I haven't done a discussion post in forever!! Fail. But today I want to talk about something that I recently experienced. Talking about books with nonreaders. We all have those people in our lives. The ones who *gasp* hate reading. I don't know about you guys, but when I'm not reading a book, I'm usually talking about books. This is just something I'm passionate about and I want to share it with the whole world. Even the people who don't necessarily want to hear about it.
So I was talking to this person I know the other day and they told me they don't like to read. As it always does when I hear this, my heart shattered into a million pieces. How can you not like to read? Books are such magical things. They take you to new worlds, allows you to make new friends, and even give you sexy book boyfriends to swoon over. What's not to like here???
Whenever someone tells me they aren't a reader, I tend to try and get them to become a reader. It's like they say "I don't like books" and I'm all
It's my new life goal to find a book that they will fall in love with. Of course, this really annoys them because to be honest they don't want to read. They are rolling their eyes like Robin up there. But I can't help it. I want to find a book that will make them understand the amazing power of books. Maybe that makes me annoying. Sorry not sorry. I just get so sad that they are missing out. Books hold such a special place in my heart and I want the rest of the world to feel the same way.
So then I start bringing them book after book (which they return to me unread) and I feel sadder and sadder every time they reject one of my books. Then I feel like a failure and crawl into bed and cry about the fact that I couldn't save a lost soul.
So I'm wondering, do you guys push books on nonreaders? Do you feel like it's your mission to find a book that they would enjoy? Do you lose potential friends because of your book-pushing ways? (I do...) Or do you know how and when to keep your mouth shut? (I have zero self-control.)
Hmmm...I don't know that I do have any nonreaders in my life, but I definitely know people that don't read YA, so I know what you mean about pushing books. I made my book club read Divergent. But it is sad that there are so many people that don't read because they are definitely missing out, I can't imagine not reading! ~Pam
ReplyDeleteI know! Like, what do nonreaders do with their time??? I would be so lost and bored.
DeleteI'm not a book pusher. Perhaps, it's because I'm really the only person in my family that would really pick up a book and read for fun. So I'm used to being the only person that reads. Although, I can't imagine not reading and never having any books, I get that reading just isn't for some people. It's sad but terribly true.
ReplyDeleteThe thing I have most difficulty with is when I encounter people that are a bit snobby readers. Perhaps it's because I work in a bookstore currently, but I feel like I've encountered so many people that judge me based upon what I read. Like this one guy was looking for a dystopian book, and I was like I know a bunch of great YA reads that are dystopian. & He's like no, I want something thought provoking and mature. Uhhh... That was so not cool.
I HATE YA HATERS!!!! There are so many ppl out there that won't pick up a book just bc it's YA. They think the writing is juvenile and it's all fluff and it makes me so angry!!! These writers are so talented and all the haters are missing out.
DeleteThis is such a good topic! I'm a book pusher, but only when people give me the impression that they wish they could find something they would like. Most of my friends "don't read" and I'm fine with that because, thank goodness for Twitter(!), I can still talk to people who do love books! But there are also people who "don't like/have time to read" in my life, and these are my little challenges. It's not that they won't read, they just don't have the time to get inspired! I recently got my brother to read The Hunger Games and he loved it, but hadn't read a single thing since Harry Potter ended. Those moments are great. I like pushing books to remind people what they're missing out on ;)
ReplyDeleteYes exactly! That's what I want. To just show the nonreaders of the world what they are missing out on. It's thbe best feeling when you recommend a book to a nonreader that they end up loving.
DeleteAhaha! Yes! Just last week in the same conversation, one friend told me she never reads (which broke my brain) and another said she doesn't like YA, which made me a weird pushy freak. I got all, "Well, WHICH YA HAVE YOU READ?!" and she got really quiet and said, "Not much...." and looked at me like I might eat her head. Luckily, they know I'm book-crazy, and we all laughed. But I have plans to sneak awesome things to her. Hello, she teaches high school English!!
ReplyDeletehahahaha "broke my brain". Seriously! I just don't understand it. How can you not like books?? Books are amazing!! And no YA?? For a HS English teacher!! Girl, book push away! She needs to read more so she can recommend to her students!
DeleteI'm just a terrible book pusher. My sister has a whole "books my sister made me read" category for our blog! And my poor husband, I keep buying him books he doesn't have time to read because he's in graduate school! Aside from the two of them I try not to be too obnoxious in my pushing.
ReplyDeletehahaha I do the same thing to my sister!! I like shove books down her throat. My husband doesn't read *cries*. I try to not be completely obnoxious with friends/coworkers/strangers but sometimes I just can't help myself.
DeleteOh, Rebecca... this is the story of my life! I think the hardest part for me to understand is that not everyone reads. Honestly, it's incredibly difficult for me to comprehend! It's like one of those things to me like watching tv or movies... nearly everyone does it (or so I thought!). I think a lot of my friends get sick of me talking about books, and while I don't think I have lost any... I think a lot of them talk to me less. It's weird... Reading is probably my only MAIN interest, other than Yoga, so I like to talk about it... other people talk about there hobbies and expect people to not get angry so why should I!? I just continue to chatter on about books though, and I don't care... GREAT discussion <3
ReplyDeleteYes to everything you said. This is what I am most passionate about and that makes me want to talk about it all the time! I listen patiently when other people are talking about their hobbies so I think that I should get the same courtesy!
DeleteYou know... I actually don't talk to non-readers about reading a lot. They just don't seem to GET it haha!! It doesn't help that most of my friends who do read don't read YA, although I did just loan a close friend Divergent and she's currently working her way through A Song of Ice and Fire so we have SOME things in common. Another bestie loaned me Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn which I will eventually read too! I think I just appreciate that other people are reading ANYTHING. It's nice to talk about books the way I used to talk to people about TV and movies and it feels so special when we connect about books because it just means so much to me! :)
ReplyDeleteThey really don't get it do they? I try to tell my husband about the books I read and he just stares at me blankly. Same with my coworker. But there are times when I can't stop myself from talking about because I just love it so much! And that's when people get annoyed with me I think... Sorry not sorry.
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