A man new to reading

My daughter has a friend who never liked to read but somehow got caught up with the Twilight books, read them all and loved them. First of all, yuck! Second of all, he doesn't know where to go next. Someone has suggested Dean Koontz to him. I wanted to loan him some books from my library and don't have any Dean Koontz. I have Dennis LeHane, I wonder if the reading level would be too high. I also have all the Sookie Stackhouse series, since he likes vampires and werewolves I thought they would work. I could also give him the Harry Potter series. I think he'd like the Stieg Larsson Millennium series once he got past the financial aspect of the first book, but I don't know if he could do that.

So, any other suggestions?

How about Anne Rice? I'd take them in order starting with Interview with the Vampire, which I think is the best. If he's into vampires Anne is the vampire Queen of the Damned.

That's a good idea, varielle. I have Interview with the Vampire somewhere.

I'd suggest The Hunger Games series. The last in that series will be published in late August. Really gripping.

Also, I wonder if he'd be interested in western literature, especiall Larry McMurtry. Lonesome Dove and all the others in that group.

I thought of The Hunger Games and I have the first book, but your suggestion about Lonesome Dove is perfect. I just got a cheapo book from a 2nd hand store then downloaded the ebook onto my Nook to read next month, so I'd feel my purchase wasn't in vain. Now I just have to figure out where I put it.

My father never liked to read before he retired (I had never seen him reading anything other than the newspaper). Then, one day, he announced that he was going to take up reading. I started by suggesting authors like John le Carre, based on films my dad liked. But it was surprising how quickly he hungered to move on to "literary" novelists like Hemingway and Fitzgerald. It was even more surprising to me that he actually liked The Sun Also Rises and The Great Gatsby! Reading has really drawn us together.....

Ex Lit Prof
www.the-reading-list.com

Because he likes the vampire theme he may like the broader fantasy genre too? Therefore I would suggest Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. Harry Potter is also a good idea.

For years, the only book my brother-in-law would read was The Princess Bride. He loved it so much he bought both a paperback and a hardcover!

Stephen King. Start with Salem's Lot, which is a Vampire book. Then go to Cujo. Then he'll be ready for The Stand.

Another thought is science fiction. Many men start their reading experiences with SciFi. I'm not much help in that arena, because I've only read a few Bradbury and Clarke, but I loved Hyperion when I read it for a book club years ago. Dune is supposed to be excellent, but I could never get into it.

I bet he'd love John Le Carre, but I don't have any. I do have some Steinbeck which I really enjoyed reading, but I wonder if he'd be scared off knowing they were "literature". I don't have any Stephen King but again, probably right on the money. I loved Dune when I read it years ago, but I must not have kept it 'cause it's not with my science fiction which is pretty much all feminist. Coming from Twilight that might explode his brain. I have quite a few Terry Pratchett, which do you suggest? I just read Good Omens and am not so sure he'd like it, or that his wife would like his reading it.

My first science fiction was Ray Bradbury, and I loved it. It was Martian Chronicles a library book my brother had taken out years before I found it. Wonder what I did with it. I see a copy here of Robert McCammon's Swan Song. Any feelings about that? I don't remember ever reading it.

Greg Iles is similar to Dean Koontz, but better in my opinion. He writes suspense/murder mystery. I've given a few of his books to my dad, and he enjoys alternating them with his Stephen King.

**touchstone isn't working but I have a few of his books in my library

If he knows anything about Harry Potter, he will probably enjoy the books. Neil Gaiman is also another great option.

If he's interested in some mysteries with humor, he would like Marshall Karp the series starts with The Rabbit Factory. Very quick and easy reads with short chapters, but very good.

Re Pratchett - my boyfriend has recommended Guards, Guards as the first one to read of the discworld series.

Colour of Magic and The Light Fantastic are the first in the series but he says the first books of the discworld series aren't that good.

The series goes off in tangents and Guards, Guards is the first of a story arc with new characters etc so a reader won't be caught in the middle of a story.

My Favourite Neil Gaiman is American Gods I also enjoyed Good Omens and Stardust.

Well, shoot, I don't have those Terry Pratchetts. These are the ones I have. Any suggestions from the list?

