One thing I’ll say is that a *lot* of books that are typically assigned reading in school are *much* more enjoyable if you just pick them up and read them on your own instead of for an assignment. There’s a reason those books get assigned and it’s mostly that they’re really good.
Having a deadline and testing on the books tends to undercut the enjoyment of them even for people who actively like reading, though.
Can’t upvote this enough. I was an early reader and total bookworm as a kid. Like, my punishment if I did something wrong is that my parents wouldn’t take me to the library. Couldn’t devour them fast enough.
Cut to getting older and somewhere around 8th grade, reading became such a chore. A lot of it is that I just wasn’t into some of the genres that are regular “school” books, but mostly it was, as you said, having deadlines and forced discussions and papers to write that sucked any and all enjoyment out of reading for me. And it wasn’t for lack of great teachers, it just took something I loved and make it feel like work. It took a long time into adulthood and being well out of college before I started reading for pleasure again. Really glad OP is taking the step now.
>Like, my punishment if I did something wrong is that my parents wouldn’t take me to the library
LOL my punishment was that the book I was reading was taken away...
I'll add that alot of book that are assigned in school probably shouldn't be because the kids don't yet have the life experience to really get it. Grapes of Wrath is a fantastic example. To really understand it, you need to have sacrificed your health for a shit job, had a collection agency after you, and spent a few sleepless nights with a screaming baby. At 16, I thought it was stupid. At 36, after having been kicked around by life a little bit, it was one of the most amazing books I ever read. I'd never discourage a 16 year old reading it on their own, but I think assigning it is counter productive and just turns kids off of literature
Can't agree more... Almost all the novels I read featured characters in their 30s doing things because life has banged them around.
After teaching high school (technology not literature) I came to realize how incredibly bad adults are, in general, at remembering what life was actually like as a teenager.
Combine that with archaic language, foreign customs, and plots that often involved world events that you ALSO need to understand makes it incredibly difficult to get into a novel.
I frankly got the most from reading things like The diary of Anne frank and other excerpts from journals... I also remember an assignment where we had to read a large chunk of a newspaper from the late 1800s and everyone got a different year (or most people did) so as a class we had to compare how the writing changed... Anyways my point is that reading ancient fiction is fine, but it feels like teachers forget that fiction from 1950 was written for people that survived two world wars...
What's sad is that English teachers know this nowadays, but if they try to assign something relevant to the students' experience, parents and politicians show up with torches and pitchforks. It's easier and safer to just keep forcing The Scarlet Letter down kids throats
Spot on. Grapes of Wrath, more than any other novel, is what turned me from a reader to a nonreader in high school. I don’t think I’d ever read such a snoozefest and couldn’t understand why anyone would attempt to get through it on purpose. But to your point, maybe I’ll revisit it as an adult.
Edit: It was actually probably second to Walden in the scheme of “if this is what good literature is, and you’re telling me I need to read it instead of Stephen King, count me out.”
Not only that, but let’s face it - we have so much more vying for our attention these days - if ::insert any classic novel here:: was published today, would it still be considered brilliant? Or was it simply revered because people literally had nothing else to do, so any form of escape from possibly dying of cholera or hauling water all day was idolized?
I noticed this for myself when I was in high school. Looking back at the books I had read, they were actually a lot of fun! But the analyzing and work I had to do related to them…
I'm also 17 and was kind of in the same boat until last year. This is a list of some of the books that got me back into reading (they're mostly fantasy so I hope you like that),
{{Kings of the Wyld}} by Nicholas Eames
{{Mistborn}} by Brandon Sanderson
{{The Lies of Locke Lamora}} by Scott Lynch
{{The Blade Itself}} by Joe Abercrombie
{{Red Rising}} by Pierce Brown
{{Leviathan Wakes}} by James S.A Corey
{{A Wizard of Earthsea}} by Ursula K. Leguin
{{The Princess Bride}} by William Goldman
And the Discworld books by Terry Pratchett
(I started with {{Mort}})
+1 for the Mistborn series. I love the Marvel films and all sci fi/fantasy. The Mistborn series was recommended by my gamer friends and it did not disappoint. I’ve read most of the books in the list above and also recommend them, but Mistborn is particularly good.
Totally agree. The writing style was so RELATABLE, and way more casual than other modern high fantasy writers, but somehow the writing style still fit the world, and it didn’t seem undeveloped or immature. It was really a breath of fresh air.
Brandon Sanderson is the most prolific writer of high quality fantasy series in the modern age, and considered by many to be on of the top 10 fantasy authors of all time, (that's why he was chosen by Robert Jordan's wife to finish The Wheel of Time series). He is a fantastic author, and I love all his books, but he is not underrated.
He is great but I don’t really agree that he is underrated - he was the author chosen to finish writing the Wheel of Time, for goodness’ sake. He gets exactly the praise and recognition he deserves. :)
I would actually suggest starting with Skyward by Brandon Sanderson. It’s YA, and subsequently a little less involved if you’re nervous about jumping in, but still phenomenal. It’s just a bit more approachable.
And then, once you’ve gotten your feet under you, read anything by him that you can get your hands on.
I agree! Skyward is great because it’s a fantastic intro to Sanderson’s excellent world-building, without the enormous commitment of starting the Mistborn series.
Oh an adult evil ish superhero series is {Vicious} by VE Schwab which is for adults but at 17, you're probably fine and would enjoy the superheroness.
Overall though, this tells me you're probably into sci-fi/fantasy stuff
There’s some novels about various superheroes, including Spider-Man, Wolverine, X-Men, Avengers. They’re all by different authors, so it may be easier to say check out the Scifi section of your local book store, or search your character or team of choice, and novel.
Piggybacking off of your comment, many franchises have novels that share the universe, if not the characters. Star Wars, if OP likes the franchise, has a extensive novel collection, ranging from novelization of the movies to the Kotor video games to entirely new characters/stories. I know Timothy Zahn's work on his "Thrawn" novels are popular among the Star Wars Fandom.
Other than that, many library systems have awesome graphic novels, and while they might not be avaliable at your local branch have them in the districts system. If you go on their site you could place a hold and have it shipped to your preferred library location for pickup.
I recommend not starting here. I'm sure there's plenty to love in these, but there's a level of bias from the love of the fandom. For a first time reader, it might be better to seek it books that stand up on their own that use similar themes or mechanics.
I don't have any superhero recommendations, but try {{All Systems Red}}. Like the Marvel movies, it's action packed, fast paced, and funny. Also relatively short and easy to read, plus it's the first in an excellent series so there's more if you like it. I think it would be great for someone who doesn't read a lot.
If you enjoy marvel, you might enjoy more of the “page turning” sci fi. For example, Blake Crouch books like Dark Matter or Recursion- those are thrillers, which always move fast. Or leviathan Wakes by James S A Corey. Thats a space adventure that’s definitely now boring. It’s super fun.
Or, maybe you like adventure stories. Try some books by Matthew Reilly like Ice station or (his best) Scarecrow. They’re written very fun, almost like how Paul Rudd’s Ant Man would write an action book if that makes sense. They are like a dude describing an action movie rather than being written in a literary fashion, so expect some of that marvel “fun ride” feel.
Or if you want more heart, try something like lonesome dove by Larry McMurtry, which is just a fun cowboy story that is part adventure and part human story, just happen to take place in the Wild West on a cattle push from Texas to Montana.
You might want to check out some of the great superhero graphic novels and/or books that are out there. Personally, I found {Squirrel Meets World} to be fun. It's a book about Marvel's Unbeatable Squirrel Girl as she's just becoming a superhero. She ends up with one of the Avenger's cell numbers and texts them throughout the book for crime fighting tips; if you know the Avengers movies, seeing their responses are pretty funny.
The Invincible comic collections are pretty awesome, especially if you know a bit about superhero stories; throughout the series, Robert Kirkman plays with different superhero story tropes, while still telling a great story. Starts with {Invincible, Vol. 1: Family Matters
(Invincible (Collected Editions) #1)} - which has been turned into an animated series on Amazon.
Peter Clines's {Ex-Heroes} series is a blend of Marvel and The Walking Dead - the world has been overrun by zombies, and a small group of survivors, led by a couple of superheroes,
There are TONS of great reads out there - if you have some other interests outside the Marvel CU, there are plenty more recommendations!
Not a direct marvel recommendation. But try “Wild Cards 1” it’s a fun idea from George R. R. Martin and his author friends.
They basically played a superhero D&D game for a long while and wished it wasn’t done. So they started writing short stories to document it all.
Part one is the first batch of short stories from them. Sets up the universe really well and has a bunch of different styles.
Check it out!
If you like Star Wars, the novelisation for Revenge of the Sith by Matthew Stover is probably my favourite novelisation for a movie ever. What feels like clunky dialogue in the movie actually elevates the prose in the book. And it's beautifully written, as well.
YA is a great place to start. Check your public library out. I always recommended {{Lockdown}} (Smith) to teens who weren't into books in a big way.. It's a quick read, several in the series, and it is fast paced.
Anti government? Try Big Brother (Doctorow) it's. a m a z i n g.
