How to help a non-reader to read

[zoebartlett]

Asscher -- I''ve recommended books that were made into movies, but he declined, saying "I already know the story. I read the book." That''s how he is. Why read if you can watch it instead?

I try to read a lot but I have to admit that the books I tend to stick with are fluff (a lot of chick lit, as well as Anita Shreve, Jodi Picoult, Nicholas Sparks, etc.). I have a Bill Bryson book but I haven''t read it.

FDL -- thanks for the Gladwell recommendation! I''ve never heard of him, but I''ll check him out.

Thanks Callisto! A Long Way Gone sounds really good!

Thanks Scarabnight -- I''ll write down James Rollins.

I''m writing down all of these suggestions and I''ll see if my husband wants to go to the bookstore soon and check out some of the authors and titles. I appreciate the help!

 

[Delster]

The minute I read your post I thought of Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett! Amazing historical story set in medieval England and spanning decades in the lives of a group of people all bound together in different ways around the building of a cathedral. Lots of fascinating historical detail, war and political intrigue (some of it dovetailing in with real events), architectural detail about building, compelling characters and some romance. I told my fiance he had to read it after I finished it (in a weekend!) - he loved it.

 

[swingirl]

Date: 12/7/2009 1:00:18 PM
Author: Callisto
You should see if he likes 'A long way gone'. Its a memoir of a boy who was a child solider in a country in Africa (don't remember which one). Its fascinating (and a bit horrifying but it has a happy ending for him at least) and a really easy read. I've gotten hooked on memoirs and non-fiction in the past few years and this is probably my favorite.

This is a great book. My son read it in his college freshman English. Very easy reading but the story is true, intense, emotional and very "male". My son isn't much for novels (can't keep track of many characters) but this one really got him reading. I read it too and highly recommend it for any man/teen who isn't a heavy-duty reader.

 

[Callisto]

Date: 12/7/2009 2:13:03 PM
Author: swingirl

Date: 12/7/2009 1:00:18 PM

Author: Callisto

You should see if he likes ''A long way gone''. Its a memoir of a boy who was a child solider in a country in Africa (don''t remember which one). Its fascinating (and a bit horrifying but it has a happy ending for him at least) and a really easy read. I''ve gotten hooked on memoirs and non-fiction in the past few years and this is probably my favorite.

This is a great book. My son read it in his college freshman English. Very easy reading but the story is true, intense, emotional and very ''male''. My son isn''t much for novels (can''t keep track of many characters) but this one really got him reading. I read it too and highly recommend it for any man/teen who isn''t a heavy-duty reader.

Thanks for backing me up. Honestly I would highly recommend it to anyone! Its really humbling to hear about these awful conflicts. But its also very well written and inspiring. I read it for a college class a few years ago as well and just can''t say enough positive things about it.

 

[HopeDream]

Ohh! I just remembered!

Get him an Uncle John''s bathroom Reader (Seriously!) here''s a sample

There are quite a few of them out and they are basicaly complitations of very short interesting articles on all sorts of historical stuff, weird stuff, and true facts. The nice part is each article is only a few pages long but very interesting!

I have a few but I don''t read them in the bathroom.

 

[Brown.Eyed.Girl]

Date: 12/7/2009 1:59:41 PM
Author: Delster
The minute I read your post I thought of Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett! Amazing historical story set in medieval England and spanning decades in the lives of a group of people all bound together in different ways around the building of a cathedral. Lots of fascinating historical detail, war and political intrigue (some of it dovetailing in with real events), architectural detail about building, compelling characters and some romance. I told my fiance he had to read it after I finished it (in a weekend!) - he loved it.

I actually thought of this too. You would think a historical fiction novel about cathedral building is boring, but it was so fascinating, and Follett developed his characters and the plot really well. If you like Pillars, Ellis Peters has a series of mystery books set in the same time period called the Brother Cadfael series. They're hard to come by - only the first few books have been reprinted and the rest are out of print, but great reads.

