Dear Bookworms,
Hundreds of articles have been written on the benefits of reading. Studies have proved it, and librarians have preached it. Reading is an activity like no other, offering the benefits of entertainment, brain development, logical reason skills, expanded vocabulary, and more, and other, ad infinitum. But if you’re on this website, reading this article, than you are probably already well versed in these virtues and to expand upon this more would be merely preaching to the choir. 
Yet, each of us enjoying a love affair with literature, knows and loves someone (or maybe many) who ignore it almost entirely. How is it that this amazing world of reading remains dark to them? Is there anything that will convince them of the wonders of reading? Perhaps not. Some people are just not the type to absorb content via the written word. But, I think there are a great deal of people out there who are the type, but for one reason for another, were put off of the concept at some point and just never found their way back. For these people, I believe there is still hope.
While it is unlikely that they will suddenly stumble into the library of their own volition, most people are at least somewhat interested in the things that someone else loves to do, and may be intrigued enough to give it a chance. In such cases, it is all too easy to fan-vomit our enthusiasm for reading onto them, recommending every magnificent title ever written, name dropping famous authors, and all around just overwhelming them completely. The key to remember in these instances is that, as convincing as we feel we are, reading is personal and must be discovered on a personal level. That’s not to say, however, that we can’t encourage them to a personal discovery. In fact, we can be a great influence, if we undertake the task correctly. Thus, here are a few tips for how we can help our beloved reading-phobes to see the wonder of the world we know:
1) Recommend a book they’ll love
This is, admittedly, the trickiest bit. Human beings are such varied and complicated creatures that one can never be quite positive that a book will meet with someone’s approval, but if you know the person well, you have a decent shot a figuring it out. There is a simple formula to follow: subject + perspective + attitude. I believe that a great many of the people who dislike reading dislike it because they were forced to read material that was of absolutely no interest to them. If you begin this way, it is no surprise that the very act of reading becomes associated with a distasteful chore. But with so many books in the world, it is hard to believe that there isn’t something out there that would grab them. As a matter of fact, I don’t believe it.
The trick is to narrow down the overwhelming body of options out there to ones that address a topic near and dear to the reader’s heart. Now, I’m not just talking general subject matter like sports, or parenting, or romance. I’m talking deeper than that. What do they care about? What’s personal to them? It is the quest to feel accepted? The drive for more adventure? The answer for a lonely life? The topic that strikes a chord, addressed from the perspective that they’re coming to it from, with the tone that reflects their attitude about the topic will be the one they can’t put down.
2) Help them find a reading corner/space
Reading nooks (no, I don’t mean the electronic devices sold at book stores) are my one of my very favorite things. If I were Maria von Trapp, nooks would definitely have made it into a prominent place in the song. In fact, I’m pretty sure my life is a constant quest for the perfect reading nook. You fellow-readers will already understand what I mean. Nooks are an essential part of the reading experience.
By definition, nooks are small. This automatically means that you’re probably alone, or with someone you’re very close to because, I don’t know about you, but I’m not in the habit of hanging out in small spaces with strangers. It’s a place of calm and quiet – there isn’t room for anything else, which is exactly the point. We all need spaces to go where the rest of the insane, busy, constantly oscillating world cannot come. No task can be truly accomplished well when given only partial attention, so a place that eliminates distractions, where you can let down your guard, is essential. It allows you the freedom to process your thoughts and emotions for yourself.
3) Allow them time to read at their own pace
Everybody reads at a different pace and on a different schedule. It is a good rule to never badger someone about a book. Nobody likes to feel like they’re taking a test. The beauty of books is that they do not expire and are not exclusive. Art may be kept in a gallery you have to visit, and music may run its course, but a book can be taken with you, can be picked up and put down as many times as you need. Its passages can be read, re-read and ingested with a pace and sequence all your own. You cannot stand in the same river twice, no two children grow up in the same family, and you cannot read the same book as someone else – not even side by side.
4) Give them an ear to hear whatever they thought about it
Of all the things you can give another person, your full attention is one of the most valuable. We all live inundated by the modern experience of social media, but never being truly seen and never feeling truly heard. If someone you know has recently read a book they found interesting, showing interest in their thoughts about it is one of the best ways you can encourage them and bolster their inner reader. The beauty in this is reflected in every successful book club. It is, after all, the point of all good works to share amusement or inspire wisdom, both of which are best served by being shared again with others.
Live, Love, Learn