20 Books To Read Before You Graduate College
College is a time where new thoughts and ideas form. Revel in this period of learning in areas other than the classroom. Books can be experienced differently during specific points in life. Some of these books you may have been forced to read at one point in your life. But with a more mature mind, you will see things from another perspective. Expand your horizons with the following recommended reads list.
1. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
This book is often considered a cliche on literature lists, but it is a poignant novel that deserves to be read multiple times. The successful Bill Gates has mentioned in an interview that he has read this book at least fifty times. One of the common themes of this novel is the American Dream. As a teenager, the American Dream seems distant and at times unreachable. But when you’re in college, the American Dream can affect your decision making process and your goals. An example of this is when you’re choosing your major. Everyone wants a decent paying job in their major field of study, but some fields of study are harder to find careers in. Some students choose fields based on how likely they are to get a job after college even if the field not does excite them. Gatsby’s money never makes him happy. This novel causes readers to think about such topics.
2. Hamlet by William Shakespeare
This popular play may not exactly be an easy read, but it’s worth the time and effort. Reading the Sparknotes or Cliffsnotes of this play will not cut it. The language is part of the beauty. If it helps, The Lion King has a similar plot. Hamlet’s father is originally king and then is killed by his Uncle Claudius. His Uncle Claudius drives Hamlet’s “To be or not to be” soliloquy is only the tip of the iceberg on how indecisive he is. Most of the play, he spends contemplating whether or not he is actually going to go through with killing his uncle. College students are also concerned with making the right decisions. Ultimately, Hamlet has to learn how to take responsibility for his actions.
3. The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
Academic pressure and the need to excel is an unlikely theme that pops up in this book. Esther is a young lady with many dreams. She can’t decide on just one career, because she’s interested in almost every subject imaginable. She’s afraid if she doesn’t choose then she will miss out on all of the possibilities. Sylvia Plath uses the metaphor of a fig tree to illustrate that concept in Esther’s mind. The other themes in this book range from depression to gender roles. This book also shows hope for those suffering from mental illness.
4. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
In high school journalism class, I was forced to read this book while we were learning about the first amendment. Back then, I thought the book was a bit dry for my taste, but now I can love it for all of its meaning. This book is about “firemen” that burn books. In a country where books are still being banned from libraries to this day, it is important to read about the importance of free written thought.
5. Crime and Punishment
Don’t be intimidated by the size of this book. It’s a thrilling ride with morality themes. Rodion is a poor student who plots to kill a pawnbroker for her money. He believes his life will be so much better with the money, but he ends up having to deal with crippling guilt. The novel is a result of the author’s intense ideological changes once he is free from a labor camp.
6. Passing by Nella Larsen
Passing is an interesting exploration of race. “Passing” is an exploration of passing off as a different race. The book focuses on two childhood friends Clare and Irene. Clare is light skinned enough to pass off as white and she fools her white supremacist husband into believing that she is white. Passing shows that race is really just a social construction.
7. Brave New World
Brave New World is a dystopian novel that revolves around efficiency. At an earlier age, children are taught not be emotional or individualistic. Embryos are sorted into determined classes and they are given hormones to meet the criteria of their determined classes. The inhabitants of the world are pacified with a drug called soma. There are modern themes in this novel such as consumerism, genetic engineering, the media’s influence, and individualism.
8. Astrophysics For People In A Hurry by Neil DeGrasse Tyson
Ever look at the night sky with pure awe? Then this is the book for you. Dr. Tyson simplifies complex topics in layman’s terms. With that being said, there is so much information packed into a book that it is best to read it while you’re focused. It can also be helpful to read it in short spurts, rather than trying to read it in one sitting. Neil DeGrasse Tyson’s metaphors can be quite humorous. You don’t have to be a scientific genius for this book, but it’s also not a complete “astrophysics for dummies.”
