Graduating from YA to Adult

Sometimes you are lucky enough to find that one Young Adult series that makes your heart flutter. That keeps you from sleep. That you wait for months with high hopes for the next installment and for which you suffer greatly when each books ultimately ends. Series can't possible last forever (no matter what House of Night might want to make you believe). At some point you are going to have to mourn the loss, and let go. Once that relationship is done however you might want to sink deep into a whole new world, and that is where I come in.

Young Adult is a freaking fantastic genre. I love it with every fiber of my being. But I also love Adult. It's awesome, they get to curse freely and without judgement, have sex, and break the rules. How freaking fantastic is that?

Now, this is going to be like a suggestion. A sort of "if you like this you will surely love this as well" thing.

Young Adult: Vampire Academy

Number of books: 6
Publication: 2007-2010 (Can't believe it's been that long)

Attributes: Head strong/brave/kick ass chick heroine, hilariously witty dialogue, smoking hot guardian/teacher with a Russian accent and an even better bod, great side characters, an academy, great plot, oh and did I mention? vampires, dhampires, Moroi, Strogoi, magic... all in all one of my ultimate favorite young adult novels in the whole wide world.

Some quotes:

“Lissa and I had been friends ever since kindergarten, when our teacher had paired us up together for writing lessons. Forcing five-year-olds to spell Vasilisa Dragomir and Rosemarie Hathaway was beyond cruel, and we’d—or rather, I’d—responded appropriately. I’d chucked my book at out teacher and called her a fascist bastard. I hadn’t known what those words meant, but I’d known how to hit a moving target.
Lissa and I had been inseparable ever since.”
― Richelle Mead, Vampire Academy 

“The only thing better than imagining Dimitri carrying me in his arms was imagining him shirtless while carrying me in his arms.”
― Richelle Mead, Vampire Academy 

“Hey Mason, wipe the drool off your face. If you're going to think about me naked, do it on your own time." [...]
"This is my time, Hathaway. I'm leading today's session."
"Oh yeah?" I retorted. "Huh. Well, I guess this is a good time to think about me naked, then."
"It's always a good a time to think about you naked," added someone nearby, breaking the tension further.”
― Richelle Mead, Vampire Academy 

“And than suddenly he was there, charging down the hallway like death in a cowboy duster.”
― Richelle Mead, Vampire Academy 

“The incident with Dawn hadn't been one of my finer moments. I honestly hadn't expected to break any bones when I shoved her into a tree. Still, the incident had given me a dangerous reputation. The story had gained legendary status, and I liked to imagine that it was still being told around campfires late at night. Judging by the look on the girl's face, it was.”
― Richelle Mead, Vampire Academy 

Dimitri: “If I let myself love you, I won't throw myself in front of her. I'll throw myself in front of you.”
― Richelle Mead, Vampire Academy

Those are just some examples. Now that I am done reminiscing I can tell you about this other fantastic Adult series that quite resembles Vampire Academy in a lot of things that made Vampire Academy a winner.

Let's Cross Over now...

Adult: Halfway to the Grave (a Night Huntress Novel)

Number of Books: 6 (for now)

Publication: 2007-PRESENT

Attributes: Again, Head strong/brave/kick ass chick heroine, hilariously witty dialogue, smoking hot vampire guardian/teacher with an Russian English accent and an even better bod, great side characters (after the series get off its feet, the first book is all about the two main characters, Cat and Bones), an academy, great plot, oh and did I mention? vampires, action, sex... all in all one of my ultimate favorite young adult novels in the whole wide world.

Quotes:

“The clock struck eleven and cat the vampire huntress was on the loose, except my battle armor was a push-up bra, curled hair, and a short dress. Yeah, it was a dirty job, but I was going to do it. Come one, come all, bloodsuckers! Bar’s open!”
― Cat, Jeaniene Frost, Halfway to the Grave 

“Usually my form of turning someone down was shoving a stake through his heart while smirking, Gotcha!”
― Cat, Jeaniene Frost, Halfway to the Grave 

Cat: “So do you remember this place?"
Bones: "Hard to forget." he snorted. "This is where you tried to kill me. You were so nervous, you kept blushing. Never had someone try to stake me who blushed so much.”
― Jeaniene Frost, Halfway to the Grave

“I'm saying that I'm a moody, insecure, narrow-minded, jealous, borderline homicidal bitch, and I want you to promise me that you're okay with that, because it's who I am, and you're what I need.”
― Cat, Jeaniene Frost, Halfway to the Grave 

“Lucifer's bouncing balls, Kitten, not again!”
― Bones, Jeaniene Frost, Halfway to the Grave 

“Don't kiss me like a woman if you're going to treat me like a child.”
― Cat, Jeaniene Frost, Halfway to the Grave 

“Kitten, you need to make a decision. Either we stay here and behave or we leave now and I promise you”—his voice dipped lower and the words fell against my lips—“if we leave, I won’t behave.”
― Bones, Jeaniene Frost, Halfway to the Grave 

“You're not a woman," he said finally. "You're the Grim Reaper with red hair!”
― Bones, Jeaniene Frost, Halfway to the Grave 

“There is only one way to fight, and that's dirty. Clean gentlemanly fighting will get you nowhere but dead, and fast. Take every cheap shot, every low blow, absolutely kick people when they're down, and maybe you'll be the one who walks away." Bones to Cat”
― Bones, Jeaniene Frost, Halfway to the Grave 

Bones: “Right, then, mate, terribly sorry for my unspeakable rudeness, and I do beg your pardon. I can only say that it was caused by my natural affront to the notion of her as my sister. Since I'll be shagging her tonight, you can imagine how I'd be distressed at the thought of rogering my sibling"
Cat: "You shmuck! The only thing you'll be shagging tonight is yourself!"
Bones: "You wanted sincerity, well, luv, I was sincere.”
― Jeaniene Frost, Halfway to the Grave 

Cat: “I was thrown into a state of sheer, mindless panic. “It’s my mother!” I whispered fiercely,as if Bones hadn’t figured that out. “Holy shit, you have to hide!”
I literally shoved him toward the bedroom, yelling, “I—I’ll be right there, I’m not dressed!”
He went, but with none of my hysteria.“Kitten, you still haven’t told her? Blimey, what are you waiting for?”
The Second Coming of Christ!” I snapped. “And not a moment sooner! Here, in the closet!”
― Jeaniene Frost, Halfway to the Grave 

“Didn’t say anything. I’ve got those names, so that’s all that matters, but you men…you’re all alike. Alive, dead, undead—all perverts! I had a drunken pervert in my pants! Do you know how unsanitary that is?”
Bones held me upright. I would have protested, but I couldn’t remember how to. “What are you saying?”
“Winston poltergeisted my panties, that’s what!” I announced with a loud hiccup.
“Why, you scurvy, lecherous spook!” Bones yelled in the direction of the cemetery. “If my pipes still worked, I’d go right back there and piss on your grave!”
― Jeaniene Frost, Halfway to the Grave

I could seriously keep on going all freaking day. All day long. In fact I am going to be re reading the series now because I love it so much =D Anyways I hope this encourages some of you to try out Halfway to the Grave, or some of the fans of Halfway to the Grave to try out Vampire Academy. I mean, there is cross over appeal either way. And if you haven't read either... THEN DUDE what are you waiting for?

PS; Don't forget to enter my latest giveaway! In it you have the chance to win some awesome 2012 YA titles, you are going to want to check it out.