One of the most frequent posts that I see here are from people in reading slumps who want to get back into reading, or from people who never read and who want to become readers. I messaged the Mods and suggested a pinned post, but that didn't get anywhere. So here I am, asking for your suggestions.
What books (or authors) from your preferred genres would you recommend to someone who hasn't read in a while, or who is just starting out? Recommend books with simple yet well-written prose, engaging stories, and and characters with relatable personalities. I'll start with a few of mine from historical fiction genre:
- To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
- The Nightingale by Kristen Hannah
- The Help by Kathryn Stockett
- The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
- Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
by SpecialKnits4855
5 Comments
So to combat the ‘get me into reading’ posts, you made another ‘get me into reading’ post. Which will be buried by tomorrow and someone else will make post #753 asking the same thing. What is the reasoning here, exactly?
I would naturally point to the novels I read growing up, such as Frindle by Andrew Clements, Holes by Louis Sachar, The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin, The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DeCamillo…
The Alchemist seems to be the ultimate gateway book for nonreaders to start reading. Short, accessible with a straightforward, uplifting story and journey and it’s extensively translated into many, many languages and is an international bestseller.
Most literary people despise this book, but it gets the job done and is quite the work horse in doing it. Later they can develop a more literary refined palate, but you’ve got to get them to read and buy into it first and this seems to be the universal key to that.
I’m fairly active in this sub and simply skip those requests. I feel like they’re not asking the question I’ve come here to answer. They’re not really asking for the title of a book. They’re looking for motivation. Even more so with the advent of AI. There are a half-dozen sources that will give you the exact book you’re searching for. Not only do I not know what book will stop your slump, I have no idea how to motivate you to read something.
I have one more request for this sub in general if I may. Posters should put the thing they want in the title of the post. Please don’t make me click through to read your actual request.
Usually it’s “I want to get back into reading. Here’s my top three…”
Give it to me upfront. “I loved X and Y and Z, what else is similar?”
Seems perfectly reasonable.
“I want to read non-fiction about the space race in the 1960s”
“I’m looking for self-help to combat depression”
“I read *Bunny* by Awad. Looking for something similar without the blood”
No. First I’d need info about what they like, else we just suggest our own personal taste and fav books.
Whats the point of that? I have recommended stuff to people that I myself don’t like, a few I haven’t read either (romance, western etc). But seems to fit either their specific asks or general genre – the popular of those.
For instance, no offence but your list is stuff that doesn’t appeal to me in the slighest. Not bad necessarily, just not my kind of thing.
The best suggestions I have seen are those that make an effort to suggest good matches to asks…not oh this is in the top 10 or “everyone” liked these.
I’ve seen some rarely heard of stuff here and gone off and read them and really enjoyed some of them, far better.