Small Gods Terry Pratchett
Going Postal Terry Pratchett
Sourcery Terry Pratchett
Night Watch Terry Pratchett
The Wee Free Men (Discworld) Terry Pratchett
A Hat Full of Sky: The Continuing Adventures of Tiffany Aching and the Wee Free Men Terry Pratchett
Witches Abroad Terry Pratchett
Wyrd Sisters Terry Pratchett
Lords and Ladies Terry Pratchett
The Last Continent Terry Pratchett
Carpe Jugulum Terry Pratchett
Equal Rites: A Discworld Novel Terry Pratchett
Hogfather Terry Pratchett
Interesting Times

Going Postal - it's another start to tangent story and boyfriend says as it's one of the later books the writing style is better and there is more of a story.

This webpage is good: http://wiki.lspace.org/wiki/Reading_Order

I would probably go for the Dean Koontz 'Odd Thomas' books or his new Frankenstein one. Another writer is Richard Laymon, but he is edgier - depends on the age and sophistication of the reader. Also some classic works by Sheridan LeFanu.

#15 - I would disagree with #16, I don't think thats a good starting point, it already assumes a quite a lto fo background knowledge about how the Discworld 'works'

From your list Hogfather is the best - but again suffers from needing to know how it works, wyrd sisters is good, but may rely too much on Shakespeare to be appreciated, so I'd settle for equal rites one of the earlier ones, still introduces several main characters, fairly obvious, and if he enjoys that he can explore the rest of the series as he likes.

Many of the suggestions above seem like huge leaps from Twilight. Maybe you could find out which bits of T he enjoyed. Which would allow more targetted options. I agreee on the HP suggestions, and maybe also poison study which you have - these will open the door to the rest of the fantasy genre.

When the war began

I liked Small Gods.

Pratchett - this thread shows how varied peoples opinions are of his different books, and these are all fans!

Maybe good suggestions LibrarianBarb, but I don't have any of them.

Wow, there's lots of variations of favorites of Pratchett's books. I should take a month out and read them all, eh?

Thanks, reading_fox for the suggestion of Poison Study. My daughter and I read all three books and loved them. I'll bet he would too.

I took him Lonesome Dove and Swan Song today. That should keep him busy for a while, though my daughter doesn't think he'll like Lonesome Dove. I'm hoping she's wrong.

#16 kiwiflowa, thanks so much for the reading order link. Obviously better people than I have tried to figure this out.

Readingfox - funny you should say that as boyfriend also recommend equal rites because it was an earlier one but as such still thinks the later ones are better. I was too tired to type a long message last night!

Anyway this whole conversation has spurred me to start the discworld series, finally, and I got Guards, Guards out from the library.

Joyce, you don't say how old he or your daughter is, nor did you say what he liked about Twilight, but based on the previous posts, I'd recommend:

Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman (Gaiman is mentioned above also; action and adventure underground)
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card (every guy I know whose read this thinks it's the cat's meow)
Un Lun Dun by China Miéville (more Alice-in-Wonderlandy, but lots of action and imaginative creatures)
Alien Taste by Wen Spencer (good action, nice surprise in book)
The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan (1st book in his Wheel of Time series, fat book, but medieval fantasy)

Agree maybe the Hunger Games or Harry Potter.

Much depends on the things he likes. Any update for us?

I also think he'd like Harry Potter, even though he's about 40. I think those books are good for any age. As it happens he's really cut down on his reading. He was going through a very stressful time and was using books as an emotional release. Things have calmed down a little, so I think he's back to TV. He did start Meyer's The Host and, alas, also likes it but so far not enough to finish. One day maybe we can show him a good author.

If he has any interest in dragons, McCaffrey's Pern series is awesome, I have read all of hers in the last 2 weeks, now I'm reading the new ones by her son Todd.

BTW I'm 64 and love the Harry Potter series!

I think you're right, skdrow, McCaffrey's Pern series should have enough action and fantasy for him.

Here's another nudge for anything by Stephen King. My son was just like that and getting him to read anything at all was sheer hell until I introduced him to King. His personal enlightenment came with It, though I guess Carrie is as good a start as any other, simply because it's short and so less daunting for non-readers. 15 or so years later he still takes home a pile of my books every time he comes to visit.

Your a lucky mother. I've about given up on getting my son interested in reading, but I'm still working on my grandson. He thinks reading is hard, I think it's a lot easier than video games.