We coin derogatory terms for people we feel are strange or uncommon. The irony is that these terms become so ingrained in our culture sometimes, that they are even accepted by those on the receiving end. One such term is; BOOKWORM.
It is seldom used as an insult these days and more often than not, it is only a quick way for describing someone who is an avid reader. Bookworms are strange creatures to the rest of the world because they succeed in reading a book and surpassing all the worldly chaos around them. That takes a lot of dedication. Bookworms have a clique of their own and since they feel misunderstood for the most part, they usually don’t make an effort to tell the outsiders that they discovered their ‘genre’ or ‘type’ or ‘motivation’ very early on.
You would like to look into being a reader, obviously, if you’re reading this. If you’ve wondered why you can’t come around to enjoying a book, you’ve won half the battle already. All you have is a mental block because you haven’t found that ONE book. In every avid reader’s life, there was a book that influenced them so heartily and paved the way to a life-long adventure on book reading.
All you’ve got to do is find that one book.
1. Roald Dahl’s Books for Children
Alright, alright, I know Dahl is a children’s book author, but hear me out here.
You’ve probably watched Matilda, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and The Witches. Would you still watch these for fun? If you said yes, why can’t you read the books that all these movies have been based on?
We’ve picked Roald Dahl because, although his stories are whimsical, magical, unworldly and child-like, they have very grown up morals. They highlight nuisances in society that most children’s books don’t go near.
The second reason for this unorthodox suggestion is that the text will be big enough and won’t overwhelm you, you won’t have commitment phobia with these kind of books because you’ll probably finish them in an hour or less and they will prove as serious stress busters. You’ll probably even laugh out loud.
You can even pick up a different author and read The Harry Potter series or The Hobbit but if you are commitment phobic, steer clear from thicker books and stick with the basics.
Choose from:
Matilda
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
The Witches
The Twits
The BFG
George’s Marvelous Medicine
Boy
All the above mentioned are by Roald Dahl
Harry Potter series by JK Rowling
Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkien
**Our favorite remains Matilda in this category because the inspirational six-year-old protagonist loves reading and makes it look magical.
2. Self- Help Books
One major problem with the self-help section in a bookstore is that it has too many options. The titles are very captivating but what is inside is sometimes far from it. Henceforth, self-help books are deemed boring and impractical by many.
Another problem is that self-help books can’t serve as classics, with the exception of some of course. They become dated and don’t apply to the present day life.
You need to be able to pick the right book. The right kind of self-help book can be your ultimate friend and you’ll be reading about something that’ll help you improve your life.
Choose from the following categories:
Positive Thinking/Healing/Relationships
The Secret by Rhonda Byrne
The Power of Positive Thinking by Dr. Norman Vincent Peale
Quantum Healing by Deepak Chopra
Very Good Lives by JK Rowling (compilation of the Harvard speech)
The Universe Has Your Back by Gabrielle Bernstein
Perfect Health by Deepak Chopra
Unfu*k Yourself by Gary John Bishop
Chicken Soup for the Soul by Jack Canfield
Personality Makeover
The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey **
Awaken the Giant Within by Tony Robbins
How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
Business Fable
Who Moved my Cheese by Spencer Johnson and Kenneth H. **
You Were Born Rich by Bob Proctor
Girl, Stop Apologizing by Rachel Hollis
** a classic in the self-help section but may sound a little dated
3. Mystery Reads
You don’t have to be a Sherlock Holmes fan to read a mystery novel. The reason it has made it to our list is because mystery creates compulsion. You will feel compelled to find out what happens next and that will keep you hooked to the book until the end.
Choose from:
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
The Godfather by Mario Puzo
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
The Firm by John Grisham
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle
4. Authors of Similar Ethnic Backgrounds
There is a certain affinity for those whose names are just like ours or people around us. When we talk about authors that we share nationalities or ethnicity with, we all know the content will be familiar. Some times the terms, jargon, names and places depicted will be very familiar to us and there will be a certain kind of excitement in reading something that is close to our own culture.
Choose from:
A Case of Exploding Mangoes by Mohsin Hamid
A Matter Of Detail by Maniza Naqvi
And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
2 States by Chetan Baghat
Forty Rules of Love by Elif Shafak
Three Daughters of Eve by Elif Shafak
5. Books with Movie Adaptations
One way to make book reading interesting is to have images of the characters in your head. For this reason, reading fiction that has a movie adaptation makes the reading experience more pictorial. Once you are able to visualize the characters in your mind, you transport into the world of that story and you wouldn’t give it up until the end.
Choose from
The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid
The Harry Potter Series by JK Rowling
The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkein
Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Dear John by Nicolas Sparks
A Walk to Remember by Nicolas Sparks
The Last Song by Nicolas Sparks
Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle
The God Father by Mario Puzo
Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
