25 Great Books for College Bound Students: A Reading List About Art, Culture, Science, and More
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Back in 2014, I served on a committee tasked with developing a list of up to 125 titles of outstanding books for the college bound. Since the creation of that list—and knowing the myriad hours that went into finding great titles for it—I’ve kept notes on things I’ve read after that would fit the bill of being a great book for college bound students.
The list below is meant to be a jumping off point. It’s meant to encourage life-long learning, interest in areas within and beyond one’s preferred major studies, and develop a love of reading for information, as well as for pleasure. They should spark conversation and provide a means of thinking about a variety of social and cultural realities and challenges through new or sharper lenses.
I’ve organized these books for college bound students in the same style as the list above: by the Liberal Arts topics they might best fit under. As any reader knows, so many books could fit within so many categories. There are adult titles and young adult titles on the list, fiction and nonfiction, as well as comics, prose, and verse. I’ve limited selections to five per category, for a total of 25 books, and all of which are titles I’ve read personally; there is, of course, substantial room for more books for college bound students. I’d love to hear additional titles in the comments that you’ve read and would recommend.
All of the titles have been published in the last five years, making them timely, relevant, and easy to reference and discuss. This list is appropriate for high school readers, as well as both traditional and nontraditional college students. It is, of course, also appropriate for any reader hoping to expand their knowledge and world views.
This collection of essays on all aspects of feminism and finding ones feminist spirit is a masterclass in not only understanding the philosophy, but also in how to write a good essay.
Thorpe spent a year inside a high school English Language Acquisition class, wherein she met students from all parts of the world and heard their remarkable stories of being refugees, asylum seekers, and immigrants.
This is a story of a teenager trying to find her own path, but her life in Turkey along the Aegean Coast and the rising tensions throughout the country make that quest challenging. A glimpse into a part of the world that will continue being relevant politically and historically.
This intergenerational novel explores the impact of immigration upon families. Perkins looks at the ways culture is inherited, as well as how culture is changed through family and time.
At heart, this is a story about a Panamanian boy and a Mexican girl falling in love. But in addition to being a powerful cross-cultural love story, it’s a book about immigrants—legal and not—seeking out the so-called American dream. A book that gives voice to so many humans too frequently demeaned and ignored.
A graphic biography told in verse, Judge’s look at the life of Mary Shelley and Frankenstein blasts through many of the myths about both and does so with artistic, creative packaging and framing.
This book doesn’t encourage readers to dismiss all technology. Rather, it’s an encouraging and insightful book about why logging off and allowing yourself time to get totally bored can come with tremendous benefits. Tips and tricks throughout, along with case studies of those who’ve tried them, make it easy to do, too.
What’s the line between technology being used as a means of memory and being exploited by memory (or exploiting others with memory)? This book is about grief and loss, as well as the ways we might be tempted to make what’s impermanent impossibly permanent with technology.
What is it like to grow up in a country like North Korea? Lee’s story is about survival on the streets and how he managed to escape the country. Brutal, violent, and necessary reading.
Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is the most racially segregated city in the U.S., and in this ethnography, Desmond explores the nonstop cycle of poverty that occurs when one is evicted from their homes. Eight families share their stories of surviving on nothing and how the system continues to make their lives more challenging.
Black Lives Matter matters, and this memoir takes a look at how the movement started by founding members of it. This is a book, too, about how personal pain and experiences can help drive change and activism. The exploration of the U.S. police state and the prison industrial complex gives much to chew on.
The list below is meant to be a jumping off point. It’s meant to encourage life-long learning, interest in areas within and beyond one’s preferred major studies, and develop a love of reading for information, as well as for pleasure. They should spark conversation and provide a means of thinking about a variety of social and cultural realities and challenges through new or sharper lenses.
I’ve organized these books for college bound students in the same style as the list above: by the Liberal Arts topics they might best fit under. As any reader knows, so many books could fit within so many categories. There are adult titles and young adult titles on the list, fiction and nonfiction, as well as comics, prose, and verse. I’ve limited selections to five per category, for a total of 25 books, and all of which are titles I’ve read personally; there is, of course, substantial room for more books for college bound students. I’d love to hear additional titles in the comments that you’ve read and would recommend.
All of the titles have been published in the last five years, making them timely, relevant, and easy to reference and discuss. This list is appropriate for high school readers, as well as both traditional and nontraditional college students. It is, of course, also appropriate for any reader hoping to expand their knowledge and world views.