Shogun and the rest of the Asian Saga are excellent, though possibly daunting for someone who's not a frequent reader. If he wants to start with one of these, King Rat can be a standalone, but I would start with Shogun. I think that's his best book of the series. Along these lines, Alaska by James Michener is fantastic but also an incredibly long read. I hear Hawaii is good as well. I'm down to the last 50 pages in Alaska and plan to start Hawaii next. Whereas Clavell focuses one book on a very short period of time (say a year I think in the case of Shogun and Taipan, and maybe a week in Noble House?) Michener's books span tens of thousands of years, from the formation of Alaska to the crossing of the land bridge, to the 20th century. Very different.

Let's see...as for Isaac Asimov, both the Robot and Foundation series are fantastic but rather different. If he wants to venture into sci-fi, I would actually recommend he start with something like Dies the Fire or Island in the Sea of Time by S.M. Stirling. Or if he wants something lighter, I like John Scalzi's books - Old Man's War is very interesting, and kind of the other end of the age spectrum to Orson Scott Card's Ender series (also a great read - Ender's Game).

 

[Brown.Eyed.Girl]

Date: 12/7/2009 3:05:14 PM
Author: Callisto

Date: 12/7/2009 2:13:03 PM

Author: swingirl

Date: 12/7/2009 1:00:18 PM


Author: Callisto


You should see if he likes ''A long way gone''. Its a memoir of a boy who was a child solider in a country in Africa (don''t remember which one). Its fascinating (and a bit horrifying but it has a happy ending for him at least) and a really easy read. I''ve gotten hooked on memoirs and non-fiction in the past few years and this is probably my favorite.

This is a great book. My son read it in his college freshman English. Very easy reading but the story is true, intense, emotional and very ''male''. My son isn''t much for novels (can''t keep track of many characters) but this one really got him reading. I read it too and highly recommend it for any man/teen who isn''t a heavy-duty reader.

Thanks for backing me up. Honestly I would highly recommend it to anyone! Its really humbling to hear about these awful conflicts. But its also very well written and inspiring. I read it for a college class a few years ago as well and just can''t say enough positive things about it.

That was such a sad read. I read it about a year ago and it was very powerful. I also liked Ayaan Hirsi Ali''s Infidel (along kind of similar lines).

 

[VRBeauty]

Date: 12/7/2009 1:59:41 PM
Author: Delster
The minute I read your post I thought of Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett! Amazing historical story set in medieval England and spanning decades in the lives of a group of people all bound together in different ways around the building of a cathedral. Lots of fascinating historical detail, war and political intrigue (some of it dovetailing in with real events), architectural detail about building, compelling characters and some romance. I told my fiance he had to read it after I finished it (in a weekend!) - he loved it.

I''d third Pillars of the Earth. It''s one of Ken Follett''s best, a fascinating story well-told. It''s a loooong book, but I loved it too!

A non-fiction book that I really enjoyed is The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America, by Erik Larson. It''s two stories in one. The first is about the 1839 (I think...) Columbia World''s Fair and Exposition in Chicago, and all of the innovations that were sparked and showcased at the fair -- many of which are part of the fabric of our lives now. The second is about a psychopathic killer who set up shop in a guest house and took advantage of visitors to the fair. I was fascinated by both story lines!

 

[princesss]

Date: 12/7/2009 1:59:41 PM
Author: Delster
The minute I read your post I thought of Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett! Amazing historical story set in medieval England and spanning decades in the lives of a group of people all bound together in different ways around the building of a cathedral. Lots of fascinating historical detail, war and political intrigue (some of it dovetailing in with real events), architectural detail about building, compelling characters and some romance. I told my fiance he had to read it after I finished it (in a weekend!) - he loved it.

This is a really odd question, but is there a scene in this book where a brother and a sister are going and looking for work, and the girl "interviews" with a woman and then realizes the woman is sizing her up to be a prostitute? I read a book about building a cathedral when I was in 7th grade, and all I remember is that it was really long and that scene. Maybe it was this book. I''ll have to check it out because I remember very little about it, but I''d love to know if I''m reading it for the first time, or if it''s a re-read!

