Posted on December 29, 2019 at 4:00 PM by Sadye Scott-Hainchek
One of our Facebook ads ended up serving as a reminder of how powerfully good the internet could be.
A commenter named Annette shared the sad story of how reading had been used as a punishment for her — but she was ready to overcome that depressing past and learn to love reading.
Annette asked what books or authors we’d recommend to help her with that goal.
We should’ve known that other bookworms would step up to the plate and hit a home run, because a reader’s second-favorite thing (besides books) is telling others about books they’ve loved!
Here are Facebook users’ remedies for Annette’s predicament.
Becky E.: Jan Karin's At Home in Milford is a thick book but has comedy, mystery, romance etc., all rolled into one. It is the first in a series.
Brandie N.: Andre Norton. She wrote with a man's name so she could get published. She wrote sci-fi and fantasy. She was amazing.
Anne McCaffrey. I started with her Dragonriders of Pern. Amazing series. So are the Tower series, the Hive series, and the Acorna series. She's amazing. She also really lives in a castle.
Brenda G.: Try James Patterson or Robin Cook, or Mary Higgins Clark.
Carie B.: If you like thriller, I love Blake Crouch books for that genre :)
Carol L.: I love Christian fiction-writers like Dee Henderson (suspense), Francine Rivers, and Irene Hannon.
Cheryl M.: You might want to read James Patterson, John Grisham, and Michael Connelly. They are all great reads and they keep your attention throughout the books, sometimes so much that you can't put them down even for sleep.
Debra D.: Nora Roberts Chronicles of the One series is fantastic if you think you might like dystopian fantasy. I am not a huge fan of hers, but I loved this series: Year One, Of Blood and Bone, and Rise of the Magicks! IMO great fun!
Elizabeth M.: Did you like Harry Potter? The books, by J.K. Rowling, are even better. Game of Thrones? George R.R. Martin wrote those. That's a starting point.
Grace K.: Clive Cussler’s Dirk Pitt series.
Joni S.: Stephen King is a good one.
Kathy S.: Try James Patterson’s Alex Cross series. Very easy to read and captured your interest from the start.
Nancy I.: Pat Conroy, Ferrol Sams, Cassandra King (Conroy), Michael Connelly, and Harlan Coben.
Nicole B.: Maybe try a reading interest survey. We do that with our students who have a hard time getting into books and finishing them, so we try to help them find something they would be interested in to get them hooked.
Rebecca W.: In the case of suspense/thriller, Intensity by Dean Koontz is one of my favorite books!
Ruth U.: Try A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and The Shell Seekers.
Shelley H.: Author Kristin Hannah is good. She has a few different kinds of books. The Nightingale (historical fiction), Firefly Lane, and The Great Alone are three of my favorites, all very different! There are book clubs on Facebook you can join and you will find all kinds of book suggestions and reviews there. Happy reading!
Sher K.: Maeve Binchy, Nora Roberts, and Elin Hilderbrand are three of my favorites. Plus Sandra Brown, Susan Mallery, JoJo Moyes, and Jenny Colgan. They have so many from which to choose. If you get hooked on one, you can read all of her books!
Vicki C.: Try Dean Koontz, he writes Odd Thomas books. Also try authors’ short stories books — not a huge time commitment and you could see what you like.
Try a paperback, and adult graphic novels like someone else suggested. Go to your local library you would be amazed at the adult and young adult graphic novels. I've never read them till I moved near a bigger library.
Wini F.: Start with Peter Rabbit.