9. Evicted: Poverty and Profit In the American City by Matthew Desmond
As you begin to think about where you will live after college, this is an important read to think about. Housing is a topic that needs to be considered when discussing poverty and solutions to poverty. Many discussions of the housing crisis are primarily focused on the middle class. This book gives an in-depth personal look on how the housing crisis affects the impoverished and those hovering around the fine line between poverty and working class. If you’re a sociology major or interested in human services, then you will find this book particularly interesting.
10. The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
We all need a touch of whimsy in our lives and this book is a classic. Besides, what college student doesn’t have intense moments where they wish to tap their heels together and go home. If you’re not familiar with the story, then here’s a brief synopsis. Dorothy has a sense of longing for a new unfamiliar place. She considers running away and is swept by a tornado to a strange place. She journeys to make her way back home and meets some friends along the way. Her friend Scarecrow is in search of a brain, the Tin Man is in search of a heart, and the lion is in search of courage. Their journey kind of describes college, because we each seek something different out of our experience in college.
11. Oh the Places You’ll Go by Dr. Seuss
I know what you’re thinking. How could a picture book possibly be something I should read in college? Well, it is. This short book is best to be read as a freshman or as a senior. It is especially meaningful when you’re entering a new chapter in your life. It has a strong carpe diem vibe.
12. Speak by Laura Halse Anderson
Speak is targeted towards high school students, but college students can get the same messages out of it. Melinda is a high school freshman that calls the police during a party after an incident. She almost stops talking altogether. Melinda starts using art to express her feelings that she is unable to vocalize. Through her art comes healing and she is able to face her problems. College can be an alienating time for some and this book can help you see the light at the end of the tunnel.
13. Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger
This list could not be complete without this coming of age story. Holden Calufield is a teenager that is kicked out of preparatory school and this is the chronicles of his misadventures in New York City. Holden is in the awkward middle stage between being a child and being an adult. He yearns to go back to his childhood and is filled with angst about the thought of having to grow up.
14. The Woman Warrior: Memoirs of a Girlhood Among Ghosts by Maxine Hong Kingston
The Woman Warrior is just as bad a$$ as the title implies. The story seamlessly blends Chinese myths and legends with Maxine’s autobiographical accounts. This book is empowering and there are strong representations of females in this book. This book lends insight into the lives of immigrants. In today’s day and age, we need those sorts of insights.
15. The Jungle by Upton Sinclair
This novel was originally written to reveal the conditions in the meat industry and the exploitation immigrants faced in urban American during this time. However, this novel sparked changes and reformation in the meat industry. It’s inspiring that a book can impact laws.
16. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
You may be rolling your eyes at the thought of reading another children’s book, but this is a fun read that can be appreciated at any age. In fact, some of the puns and word plays may have went over your head at a young age. Besides, one grand takeaway is to be humble. The characters in this books also can represent a few of the seven deadly sins in child form.
17. A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf
Think “The Man” by Taylor Swift in a more articulated book form. It is important for women to have their own personal spaces for their work like men. One section is an imagining of Shakespeare having a sister with the same amount of penchant for writing. The account is purely fictional, but it is thought provoking. Shakespeare’s sister does not receive the same nurturing that Shakespeare receives. She is not sent to school and is instead forced to do full mundane household chores all day. While that may seem like an archaic thought to us now, women are still performing a majority of housework even today.
18. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
Catch-22 is also a new series on Amazon. It’s a satirical war novel that examines the strange experiences soldiers face in the military. The book and the series are set up in completely different ways. So if you watch the series, it may spoil the book. A catch-22 is a problem that does not have an easy solution or a dilemma.
19. The Call of the Wild by Jack London
This exciting novel explores a friendship being a human and an animal. Buck is kidnapped and taken to Alaska where he is mistreated by a string of owners. Eventually, Buck stumbles upon John. John takes care of Buck and their great friendship begins.
20. Charlotte’s Webb by E.B White
Another animal tale, this tale teaches of empathy. It allows readers to see the animal world through an animal’s eyes.