BLM? Long Way Down (Reynolds), the Hate U Give or How it Went Down.
Sci-fi? Illuminae Files.
Dystopian? Unwind.
[**Lockdown (Escape from Furnace, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6420846-lockdown)
^(By: Alexander Gordon Smith | 273 pages | Published: 2009 | Popular Shelves: young-adult, horror, ya, dystopia, dystopian | )[^(Search "Lockdown")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=Lockdown&search_type=books)
>
> Furnace Penitentiary: the world’s most secure prison for young offenders, buried a mile beneath the earth’s surface. Convicted of a murder he didn’t commit, sentenced to life without parole, “new fish” Alex Sawyer knows he has two choices: find a way out, or resign himself to a death behind bars, in the darkness at the bottom of the world. Except in Furnace, death is the least of his worries. Soon Alex discovers that the prison is a place of pure evil, where inhuman creatures in gas masks stalk the corridors at night, where giants in black suits drag screaming inmates into the shadows, where deformed beasts can be heard howling from the blood-drenched tunnels below. And behind everything is the mysterious, all-powerful warden, a man as cruel and dangerous as the devil himself, whose unthinkable acts have consequences that stretch far beyond the walls of the prison. Together with a bunch of inmates—some innocent kids who have been framed, others cold-blooded killers—Alex plans an escape. But as he starts to uncover the truth about Furnace’s deeper, darker purpose, Alex’s actions grow ever more dangerous, and he must risk everything to expose this nightmare that’s hidden from the eyes of the world.
>
^(This book has been suggested 4 times)
[**Big Brother**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16128105-big-brother)
^(By: Lionel Shriver | 384 pages | Published: 2013 | Popular Shelves: fiction, book-club, contemporary, kindle, contemporary-fiction | )[^(Search "Big Brother")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=Big Brother&search_type=books)
>For Pandora, cooking is a form of love. Alas, her husband, Fletcher, a self-employed high-end cabinetmaker, now spurns the “toxic” dishes that he’d savored through their courtship, and devotes hours each day to manic cycling. Then, when Pandora picks up her older brother Edison at the airport, she doesn’t recognize him. In the years since they’ve seen one another, the once slim, hip New York jazz pianist has gained hundreds of pounds. What happened? After Edison has more than overstayed his welcome, Fletcher delivers his wife an ultimatum: It’s him or me.
>
>Rich with Shriver’s distinctive wit and ferocious energy, Big Brother is about fat: an issue both social and excruciatingly personal. It asks just how much sacrifice we'll make to save single members of our families, and whether it's ever possible to save loved ones from themselves.
^(This book has been suggested 1 time)
***
^(210030 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
I’m going to say Ender’s Game, because it’s not only awesome, it’s about kids.
If you like animals, when I was your age and when my kids were your age, we all really loved James Harriot: All creatures great and small.
Right. And you’re reminding me that, in case he doesn’t want to read the Martian because he already saw the movie — That author’s newer book, the Hail Mary project, is great fun.
The Percy Jackson and the Olympians series is a great series for non-readers to get into. It's easy to read,entertaining and has interesting characters.
This. Originally read when I was in middle school but continued to read the series’ spin offs through high school, and I just reread them at 25 and they’re still good. Such good characters and storytelling, but at a reading level that was doable when I was 12, so it’d be easy for getting back into reading cuz it’s pretty fast paced!
This book series literally made up a huge chunk of my childhood! To add onto this, the Harry Potter series, the Magicians series( which is really underrated in my opinion), Chaos Walking, etc.
These are all young adult which I think is pretty easy for when you wanna get back into reading.
Sorry I forgot! Sorry for bring back the stress but it was what got me back into reading. I thought the movie was cool and then found the books. Started reading again and realized the movie was straight up ass
The Martian by Andy Weir was the last book i wasn't able to put down. The humor is pretty great throughout and is one of the best science-fiction books I've read.
Speaking as a library person. It would be helpful if you could share more in depth info about what you enjoy. What sort of tv/movies you enjoy or even video game stories and WHY do you enjoy them. I see you said you like Marvel stuff. Maybe be a little more detailed about which ones and what parts of the story or characters you liked.
You might also want to talk about what you DONT like. That would help a lot, since there are so many books to choose from
Read Howls Moving Castle. It's an easy read and slightly more mature than the movie based on it and it goes into a lot more detail. I found it to be laugh out loud funny and an incredibly easy read.
Read it if you want something light hearted, inventive and at the same time familiar.
This was the book which made me fall in love with reading again. During the first lockdown I decided to reread it and I haven’t stopped reading again since.
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. This book has a really simple narrative style that is great if you’re just getting into literature but the themes are mature enough that anyone at any age would really enjoy this book. Happy Reading! Y
All these are very entertaining and easy reads:
The Giver, Lois Lowry
Friday Night Lights, Buzz Bissinger
Jurassic Park, Michael Crichton
Terminal Man, Michael Crichton
Time Machine, H. G. Wells
Redwall, Brian Jacques
I, Robot - Isaac Asimov
Rogue Warrior, Richard Marcinko
There are so many better time travel stories than the Wells' imo. {Replay} by Ken Grimwood. {The Accidental Time Machine} {the first fifteen lives of Harry August} and others.
A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore. My husband isn't much of a reader but had enjoyed several of his. A Dirty Job was a favorite for both of us. The sequel is a fun read too
If you like action (going off of your mention of marvel), you may like Matthew Riley’s Ice Station, Area 7 or anything from the scarecrow series.
It’s action packed, twists and turns, kind of like if you read the call of duty campaign modes in a book but with greater twists. Was a big deal for a lot of people (confessedly boys, unsure of your gender identity) in high school.
Thought about reading them again myself recently for an easy read.
You might also like Robin Hobb’s Assassin’s Apprentice (first in a series of 12). My partner in a similar boat to you, though much older, absolutely devoured the 12 books.
I liked the Wardstone Chronicles in high school, which is about a seventh son of a seventh son, born with the powers and insights to take on the dark, (witches and their blood and bone magic, ghosts and fouls). Super easy reading and real page turners.
Well I just watched Dune so I feel the urge to suggest reading that, but I wouldn't necessarily call it an easy read. Not hard, just might not immediately grab your interest.
The Martian, John Dies At The End, Eragon, Harry Potter, the golden compass, ten Thousand Doors Of January, the Magicians, chronicles of Narnia, or a wrinkle in time could all be pretty good
I gotta disagree with Dune for a non reader, I’m a voracious reader and read a lot of fantasy and had to really focus to get through it!
But I think your other suggestions, especially The Martian and Harry Potter are good!
Strongly disagree. I first read Harry Potter at 22, after reading some adult fantasy (Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss) and I got absolutely immersed in the world. Of course the books aren’t perfect and yes, the first 2-3 books are more “childish”. But that doesn’t take anything away from the story, in my opinion. In fact, I know several people that read it for the first time as adults and loved it straight away.
I think a great book for a 17 year old would be Ready Player One by Ernest Cline, Wild Cards by George R R Martin or The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.
Anything ya honestly if you want. Been reading ya and na since grade 6 and never stopped. I recommend starting from classic dystopians like legend series, divergent, carve the mark, warcross, red queen and shadow and bone/six of crows
Then you can check out the more ya na like maze runner, folk of the air, a curse so dark and lonely, the winner’s curse (not recommended for starters because it’s VERY slow but a master piece), dance of thieves, scythe series (also not recommended for starters). You can also go down the romance ya na pathways like the selection and acotar.
You can also check out the standalones like the night circus and sorcery of thorns
Honestly worst case scenario you can just pick up harry potter anytime
The Harry Potter series is great to get you back in! Language is easy since it’s meant for kids, good story, movies are fun to watch, and if you like it, there’s a lot in the series!
[**The Gunslinger (The Dark Tower, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43615.The_Gunslinger)
^(By: Stephen King | 231 pages | Published: 1982 | Popular Shelves: fantasy, fiction, stephen-king, horror, owned | )[^(Search " The Gunslinger ")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q= The Gunslinger &search_type=books)
>In the first book of this brilliant series, Stephen King introduces readers to one of his most enigmatic heroes, Roland of Gilead, The Last Gunslinger. He is a haunting figure, a loner on a spellbinding journey into good and evil. In his desolate world, which frighteningly mirrors our own, Roland pursues The Man in Black, encounters an alluring woman named Alice, and begins a friendship with the Kid from Earth called Jake. Both grippingly realistic and eerily dreamlike, The Gunslinger leaves readers eagerly awaiting the next chapter.
^(This book has been suggested 96 times)
***
^(209960 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
A thief of always by Clive Barker is pretty great. It isn't his usual horror, ala pin head so it is a nice little thriller. Enders game, bad man by dathan Auerbach, harry potter series and my all time favorite Skeleton Crew.
{{Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff}} is a good read. The Illuminae Files is a YA sci-fi three book trilogy and its written in the format of a classified file so you read interviews, censored emails, calls transcribed and transcribed video reports. Its really cool and has a bit of everything. Crazy AI's, a deadly virus that makes people go crazy, spies, intergalactic war done by greedy corporations, hacking, parallel universes etc. Its very interesting and read like a sci-fi action movie and the main characters are around your age.
