Top 10 Tuesday: Books I Would Hand to an Adult Who Claims to Not Like Reading

Welcome to Top 10 Tuesday! This is a weekly challenge hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, and this week’s challenge is about books I would hand to an adult who claims to not like reading!

Originally, this topic was just about books I would hand to someone, anyone, who claims to not like reading. However, being a teacher who works with many children who claim to not like reading, as well as being a person who knows many adults who claim the same thing, I have very different recommendations for each situation. Therefore, this week I’ll be sharing books I would recommend specifically to adults looking to find what we call in the classroom “good fit books.” There is quite a variety of books on this list because, well, there is quite a variety of readers in the world! I wouldn’t recommend these books to every person; the idea is that, in theory, there is something for everyone somewhere in this list! Without further ado, here are the 10+ books I would hand to an adult who claims to not like reading (I’m sorry, I just couldn’t narrow it down to ten)!

To learn more about a book, click on the photo to find the Goodreads synopsis.

1. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

For fans of historical fiction and WWII stories. Also, this is technically a young adult book. I actually think YA fiction is a great place to start for adults who think they don’t like to read. YA fiction is engaging and not overly challenging to read, so it can be a great gateway to other things (or a great place to continue looking for books to read if you discover a love for YA fiction!). That being said, I’ll be putting the majority of my YA suggestions on next week’s list since they can also be good suggestions for younger readers.

2. The Martian by Andy Weir

For science fiction fans and people who like stories set in space.

3. Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

For someone who enjoys gritty, coming-of-age stories.

4. Born A Crime by Trevor Noah

For someone who enjoys documentaries, comedy, and inspirational stories (and/or someone looking to get into audiobooks!).

5. What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty

For someone who likes a good mystery with a little bit of romance. Also for fans of Moriarty’s book-to-series adaptations such as Big Little Lies or Nine Perfect Strangers.

6. Circe by Madeline Miller

For people who enjoy mythology.

7. A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

For people who enjoy stories about strong women (and also stories that will make you cry).

8. Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

For people who enjoy quirky characters and dark comedy.

9. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

For people who enjoy WWII stories, romance, and strong women.

10. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

While I definitely wouldn’t recommend this to every reluctant reader, it could be good for those looking for something dark, twisty, and unpredictable.

11. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

For those looking for something uplifting without being overly complicated.

12. Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie

For those looking for a good mystery – you can’t go wrong with Agatha Christie!

13. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

For those who enjoy Victorian settings and powerful women.

Have you read any of these books? What would your top ten be?

Let me know in the comments!