Have you ever asked someone what type of music he or she listens to and the response is “I listen to a little bit of everything?” But then they list off some of their favorite artists and you realize they may listen to bits and pieces of most things, but in reality, they’re favorite type of music is just one genre? That’s how I am with books. My two favorite authors are Jane Austen (classic lit) and Sarah J. Maas (fantasy). I read in almost every genre: contemporary fiction, non-fiction, classic literature, science-fiction, dystopian, young adult, and so on. But, those are just sprinkles of what I read. The huge majority of books I devour are fantasy, more specifically, young adult fantasy.

YA Fantasy is my favorite genre to read for so many reasons, and I hope by listing them below, I might convince you to give the genre a try if you haven’t already.

  1. Biggest reason I love YA Fantasy is because it allows me to escape reality.  When people ask why fantasy is my favorite genre I simply tell them “I deal with reality enough in my life. I want to escape it when I read.” There’s nothing I love more than being transported to a world I never knew existed before picking up that book.
  2. The magic of fantasy intrigues me. I love imagining a world where people have magical powers, something that just isn’t possible in the world I live in. I put myself in their shoes and imagine what it would feel like to have that power flowing through my veins-what good I could do with it. How often have I wished I could fly? Or perhaps move things with my mind? Answer, at least a thousand times a day.
  3. Every time I read an excellent fantasy book, I’m astounded by the imagination of the author. I think it’s such a special gift to be able to create worlds, people, magical systems, and villains all in your head. I truly appreciate the creativity and hard work that goes into writing a fantasy novel.
  4. The characters are vivid, unique and the kind of people I wish to become (usually).  The heroes and heroines of fantasy feel more intense and bold to me in fantasy, probably because they are placed in situations that could never happen on Earth so they have to handle it in ways I wouldn’t have even thought of. They feel braver, stronger and more determined than most other books I read. Not that other genres don’t have characters that display those qualities because they most certainly do. It just feels more in your face in a fantasy novel for me personally.
  5. The villains in fantasy are so much more delicious. In other worlds we get villains who are the heroes of their own stories. We get conflicted villains, manipulating ones, and down right so-evil-I-have-nightmares ones. I love it! The stories are so much more interesting for me to read with the heroine is up against a scary villain a part of me secretly loves.
  6. For me, there’s nothing like the intensity of a fantasy novel. I could live off the way a fast-paced, action-saturated fantasy story makes my heart beat and adrenaline pump. They give me that I-can’t-stop-reading-til-I-know-what-happens-next feeling like no other genre can.
  7. It makes the world seem bigger.  Fantasy allows me to imagine a universe where it’s more than just us. My mind runs wild with the thought of what if this could exist? What if there was a world with dragons and evil queens with magic? I’m an introvert, so I don’t leave the house much. But reading fantasy lets me travel to other realms, other lands, where magic flows just as readily as water.
  8. Fantasy inspires me to be in nature. Usually, at some point in a fantasy novel the characters are on a journey through the woods. Or perhaps the house or castle they live in is in the middle of the woods. Either way, reading the descriptions of these made-up worlds gives me a hunger to explore the majesty of the beautiful world we live in. In fact, reading fantasy so much the last few years inspired me to being exploring our National Parks and led to trips to Acadia, Great Smokey Mountains, and Yellowstone parks to name a few.
  9. I love going back in history when I read. Most fantasy novels take place in what we’d consider to be medieval times.  I’ll take swords fights over gun fights any day. Something about the days of chivalrous knights, and wise and powerful (or corrupt) kings and queens gets me excited.  I know in reality those days were dark and dangerous and everyone smelled really bad.  But remember reason number 1? I don’t read fantasy to be reminded of reality. So instead, I find myself falling into a romanticized vision of princesses falling for courageous knights or strong-willed men and women protecting people they love with swords and daggers.

So there you go. Reasons I love fantasy. Hopefully I’ve persuaded you to give it a try if you don’t already enjoy the genre, but to each his or her own. My ultimate advice? Read what brings you joy, no matter what genre it is.