Help Me Make My Sister Read!
Nemesis_Zero
Old European Join Date: 2002-01-25 Member: 75Members, Retired Developer, NS1 Playtester, Constellation
Old European Join Date: 2002-01-25 Member: 75Members, Retired Developer, NS1 Playtester, Constellation
OK, this is one of the weirder topics I started, but since we've got a pretty literate community around here, I figure it might be worth it.
I just had a phone conversation with my little sister. Following the age old tradition of my family, according to which siblings hate each other's guts until one of them moves away, at which point both discover they do in fact like each other, we're having a lot of them lately. Anyway, she never read. It was proverbial: I was the kid with the book, she was the kid with the mascara.
She just finished the first book she decided to read on her own accord. Moreso, she's interested in my input on what to read next. I've got a few ideas myself, but I figure one can never have too much input. So, what books would you suggest to someone who is just beginning to realize that reading fiction might be fun?
A few conditions:<ul><li>I need short books. Sure, 1200 pages might look promising to you or me; to her, they'll be merely imposing.</li><li>No 'in your face' fantasy. She stopped reading Harry Potter once the owls showed up. </li><li>Subtle fantasy, especially if mixed with horror, is fine, though. I'm for example going to suggest Gaiman's 'Coraline' to her.</li><li>Following the nature of the thing, long buildups and lengthy interjections with little plot are counter-productive.</li><li>She's <b>17</b>. Thanks for the question, Kuper. As with many 17 years olds, childrens books, however fitting, are out of the question.</li></ul>So, do you have suggestions?
I just had a phone conversation with my little sister. Following the age old tradition of my family, according to which siblings hate each other's guts until one of them moves away, at which point both discover they do in fact like each other, we're having a lot of them lately. Anyway, she never read. It was proverbial: I was the kid with the book, she was the kid with the mascara.
She just finished the first book she decided to read on her own accord. Moreso, she's interested in my input on what to read next. I've got a few ideas myself, but I figure one can never have too much input. So, what books would you suggest to someone who is just beginning to realize that reading fiction might be fun?
A few conditions:<ul><li>I need short books. Sure, 1200 pages might look promising to you or me; to her, they'll be merely imposing.</li><li>No 'in your face' fantasy. She stopped reading Harry Potter once the owls showed up. </li><li>Subtle fantasy, especially if mixed with horror, is fine, though. I'm for example going to suggest Gaiman's 'Coraline' to her.</li><li>Following the nature of the thing, long buildups and lengthy interjections with little plot are counter-productive.</li><li>She's <b>17</b>. Thanks for the question, Kuper. As with many 17 years olds, childrens books, however fitting, are out of the question.</li></ul>So, do you have suggestions?
Comments
<a href='http://www.redwall.org/dave/library.html' target='_blank'>http://www.redwall.org/dave/library.html</a>
^^
not really much in the way of literary importance, but fun to read, especially for a beginning reader.
<!--QuoteBegin--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Terry Pratchett is Jesus in writer form. His first few aren't so good, but anyone with half a sense of humor should devour them. That and Douglas Adams.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I doubt she'll like Pratchett - see my remark regarding 'in your face' fantasy. Besides, it's just too much 'my' kind of book.
<!--QuoteBegin--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->brian jacques' books about mattimeo, and ... i dont remember the names... let me find..<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Thanks, but they look as though her age just threw them out.
also the firm by john grisham is pretty good.
<a href='http://www.redwall.org/dave/library.html' target='_blank'>http://www.redwall.org/dave/library.html</a>
^^
not really much in the way of literary importance, but fun to read, especially for a beginning reader. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
Holy crap, redwall!
I used to read these. So good.
Its a little old but I always used to read <a href='http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/087923573X/qid=1098639431/sr=8-1/ref=pd_csp_1/103-2568757-3787037?v=glance&s=books&n=507846' target='_blank'>swallows and amazons</a> when I was younger. There's a whole series of them.
They're adventure books set way back around 1930's (or something like that) in England about a bunch of kids who go sailing, and have adventures and stuff.
It's quite fun.
Not really fantasy tho, if that's what you were after.
Yeah, I'm thinking about that, as well, though she's not really interested in the church (not against it, just apathic), so it might be difficult for her to warm to the plot.
Yeah, I'm thinking about that, as well, though she's not really interested in the church (not against it, just apathic), so it might be difficult for her to warm to the plot. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
i have a friend thats exactly the same, and she liked it.
OMG, a German with a sense of humor <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo-->
If she doesn't mind reading Science Fiction, I'd suggest <a href='http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Moon_is_a_Harsh_Mistress' target='_blank'>The Moon is a Harsh Mistress</a> by Robert A. Heinlein.
The book has been published in German under the titles "Revolte auf Luna" and "Der Mond ist eine herbe Geliebte".
- Lance
An old girlfriend of mine used to hate reading and poked fun at me all the time for reading every night. I made her come to Border's with me one day and she found that book and loved it. Seemed kind of shallow and dumb to me, but teenage girls also like The OC and The Real World, soo...
-Ender's Game
-Ender's Shadow
-Enchantment
-Treasure Box
Jasper Fforde:
-The Eyre Affair
-Lost in a Good Book
James Redfield:
-The Celestine Prophecy
The Ender books are a bit heavier sci fi. Enchantment and Treasure Box are both stories of real-world people encountering the gray area between fantasy and reality, and as such are grounded but still fantastical.
Eyre Affair and Lost in a Good Book are interesting -- they exist in a sort of alternate reality where the barriers between reality and *literature* are flexible.
Celestine Prophecy was a Davinci-Code-like hit about 10 years ago (maybe?), but is still an easy-to-read and very interesting book with some engaging elements. I quite enjoyed it, and have been meaning to pick it up again.
Great, short books.
Stories of pilot Pirx, from Stanislaw Lem. Short sci-fi stories with the same main character. Very nice.
- Lance <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
That is a fabulous book, but it outstrips his length requirements, and I think the format is pretty heavy for someone who's only read one book voluntarily. Everyone who <b>does</b> read should read it immediately, though.
It's funny, fast paced, and not to long, she should like it.
I don't know if vampire stuff would be to mainstream right know, but I'd suggest "Dunkel" from Hohlbein. Its probably what you're looking for, although Hohlbein does really stretch his "plots" to the point of not having one till the last few pages. At least that was my impression.
The Wheel Of Time books are good to..maybe the lengh is a bit long. They're good books though, and there are about 9 of them I belive. Will last her a while.