Please help choose a book

Whispered

I'm a pretty avid reader, but will read anything so I'm easily pleased. My husband on the other hand isn't a big reader, nor is he easily pleased. I'm trying to pick up a book he'll find enjoyable while on holiday. This is what I'm up against;

Holiday read, so nothing too taxing

LOTR - "too many names to remember", so that cuts out a lot of books really.

Fiction books - they're "fiction waffle", so a true story, or a book based in truth, would be best.

Biographies - he enjoys them, but looks at them as a learning tool, I don't think he actually gets any pleasure from reading them.

I've gotten him a book about conflict in South East Aisa, but that's not really holiday reading material is it?

I suppose I want to find a book that will allow him/encourage him to get lost in it. You know where you remember the book nearly as if it's a film you've seen . At the moment when he reads, he does it to get through the book. He counts down pages and he doesn't seem to get much enjoyment. Should I just give up and accept that he's just not a reader? Can you recommend a book that might encourage him to enjoy reading?

judgefudge

I just finished A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers. It's no everyone's cup of tea but it's his memoirs of his life. His parents died 5 weeks apart from cancer when he was 21 and he basically inherited his 8 (I think) year old brother.

It's an interesting read, really easy to read stuff. Chapters are short, language is pretty simple but there are some really moving parts to it. I think it's one of those books that people either love or hate though. I loved it.

Nody

Mad, Bad and Dangerous to know could be a fit; world's biggest adventurer (Ranulph Fiennes).

Leading By Design: The Ikea Story which is written by Ingvar Kamprad himself and Bertil Torekull to help him (Bertil wrote it based on what Ingvar shared and he could find out basically).

The Whisperers: Private Life in Stalin's Russia tells the daily life in communist Russia and the paranoia it involved.

Prague Winter: A Personal Story of Remembrance and War, 1937-1948 by Madeleine Albright.

Hitler's Hangman: The Life of Heydrich

Toby Take a Bow

I know a couple of people like the one you're describing, OP, and I usually recommend them Them by Jon Ronson: very light, funny and interesting. The only negative thing I've heard back is from someone who wasn't particularly fond of Ronson's liberal politics.

muckisluck

Maybe something by Malcolm Gradwell. Tipping Point is very good as is Outliers. Plenty of food for thought in either of these.

Mr.Nice Guy

I would recommend this:

An Unsung Hero by Michael Smith

A true story which reads like a blockbuster movie script. I'd be surprised if he didn't find this a gripping tale.

Whispered

Thanks everyone! Have loads to choose from.

Briskit

A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian.


Funny well written debut novel; an easy-going and enjoyable holiday read

buck65

What are his interests?

Swiper the fox

Sounds like he's just not really a reader like you are. Popular fiction is probably the best solution for a holiday read, something like "One Day" or Kite Runner(two off the top of my head, usually if a book is top of the bestseller lists for a long time it's because it caters for people like your husband). As the last poster said you should tell us his interests(Food, soccer, art, music etc) and it'll give people a better chance to recommend something, one of the great things about reading books is that there is something for everybody even if they don't know it.

Whispered

His interests - mainly music really.

I actually gave him the Kite Runner and he didn't read it. I might just give up. Although I know he'll be wrecking my head on the beach while I try to read. haha.

Thanks for all the help.

hooplah

What music? It should be easy enough to find either non-fiction accounts of different scenes and subcultures or a novel set with a scene as a backdrop.

Zaph

For something easy to read and music related, what about Cider With Roadies? Or if he's into The Clash I definitely recommend A Riot of Our Own.

SBWife

In Cold Blood - Truman Capote

It's non fiction but written like a novel.