 

[Brown.Eyed.Girl]

Date: 12/8/2009 11:47:11 AM
Author: princesss

Date: 12/7/2009 1:59:41 PM

Author: Delster

The minute I read your post I thought of Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett! Amazing historical story set in medieval England and spanning decades in the lives of a group of people all bound together in different ways around the building of a cathedral. Lots of fascinating historical detail, war and political intrigue (some of it dovetailing in with real events), architectural detail about building, compelling characters and some romance. I told my fiance he had to read it after I finished it (in a weekend!) - he loved it.

This is a really odd question, but is there a scene in this book where a brother and a sister are going and looking for work, and the girl 'interviews' with a woman and then realizes the woman is sizing her up to be a prostitute? I read a book about building a cathedral when I was in 7th grade, and all I remember is that it was really long and that scene. Maybe it was this book. I'll have to check it out because I remember very little about it, but I'd love to know if I'm reading it for the first time, or if it's a re-read!

Yup that's in the book!

And oh man, there are definitely scenes in there that are not appropriate for a 7th grader!

 

[Circe]

The big trick to "converting" reluctant readers, in my experience, is a) providing them with material which is really interesting to them, and b) making it accessible and not letting them get discouraged once it''s in their hands (so, not focusing on hard goals that make it "work" but sticking to the more creative fun parts - say, response papers as opposed to book reports).

You''re getting a lot of great suggestions on authors: I''m going to focus on the 2nd part a bit. Your husband is definitely going straight to the good stuff! Instead of redirecting his energies, perhaps your could read together, and aloud? Not for any reading-skill-related reasons, but just because the Iliad and the Odyssey are both really meant to be spoken and heard, even in translation. Pick a version you guys like the rhythm of (I am a big fan of the Fitzgerald editions) and just have fun with it, reading a book a night.

Essay collections and short story collections are another good way to sort of ease into the habit: they''re accessible length-wise, and they sound like they sort of fit your husband''s MO. Maybe O''Henry? His stories are amazingly memorable. Anne Fadiman''s _The Common Reader_ is good in terms of being really funny and being all about books: I can see it being a hook for someone who''s just getting the bug. I''m looking forward to hearing how it goes for you guys!

 

[princesss]

Date: 12/8/2009 2:18:34 PM
Author: Brown.Eyed.Girl

Date: 12/8/2009 11:47:11 AM
Author: princesss

Date: 12/7/2009 1:59:41 PM

Author: Delster

The minute I read your post I thought of Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett! Amazing historical story set in medieval England and spanning decades in the lives of a group of people all bound together in different ways around the building of a cathedral. Lots of fascinating historical detail, war and political intrigue (some of it dovetailing in with real events), architectural detail about building, compelling characters and some romance. I told my fiance he had to read it after I finished it (in a weekend!) - he loved it.

This is a really odd question, but is there a scene in this book where a brother and a sister are going and looking for work, and the girl ''interviews'' with a woman and then realizes the woman is sizing her up to be a prostitute? I read a book about building a cathedral when I was in 7th grade, and all I remember is that it was really long and that scene. Maybe it was this book. I''ll have to check it out because I remember very little about it, but I''d love to know if I''m reading it for the first time, or if it''s a re-read!

Yup that''s in the book!

And oh man, there are definitely scenes in there that are not appropriate for a 7th grader!

Sweet! I''m definitely getting that book for the plane ride!

When I was in 7th grade, I was a voracious reader, but we lived in semi-rural Thailand without access to a lot of books. So once I exhausted all of the interesting books in the library at my school, I started reading the books my parents had. I might have been in 8th grade, but I was still pretty young. My parents aren''t the type to restrict what I read, so I probably read a lot that wasn''t "age-appropriate" just because it kept me busy!

 

[princesss]

Date: 12/8/2009 2:45:34 PM
Author: Circe
The big trick to ''converting'' reluctant readers, in my experience, is a) providing them with material which is really interesting to them, and b) making it accessible and not letting them get discouraged once it''s in their hands (so, not focusing on hard goals that make it ''work'' but sticking to the more creative fun parts - say, response papers as opposed to book reports).

