30 Reasons Why You Should Be A YA Bookworm

Earlier today I saw on Facebook that Nathan Bransford posted a link to this awesome post. It's obviously a fabulous, fabulous post, but the conspicuous lack of YA titles is slightly depressing. So I decided to make my own 50 Reasons You Should Be A Bookworm post, but with a YA twist (and just 30 books, because my computer freezes when I upload too many pictures onto a blog post). ^.^ (And of course, feel free to contribute in the comments below!)

What is YA, anyways?
YA is a genre of literature; the abbreviation for "Young Adult". These books are typically about teens and targeted for teens, but I hope the following 30 reasons will convince you why YA is never a "teens-only" esoteric specialty! 

1. We know the feeling of love-at-first-sight.

2. We know how to wield a chainsaw katana. BAMF.

3. We can talk to dragons.

4. We know how to trick the government.

5. We know our spellz. (You might say this is MG, but the later books, at least, are also YA.)

6. We don't judge sexual orientation. (And we are loud and proud.)

7. We know that fame isn't all it's cracked up to be.

8. We know that intelligence is beautiful.

9. We know bravery.

10. We know badassery.

11. We know that sometimes words are all that we need.

12. We know that sometimes the thing/person we need has always been with us.

13. We know how ugly wars can get.

14. We know that sometimes myths are more tangible than they seem.

15. We know how to survive a plane crash.

16. We know that animals are just as deserving of impenetrable morality as the rest of us.

17. We know that a picture is worth a thousand words.

18. We know that sometimes good doesn't win.

19. We know that bullying is not okay.

20. We know how terrible and addictive and lunatic growing up can be. And we rejoice and cry in surrender to it.

21. We can immerse ourselves in other cultures.

22. We know that technology is both a blessing and a curse.

23. We know that ghosts aren't always as dead as we think them to be.

24. We know that the villain isn't always a person.

25. We know that sometimes the best thing to do is to lose yourself in another world.

26. We know that there is a monster inside every one of us.

27. We know that happily-ever-after is often a mirage.

28. We know that the hardest thing to steal once it's lost is trust.

29. We know that the world can be an ugly, terrifying place.

30. And of course, we know how to fight back.

Clearly, you are missing out if you've yet to read the majority (or ANY) of these books. Being a YA bookworm is like a sacrificial ritual: you give up part of yourself so that words can fill that empty, empty place inside your heart. And you know, books are the best type of drug.

What did I miss? Did I do okay? And more importantly--are YOU a YA bookworm?