The Weird Hobbies Of 6 Popular YA Authors

Warning: There are a lot of goats in there.

When some of our favorite young adult authors aren't penning fabulous works of fiction, they fill their spare time with some questionable hobbies.

1. Maggie Stiefvater: Tarot

Via bit.ly

The author of the Raven Cycle series (the fourth book in the series is available in September) and Shiver has created a new Tarot deck, The Raven’s Prophecy Tarot (also available in September).

Also? She raises, along with her children and a number of other animals, goats. As of last year she was up to nine of them.

Via giphy.com

2. John Green: Making videos

Via wikipedia.org

John Green (The Fault in Our Stars, Paper Towns, Looking for Alaska) and his brother Hank (which isn’t even his real name…weird) spend a lot of time making videos—which in and of itself isn’t weird, but the topics are varied, ranging from Hank’s haircut (and the ensuing multiple existential crises, of course) to how food is weird.

Also? His parents raise goats and sell soap made from goat’s milk.

Via giphy.com

3. Rainbow Rowell: Being inspired by goats (sort-of)

Via wikipedia.org

Rainbow Rowell is a big fan of the band The Mountain Goats, and their music helped her write her bestselling Eleanor and Park. She even has a character that is a goat herder.

Via giphy.com

4. Neil Gaiman: Beekeeping

Via wikipedia.org

Neil Gaiman (of Coraline and American Gods fame) enjoys bees. A lot. He has hived swarms, imported Russian bees, and more. While the importance of bees to the ecosystem cannot be understated, it is a weird hobby.

Perhaps he should consider goat herding instead?

Via giphy.com

5. A.S. King: Joining the Circus

Via amazon.com

A.S. King (Please Ignore Vera Dietz, Ask the Passengers, and Dust of 100 Dogs) once ran off to join the circus.

This likely happened only once and while she was a child at that, but I'm betting that circus had goats.

Via giphy.com

6. Mandy Hubbard/Amanda Grace: Having 2 Names and 2 Jobs

Via fluxnow.com

Mandy Hubbard (author of Prada & Prejudice, You Wish, and more) leads a double—or perhaps triple?—life. By day she is Mandy Hubbard, literary agent. By night, she is Mandy Hubbard, YA author. Or is that Amanda Grace, YA author? Mandy publishes her lighter fare under the name Mandy Hubbard, and her more intense books under the pen name Amanda Grace (books like The Truth About Me and You and In Too Deep). Which I suppose isn't so much weird as it is potentially confusing. Still...

Also? She grew up on a dairy farm. I'm guessing there were goats.

Via giphy.com