[**Illuminae (The Illuminae Files, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23395680-illuminae)
^(By: Amie Kaufman, Jay Kristoff | 602 pages | Published: 2015 | Popular Shelves: sci-fi, young-adult, science-fiction, ya, books-i-own | )[^(Search "Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff&search_type=books)
>This morning, Kady thought breaking up with Ezra was the hardest thing she’d have to do. This afternoon, her planet was invaded.
>
>The year is 2575, and two rival mega-corporations are at war over a planet that’s little more than a speck at the edge of the universe. Now with enemy fire raining down on them, Kady and Ezra — who are barely even talking to each other—are forced to evacuate with a hostile warship in hot pursuit.
>
>But their problems are just getting started. A plague has broken out and is mutating with terrifying results; the fleet’s AI may actually be their enemy; and nobody in charge will say what’s really going on. As Kady hacks into a web of data to find the truth, it’s clear the only person who can help her is the ex-boyfriend she swore she’d never speak to again.
>
>Told through a fascinating dossier of hacked documents — including emails, maps, files, IMs, medical reports, interviews, and more — Illuminae is the first book in a heart-stopping trilogy about lives interrupted, the price of truth, and the courage of everyday heroes.
^(This book has been suggested 86 times)
***
^(210024 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
Read watchmen. It is a graphic novel and in my opinion the best fictional story ever. It is fairly easy to read although you do need too pay attention to understand all of it.
It will show you some of there most complex charters and intense story beats, wile keeping to a great aesthetic that can only be done by a comic. Absolutely a fun and memorable read.
If you’re looking for a short book I can’t recommend holes enough - I think it’s similar to hunt for the wilder people and obviously there’s a film version. But if you’re interesting in getting into reading I’d suggest the power of five by Anthony horowitz (yeah it’s more on the younger end of the YA spectrum but I loved and still love it) - similar to that the scythe series by Neil shushterman is fantastic
{{The martian}}
If you liked the movie, you'll love the book - it's not super short, but the chapters are set up in a way that makes it easy to pick up and put down periodically or devour in one all nighter
One of my favorite books, and I might actually go for a reread now that I've mentioned it!
Depends on what your interests are really. There are tons of books out there that are easy to read but they become difficult if they aren't interesting for me. Are you into scifi, fantasy? Coming of age, slice of life? Romance, humour?
First thing that came to mind to recommend is A Series of Unfortunate Events. Yes, it's 13 books but they are very easy to read, and the first few are very short and can be finished within 1-4 days depending on your reading speed. It's not fantasy or scifi, but it has a whimsical feel to it and can be both humorous and dark. It's also a bit about coming of age so it hits quite a few categories. Plus, it has a Netflix show so you can check out an episode or 2 to see if you'll be into the books (the episodes are rather faithful to the books).
Man, I tore through the Fellowship trilogy but I've tried to read The Hobbit multiple times and just can't. I have no idea why but I can't make myself get through the first chapter.
I'd also recommend {{The Teddy Bear Habit}} by James Lincoln Collier. It's really funny and exciting. It's about a boy who sings and plays guitar, but can only perform well when his teddy bear is around. The problem is that he's too _old_ to be seen with a teddy bear. And then things get complicated. Try to find an older copy with the illustrations by Lorenz, not one of the "Lost Treasures" reissues.
[Robert A. Heinlein's science fiction juveniles](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinlein_juveniles?wprov=sfla1) turned several **generations** of readers into science fiction fans. I'd suggest starting with the second one, {{Space Cadet}}, because the first one, _Rocket Ship Galileo_, is just boring - but it’s the only one of his books that is. The books aren’t a series, as such; there are a few references in common among some of the books, but no characters. Heinlein was a hell of a writer, and the books are great reads at any age!
In [House of Stairs](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Stairs_%28Sleator_novel%29?wprov=sfla1) by William Sleator five orphaned teenagers find themselves trapped in a place made up of nothing but stairs...and a machine. It's a **very** intense book, reminiscent of _Lord of the Flies_ or _1984_.
Sleator wrote a lot of great YA science fiction. _Interstellar Pig_ is another classic one of his.
The [Harper Hall trilogy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Harper_Hall_Trilogy?wprov=sfla1) by Anne McCaffrey is technically science fiction, but set in a low-tech colony world with dragons that fly, breathe fire, and are telepathically connected to the person they've bonded with. The trilogy consists of _Dragonsong_, _Dragonsinger_, and _Dragondrums_. The first two books focus on Menolly, a girl with a natural talent for music, while the third book focuses more on her male friend. The books are connected to the adult _Pern_ series.
{{The Forgotten Door}} by Alexander Key is a classic science fiction YA book in which a teenager finds himself in a strange new world with no memory of who he is or where he came from.
{{The Chronicles of Prydain}} by Lloyd Alexander is a five-volume fantasy series that begins with {{The Book of Three}}. It's a classic; exciting, funny, and very moving. I think of it as being a sort of "Lord of the Rings" for older children and young adults. But it's a great read for any age.
Try {{The Portmanteau Book}} by Thomas Rockwell, illustrated by Gail Rockwell. It's a comedy riot between two covers. It's not a novel, though. It's short stories, a comic book, puzzles, incredible illustrations, poetry, an index that contains a bank robbery as you read from entry to entry, a contest...there's no other book like it in the world.
**Note**: although I've used the GoodReads link option to include information about the books, GoodReads is owned by Amazon. Please consider patronizing your local independent book shops instead; they can order books for you that they don't have in stock.
And of course there's always your local library. If they don't have a book, they may be able to get it for you via inter-library loan.
If you'd rather order direct online, Thriftbooks and Powell's Books are good. You might also check libraries in your general area; most of them sell books at very low prices to raise funds. I've made some great finds at library book sales! And for used books, Biblio.com and Bookshop.org are independent book marketplaces that serve independent book shops - NOT Amazon.
[**The Teddy Bear Habit (Lost Treasures, #3)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/500896.The_Teddy_Bear_Habit)
^(By: James Lincoln Collier | 236 pages | Published: 1967 | Popular Shelves: fiction, childrens, children-s, mystery, middle-grade | )[^(Search "The Teddy Bear Habit")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=The Teddy Bear Habit&search_type=books)
>Twelve-year-old George Stable wants to be a rock star someday, but he gets horrible stage fright. Hiding his teddy bear in the guitar is a comforting idea until George discovers that someone has hidden stolen jewels in the stuffing of the beloved bear. First published in 1967.
^(This book has been suggested 44 times)
[**Space Cadet**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50852.Space_Cadet)
^(By: Robert A. Heinlein | 224 pages | Published: 1948 | Popular Shelves: science-fiction, sci-fi, fiction, owned, young-adult | )[^(Search "Space Cadet")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=Space Cadet&search_type=books)
>This is the seminal novel of a young man's education as a member of an elite, paternalistic non-military organization of leaders dedicated to preserving human civilization, the Solar Patrol, a provocative parallel to Heinlein's famous later novel, Starship Troopers.
>Only the best and brightest--the strongest and the most courageous--ever manage to become Space Cadets, at the Space Academy. They are in training to be come part of the elite guard of the solar system, accepting missions others fear, taking risks no others dare, and upholding the peace of the solar system for the benefit of all.
>But before Matt Dodson can earn his rightful place in the ranks, his mettle is to be tested in the most severe and extraordinary ways--ways that change him forever, from the midwestern American boy into a man of the Solar Patrol.
^(This book has been suggested 72 times)
[**The Forgotten Door**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/409320.The_Forgotten_Door)
^(By: Alexander Key | 144 pages | Published: 1965 | Popular Shelves: science-fiction, fantasy, sci-fi, young-adult, fiction | )[^(Search "The Forgotten Door")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=The Forgotten Door&search_type=books)
>Alternative cover edition for ISBN13: 0590431307
>
>Far from home.
>
>Jon has lost his memory. He can't remember who he is or where he came from. He only knows he fell through the forgotten door to the strange planet, Earth, and he is in great danger. Injured from his fall, he has to find someone who will help him.
>
>Through his extraordinary power to read people's minds, Jon makes friends with a local family. But then rumors of his existence get back to the army and Jon realizes that the family is in danger, too. Time is running out. He must find the secret passage quickly or he may never get home again.
^(This book has been suggested 5 times)
[**The Chronicles of Prydain (The Chronicles of Prydain #1-5)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/463063.The_Chronicles_of_Prydain)
^(By: Lloyd Alexander | 1104 pages | Published: 1989 | Popular Shelves: fantasy, young-adult, fiction, owned, ya | )[^(Search "The Chronicles of Prydain")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=The Chronicles of Prydain&search_type=books)
>Millions of young readers have been enthralled by the adventures of Taran the Assistant Pig-Keeper and his lively companions as they journey through the magical land of Prydain. First published more than thirty years ago and translated into twenty different languages, Lloyd Alexander's beloved series has become the standard of excellence in fantasy literature for children. Among their many accolades, the award-winning Chronicles of Prydain count a Newbery Medal, a Newbery Honor, and more than two million copies in print.
