Ten Books I Would Hand to Someone Who Claims to Not Like Reading

I'm linking up with That Artsy Reader Girl for another Top Ten Tuesday.

I went with kind of a wide range for this topic because there are a variety of reasons someone might be turned off from reading and so different books will work to inspire different people!

1. An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green
This book works on multiple levels: It's extremely action-packed, it includes puzzles that the characters have to solve, and it's also a meditation on fame in the Internet era. And it's excellent on audio, so it's a good one to introduce reluctant audiobook listeners to that format as well.

2. Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
This book is also best experienced as an audiobook, narrated by the author. For anyone who thinks memoirs are too heavy or boring or who thinks "celebrity memoirs" are trashy, this is a laugh-out-loud account of a serious topic — Noah's experience growing up as the illegal child of an interracial couple during apartheid South Africa. It's well loved by hundreds of thousands of readers.

3. The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict by Trenton Lee Stewart
I find the entire Mysterious Benedict Society series delightful, but the first book in the series might be a little too quirky for some people. This standalone prequel is a great example of how middle grade can be fun for adults to read too, as the writing is excellent and it's fun to read about the main character outsmarting those around him and trying to piece together clues to find a treasure.

4. Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
I'd encourage fans of the miniseries (or really anyone) to pick up the book that inspired it, as it's hilarious, fast-paced, and entertaining, and you can see how the print format allows for a different type of humor than the screen (though I loved both versions).

5. Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson
This absolutely compelling look at the U.S. criminal justice system — part memoir, part journalistic nonfiction — is important for everyone in the United States to read, and for anyone who associates nonfiction with dry history books, this will be a heartbreaking wake-up call about just how important it is to learn the realities of what's happening today.

6. The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
Anyone who's been turned off from science fiction by reading too many "classics" by white men needs to give this book a try. The world-building is fascinating and inclusive, the characters jump off the page with their big personalities, and the plot includes a lot of high stakes for people just trying to do their best. It'll be an even easier sell for fans of Firefly, a frequent comp for this book.

7. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
This book is so action-packed that it's hard to put it down once you start. The references to video games and '80s pop culture also provide nostalgic hooks for certain reluctant readers as well. And so many people have read this (plus there's a movie) that they'll definitely have people to discuss it with.

8. Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
This is a frequent recommendation for reluctant romance readers. For anyone who thinks romance is either staring longingly from wind-swept cliffs or erotica with a thinly strung-together plot, here is a hilarious, heartbreaking, inspiring, satisfying tale of love between the U.S. President's son and the Prince of Wales that also imagines a slightly more inclusive America where a divorced woman with a gay, Latino son can be president.

9. Saga, Vol. 1 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples
Graphic novels are a frequent recommendation for reluctant readers, and I think the best option will depend on the reader. Some are much more like comic strips, while some, like this series, are extremely cinematic, with lots of dialogue, sweeping shots, and text meant to convey a voiceover only at key moments. This is one I'd hand to movie buffs, especially those comfortable with a little bit of gore.

10. The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay
Young adult is another genre that gets a bad rap, and it's partially deserved, as many YA novels focus more on capturing a certain tone or message over polishing the writing, and sometimes the characters feel more like sketches or caricatures. This one, though, has the readability of a young adult novel, and does feature teenagers at its center, but it has a gravity to it that you don't always find in this type of book, as the main character seeks her own stunted methods of coping with the traumatic event she endured (and you don't know what that event is at the beginning). It's a compelling story for teens and adults alike.

What books would you hand to someone in this situation?

Looking back:
One year ago I was reading: Amazing Grace and To Kill a Mockingbird
Five years ago I was reading: Brideshead Revisited, Adoption Parenting, and Writing My Wrongs
Ten years ago I was reading: The Great Gatsby