How to Bring a Nonreader to a Bookstore

Dear Literary Lady,
Whenever I want to browse a bookstore, I have to drag a non-reader along. I feel bad because I don’t know what to do with them and they just follow me around.  How do I take my time perusing novels while making sure they’re not bored?
–R.W., Milwaukee, WI. 
Dear R.W.,
Oh, the elusive art of fraternizing with nonreaders! I advise transforming all your nonreader friends into avid bookworms, but if that’s not possible, don’t worry. Bookstores have something for everyone, even nonreaders, and you just have to know where to look.
First, take care of your friend’s needs as soon as you enter the store. Do they want to sit down? Do they need the bathroom? Do they want a hot beverage? A cold beverage? A cookie? Most importantly, are they lost and disoriented in the sea of shiny new books?
Find out what your friend is into and ask a bookstore associate to direct you to the right section. Find a seat for them and make them comfortable. All the attention you lavish on them now will pay off when you’re off exploring bestsellers later.
Below are some nonreader-friendly sections of your neighborhood bookstore. Take note of them, and once you’ve assessed your nonreader friend’s likes, interests, and hobbies, wrangle them into the appropriate section. You can then wander off and browse books guilt-free!
1. Travel Section
I’ve left many non-readers to their own devices in the travel section. Everyone likes to daydream about vacation, and this is the perfect corner to browse pictures of exotic destinations and plan trips abroad.
2. Cookbooks
If your friend is a foodie, you can steer them toward the cookbook section. When you return an hour later, you’ll likely find them happily flipping through recipes and ogling improbably constructed desserts.
3. The Humor Section
Has anyone ever said “no” to reading a Calvin and Hobbes book for a few minutes? Didn’t think so. Watch your nonreader friend’s eyes light up when they see that bookstores have an array of their long-forgotten funny favorites. Garfield, Foxtrot, The Far Side—the possibilities are endless, especially if your nonreader companions are young or young at heart!
4. The Hobbies Section
Whatever your friend’s hobby might be, there’s probably a book or a magazine about it somewhere in the store. Whether your friend has a fascination with restoring muscle cars or giving their dog a makeover, there’s some beautifully illustrated reading material about it somewhere on the shelves. Find it for them and watch your nonreader friend start to acknowledge books are wonderful things . . .
5. Games, Gifts, and Greeting Cards
“But Literary Lady,” you say, “my friend won’t go near a book. They are afraid of paper cuts and won’t crack one open! What do I do then?” When I can’t interest my nonreader friend in any book at all, I’ll plunk them down in the gifts section. They’ll quite contentedly browse newfangled games, clever greeting cards, and assorted tchotchkes while I zoom around the store amassing great reads.
There’s no need to feel guilty about bringing your book-resistant friends on a bookstore excursion. Just take the time to find them reading material they enjoy, even if it’s not necessarily novels. As they become more familiar with all the wonders books have to offer, they might slowly start to become readers themselves.
And, if all else fails, buy your nonliterary buddy a cookie.
Love and paperbacks,
Literary Lady