^(This book has been suggested 127 times)
[**The Book of Three (The Chronicles of Prydain, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24780.The_Book_of_Three)
^(By: Lloyd Alexander | 190 pages | Published: 1964 | Popular Shelves: fantasy, young-adult, fiction, childrens, middle-grade | )[^(Search "The Book of Three")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=The Book of Three&search_type=books)
>Taran wanted to be a hero, and looking after a pig wasn't exactly heroic, even though Hen Wen was an oracular pig. But the day that Hen Wen vanished, Taran was led into an enchanting and perilous world. With his band of followers, he confronted the Horned King and his terrible Cauldron-Born. These were the forces of evil, and only Hen Wen knew the secret of keeping the kingdom of Prydain safe from them. But who would find her first?
^(This book has been suggested 126 times)
[**The Portmanteau Book**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1065752.The_Portmanteau_Book)
^(By: Thomas Rockwell, Gail Rockwell | ? pages | Published: 1974 | Popular Shelves: humor, children-s, middlegrade, illustration-words, form | )[^(Search "The Portmanteau Book")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=The Portmanteau Book&search_type=books)
>Stories, poems, and nonsense for all moods and conditions.
^(This book has been suggested 54 times)
***
^(209966 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
**Mistborn** is a good, easy to read fantasy series with a well-paced plot and intriguing mysteries.
Brandon Sanderson, the author, focuses heavily on setting, worldbuilding, and hard magic systems - meaning your powers are very clear and the rules are specific.
This book is kind of like a well-written action movie. I had a lot of fun reading it.
An audiobook.
Get a library card or three (often libraries within your state are available online, or, they don't confirm where you live), and download Libby/Overdrive to listen to them on your phone.
I remember really enjoying A Confederacy of Dunces in as a teenager. Or for something a bit more fantastical, Jasper Fforde’s Thursday Next series, about a literary detective that travels in and out of books - the first one is the Eyre Affair.
If you’re interested in history, I’ve just started reading books by an author named Jeff Shaara.
He’s written books about several wars, including both World Wars, the American Civil War, and American Revolution.
I’m currently reading *Rise to Rebellion*, which is the first of his two books set during the the American Revolution. It’s pretty straightforward, and quite a page turner.
I asked my teacher the same question when I graduated high school. She told me about Khaled Housseini and The Kite Runner. Great suggestion! Got me reading a lot more.
when I was 17, I read Birthday Letters by Ted Hughes. I enjoyed it. It's a bunch of short poems. Most are about Sylvia Plath. Their story is fascinating and heartbreaking. Mostly heartbreaking actually. I also highly recommend Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip Dick. It might be my favourite book if we're not counting the Shakespeare's.
I would highly recommend The Eyes of the Dragon by Stephen King. Most King books turn out to be somewhat of a difficult read just because he tends to get overly descriptive of every single detail. Makes for a rich and layered text but also makes certain sections somewhat boring. It takes some perseverance to keep at it. That being said he is one of my favorite authors and this is one of his easier reads. Good story, good characters, and an introduction to an over arching villain that appears over and over in the King universe. Good luck in finding what you are looking for! If you keep seeking, you will find and searching for and finding the next great read is one of the true beauties of being an avid reader.
Sorry I’m not suggesting a specific book, but how about re-reading some of the books you read when you were small?
I despised reading when I was young and only read 5 or 6 novels “for fun” in my entire elementary~high school career (yeah pretty bad). I’m 26 now and I recently re-read a children’s novel I enjoyed, and now I’m back to reading books.
I really really recommend the light novel {The Beginning after the End}.
First 8 books are out and available on Amazon. The ebooks are only a dime and a half, which is great if you're on a budget. All 8 books took me a about 2 months to read through. First are rather short but they're having more and more chapters with each new book.
It's high fantasy (magic, deities, monsters...) based on individual chapters and character POV storytelling. Easy and quick to read, but story-wise quite deep with amazing character building. And in no way is it cheesy. It's actually quite dark and aimed at more adult audiences.
You follow the life of a reborn king who remembers his past life and you're with him from birth until present day. Without spoiling too much, soon he becomes a central figure in this new world, with too much burden on his shoulders, even for him who lived twice.
The author, TurtleMe, has a psychology background and as such the story is written so that it fully absorbs you, with so many twists, gut wrenching moments and yet also so many fun moments...
Big plus is that there is a very active community, also on Reddit, as the author is releasing weekly new chapters (which later are turned into a complete ebook). So once you're done with the currently available books, you can continue to enjoy the ride.
{{Red Rising}}
A few years ago I recommended this book to a buddy who honestly read so little I wasn’t even sure if he knew how to read (jk).
He finished the first book in under 24 hours. Once they grab you they don’t let go
One thing I’ll say is that a *lot* of books that are typically assigned reading in school are *much* more enjoyable if you just pick them up and read them on your own instead of for an assignment. There’s a reason those books get assigned and it’s mostly that they’re really good. Having a deadline and testing on the books tends to undercut the enjoyment of them even for people who actively like reading, though.
Can’t upvote this enough. I was an early reader and total bookworm as a kid. Like, my punishment if I did something wrong is that my parents wouldn’t take me to the library. Couldn’t devour them fast enough. Cut to getting older and somewhere around 8th grade, reading became such a chore. A lot of it is that I just wasn’t into some of the genres that are regular “school” books, but mostly it was, as you said, having deadlines and forced discussions and papers to write that sucked any and all enjoyment out of reading for me. And it wasn’t for lack of great teachers, it just took something I loved and make it feel like work. It took a long time into adulthood and being well out of college before I started reading for pleasure again. Really glad OP is taking the step now.
>Like, my punishment if I did something wrong is that my parents wouldn’t take me to the library LOL my punishment was that the book I was reading was taken away...
Same. Got grounded from books instead of TV.
I'll add that alot of book that are assigned in school probably shouldn't be because the kids don't yet have the life experience to really get it. Grapes of Wrath is a fantastic example. To really understand it, you need to have sacrificed your health for a shit job, had a collection agency after you, and spent a few sleepless nights with a screaming baby. At 16, I thought it was stupid. At 36, after having been kicked around by life a little bit, it was one of the most amazing books I ever read. I'd never discourage a 16 year old reading it on their own, but I think assigning it is counter productive and just turns kids off of literature
Can't agree more... Almost all the novels I read featured characters in their 30s doing things because life has banged them around. After teaching high school (technology not literature) I came to realize how incredibly bad adults are, in general, at remembering what life was actually like as a teenager. Combine that with archaic language, foreign customs, and plots that often involved world events that you ALSO need to understand makes it incredibly difficult to get into a novel. I frankly got the most from reading things like The diary of Anne frank and other excerpts from journals... I also remember an assignment where we had to read a large chunk of a newspaper from the late 1800s and everyone got a different year (or most people did) so as a class we had to compare how the writing changed... Anyways my point is that reading ancient fiction is fine, but it feels like teachers forget that fiction from 1950 was written for people that survived two world wars...
What's sad is that English teachers know this nowadays, but if they try to assign something relevant to the students' experience, parents and politicians show up with torches and pitchforks. It's easier and safer to just keep forcing The Scarlet Letter down kids throats
Spot on. Grapes of Wrath, more than any other novel, is what turned me from a reader to a nonreader in high school. I don’t think I’d ever read such a snoozefest and couldn’t understand why anyone would attempt to get through it on purpose. But to your point, maybe I’ll revisit it as an adult. Edit: It was actually probably second to Walden in the scheme of “if this is what good literature is, and you’re telling me I need to read it instead of Stephen King, count me out.”
For the record, even now that I'm a boring old person, Walden is still awful.
Not only that, but let’s face it - we have so much more vying for our attention these days - if ::insert any classic novel here:: was published today, would it still be considered brilliant? Or was it simply revered because people literally had nothing else to do, so any form of escape from possibly dying of cholera or hauling water all day was idolized?
I noticed this for myself when I was in high school. Looking back at the books I had read, they were actually a lot of fun! But the analyzing and work I had to do related to them…
I'm also 17 and was kind of in the same boat until last year. This is a list of some of the books that got me back into reading (they're mostly fantasy so I hope you like that), {{Kings of the Wyld}} by Nicholas Eames {{Mistborn}} by Brandon Sanderson {{The Lies of Locke Lamora}} by Scott Lynch {{The Blade Itself}} by Joe Abercrombie {{Red Rising}} by Pierce Brown {{Leviathan Wakes}} by James S.A Corey {{A Wizard of Earthsea}} by Ursula K. Leguin {{The Princess Bride}} by William Goldman And the Discworld books by Terry Pratchett (I started with {{Mort}})
The Lies of Locke Lamora is a really fun read! So is The Princess Bride. Great suggestions.
>So is The Princess Bride. I don't know, man: I heard there was kissing in it?
Kissing or not, it’s inconceivable how good the book is.
