Choosing from a plethora of book options is a daunting task.
More specifically, picking a piece of literature to help mold your mind in your early years is crucial, so you need to make sure you are flipping through the right pages.
From the inspirational to the melancholy, educational to the motivational, and new favorites and classics, we’ve outlined a detailed reading list to dive into while you’re still in your 20s. (We can’t promise you’ll be able to put them down though.)
The Bell Jar – Sylvia Plath
I took a deep breath and listened to the old brag of my heart. I am, I am, I am.
Sylvia Plath isn’t a light read by any means, but her words are profound, striking and moving. Esther Greenwood, the main character, goes through a post-graduate crisis we may unfortunately relate to. Plath’s writing makes it feel like what is happening to Esther is happening to us.
The Help – Kathryn Stockett
You is kind. You is smart. You is important.
Highlighting a troubled time in African American history, Stockett gives us a sometimes disturbing, yet heartwarming glimpse into the past. The character development is tremendous and can mold your soul while teaching valuable life lessons.
The Kite Runner – Khaled Hosseini
And that’s the thing about people who mean everything they say. They think everyone else does too.
Touching on difficult subjects through flawed but deeply moving characters, The Kite Runner is the type of book that will change your life (not to be dramatic, but trust me.) It teaches us about history, relationships and the flaw of man in such a beautiful, yet heartbreaking way.
The Opposite of Loneliness – Marina Keegan
What we have to remember is that we can still do anything. We can change our minds. We can start over.
Keegan tragically died shortly after her college graduation, but her words live on through professors, family members and friends who spoke of Keegan and helped compile her work during her short life. Keegan’s eloquently crafted language is guaranteed to impact everyone.
Bossypants – Tina Fey
Do your thing and don’t care if they like it.
From work advice, to how to be a fearless woman, to not caring about what anyone thinks, Tina Fey lays it all out in a brilliant, yet hilarious way. The read is on the lighter side and is difficult to put down due to how easily the words fly off the page.
The Sun Also Rises – Ernest Hemingway
I can’t stand it to think my life is going so fast and I’m not really living it.
Hemingway’s prose can be daunting at first, but once you’re sucked it, it flows brilliantly. The Sun Also Rises is one of the classic author’s best works.
The Underground Girls of Kabul – Jenny Nordberg
Someday in our future it may be possible for women everywhere not to be restricted to those roles society deems natural, God-given, or appropriately feminine.
Highlighting a culture where being born a girl is a misfortune, an investigative journalist details exactly what those experiences are like inside the lives of those who live it. The book is a moving read, especially as a woman, and puts into perspective what it means to be a woman in many parts of the world.
White Oleander – Janet Fitch
How vast was a human being’s capacity for suffering. The only thing you could do was stand in awe of it. It wasn’t a question of survival at all. It was the fullness of it, how much could you hold, how much could you care.
The main character Aster bounces around from foster home to foster home after her mother’s arrest. Readers get a deep look into her mind, which will leave you feeling almost every emotion on the scale. The story line and language stick with you long after you are done reading.
Exit Here – Jason Myers
Sometimes life is a constant battle against the nostalgia of a time that can never be real again.
This tale of a young man who has recently come back from college will show readers how something negative can end up being a turning point in life. Jason Myers delivers a relatable story we can all learn from.
I Am Malala – Malala Yousafzai
Let us pick up our books and our pens, they are the most powerful weapons.
Noble Prize winner Malala Yoousafzai was shot by the Taliban for trying to get an education. Reading her words emphasis the need for education around the world, and the brave souls who fight for it. Yoousafzai puts a great deal in perspective for the reader.
Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? – Mindy Kaling
One friend with whom you have a lot in common is better than three with whom you struggle to find things to talk about.
Mindy Kaling puts a spin on life in the way only she can, which makes for a thoroughly enjoyable read. Her practical life advice is delivered in a brilliantly clever way.
Love is a Mix Tape – Rob Sheffield
Our lives were just beginning, our favorite moment was right now, our favorite songs were unwritten.
Rolling Stone music critic Rob Sheffield tells the tale of his own personal, heartbreaking love. It will make you laugh, cry and is perfect for music lovers. It will also most definitely inspire you to make a mix tape and cherish true love for all its worth.
Wild – Cheryl Strayed
Fear, to a great extent, is born of a story we tell ourselves…
Based on the recent movie—you know, the one where Reese Witherspoon was nominated for best actress—Wild tells the story of Cheryl Strayed, a woman who left her life behind in search of something, well, “wild” and away from the norm, which she definitely got.
In Cold Blood – Truman Capote
As long as you live, there’s always something waiting; and even if it’s bad, and you know it’s bad, what can you do? You can’t stop living.
The impact of Truman Capote’s words will never fade. It is one of the first true crime novels out there, and set the precedent that authors still follow today due to its beautifully crafted language.
A People’s History of the United States – Howard Zinn
The memory of oppressed people is one thing that cannot be taken away, and for such people, with such memories, revolt is always an inch below the surface.
This book tells you everything you weren’t told in history class. Prepare to have your knowledge of the world expanded and illusions shattered. Although it might seem intimidating, it is well worth the read.
A Room of One’s Own – Virginia Woolf
So long as you write what you wish to write, that is all that matters; and whether it matters for ages or only for hours, nobody can say.
Virginia Woolf was a pioneer in demanding women receive the attention they deserve. A Room of One’s Own is a series of lectures by Woolf, which speak about the struggles of being a woman, but yet has an underlying tone of strength and hope.
Not That Kind of Girl – Lena Dunham
There is nothing gutsier to me than a person announcing that their story is one that deserves to be told, especially if that person is a woman.
Lena Dunham cleverly describes the process of evolving in this world and all of the aspects of life that make us who we are, whether it’s a feeling of loneliness or love. Readers are guaranteed to find or at least search for their own voice.
Song of Solomon – Toni Morrison
I wish I’d a knowed more people. I would of loved ‘em all. If I’d a knowed more, I would a loved more.
If you weren’t lucky enough to be assigned this in English class, do yourself a favor and pick it up now. It has insightful life lessons for all ages, and will make a profound impact on your 20s. Bonus fact: Obama has stated Morrison is one of his favorite authors.
Fight Club – Chuck Palahniuk
Only after disaster can we be resurrected. It’s only after you’ve lost everything that you’re free to do anything. Nothing is static, everything is evolving, everything is falling apart.
This intense tale promises to bring out your brutal side in a good way. The surprise ending is enough to knock you out of your seat if you aren’t prepared—and if the movie hasn’t already ruined it for you.
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings – Maya Angelou
There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.
This is an autobiography of Maya Angelou’s early life that describes how a love for the beautiful aspects of life, like literature, can help us overcome tremendous obstacles. It is part of a seven part series, which is all worth the read.
Feature Photo via We Heart It
