Comments on: Adults Are Reading More, But How Can I Help?

By: Table of Contents; My Favorite Posts From the Last Week « Brews and Books

Table of Contents; My Favorite Posts From the Last Week « Brews and Books — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 20:04:30 +0000

[...] damn, adults are reading more! Trish offers some great ideas about why fiction reading is on the rise with adults, and how you can help create readers. [from [...]

By: Table of Contents; My Favorite Posts From the Last Week « Brews and Books

Table of Contents; My Favorite Posts From the Last Week « Brews and Books — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 20:02:08 +0000

[...] damn, adults are reading more! Trish offers some great ideas about why fiction reading is on the rise with adults, and how you can help create readers. [from [...]

By: Mame

Mame — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 17:42:38 +0000

I really loved this post! Thanks for posing such a postive question. I think the way I promote reading is by talking about it with passion and excitement. I have actually inspired a TV watcher to read because I was so excited about a particular novel. I think the best way to influence people about anything is to be passionate.
I love the idea of the book of the month, personalized. Thank you for that idea! I am so going to take advantage of it for my parents. They love reading and are on a limited income and it would be such a treat for them to get a fresh book each month. I also have 2 sons in the military and that would be a great way to send them love each month while they are away.
Thanks again and have a great week!

Mame

By: Joanne

Joanne — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 03:19:57 +0000

This is an awesome post and topic! I’ve never considered before how I might inspire others to read, coming from a bookish family it’s just second nature to give book-related things as gifts. I do support literacy by regularly donating books to womens shelters, a yearly cheque to local organizations that buy books for the childrens hospital and I’m always stuffing money in the library donation box.
Hmm, I volunteered at my children’s school libraries and offered reading help to kids who wanted it, along with helping out with Scholastic book fairs. Of course my kids were reading long before they started school, so I guess I inspired them. And the hubs – who never read anything outside of required school reading – I got him his first Star Wars book and he hasn’t stopped reading since!
Oh and I am one of the lucky people who works at a bookstore – independent rather than chain – so everyday I am around people who are looking for advice on their next reads. I’ve learned a lot from my customers like if a customer likes Jeffrey Deaver they almost always enjoy David Baldacci (weird things like that.) It’s the most amazing feeling in the world to have a person come back and thank you for turning them onto a book/author they love. So far, I haven’t made any totally bad recommendations – but I know it’ll happen someday soon

By: Angela

Angela — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 00:40:35 +0000

Ok… Oprah inspiring people to read?!? Ugh… have you read any of those Oprah picks?? She picks the crappiest books, I swear! I think she’s probably turned OFF as many readers as she has inspired!

That Aunt Lydia program sounds GREAT though. Amazon should jump on that bandwagon….

How do I inspire others? Well.. like you, I talk about the books that I’ve read/am reading to others, and hope that they may get excited about it and/or want to borrow it. I also don’t keep many of the books I’ve read. Oh, there a few, you know, the “special” ones that I won’t part with, and don’t mind reading over and over. But most times I just note the book on my reading diary, and pass it along. Sometimes to others that I know will enjoy it, or bring it along to the “pass around” at book club meetings, or just leave it in the break room at work where someone will inevitably pick it up. There’s also a website http://www.bookcrossing.com which is a program you can sign up for and register your book, and then *leave it somewhere* for someone else to pick up, and they can log in at the website and share their opinions about the book, etc. You can track it and see how far the book goes, etc… Interesting! I’ve never done it myself, but have always wanted to.

I read with my son every night, too. And, just as important as reading with/to him, I think it’s also important for him to see me reading, and how it’s important in my life/how I get enjoyment from reading as well. (Did that make sense? LOL)

By: Elizabeth

Elizabeth — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 19:58:53 +0000

This is a great post! I am a teacher of middle school geography, and I love to read. Some of the things I do to encourage reading are: I order books from Scholastic using my teacher “points” and let students choose one as a birthday gift, I do a booktalk once a week or so and tell the students about the author and other books written, if they finish their work for me early, they can take a pass to the library, which I remind them of every day, and I keep a list on the wall of books I’ve read as I finish them. Some of these don’t sound like much, but there are teachers who never take their students to the library, and parents have told me how I’ve inspired their children to read more. It is also a great way to open dialogues with the students and get to know them more.

I also wanted to tell you that I did your handwriting meme and linked over to you. http://ebogie.blogspot.com/2009/03/hows-your-writing.html

By: Florinda

Florinda — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 19:06:21 +0000

I LOVE the Aunt Lydia thing – like the Fruit of the Month Club, but books won’t spoil! (Oh, just noticed that Heather already made that comparison!) Thanks for letting us know about that. And you’re absolutely right about “local” being relative in California, the land of things that are “freeway close.”

I’ve always been one for giving books to people – definitely the kids in the family, but also to people like my no-longer-a-kid son, my sister, my dad, and my husband. The tricky part is that I know all of these people are readers already, and I’m just trying to share or influence them to read something in particular. I’m not sure what works so well with reluctant readers or non-readers, though – to be honest, it’s probably because it’s hard for me to understand that mindset.

Thanks for posing a thought-provoker! I’m including this in my “Saturday Review” links round-up this week.

By: zibilee

zibilee — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 18:57:49 +0000

Like you, I talk about books to anyone who will listen, sometimes I talk about them even when they won’t. I am in a book group, and the book talk there is satisfying, but I would love it if reading were as popular as some other activities like surfing the internet. I am hoping one day to be able to volunteer in an adult literacy project. I think it would be both rewarding and possibly it would win a few over to the “reading” side.

By: Rose City Reader

Rose City Reader — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 17:26:27 +0000

Very interesting post. Like you and the others, I try to talk up the books I read, as well as just the fact that I love to read and have a book blog. And I have a “mudflap girl for the smart set” decal on my car.

I think getting kids to enjoy reading is the best way to make adult readers — it’s a lifetime habit. So I give books to the kids I know and to book drives for kids.

Book Passage used to be my “local” book store when I lived in San Francisco and they are always coming up with great programs like the Aunt Lydia thing. They have an incredible first edition program where, each month, they choose a first edition of a first book by an author they think is going to make it big. You have to enroll and agree to buy whatever book they choose each month, but every 12 months, you get a 13th book for free. I did it for a couple of years, until I moved back to Portland. I want Powell’s to do the same thing, but no luck so far.

By: jennygirl

jennygirl — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 17:24:19 +0000

Any one that knows me, knows I always have a book with me. I always encourage people to read, prob too much sometimes. I also buy my friend’s kids books instead of toys. Never had a disappointed child yet!