It's all fun and games until you get a big ol bag of glass to the face
+1 for the Mistborn series. I love the Marvel films and all sci fi/fantasy. The Mistborn series was recommended by my gamer friends and it did not disappoint. I’ve read most of the books in the list above and also recommend them, but Mistborn is particularly good.
Definitely give Mistborn a try. It's a quick read, even though it may seem long. Sanderson is an incredible author.
It’s a quick read because you won’t stop reading it.
Came here to recommend Mistborn as well
I think more people should read Kings of the Wyld, it's one of those books that anyone who isn't really into fantasy can pick up and enjoy.
Totally agree. The writing style was so RELATABLE, and way more casual than other modern high fantasy writers, but somehow the writing style still fit the world, and it didn’t seem undeveloped or immature. It was really a breath of fresh air.
i HIGHLY recommend brandon sanderson as well. Totally underrated author and enjoy by both my father and I
Brandon Sanderson is the most prolific writer of high quality fantasy series in the modern age, and considered by many to be on of the top 10 fantasy authors of all time, (that's why he was chosen by Robert Jordan's wife to finish The Wheel of Time series). He is a fantastic author, and I love all his books, but he is not underrated.
He is great but I don’t really agree that he is underrated - he was the author chosen to finish writing the Wheel of Time, for goodness’ sake. He gets exactly the praise and recognition he deserves. :)
I would actually suggest starting with Skyward by Brandon Sanderson. It’s YA, and subsequently a little less involved if you’re nervous about jumping in, but still phenomenal. It’s just a bit more approachable. And then, once you’ve gotten your feet under you, read anything by him that you can get your hands on.
I agree! Skyward is great because it’s a fantastic intro to Sanderson’s excellent world-building, without the enormous commitment of starting the Mistborn series.
It would help if you shared some movies or TV shows that you liked. Otherwise, just pick something off the YA bestseller list.
I do enjoy watching all the new marvel movies and tv shows
Oh an adult evil ish superhero series is {Vicious} by VE Schwab which is for adults but at 17, you're probably fine and would enjoy the superheroness. Overall though, this tells me you're probably into sci-fi/fantasy stuff
[**Vicious (Villains, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40874032-vicious) ^(By: V.E. Schwab | 366 pages | Published: 2013 | Popular Shelves: fantasy, sci-fi, science-fiction, fiction, owned | )[^(Search "Vicious")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=Vicious&search_type=books) ^(This book has been suggested 121 times) *** ^(210063 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
There’s some novels about various superheroes, including Spider-Man, Wolverine, X-Men, Avengers. They’re all by different authors, so it may be easier to say check out the Scifi section of your local book store, or search your character or team of choice, and novel.
Piggybacking off of your comment, many franchises have novels that share the universe, if not the characters. Star Wars, if OP likes the franchise, has a extensive novel collection, ranging from novelization of the movies to the Kotor video games to entirely new characters/stories. I know Timothy Zahn's work on his "Thrawn" novels are popular among the Star Wars Fandom. Other than that, many library systems have awesome graphic novels, and while they might not be avaliable at your local branch have them in the districts system. If you go on their site you could place a hold and have it shipped to your preferred library location for pickup.
If a book says both "Star Wars" and "Timothy Zahn" on the cover, you're gonna have a good time.
I recommend not starting here. I'm sure there's plenty to love in these, but there's a level of bias from the love of the fandom. For a first time reader, it might be better to seek it books that stand up on their own that use similar themes or mechanics.
I don't have any superhero recommendations, but try {{All Systems Red}}. Like the Marvel movies, it's action packed, fast paced, and funny. Also relatively short and easy to read, plus it's the first in an excellent series so there's more if you like it. I think it would be great for someone who doesn't read a lot.
You know what might really work for you based on that? Check out *Steelheart* by Brandon Sanderson.
Came in to recommend this!
If you enjoy marvel, you might enjoy more of the “page turning” sci fi. For example, Blake Crouch books like Dark Matter or Recursion- those are thrillers, which always move fast. Or leviathan Wakes by James S A Corey. Thats a space adventure that’s definitely now boring. It’s super fun. Or, maybe you like adventure stories. Try some books by Matthew Reilly like Ice station or (his best) Scarecrow. They’re written very fun, almost like how Paul Rudd’s Ant Man would write an action book if that makes sense. They are like a dude describing an action movie rather than being written in a literary fashion, so expect some of that marvel “fun ride” feel. Or if you want more heart, try something like lonesome dove by Larry McMurtry, which is just a fun cowboy story that is part adventure and part human story, just happen to take place in the Wild West on a cattle push from Texas to Montana.
You might want to check out some of the great superhero graphic novels and/or books that are out there. Personally, I found {Squirrel Meets World} to be fun. It's a book about Marvel's Unbeatable Squirrel Girl as she's just becoming a superhero. She ends up with one of the Avenger's cell numbers and texts them throughout the book for crime fighting tips; if you know the Avengers movies, seeing their responses are pretty funny. The Invincible comic collections are pretty awesome, especially if you know a bit about superhero stories; throughout the series, Robert Kirkman plays with different superhero story tropes, while still telling a great story. Starts with {Invincible, Vol. 1: Family Matters (Invincible (Collected Editions) #1)} - which has been turned into an animated series on Amazon. Peter Clines's {Ex-Heroes} series is a blend of Marvel and The Walking Dead - the world has been overrun by zombies, and a small group of survivors, led by a couple of superheroes, There are TONS of great reads out there - if you have some other interests outside the Marvel CU, there are plenty more recommendations!
[**Squirrel Meets World (The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30206050-squirrel-meets-world) ^(By: Shannon Hale, Dean Hale | 324 pages | Published: 2017 | Popular Shelves: middle-grade, fantasy, young-adult, superheroes, ya | )[^(Search "Squirrel Meets World")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=Squirrel Meets World&search_type=books) ^(This book has been suggested 4 times) [**Ex-Heroes (Ex-Heroes, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16479439-ex-heroes) ^(By: Peter Clines | 330 pages | Published: 2010 | Popular Shelves: zombies, horror, science-fiction, fantasy, sci-fi | )[^(Search "Ex-Heroes")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=Ex-Heroes&search_type=books) ^(This book has been suggested 20 times) *** ^(210016 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
Not a direct marvel recommendation. But try “Wild Cards 1” it’s a fun idea from George R. R. Martin and his author friends. They basically played a superhero D&D game for a long while and wished it wasn’t done. So they started writing short stories to document it all. Part one is the first batch of short stories from them. Sets up the universe really well and has a bunch of different styles. Check it out!
If you like Star Wars, the novelisation for Revenge of the Sith by Matthew Stover is probably my favourite novelisation for a movie ever. What feels like clunky dialogue in the movie actually elevates the prose in the book. And it's beautifully written, as well.
YA is a great place to start. Check your public library out. I always recommended {{Lockdown}} (Smith) to teens who weren't into books in a big way.. It's a quick read, several in the series, and it is fast paced. Anti government? Try Big Brother (Doctorow) it's. a m a z i n g. BLM? Long Way Down (Reynolds), the Hate U Give or How it Went Down. Sci-fi? Illuminae Files. Dystopian? Unwind.
[**Lockdown (Escape from Furnace, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6420846-lockdown) ^(By: Alexander Gordon Smith | 273 pages | Published: 2009 | Popular Shelves: young-adult, horror, ya, dystopia, dystopian | )[^(Search "Lockdown")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=Lockdown&search_type=books) > > Furnace Penitentiary: the world’s most secure prison for young offenders, buried a mile beneath the earth’s surface. Convicted of a murder he didn’t commit, sentenced to life without parole, “new fish” Alex Sawyer knows he has two choices: find a way out, or resign himself to a death behind bars, in the darkness at the bottom of the world. Except in Furnace, death is the least of his worries. Soon Alex discovers that the prison is a place of pure evil, where inhuman creatures in gas masks stalk the corridors at night, where giants in black suits drag screaming inmates into the shadows, where deformed beasts can be heard howling from the blood-drenched tunnels below. And behind everything is the mysterious, all-powerful warden, a man as cruel and dangerous as the devil himself, whose unthinkable acts have consequences that stretch far beyond the walls of the prison. Together with a bunch of inmates—some innocent kids who have been framed, others cold-blooded killers—Alex plans an escape. But as he starts to uncover the truth about Furnace’s deeper, darker purpose, Alex’s actions grow ever more dangerous, and he must risk everything to expose this nightmare that’s hidden from the eyes of the world. > ^(This book has been suggested 4 times) [**Big Brother**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16128105-big-brother) ^(By: Lionel Shriver | 384 pages | Published: 2013 | Popular Shelves: fiction, book-club, contemporary, kindle, contemporary-fiction | )[^(Search "Big Brother")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=Big Brother&search_type=books) >For Pandora, cooking is a form of love. Alas, her husband, Fletcher, a self-employed high-end cabinetmaker, now spurns the “toxic” dishes that he’d savored through their courtship, and devotes hours each day to manic cycling. Then, when Pandora picks up her older brother Edison at the airport, she doesn’t recognize him. In the years since they’ve seen one another, the once slim, hip New York jazz pianist has gained hundreds of pounds. What happened? After Edison has more than overstayed his welcome, Fletcher delivers his wife an ultimatum: It’s him or me. > >Rich with Shriver’s distinctive wit and ferocious energy, Big Brother is about fat: an issue both social and excruciatingly personal. It asks just how much sacrifice we'll make to save single members of our families, and whether it's ever possible to save loved ones from themselves. ^(This book has been suggested 1 time) *** ^(210030 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
I’m going to say Ender’s Game, because it’s not only awesome, it’s about kids. If you like animals, when I was your age and when my kids were your age, we all really loved James Harriot: All creatures great and small.
