Book suggestions for reluctant adult reader?

[katsnmouse]

My DP doesn't enjoy reading at all. He will skim read magazines etc, but that is about it. We think he is dyslexic, although it hasn't been formally diagnosed (he mixes letters/numbers up, finds spelling difficult, slow at reading, hard to focus etc). Does anyone have any suggestions for books he may get into? He likes crime programmes like CSI/NCIS so anything in that genre would be a good point to start I guess. Graphic novels may also be good. I really want to engage him/share my passion for books as we are polar opposites in this department! I don't want to force him, but it would be nice for him to become more confident with his reading both for himself and as a role model to our DC.

I had a friend who was like this and the book that got her into reading was The Hunger Games and she has since read more Young Adult fiction because she feels more confident with it so that might be a place to start? I can't think of any offhand that would fit this genre.

Some of it is fantastic stuff so no need to feel funny about it.

There are also loads of different crime novels which he may like although I'm struggling to think of suggestions right now (exhausted, sorry)

I've noticed that James Patterson books always have very short chapters - like a page or so. Something like that might be good because the length of a novel puts some reluctant readers off. If you can speed through chapters it makes it seem more accessible.

Novels of films can be good too as you're not worrying about following the plot as much - slow readers sometimes find they forget what happened at the beginning so give up, so a book where he's already familiar with the plot could be better. Something like the Da Vinci Code, for example.

Could you get him into audiobooks instead? That way you could share books without him having to struggle with the reading.

I do agree with AlmaMartyr that YA books are good though - a surprisingly large proportion of them are bought by adults, to read themselves, these days!

DH has mild dyslexia and when we met he wasn't much of a reader, in fact quite reluctant. But in recent years he has followed me by picking up books and now reads regularly. Not sure if this will help your DP but DH bought himself a kindle so he can enlarge the print and can look up words he struggles to read. And isn't embarrassed because no one knows what he's reading on it or how long he takes over each page.

We have several dyslexics in the family, some enjoy books but ds hates reading with a passion. I get him books on Audible and he listens on his phone at night.

Thanks for the suggestions, some good ideas. Duchess kindle might work, I've caught him having sneaky peeks at mine. TheCountess might give audiobooks a try, thought about getting some cds for the car.

My husband was/is a reluctant reader too. He studied for years and read a lot for work (he is a lawyer). He used to say he had "used all his reading brain cells" and he had no desire to read a book despite my many pleas. He also loves CSI, NCiS and those sorts of programmes and prefers TV/films. Around 18 months ago a friend have him a John Grisham and to my surprise he gave it a go and loved it! He has read a few more Grishams since then. I have bought him a Lee Child boon for Christmas and a pack of James Pattersons in the hope he will continue! Good luck

At 16 years old my very bright son really wasn't into reading novels - I gave him 'The Power of One' to read by Bryce Courtenay. He really got into it. It's set in South Africa, a bit ofa coming of age book with a sub plot about boxing and is peopled with very larger than life characters.

Carl Hiaasens's Sick Puppy is a laugh out loud easy read about an 'eco-terrorist' v those with interests in Florida property development.

Cheshire if your DH likes Grisham another good bet is Scott Turow.

I've turned two people into readers (although they didn't have the problems you mention). For one, he was interested in wine, so I started buying him an occasional book on wine - a slim book, a casual paperback, so there was no pressure. When he happened to mention an interest in 9/11, I bought him a similarly slim paperback on that.

With the other, now that I think of it, it was also non-fiction. I'd pass on things I'd read that were sort of biographical, like one of funny anecdotes of a famous newsman. When I gradually worked into fiction, I passed on shortish books with simple language, like Ray Bradbury science fiction. Later, Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men.

When you say he reads magazines, perhaps that means that he might do better starting with non-fiction, too. Maybe men are likelier to want reading to be "useful," not fiction. (Sounds like Austen's Thorpe character in Northanger Abbey.)