You''re getting a lot of great suggestions on authors: I''m going to focus on the 2nd part a bit. Your husband is definitely going straight to the good stuff! Instead of redirecting his energies, perhaps your could read together, and aloud? Not for any reading-skill-related reasons, but just because the Iliad and the Odyssey are both really meant to be spoken and heard, even in translation. Pick a version you guys like the rhythm of (I am a big fan of the Fitzgerald editions) and just have fun with it, reading a book a night.

Essay collections and short story collections are another good way to sort of ease into the habit: they''re accessible length-wise, and they sound like they sort of fit your husband''s MO. Maybe O''Henry? His stories are amazingly memorable. Anne Fadiman''s _The Common Reader_ is good in terms of being really funny and being all about books: I can see it being a hook for someone who''s just getting the bug. I''m looking forward to hearing how it goes for you guys!

I totally agree with the second paragraph. Beowulf is a really good poem to read, as well. I''m a big fan of Seamus Heaney''s translation! It''s an interesting story and would be good to read out loud.

 

[Brown.Eyed.Girl]

Date: 12/8/2009 2:45:57 PM
Author: princesss

Date: 12/8/2009 2:18:34 PM

Author: Brown.Eyed.Girl

Date: 12/8/2009 11:47:11 AM

Author: princesss

Date: 12/7/2009 1:59:41 PM


Author: Delster


The minute I read your post I thought of Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett! Amazing historical story set in medieval England and spanning decades in the lives of a group of people all bound together in different ways around the building of a cathedral. Lots of fascinating historical detail, war and political intrigue (some of it dovetailing in with real events), architectural detail about building, compelling characters and some romance. I told my fiance he had to read it after I finished it (in a weekend!) - he loved it.

This is a really odd question, but is there a scene in this book where a brother and a sister are going and looking for work, and the girl ''interviews'' with a woman and then realizes the woman is sizing her up to be a prostitute? I read a book about building a cathedral when I was in 7th grade, and all I remember is that it was really long and that scene. Maybe it was this book. I''ll have to check it out because I remember very little about it, but I''d love to know if I''m reading it for the first time, or if it''s a re-read!

Yup that''s in the book!


And oh man, there are definitely scenes in there that are not appropriate for a 7th grader!

Sweet! I''m definitely getting that book for the plane ride!


When I was in 7th grade, I was a voracious reader, but we lived in semi-rural Thailand without access to a lot of books. So once I exhausted all of the interesting books in the library at my school, I started reading the books my parents had. I might have been in 8th grade, but I was still pretty young. My parents aren''t the type to restrict what I read, so I probably read a lot that wasn''t ''age-appropriate'' just because it kept me busy!

Ooh you lived in Thailand when you were younger? That''s so cool!

Follett has a sequel to Pillars out called World Without End. That one is set in the 13th century I think, and deals, in part, with the Black Death. I think Pillars was much better (especially characters-wise) but World Without End was good too.

 

[noelwr]

Zoe - I just came up with another idea. what about a graphic novel like "300"?

 

[Keepingthefaith21]

George Carlin has some very good books out there - just as funny and introspective as his stand-up often was.

My DH LOVES movies - so to motivate him to read a bit more, I got him started on the Harry Potter books and told him we could only watch the movie once he had read the books. It made for some absolutely wonderful conversations after the movie as he would comment on parts they left out and how he would feel like certain aspects of the story's continuity were broken on the big screen. I knew then he had really read the books.

We started to read a few series as a couple as well - it kept both of us motivated to read and kept our book costs down as well

Our house is full, full, full of graphic novels as well. So many that an average person might think we had a 16 year old living with us. I've grown to love these books though - they are visually stunning and most times the storyline is very well developed. Some comics have gotten both of us to cross over into novels as well; the Sandman comics caused both of us to begin reading any Neil Gaiman works we could get our hands on.