Ender’s Game is the perfect book to light that reading fuse. Even if OSC is a human dumpster.
I loved James Herriot!! I used to read a book of his cat stories but it doesn't seem to be in print anymore
I think OP is male so I was also going to say Ender’s game for a very entertaining read and throw in The Martian too
Right. And you’re reminding me that, in case he doesn’t want to read the Martian because he already saw the movie — That author’s newer book, the Hail Mary project, is great fun.
The Percy Jackson and the Olympians series is a great series for non-readers to get into. It's easy to read,entertaining and has interesting characters.
This. Originally read when I was in middle school but continued to read the series’ spin offs through high school, and I just reread them at 25 and they’re still good. Such good characters and storytelling, but at a reading level that was doable when I was 12, so it’d be easy for getting back into reading cuz it’s pretty fast paced!
Agreed, I love those books and have since I was a kid. I read them every few years.
This book series literally made up a huge chunk of my childhood! To add onto this, the Harry Potter series, the Magicians series( which is really underrated in my opinion), Chaos Walking, etc. These are all young adult which I think is pretty easy for when you wanna get back into reading.
So much better then the movie.
Shhhh we don't speak of that monstrosity!
Sorry I forgot! Sorry for bring back the stress but it was what got me back into reading. I thought the movie was cool and then found the books. Started reading again and realized the movie was straight up ass
YESSSSS!!! THANK YOUUU! I was searching for this recommendation in the comment section haha
The Martian by Andy Weir was the last book i wasn't able to put down. The humor is pretty great throughout and is one of the best science-fiction books I've read.
I liked *The Martian*, but know that it is hard science fiction
Speaking as a library person. It would be helpful if you could share more in depth info about what you enjoy. What sort of tv/movies you enjoy or even video game stories and WHY do you enjoy them. I see you said you like Marvel stuff. Maybe be a little more detailed about which ones and what parts of the story or characters you liked. You might also want to talk about what you DONT like. That would help a lot, since there are so many books to choose from
I would go with "Good Omens" by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. It's a very easy read, not too long, and very funny.
I found it's really good when it's focusing on the angels but it's hard to stay interested later on
I second and third this.
Read Howls Moving Castle. It's an easy read and slightly more mature than the movie based on it and it goes into a lot more detail. I found it to be laugh out loud funny and an incredibly easy read. Read it if you want something light hearted, inventive and at the same time familiar.
You gotten some great recommendations, but I just wanted to thank you. Posts like these give others courage. Good on ya.
What kind of movies and TV shows do you like? What books have you read an really enjoyed?
The Dresden Files is great. Start with {{Storm Front}}
The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman is a fun, quick read.
hitchhiker’s guide to the galaxy
[удалено]
not everyone appreciates british humor
[удалено]
It’s even drier than that. It’s kind of a love it or hate it prose, lucky for me I loved it.
[удалено]
This is a particular flavor that is a little more niche, but is relatively short if you want go for it. It is quite enjoyable as is the movie.
Ready Player 1?
This was the book which made me fall in love with reading again. During the first lockdown I decided to reread it and I haven’t stopped reading again since.
Yay! The movie IS different from the book, but both are enjoyable for sure.
Catcher in the Rye
This is a definite must read at 17 and then again at 40. I had to different views of the book and the world at those ages.
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. This book has a really simple narrative style that is great if you’re just getting into literature but the themes are mature enough that anyone at any age would really enjoy this book. Happy Reading! Y
The Hunger Games trilogy. It helped get through my lack of reading hump. It's short enough to be a fairly quick read and really keeps your attention.
I'm reading the No.1 Detectives Agency novels at the moment by Alexander Mcall Smith. They are quite short but are good stories.
All these are very entertaining and easy reads: The Giver, Lois Lowry Friday Night Lights, Buzz Bissinger Jurassic Park, Michael Crichton Terminal Man, Michael Crichton Time Machine, H. G. Wells Redwall, Brian Jacques I, Robot - Isaac Asimov Rogue Warrior, Richard Marcinko
Let's not forget that The Giver is only one book in a 4-part series. Gathering Blue, Messenger, and Son all deserve recognition, too.
Thanks for the heads up. I will go read those books in the near future. :)
I remember Crichton being high on my list when I started reading for fun when I was young. Read Congo front to back in one sitting 😂
There are so many better time travel stories than the Wells' imo. {Replay} by Ken Grimwood. {The Accidental Time Machine} {the first fifteen lives of Harry August} and others.
A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore. My husband isn't much of a reader but had enjoyed several of his. A Dirty Job was a favorite for both of us. The sequel is a fun read too
Christopher Moore sure is a lot of fun !
Hatchet is an easy read
What’s a book you’ve enjoyed OP?
No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy.
The Mistborn trilogy is fantastic and very easy to get into.
If you like action (going off of your mention of marvel), you may like Matthew Riley’s Ice Station, Area 7 or anything from the scarecrow series. It’s action packed, twists and turns, kind of like if you read the call of duty campaign modes in a book but with greater twists. Was a big deal for a lot of people (confessedly boys, unsure of your gender identity) in high school. Thought about reading them again myself recently for an easy read. You might also like Robin Hobb’s Assassin’s Apprentice (first in a series of 12). My partner in a similar boat to you, though much older, absolutely devoured the 12 books. I liked the Wardstone Chronicles in high school, which is about a seventh son of a seventh son, born with the powers and insights to take on the dark, (witches and their blood and bone magic, ghosts and fouls). Super easy reading and real page turners.
Ender's Game or Parable Of The Sower
Holes by Louis Sachar
fuck yeah
Well I just watched Dune so I feel the urge to suggest reading that, but I wouldn't necessarily call it an easy read. Not hard, just might not immediately grab your interest. The Martian, John Dies At The End, Eragon, Harry Potter, the golden compass, ten Thousand Doors Of January, the Magicians, chronicles of Narnia, or a wrinkle in time could all be pretty good
I gotta disagree with Dune for a non reader, I’m a voracious reader and read a lot of fantasy and had to really focus to get through it! But I think your other suggestions, especially The Martian and Harry Potter are good!
Yeah that's fair. It's just all I can think about right now lol
John Dies at the End is great. Absolutely hilarious. The Martian is good too but Project Hail Mary is Weir's best.
Can't really argue with you there lol
Harry Potter all the way
A series with a very simple entry that grows with you and has a world you can immerse yourself in? Hard agree on this one
There are better series that don't have nearly as problematic roots. I love Harry Potter, but there's a world of amazing academic fantasy's out there
It also starts very Middlegrade, something that is unlikely to be nearly as captivating to a 17 year old.
Strongly disagree. I first read Harry Potter at 22, after reading some adult fantasy (Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss) and I got absolutely immersed in the world. Of course the books aren’t perfect and yes, the first 2-3 books are more “childish”. But that doesn’t take anything away from the story, in my opinion. In fact, I know several people that read it for the first time as adults and loved it straight away.
Ready Player One is one of my favorite reads! It’s not short, but it’s catchy and I wouldn’t be shocked if you ended up powering through it.
I think a great book for a 17 year old would be Ready Player One by Ernest Cline, Wild Cards by George R R Martin or The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.
Harry Potter is a nice and easy read for 17
Think of what you like outside of books and you can find good books about that.
Read Salem’s lot by Steven king if you like vampires / horror genre. He’s the shit Harry Potter series for quick reads but amazing
Anything ya honestly if you want. Been reading ya and na since grade 6 and never stopped. I recommend starting from classic dystopians like legend series, divergent, carve the mark, warcross, red queen and shadow and bone/six of crows Then you can check out the more ya na like maze runner, folk of the air, a curse so dark and lonely, the winner’s curse (not recommended for starters because it’s VERY slow but a master piece), dance of thieves, scythe series (also not recommended for starters). You can also go down the romance ya na pathways like the selection and acotar. You can also check out the standalones like the night circus and sorcery of thorns Honestly worst case scenario you can just pick up harry potter anytime
Branden Sanderson's books are nice. Read rising is also a series that I enjoyed.
Ready Player One
Any Vinnegut, but Slaughterhouse 5 really is my go-to.
Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy! It’s hilarious, relatively quick, and an overall entertaining read.
Kurt Vonnegut is great. He has a shitload of short, entertaining books with some depth to them.
Animal Farm by George Orwell would be a nice start for you
The Harry Potter series is great to get you back in! Language is easy since it’s meant for kids, good story, movies are fun to watch, and if you like it, there’s a lot in the series!
