Top 5 Tuesday: Books for Non-Readers

Top 5 Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Bionic Bookworm.

I actually know a lot of non-readers in my life, chief among them my brother, but someone like him is an adamant non-reader.  He simply refuses to pick up books. So I took this tag to be more about casual readers, less “I’ll only read if you pay me” and more “I’m looking for something really really specific and captivating”.

For the “I want fantasy and adventure” crowd:

Truthwitch by Susan Dennard: Truthwitch walks the fine line between YA fantasy and adult fantasy.  It’s about two young women, best friends, who find themselves caught in political machinations beyond their control.  From the first page Dennard sucks you into a harrowing crisis, and from then on the fun never stops.  Dennard is fantastic at writing action scenes; she draws you in and doesn’t ever let go.  The characters are all super-well developed and the world-building is rich and detailed.

For the “I prefer romcoms” crowd:

When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon: This book is hilarious and so much fun.  It’s about two Indian kids whose parents decide to set them up – only one of them is unaware she is being set up.  It’s such a sweet story about falling in love and family and cultural expectations.  It’s super light-hearted and ends happily in perfect romcom fashion.

For the “I need a mystery” crowd:

Everything You Want Me To Be by Mindy Mejia: Attempting to solve the mystery of a teenage girl’s murder in a small town, this book is your classic murder mystery/small town with secrets book.  I literally could not put it down. I think I stayed up until like 3AM reading it because I just could not stop and had to know who the killer was. The end was not shocking, but satisfying because it made sense.

For the “I need pictures and visuals” crowd:

Monstress by Marjorie M. Liu: I’m not generally a graphic novel reader, but I’d heard such good things about Monstress that I had to check it out.  This is a whirlwind of a graphic novel, pulling in from so many different genres – horror, steampunk, high fantasy, science fiction – all blending seamlessly together in a matriarchal world filled with diversity of all kinds.  It’s definitely a lot to take in, but it’s really worth the investment, and it will keep you hooked. From the intricate story to the beautiful artwork, you will not be able to put this down.

For the “I only read non-fiction” crowd: 

Queer (In)Justice: The Criminalization of LGBT People in the United States by Joey L. Mogul, Andrea K. Ritchie, and Kay Whitlock: I’m a frequent non-fiction reader myself, so I had to recommend something in this category.  I actually read this book a few years back for a class in college, and I didn’t expect to like it so much.  It’s rare to come across a non-fiction book that is legitimately a page turner! This book details the treatment of LGBT people from when they are unjustly arrested and profiled to their treatment in the court and prison system.  It focuses heavily on intersections of race and class and is an absolutely eye-opening read for anyone with a rosy view of the US prison system.