...and by reader, I mean YOU. Seriously. Because, if you're reading this post right now, you are a reader.
Congratulations!
I think most people hear the word 'reader' and automatically think it applies only to book worms, or at the least, people who read a full book every 6-12 months. Oh no, no dear reader! You are gravely mistaken! The truth is, anyone who reads anything is a reader, and "anything" means, but is not limited to: scrolling through Facebook, perusing magazines, scanning newspapers, Reddit, Twitter, blogs, comic books, joke books, puzzle books, billboards, Google Maps, instruction manuals....you get the idea.
The point is, if you can read anything, you are a reader.
I think where most people get hung up on their proud proclamations of being a non-reader, is that they never found their book. There are literally billions of books on this planet, and to say you don't like reading, simply means you haven't found your book. I get it! In 12 years + of schooling, you've been told what to read, when to read it, and how much you have to read. You may have been forced to read Ishmael, or Moby Dick, or Little Women, and your brain was screaming at you the whole time because you just found the book utterly boring (no offense to those of you who loved them..). Maybe you had to read non-fiction history books, or science, or biographies and they just weren't fascinating to you. Maybe you even struggle with reading, and that has put you off of reading for leisure completely. There's plenty of reasons for people to believe they don't like reading, but I guarantee if they found their book, they might just be surprised about how much of a reader they actually are.
So. How do you find your book? Good question.
I'm not a stranger to the blank stares I get from students when I ask, "What kind of books do you like?" I find it fascinating that with everything people find interest in; movies, hobbies, sports, music, their job, that they simply cannot think of a subject they would want to read about. My usual go-to question is, "What kind of movies do you like?" Essentially (and this might blow your mind) that is what a book is: a movie where your brain makes the images. Think of books as a script to a movie. You're reading the script, and your brain produces the pictures. Of course, this doesn't always work if you're reading a book you don't like, and this is why most people say they hate reading. As I've said before, they just haven't found their book.
If the movie question isn't working for you though, how about a reader personality type? Barb Langridge over at A Book and a Hug has come up with a simple 10 question survey to find your type and help narrow down your options from billions, to something more manageable. Like millions. Don't worry though, because along with your results, she'll also give you some good starter recommendations that you might like, bringing your millions options down to something more like 8 or 10. HOWEVER, don't stop there! Maybe her suggestions are too young, or too old for you. No problem! In our library here at this school, I have all the fiction books separated into genre's (adventure, horror, science fiction, etc), and my non-fiction is separated naturally by the dewey decimal system. (In case you forgot, that system is essentially also a genre separation, but for the non-fiction books). Lastly, I'm here of course, so I can do my best to help you as well.
So, to sum up:
-YOU are a reader!
-There are millions of books you will most likely enjoy if you just give them a chance.
*cue the weepy, heartfelt music*
-Somewhere out in the world is a lonely book who really wants to be loved, and you are it's reader.