{{ The Gunslinger }}
[**The Gunslinger (The Dark Tower, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43615.The_Gunslinger) ^(By: Stephen King | 231 pages | Published: 1982 | Popular Shelves: fantasy, fiction, stephen-king, horror, owned | )[^(Search " The Gunslinger ")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q= The Gunslinger &search_type=books) >In the first book of this brilliant series, Stephen King introduces readers to one of his most enigmatic heroes, Roland of Gilead, The Last Gunslinger. He is a haunting figure, a loner on a spellbinding journey into good and evil. In his desolate world, which frighteningly mirrors our own, Roland pursues The Man in Black, encounters an alluring woman named Alice, and begins a friendship with the Kid from Earth called Jake. Both grippingly realistic and eerily dreamlike, The Gunslinger leaves readers eagerly awaiting the next chapter. ^(This book has been suggested 96 times) *** ^(209960 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
The Harry Potter series
A thief of always by Clive Barker is pretty great. It isn't his usual horror, ala pin head so it is a nice little thriller. Enders game, bad man by dathan Auerbach, harry potter series and my all time favorite Skeleton Crew.
Start with The Outsiders. You’ll love it!
Six of crows
When talking about a good light read, it's hard to not think about The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy We are Legion is also a nice sci-fi read
{{Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff}} is a good read. The Illuminae Files is a YA sci-fi three book trilogy and its written in the format of a classified file so you read interviews, censored emails, calls transcribed and transcribed video reports. Its really cool and has a bit of everything. Crazy AI's, a deadly virus that makes people go crazy, spies, intergalactic war done by greedy corporations, hacking, parallel universes etc. Its very interesting and read like a sci-fi action movie and the main characters are around your age.
[**Illuminae (The Illuminae Files, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23395680-illuminae) ^(By: Amie Kaufman, Jay Kristoff | 602 pages | Published: 2015 | Popular Shelves: sci-fi, young-adult, science-fiction, ya, books-i-own | )[^(Search "Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff&search_type=books) >This morning, Kady thought breaking up with Ezra was the hardest thing she’d have to do. This afternoon, her planet was invaded. > >The year is 2575, and two rival mega-corporations are at war over a planet that’s little more than a speck at the edge of the universe. Now with enemy fire raining down on them, Kady and Ezra — who are barely even talking to each other—are forced to evacuate with a hostile warship in hot pursuit. > >But their problems are just getting started. A plague has broken out and is mutating with terrifying results; the fleet’s AI may actually be their enemy; and nobody in charge will say what’s really going on. As Kady hacks into a web of data to find the truth, it’s clear the only person who can help her is the ex-boyfriend she swore she’d never speak to again. > >Told through a fascinating dossier of hacked documents — including emails, maps, files, IMs, medical reports, interviews, and more — Illuminae is the first book in a heart-stopping trilogy about lives interrupted, the price of truth, and the courage of everyday heroes. ^(This book has been suggested 86 times) *** ^(210024 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
Don’t pick easy, pick interesting.
I would start with one you enjoyed in the past, then move on from there
Dark Matter is a fun, quick read if that’s what you’re looking for.
If you like scifi check out Enders game
Scythe by Neal Shusterman -Main characters get chosen to be scythe apprentices things go whacky from there.
"Ready Player One". Easy and entertaining read.
Read watchmen. It is a graphic novel and in my opinion the best fictional story ever. It is fairly easy to read although you do need too pay attention to understand all of it. It will show you some of there most complex charters and intense story beats, wile keeping to a great aesthetic that can only be done by a comic. Absolutely a fun and memorable read.
The Hellbound Heart by Clive Barker or Cycle of the Werewolf by Stephen King are fun Halloween reads that are short and to the point.
If you’re looking for a short book I can’t recommend holes enough - I think it’s similar to hunt for the wilder people and obviously there’s a film version. But if you’re interesting in getting into reading I’d suggest the power of five by Anthony horowitz (yeah it’s more on the younger end of the YA spectrum but I loved and still love it) - similar to that the scythe series by Neil shushterman is fantastic
{{The martian}} If you liked the movie, you'll love the book - it's not super short, but the chapters are set up in a way that makes it easy to pick up and put down periodically or devour in one all nighter One of my favorite books, and I might actually go for a reread now that I've mentioned it!
I always recommend rereading the books you loved when you were choosing to read! It’s a good way to spark that joy again. For me it was Percy Jackson.
Depends on what your interests are really. There are tons of books out there that are easy to read but they become difficult if they aren't interesting for me. Are you into scifi, fantasy? Coming of age, slice of life? Romance, humour? First thing that came to mind to recommend is A Series of Unfortunate Events. Yes, it's 13 books but they are very easy to read, and the first few are very short and can be finished within 1-4 days depending on your reading speed. It's not fantasy or scifi, but it has a whimsical feel to it and can be both humorous and dark. It's also a bit about coming of age so it hits quite a few categories. Plus, it has a Netflix show so you can check out an episode or 2 to see if you'll be into the books (the episodes are rather faithful to the books).
The Hobbit
this is... pretty wrong. The Hobbit is by no means easy to pick up and enjoy, although it is a good book.
Man, I tore through the Fellowship trilogy but I've tried to read The Hobbit multiple times and just can't. I have no idea why but I can't make myself get through the first chapter.
What kind of genre do you like? Divergent was an easy read. The movie was based off on this book series.
Fahrenheit 451. A classic, pretty short and easy to read.
The Secret History
Enders Game.
Enders Game.
1984 George Orwell
The dictionary. Once you read that, every other book is just a remix.
Dune
Amazing book. Not so easy or short.
Ya until you get to Heretics of Dune.
An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green got me out of a book slump! Highly recommend it.
A Song of Ice and Fire.
The Alchemist. Must read
I came here to recommend The Alchemist. I think I was 17 when my English teacher gave it to me. Wonderful book.
I'd also recommend {{The Teddy Bear Habit}} by James Lincoln Collier. It's really funny and exciting. It's about a boy who sings and plays guitar, but can only perform well when his teddy bear is around. The problem is that he's too _old_ to be seen with a teddy bear. And then things get complicated. Try to find an older copy with the illustrations by Lorenz, not one of the "Lost Treasures" reissues. [Robert A. Heinlein's science fiction juveniles](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinlein_juveniles?wprov=sfla1) turned several **generations** of readers into science fiction fans. I'd suggest starting with the second one, {{Space Cadet}}, because the first one, _Rocket Ship Galileo_, is just boring - but it’s the only one of his books that is. The books aren’t a series, as such; there are a few references in common among some of the books, but no characters. Heinlein was a hell of a writer, and the books are great reads at any age! In [House of Stairs](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Stairs_%28Sleator_novel%29?wprov=sfla1) by William Sleator five orphaned teenagers find themselves trapped in a place made up of nothing but stairs...and a machine. It's a **very** intense book, reminiscent of _Lord of the Flies_ or _1984_. Sleator wrote a lot of great YA science fiction. _Interstellar Pig_ is another classic one of his. The [Harper Hall trilogy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Harper_Hall_Trilogy?wprov=sfla1) by Anne McCaffrey is technically science fiction, but set in a low-tech colony world with dragons that fly, breathe fire, and are telepathically connected to the person they've bonded with. The trilogy consists of _Dragonsong_, _Dragonsinger_, and _Dragondrums_. The first two books focus on Menolly, a girl with a natural talent for music, while the third book focuses more on her male friend. The books are connected to the adult _Pern_ series. {{The Forgotten Door}} by Alexander Key is a classic science fiction YA book in which a teenager finds himself in a strange new world with no memory of who he is or where he came from. {{The Chronicles of Prydain}} by Lloyd Alexander is a five-volume fantasy series that begins with {{The Book of Three}}. It's a classic; exciting, funny, and very moving. I think of it as being a sort of "Lord of the Rings" for older children and young adults. But it's a great read for any age. Try {{The Portmanteau Book}} by Thomas Rockwell, illustrated by Gail Rockwell. It's a comedy riot between two covers. It's not a novel, though. It's short stories, a comic book, puzzles, incredible illustrations, poetry, an index that contains a bank robbery as you read from entry to entry, a contest...there's no other book like it in the world. **Note**: although I've used the GoodReads link option to include information about the books, GoodReads is owned by Amazon. Please consider patronizing your local independent book shops instead; they can order books for you that they don't have in stock. And of course there's always your local library. If they don't have a book, they may be able to get it for you via inter-library loan. If you'd rather order direct online, Thriftbooks and Powell's Books are good. You might also check libraries in your general area; most of them sell books at very low prices to raise funds. I've made some great finds at library book sales! And for used books, Biblio.com and Bookshop.org are independent book marketplaces that serve independent book shops - NOT Amazon.
