Suggested reading for 15 y/o son?

alleycat`

somethingcorporate wrote: »

I am surprised no-one has mentioned Stephen King yet - he has some gripping novels I loved from being around 12-13 years old.

The Dark Tower series (written over around 30 years) were exceptionally good and more words than LOTR(!) across 8 or so books. Otherwise, he does some good short stories too, if you like that kind of thing.

Agree the Dark Tower series were very good books and a bit off the beaten track in regards to his "normal" stuff.

Likewise when i was that age i read plenty of Dean Koontz.

Pratchett books, notably disc world are well written and easy enough to get into (first couple were a bit of a slog).

Edit:-

Maybe if he likes spy stuff he'd like something like the 4th protocol or Tom clancy

Not my cup of tea but the Dan Brown books were obviously recently made into movies.

pollypenny

Anything other than bloody twee Tolkein!

I'd go for thrillers, probably by American authors, for their short chapters and real page-turner narratives. So James Patterson and Jeffrey Deaver would be good.

Not the greatest literature, but if it'll get him reading.........

hawk30

somethingcorporate wrote: »

I am surprised no-one has mentioned Stephen King yet - he has some gripping novels I loved from being around 12-13 years old.

The Dark Tower series (written over around 30 years) were exceptionally good and more words than LOTR(!) across 8 or so books. Otherwise, he does some good short stories too, if you like that kind of thing.

Agree. I read my first SK novel at 13 - the Talisman. Similar in style to the Dark Tower series (which I also love).

Tolkien is for quite serious readers; not for 15 year olds not keen on reading. (The Hobbit is great, LOTR is dull.)

Terry Pratchett is very accessible.

I would also recommend the fantasy author Brent Weeks. Both the Night Angel trilogy (about an assassin) and the Lightbringer series have strong lead male characters.

vividred

If he is reluctant he could just pick up things like 100 Videogames (BFI Screen Guides) or gaming reviews. If he isn't showing any interest in fiction it can't really be forced onto him. My oldest has read about 10 books in his life and my other boy reads about 10 books a month!

pollyanna24

I loved the Michael Grant Gone series, want to read the last two books to see what happened, but they're not out in the library yet!

I've also just read the first Artemis Fowl book which I thought was good , albeit a bit strange seeing as the main character is an evil so and so, but that's supposed to be written for the younger reader.

RedBern

How about getting him involved with something like geocaching? That way he'll be reading stuff that he's interested in, without realising he's doing much reading?

Deanied

I suggest graphic novels. They are novels in a comic type format.
Maybe Diary of wimpy kid or search popular graphic novels.

cef66

Artemis Fowl and Alex Rider books.
(These may be 'easy' to read but out of all the books my boys read I, as an adult, enjoyed these the most.)

onlyroz

Terry Pratchett is always a safe bet. Or some of the grittier fantasy writers like George Martin or Joe Abercrombie - plenty of sex and violence to keep a young lad amused. Stephen King is always a good bet as well.

meritaten

at fifteen I was reading books intended for adults. he isn't going to want to read 'kid lit'.
would he like 'adventure' books? try Clive Cussler. or Matthew Reilly, Lee Child or Matt Hilton. they are more into the 'action man' type of books than 'soft !!!!!!'.