Hi! My boyfriend’s birthday is next month and he’s a certified non-reader. But somehow, during a casual convo tonight about birthday gifts, he voluntarily said a book would be nice. I got soo excited!
Now I need help picking the perfect book to de-virginize him (book-wise) — something engaging and likely to convert him into a reader. He’s turning 27 and he’s a gamer.
No self-help pls, ty 🫶
by ImpressiveCareer839
14 Comments
Sorry when you say a certified non-reader do you mean he doesn’t read books or has trouble actually reading?
Ready Player One
Dungeon Crawler Carl would be a very good fit.
I’d go for Dungeon Crawler Carl. Easy to read and perfect for a gamer.
Dungeon Crawler Carl is a good “trapped in a videogame” style story.
Muderbot books are fun and not too long, and he’ll have a series to look forward to.
The Game of Thrones series is also a fun read, but can appear intimidating.
If he’s into sci-fi games, he might like the “Murderbot” series. Full disclosure, I’ve only read the first two but really enjoyed them. They are pretty short since they are technically novellas, but that might be a plus if he’s new to reading!
Dungeon Crawler Carl is the answer!
Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin. Gaming figures in heavily and it’s a great book even for those who don’t play.
Dungeon Crawler Carl.
Cat’s Cradle by Vonnegut
Dungeon Crawler Carl would be a great start. It’s very easy to read so good if you’re not used to it and the first in the series is pretty short.
It’s also littered with video game references.
Ready Player One is also massively linked to gaming. It’s got a lot of 80s references thrown I which might go slightly over his head if he’s 27 unless he’s a particular interest in the 80s.
Daft as it sounds Harry Potter is also incredibly easy going. Good story etc. but perhaps a bit young for an adult.
Band of Brothers is a great WW2 book which was made into a Spielberg TV series. If he’s an interest in War this is a good place to start.
The Godfather is also easy going with a great plot. Definitely an option if he’s any interest in the Mafia.
Hope this is useful, there are millions of great choices but I think any of these would be a good starting point.
Lit-RPG like others have said may peak his video game interest. You could also go with middle grade fiction as it tends to be straightforward writing and easy to follow (HP is MG level). What kinds of video games does he like? What else is he into?
Legend of Drizzt – R.A. Salvatore is enjoyable if he’s into WOW or Balder’s Gate type games
Circe – Madeline Miller for Hades type gamer
Mistborn – Brandond Sanderson for general RPG
press start to play edited by wilson and adams. short stories that revolve around video games/gaming culture. low commitment and if any of them pop he can check out the author
Three body problem