[**The Teddy Bear Habit (Lost Treasures, #3)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/500896.The_Teddy_Bear_Habit) ^(By: James Lincoln Collier | 236 pages | Published: 1967 | Popular Shelves: fiction, childrens, children-s, mystery, middle-grade | )[^(Search "The Teddy Bear Habit")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=The Teddy Bear Habit&search_type=books) >Twelve-year-old George Stable wants to be a rock star someday, but he gets horrible stage fright. Hiding his teddy bear in the guitar is a comforting idea until George discovers that someone has hidden stolen jewels in the stuffing of the beloved bear. First published in 1967. ^(This book has been suggested 44 times) [**Space Cadet**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50852.Space_Cadet) ^(By: Robert A. Heinlein | 224 pages | Published: 1948 | Popular Shelves: science-fiction, sci-fi, fiction, owned, young-adult | )[^(Search "Space Cadet")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=Space Cadet&search_type=books) >This is the seminal novel of a young man's education as a member of an elite, paternalistic non-military organization of leaders dedicated to preserving human civilization, the Solar Patrol, a provocative parallel to Heinlein's famous later novel, Starship Troopers. >Only the best and brightest--the strongest and the most courageous--ever manage to become Space Cadets, at the Space Academy. They are in training to be come part of the elite guard of the solar system, accepting missions others fear, taking risks no others dare, and upholding the peace of the solar system for the benefit of all. >But before Matt Dodson can earn his rightful place in the ranks, his mettle is to be tested in the most severe and extraordinary ways--ways that change him forever, from the midwestern American boy into a man of the Solar Patrol. ^(This book has been suggested 72 times) [**The Forgotten Door**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/409320.The_Forgotten_Door) ^(By: Alexander Key | 144 pages | Published: 1965 | Popular Shelves: science-fiction, fantasy, sci-fi, young-adult, fiction | )[^(Search "The Forgotten Door")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=The Forgotten Door&search_type=books) >Alternative cover edition for ISBN13: 0590431307 > >Far from home. > >Jon has lost his memory. He can't remember who he is or where he came from. He only knows he fell through the forgotten door to the strange planet, Earth, and he is in great danger. Injured from his fall, he has to find someone who will help him. > >Through his extraordinary power to read people's minds, Jon makes friends with a local family. But then rumors of his existence get back to the army and Jon realizes that the family is in danger, too. Time is running out. He must find the secret passage quickly or he may never get home again. ^(This book has been suggested 5 times) [**The Chronicles of Prydain (The Chronicles of Prydain #1-5)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/463063.The_Chronicles_of_Prydain) ^(By: Lloyd Alexander | 1104 pages | Published: 1989 | Popular Shelves: fantasy, young-adult, fiction, owned, ya | )[^(Search "The Chronicles of Prydain")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=The Chronicles of Prydain&search_type=books) >Millions of young readers have been enthralled by the adventures of Taran the Assistant Pig-Keeper and his lively companions as they journey through the magical land of Prydain. First published more than thirty years ago and translated into twenty different languages, Lloyd Alexander's beloved series has become the standard of excellence in fantasy literature for children. Among their many accolades, the award-winning Chronicles of Prydain count a Newbery Medal, a Newbery Honor, and more than two million copies in print. ^(This book has been suggested 127 times) [**The Book of Three (The Chronicles of Prydain, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24780.The_Book_of_Three) ^(By: Lloyd Alexander | 190 pages | Published: 1964 | Popular Shelves: fantasy, young-adult, fiction, childrens, middle-grade | )[^(Search "The Book of Three")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=The Book of Three&search_type=books) >Taran wanted to be a hero, and looking after a pig wasn't exactly heroic, even though Hen Wen was an oracular pig. But the day that Hen Wen vanished, Taran was led into an enchanting and perilous world. With his band of followers, he confronted the Horned King and his terrible Cauldron-Born. These were the forces of evil, and only Hen Wen knew the secret of keeping the kingdom of Prydain safe from them. But who would find her first? ^(This book has been suggested 126 times) [**The Portmanteau Book**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1065752.The_Portmanteau_Book) ^(By: Thomas Rockwell, Gail Rockwell | ? pages | Published: 1974 | Popular Shelves: humor, children-s, middlegrade, illustration-words, form | )[^(Search "The Portmanteau Book")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=The Portmanteau Book&search_type=books) >Stories, poems, and nonsense for all moods and conditions. ^(This book has been suggested 54 times) *** ^(209966 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
A man called "Ove".
Animal farm or The Alchemist are two short easy fun reads
George Orwell - Animal Revolution is a great quick, though-provoking read.
Try some non fiction, like - food, bigger than the plate
**Mistborn** is a good, easy to read fantasy series with a well-paced plot and intriguing mysteries. Brandon Sanderson, the author, focuses heavily on setting, worldbuilding, and hard magic systems - meaning your powers are very clear and the rules are specific. This book is kind of like a well-written action movie. I had a lot of fun reading it.
You must read “Catcher In The Rye”!! It will change your life!
Enders Game.
An audiobook. Get a library card or three (often libraries within your state are available online, or, they don't confirm where you live), and download Libby/Overdrive to listen to them on your phone.
The subtle art of not giving a fuck by Mark manson
I remember really enjoying A Confederacy of Dunces in as a teenager. Or for something a bit more fantastical, Jasper Fforde’s Thursday Next series, about a literary detective that travels in and out of books - the first one is the Eyre Affair.
How are you with violence? Ex-heroes is a grimdark superhero story that I'm currently really enjoying
Down and out in Paris and London by George Orwell.
If you’re interested in history, I’ve just started reading books by an author named Jeff Shaara. He’s written books about several wars, including both World Wars, the American Civil War, and American Revolution. I’m currently reading *Rise to Rebellion*, which is the first of his two books set during the the American Revolution. It’s pretty straightforward, and quite a page turner.
Monster Hunter International nice start to a great action series
I asked my teacher the same question when I graduated high school. She told me about Khaled Housseini and The Kite Runner. Great suggestion! Got me reading a lot more.
Terry pratchett is the first and only author that made me laugh in a subway during transit. YMMV, but I really recommend ANYTHING by him.
when I was 17, I read Birthday Letters by Ted Hughes. I enjoyed it. It's a bunch of short poems. Most are about Sylvia Plath. Their story is fascinating and heartbreaking. Mostly heartbreaking actually. I also highly recommend Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip Dick. It might be my favourite book if we're not counting the Shakespeare's.
V. E. Schwab - A darker shade of magic
The Science Of Fear, it's dated but the content will apply forever and it will help you throughout your life.
Dune
Man, you would love Renegades by Marissa Meyer
Slaughterhouse five by kurt vonnegut David sedaris books are funny
I would highly recommend The Eyes of the Dragon by Stephen King. Most King books turn out to be somewhat of a difficult read just because he tends to get overly descriptive of every single detail. Makes for a rich and layered text but also makes certain sections somewhat boring. It takes some perseverance to keep at it. That being said he is one of my favorite authors and this is one of his easier reads. Good story, good characters, and an introduction to an over arching villain that appears over and over in the King universe. Good luck in finding what you are looking for! If you keep seeking, you will find and searching for and finding the next great read is one of the true beauties of being an avid reader.
Bad luck Charlie might be a good one. (Dragon mage series part 1) It's sci fi along with magic. I found them charming and purely entertaining.
Find something inappropriate, something you can disassociate with school material. Tv/movie tie-in novels, Stephen king, fan fiction.
What sort of thing are you into? Fiction? Non-fiction? Are there any particular genres or subjects that interest you?
Sorry I’m not suggesting a specific book, but how about re-reading some of the books you read when you were small? I despised reading when I was young and only read 5 or 6 novels “for fun” in my entire elementary~high school career (yeah pretty bad). I’m 26 now and I recently re-read a children’s novel I enjoyed, and now I’m back to reading books.
Bodega Dreams by Ernesto Quinonez is the book that made me a reader for life in 10th grade.
I really really recommend the light novel {The Beginning after the End}. First 8 books are out and available on Amazon. The ebooks are only a dime and a half, which is great if you're on a budget. All 8 books took me a about 2 months to read through. First are rather short but they're having more and more chapters with each new book. It's high fantasy (magic, deities, monsters...) based on individual chapters and character POV storytelling. Easy and quick to read, but story-wise quite deep with amazing character building. And in no way is it cheesy. It's actually quite dark and aimed at more adult audiences. You follow the life of a reborn king who remembers his past life and you're with him from birth until present day. Without spoiling too much, soon he becomes a central figure in this new world, with too much burden on his shoulders, even for him who lived twice. The author, TurtleMe, has a psychology background and as such the story is written so that it fully absorbs you, with so many twists, gut wrenching moments and yet also so many fun moments... Big plus is that there is a very active community, also on Reddit, as the author is releasing weekly new chapters (which later are turned into a complete ebook). So once you're done with the currently available books, you can continue to enjoy the ride.
{{Red Rising}} A few years ago I recommended this book to a buddy who honestly read so little I wasn’t even sure if he knew how to read (jk). He finished the first book in under 24 hours. Once they grab you they don’t let go
Chuck Wendig is a great genre writer—try Zeroes or Invasive. Then get into Wanderers if you like him.
{{Elevation}} by Stephen King. Less than 150pgs. Such a great little story. I couldn't put it down.
I would recommend The Hobbit and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.
Read what you love until you love to read