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I haven't read a book in 13 years

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cuevas said:
that wasn't a textbook or novel assigned in a class. I want to stop that trend since doing just that has made me hate reading.
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I felt the same way after I got my degree (English and PolSci - lots of books, all of which were analyzed to death).

To reconcile myself with reading again, I read trash for a summer (think Harlequins and serial novelists - quick reads, total garbage, but fun, because I didn't have to think about them), then took a break for a month, then started reading stuff with more substance. It worked for me, and I'd recommend the approach to anyone who feels they have to break the "but what does this REALLY mean" habit every time they read a novel, without wanting to give up reading decent books from time to time.

I've since worked my way through Milan Kundera's The Incredible Lightness of Being, among other books, and the one I'd recommend most is Angela's Ashes, by Frank McCourt.

And if you're ever in the mood to return to series books, I recommend the Millennium trilogy - I know Larsson and that style of book isn't for everyone, but I found them to be interesting enough page-turners that I finished the second book at something like 2AM and just had to read the first chapter of book 3 RIGHT THAT VERY SECOND.
 
BladeWorker said:
I felt the same way after I got my degree (English and PolSci - lots of books, all of which were analyzed to death).

To reconcile myself with reading again, I read trash for a summer (think Harlequins and serial novelists - quick reads, total garbage, but fun, because I didn't have to think about them), then took a break for a month, then started reading stuff with more substance. It worked for me, and I'd recommend the approach to anyone who feels they have to break the "but what does this REALLY mean" habit every time they read a novel, without wanting to give up reading decent books from time to time.

I've since worked my way through Milan Kundera's The Incredible Lightness of Being, among other books, and the one I'd recommend most is Angela's Ashes, by Frank McCourt.

And if you're ever in the mood to return to series books, I recommend the Millennium trilogy - I know Larsson and that style of book isn't for everyone, but I found them to be interesting enough page-turners that I finished the second book at something like 2AM and just had to read the first chapter of book 3 RIGHT THAT VERY SECOND.
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One of the greatest books I've ever read. I extoll its virtues to anyone who's willing to listen. More people need to read this.
 
I have the same problem. The only time I've been able to read a book end-to-end in the last decade or so was last year when, with nothing else to do over a cousin's house for the weekend, I bought and read Killing Pablo on Kindle on my iPad. I think iBooks and such might get me to at least look at more books since I can now have them in my phone - ready to pull out at a moment's notice. I think the biggest hurdle for me is just time and accessibility.

Suairyu said:
Read some gripping non-fiction first. I always find it more pick-up-and-read friendly than good fiction, which always require some mental investment. Stuff like Future Noir: The Making Of Blade Runner or Steve Jobs' biography - just pick a topic that interests you and go for it.
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I think that's what might do it for me. I already watch a lot of History Channel. Recently I started reading the sample to a book called American Nations talking about the cultural differences of different regions of the country. Maybe I should find some WWII documentary books or something.
 
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And I second whoever said Life of Pi. Although, be warned that the first third of the book can be a bit slow.
 
I'm reading the Count of Monte Cristo right now. It's long and I am just 1/5th of the way through but it's fantastic! I don't see how I have so much left to read to be honest, but I haven't encountered a boring chapter yet. The themes of solitude and knowledge have been personally engaging for me.
 
The Kite Runner, though it'll break your heart.

Never Let Me Go, same as above.

Life of Pi, some hate it, I loved it.

The Alchemist, short and easy to read.

Catcher in the Rye, timeless!
 
I haven't ever read a book in many many years either, I do have a Ipod touch and my smart phone to go to though.

Maybe I should start reading a book.

Maybe I'll start with the hunger games.
 
Well, what are you interested in? Do you want to read for entertainment or enlightenment?
I'm far, far from a scholar, but I kind of hate that the perception of books these days is that people think they are only for old, scholarly-type people or life changing experiences. Books can be just as fun as a popcorn flick or cheesey videogame. In fact, 99 percent of the time the book is going to be way better than, say, the movie they base it on.

There's nothing wrong with reading books for entertainment. One of my fondest memories as an adolescent was spending hours wandering the halls of the local library in the science fiction section. Plus books are a good value. Growing up a book might last me a month for free from the library.

As far as suggestions, I'll say, for me personally, DUNE was what made me a huge reader back in the day. My dad left for work at like 5 a.m., which meant his alarm went off at about 3:30 am.
Many a night I wanted to read just one more chapter, but when that alarm went off I either had to scurry to turn my lamp off or feign sleep for fear of what my father might do if he caught me up at such a late hour.
 
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Like you I read a lot when I was really young but by the time I was into Jr High School I had pretty much stopped. Until I was assigned to read Into Thin Air, a book that is as exciting as any disaster movie you have seen but has the advantage of being true. After that read the author's other books. They are all amazing.
 
Blood Meridian is somewhat short and extremely bloody, there's someone getting shot/stabbed/raped/choked/clubbed/skinned like every two pages. Good fun read imo.
 
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OP, if you have any interest whatsoever in the NBA, this book is awesome. I learned a ton about the history of the league and its players, and it's written with Bill Simmons' great sense of humor. I'd definitely recommend it, especially to a fellow sports fan.
 
ToxicAdam said:
It's always a strong move to recommend a 600 page book to a non-reader.
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Please. It's not the kind of book you read cover to cover, you read a little bit at a time. Took me months to finish it but it was enjoyable the whole way through.

I think the preface even says something like "I know this might be the first time some of you are picking up a book in years, but bear with me"
 
If you want fun, light reading then go no further than PG Wodehouse!

Perhaps the funniest and most delightful English-language author ever.
 
I'd consider myself a pretty light reader (a book every few months or so) and here are some books I enjoyed:

Flowers for Algernon
The Road
Roadside Picnic
Simple Plan
 
I recommend Bonk by Mary Roach. It's a quick, easy, informative and interesting read.

She goes from talking about farmers masturbating sows so they're be more likely to get pregnant, to watching couples have sex in MRI machines, to how it only takes a few seconds to jerk off a monkey.

If you're not into reading about sex, she's also written about death (Stiff), the afterlife (Spook), and space (Packing for Mars). So far though, Bonk was my favourite.
 
sfedai0 said:
7 Weeks to Safe Social Drinking: How to Effectively Moderate Your Alcohol Intake
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:lol been reading some of cuevas' past threads?
Amory Blaine said:
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OP, if you have any interest whatsoever in the NBA, this book is awesome. I learned a ton about the history of the league and its players, and it's written with Bill Simmons' great sense of humor. I'd definitely recommend it, especially to a fellow sports fan.
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Came here to say this. But don't read it in order, skip around to chapters you like. I don't think it's possible to read it in order.
 
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