Hi everyone!
So about 5 years ago, I reignited my love for reading. The whole process from finding a book to setting up my reading space and then losing myself in it for hours is such a joy for me. The excitement and happiness I get from starting a new book is apparently contagious, because my boyfriend has been showing an interest in wanting to start reading himself.
The issue we're having though is that I've given him a couple of books from my collection to try and read, and being that he's a native Russian speaker, he seems to have a hard time understanding what he's reading. This is either due to more advanced vocabulary he's not familiar with (such as British English, like in Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell), or dated language in older books which requires some kind of cultural context to understand. I feel bad because he'll read a couple pages and then get frustrated and give up, which is disheartening for him.
So I've come to you guys to see if you have any suggestions that are a bit easier to read for a non-native speaker. He's been living in the U.S. for 15 years, so he's got a pretty good grasp on the language. He is really interested in Sci-fi and fantasy (he loved the Russian versions of Metro 2033 and Harry Potter, for example).
Please suggest me some books with exciting storylines and immersive worlds that can be enjoyed by the average reader. (English is preferred, but I'm open to Russian language books as well! I just want to give him a book he'll love and won't be intimidated by)
by wastedcanvas