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<p>That’s the very same complaint I’ve heard from some college classmates who had similar/heavier reading loads than I did in undergrad or friends who are in grad/professional school. </p>
<p>I don’t blame them considering having a heavy reading load in terms of density and/or quantity(1000+ pages/week per grad class x 3-5 courses) can really cause one to need a break from doing any reading during what little breaks one could take. </p>
<p>Inheritance cycle(eragon series)
Game of thrones(there is sex just fyi, but all 5 books are great)
1984(dirty, dirty book…lol)
Animal Farm
Hundred Thousand Kingdoms
Harry Potter
Bartimaeus Sequence(starts with the amulet of samarkand)
Dracula
Casual Vacancy
Cuckoo’s Calling(I like J.K Rowling what can I say)
The Laughter of Dead Kings
Kane Chronicles
Percy Jackson
Great Gatsby
To Kill a Mockingbird
If none of those work I am pretty sure Catcher in the Rye will.
I read all of these from around the time I was 15 up until now(I’m 16).</p>
<p>What about non-fiction? For example:</p>
<ul>
<li>Books about science or math topics for the general audience. For example, if the kid is into science and sports, The Sports Gene may be an interesting read for him.</li>
<li>History topics, if he is interested in some particular aspect of history. Fermat’s Enigma may be of interest if he likes math (it is more of a history book, but some of the relevant math is in the appendices).</li>
<li>Other social studies (e.g. Freakonomics, or the various recent books on behavioral economics).</li>
</ul>
<p>Authors to consider:
John Irving
Join LeCarre
Robert Ludlum
Orson Scott Card
Terry Pratchett</p>
<p>for biographies, Walter Isaacson</p>
<p>I would steer clear of anything that looks like required reading — but don’t forget magazines , and trivia (100 Greatest Hockey Goalies, 50 Great Movies, etc…) Many guys will read magazines or a newspaper cover to cover. Buy him a few, or let him pick. Drop him at a bookstore with a giftcard, then go far away. Closer you are to a title, the more he’ll hate it… Graphic novels like Bone are great. </p>
<p>Cory Doctorow, Neil Gaiman, John Connelly, …for reluctant readers, keep in mind shorter is better. Easier is better. And for the record, I read a lot and hated, hated, hated Catcher in the Rye!!! </p>
<p>Whatever you decide on -I was going to suggest an audio book? Something you could put on in the car and then if he gets into it -he could read more by the same author. I used this method to “trick” my D into exposure to authors I thought she would like. Most of the time it worked.</p>
<p>Counterpoint: When the “assigned reading” seemed to be dampening his appetite, I turned my kid to the books I loved in high school: Kurt Vonnegut, Robert Heinlein (Stranger in a Strange Land is on both of our top five lists), John Irving, Douglas Adams. It was so great to talk to him about books I enjoyed and to have that shared lexicon. (When I dropped him off at the airport for his internship in Germany this summer, my parting advice was “don’t panic,” to which he responded, “I’ve got my towel.”) 
</p>
<p>Interesting how several people suggested Catcher in the Rye. I read it for the first time a month ago and hated it. xD</p>
<p>I think there are two types of readers those who love Catcher in the Rye and those who think it’s one of the worst books they ever read. I’m one of the latter.</p>
<p>I’m with mathmom. :)</p>
<p>LOL, @mathmom. So true! My family is split firmly down on the middle on that one. S and I have each read “Catcher” at least five times. H and D sneer whenever someone mentions it. </p>
<p>Oooh…a personality analysis of the two camps would make for an interesting undergrad psych paper! </p>
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<p>Among those I’ve met who are split, it seems those who could relate to the protagonist or at least, view him with some sympathy liked the book while those who couldn’t hated it. </p>
<p>We decided to read (re-read) Catcher in the Rye in my bookclub. Most people were negative.</p>
<p>Its already been mentioned, But Orson Scott Card books became a favorite.</p>
<p>Many HS friends and I loved Orson Scott Card’s books. </p>
<p>Unfortunately, the fact he publicized his homophobic views means even the most ardent fans among them have refused to buy any more books or go see the Ender Game movie. </p>
<p>For this reason, it may be something to consider when considering his books/movie.</p>
<p>Well, this is funny to me, but my son started reading for pleasure because a girl he likes is recommending books and then discussing them with him.</p>
<p>Hey, works for me. They haven’t even spent any time together yet, other than school, and texting. But I told him that I like a girl immediately if she encourages reading. ;)</p>
<p>The Maze Runner, John Green’s Looking for Alaska and An Abundance of Katherines (more focused on the teenage male psyche than The Fault in our stars :p), Linwood Barclay (especially Bad Move and Bad Guy, which are hilarious as well as suspenseful), The messenger (by the author of Book Thief, about a young slacker who has to deliver messages/packages from a mysterious sender)</p>
<p>My son turned 15 today. For his birthday he asked for, and got, the second and third books of the Divergent series. He also likes the Heroes of Olympus series (Rick Riordan) and has asked for the next one, out in October. My husband has given him several Bill Bryson books he’s read multiple times too.
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To Kill a Mockingbird was taught in English class, and he pronounced it “actually a pretty good book.” </p>
<p>Since he doesn’t have, or want, an iPad or an iPhone he reads through his bus rides, and if he finishes his classwork early, the teachers are fine with reading quietly until class ends. </p>
<p>And so far my family is also divided on Catcher in the Rye. D liked it, I love it, H found it boring. </p>
<p>A Separate Peace</p>
<p>I second Vonnegut. Also “Canticle for Leibowitz” comes to mind.</p>
<p>Chances are he is doing plenty of reading on his computer etc. Some people don’t like to read or have trouble reading for pleasure, but if he used to read a lot, hope he gets back to it. Schools have a way of killing reading by offering prizes, holding contests, and assigning reading logs etc. Maybe once out of school he will be interested again!</p>
<p>Oh, I just read “Canticle for Leibowitz”. Wasn’t sure a 15 year old would like it, though…</p>