Reading Really Can Be Contagious

So, I know it’s going to sound, well, strange, but I know quite a lot of people who claim that they aren’t readers. Or not fans of reading. Or whatever. (I know, I don’t really get it either, but it’s true.)

I mean, yeah, they can read. They read newspapers and magazines and textbooks. And they’re intelligent people. So why wouldn’t they read something good for sheer pleasure? Because, as we die-hard-life-long-readers know well, there is nothing more pleasing than a really great story.

I’ve decided that there must be some kind of disconnect between these intelligent non-readers and the books they’ve tried reading up to this point, which basically means that they just haven’t found the right books to read. And with that in mind, I’ve made it my mission in life to assist my loved ones in this endeavor.

The mission started something like a year ago, when one of my non-reader friends needed something to read on a plane. I sifted through my books, knowing this person’s personality well, as well as what would interest her, give her pleasure, and guess what? When I got my book back, she was grinning. *score 1*

Since that small success, I have also converted my non-reader sister, who recently brought me back my copy of Shiver and actually squealed when I told her it was the first of a series and sent her away with Linger. *score 2*

There will be more of these stories. And when I discover them, I will share. Because now, more than ever, I believe that everyone can love to read for pleasure, as long as they have the right books.