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Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Top Ten Tuesday: Not-a-Reader Books

I'm joining Top Ten Tuesday hosted by The Broke and the Bookish again this week.  Today's topic is Top Ten Books you'd hand to someone who says they don't like to read.  I'll be honest, it really depends on the person.  Each one has tastes and interests that hopefully you'll be able to figure out so you can hand them just the right book.  I've tried to give some variety to my list, from young reluctant readers to burnt out too-much-required-reading-in-my-past adults:

MG and YA (and some adult) non-readers:
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer:
I'm just going to say it.  I have heard a LOT of stories about non-readers picking this up and becoming a reader.  It may not be good literature, but it is a gateway series for many, many people. 

Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins:
Ditto this one as the series that made many non-readers into hard-core readers.  Hand this to your action-movie addicted friends.  They will get sucked right in.  And then they can enjoy all the dystopian/apocalyptic/post-apoc stuff coming out now.

Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling:
The movies did a lot for this series, though it didn't need much help.  But many who watched the movies then turned to the books and found a new love.  The first books are short, accessible, and funny.  That should get them addicted, er started.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney:
Seriously, these are funny and have lots of great kid-friendly illustrations to ease anyone into reading.  Hand this off to your reluctant tween readers.

39 Clues series by various authors:
For the kids who are addicted to computers and electronics - this will help them interact with the printed word too.  Plus it has lots of action and puzzle-solving fun.

A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz:
If someone's seen a few too many fairy tales or analyzed a few too many folk stories, hand them this for a not-your-usual fare.  They will laugh and gasp in horror and certainly enjoy every minute.

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick:
Easy on the eyes and with overwhelmingly few words, this is sure to spark an interest in what else might be between book covers.

For the adult non-readers:
My Sister's Keeper: A Novel by Jodi Picoult:
Readers will be drawn into this emotional and accessible story. And if they love it, there are tons more Picoult they can enjoy on the way to becoming a reader.

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold:
This one also packs an emotional punch that will engross them quickly and completely.  It also holds non-stop story to keep them reading to the end.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern:
A surreal trip through a fascinating landscape and with a love story to lure in those itching for a little romance. 

What are your go-to non-reader recommendations?

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

8 comments :

  1. I think the trickiest group is boys. Very, very hard to find good recommendations for these guys.

    Here's my Top Ten List of Books I'd Hand to Nonreaders.

    I'd like to invite you to sign up for my February Giveaway! Win All Kinds of Kisses or a $25 Amazon gift card!

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    1. Quite a few of my picks work great for MG guys especially. Thanks for stopping by!

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  2. I've read a few from your list and totally agree - especially The Hunger Games!

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  3. How About Megan Whalen Turner's Queens Thief Series for teens and adults, and The Lightning Thief series for kids (my daughter has read all the Riordan books at least 5 times!),also The Name of this book is Secret series by Pseudonymous Bosch for kids.

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    1. The Percy Jackson series is a great choice! And I love the Name of This Book is Secret series. I need to catch up on those.

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  4. A lot of your picks are mine too. I have The Night Circus but haven't gotten to read it yet. Thanks for the awesome list!

    My Top Ten

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    Replies
    1. I hope you like Night Circus - it is really unusal and fun!

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  5. Without even looking at your blog more, I'm guessing you are a mom. We did the same thing - some for kids and some for mom.

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