Finding Books For People That “Don’t Like To Read”

I know a few people (maybe more than a few) who say they don’t like to read.  They’ll check out magazines or watch reality shows but they are opposed to reading a book or two.  Mind you, some have a very few books they like from when they were younger or they claim that school (college mostly) took their love of reading or some people say they simply have no time for such fanciful pursuits as reading for fun.

However, I believe that any non-reader is that way because they’ve yet to find the book that is the spark which ignites their imagination and leads them to pursue other books.  Some people start reading young and fall in love, and those of us in that boat are lucky. However, looking down on someone that doesn’t like reading or giving up on them or thinking your love of reading is a “higher” past time are all wrong attitudes to take when trying to convert your non-reader friends.

First, figure out what kinds of things they may like to read (if they had favorites years ago) or if they have stuff they read as a kid.  For most non-readers, they do have some things they like, in terms of novels, but finding that out is helpful.  You might encourage them to revisit a book they had liked (if it holds up well for adults) or you can find novels that may be for an older crowd but could similar to something they liked in the past.

If they truly just don’t like books, then maybe it’s time to look for something that’s very imaginative or will pull in a reader from the very beginning and not stop.  Fast-paced books can be great for people who don’t like reading because some people have trouble getting into a book because they have a hard time wading through slow plots or works that may not be their genre of choice; you’d never want to recommend James Patterson to someone that doesn’t like police-thrillers or crime novels.

Or if they claim they don’t have a lot of time to read then maybe finding the right book for them and then challenging them to read it with you, setting out a timeline they can work with, would be helpful.  Book clubs for such folks can help as well because they would have, in some cases, a month and they would get different views on what they read. This could do more to bring a book to life for a non-reader.

While you shouldn’t (and can’t) force someone to read, if you’re out being a book evangelist it’s important to know your audience.  People like books of all shapes and sizes but some like a very specific niche so finding that out and doing the groundwork to get them the best book for their interests could pay big dividends and you may create another bookworm.