has to deal with other normal teenage things. She tries to help solve murders and she does so much more than I did as a teenager.

I think part of the reason we can appreciate Young Adult fiction is because we can find teenagers doing a lot more than we can ever imagine doing and they're managing it all fairly well. If someone can battle dragons or evil kings or keep a grave secret, we can get through finals, right? Right?!