30 Books To Read Before College
This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
I have compiled a comprehensive and completely subjective list of books I think you should read before heading off to college. What are my qualifications? Well, I went to college—so I was once a person considering what books to read before college. I’m also a bookseller, and thus exposed to a wider variety of texts. But I don’t kid myself in thinking these are must-reads or absolutes. These are just thirty books, broken up into five sections, that I think could serve you well should you have them in your brain before leaving home for grand, academic pursuits.
You may notice that Famous Classic of the Literary Cannon by That White Guy is missing from my list. Although I’ve certainly included some classics here—and I’ll concede that there are important so-called classics to read before college—I generally avoided books I thought you may have been assigned and books I noticed on many other books-to-read-before-college lists. I figure you know the classics, the canon—and if you don’t, there are lists aplenty on the internet. Instead, I’ve focused on books to read before college you may not have thought of, books you may not have been assigned.
This is an economics book that made me literally laugh out loud. If you want a better understanding of finance and economics (not a bad idea for those entering “adulthood”) without feeling like an idiot, this is the book for you. I felt at least ten times smarter after turning the final page.
You want to be able to discuss music intelligently, right? Abdurraqib’s collection of culture and music criticism will teach you not only how to discuss music, but how to use it and pop culture as lens to examine and better understand our society. From Bruce Springsteen to Carly Rae Jepsen, Abdurraqib’s observations are sharp and illuminating.
Peter Mendelsund, associate art director of publishing company Alfred A. Knopf, has designed some of the most iconic book covers. Who better to write a book about what we visualize when reading? This book is fully illustrated and extremely fascinating, sure to answer literary questions you didn’t even know you had.
This tiny book is a short and powerful primer on what feminism means in the 21st century. Adichie focuses on inclusion and identifying both blatant discrimination and the more subtle, institutional behaviors that work against women. Her points are clear, well-argued, and supported by personal experience. I don’t care what gender you identify as: we should all be feminists.
This was the first graphic work I ever read, and I’m still recommending it to anyone who is new to the form, is an English major, identifies as queer, or is a human being asking me for book recommendations. It’s a graphic memoir about coming out and coming-of-age, and—bonus—it is chock full of literary allusions.
In this memoir, Janet Mock—writer, TV host, and transgender rights activist—recounts her coming-of-age as a multiracial, poor, and transgender teenager. A beautifully written book about the struggle of being marginalized and misunderstood. Mock is an inspiration—corny as that may sound—to anyone looking for acceptance or wanting to learn how to accept.
Her Body and Other Parties is an intoxicating combination of folklore and pop culture, fabulism and realism—each story lands like a spell. These stories dig into the wounds inflicted upon women by society, themselves, and their peers. At turns seductive and sickening, this collection will enchant you and make your skin crawl.
Griffith herself describes this book best, calling it a “spear-thrust—hard, fast, and very pointed.” There aren’t many books written by and centered around characters who are disabled and/or chronically ill. So Lucky is one of them. A psychological-thriller, a character portrait, and a book with some damn good metaphors; read So Lucky because there is nothing else like it.
There There is a multigenerational novel that weaves the lives of twelve characters together, telling a story of suffering, joy, violence, perseverance—a story of the urban Native American. This debut, only just out, is already being hailed as “wondrous and shattering,” and “thunderclap,” and it deserves all the attention it’s getting, and more.
In this simply illustrated book, Sakugawa offers up advice for how to live a more mindful life, how to stay present and find stillness. College can be a whirlwind of stress and anxiety—better to know how to dial that down and tune in to your body early on.
As an incoming freshman, you’re maybe not think much about death and dying. While I’m not saying you should focus on these concepts, it is important, to keep life in perspective, that you remember we all die eventually. Eloquent and unnerving, Gawande raises important questions about how our society treats this truth. Being Mortal explores the unavoidable realities of aging and dying—without being completely depressing.
In this slim, powerful book, Sonya Renee Taylor insists on radical self-love, on interrupting the systems and people that encourage body-shaming, on celebrating and treating your body in the manner it deserves. So many people out there are trying to sell you something to fix yourself, but you’re not broken and you don’t need to buy their bullshit. (But maybe buy this book.)
When Marin left for college she left everything behind, hoping to outrun tragedy. But, unfortunately, you can’t run away from emotions. Set during winter break on an empty college campus, We Are Okay is not exactly a joyful read, but as Marin figures out how to deal with change and upheaval, you may learn something as well.
Selin, the daughter of Turkish immigrants, is entering her freshman year at Harvard; she engages in all the typical freshman activities: signing up for classes in unknown subjects, befriending new people and, of course, falling in love. Witty and emotional, Batuman’s novel is a completely accurate portrait of what life is like on the very cusp of adulthood.
Squirrel Girl is a freshman in college—a freshman in college who happens to have the proportional strength and agility of squirrels, and a squirrel tail. Smart, hilarious, and refreshing, Squirrel Girl is the hero we need; before knocking heads, she attempts to reason with her villains. She will teach you the power of reasoning, but also the joy of kicking butts and eating nuts.
Looking for even more recommendations? We’ve got another post here, again, specifically for incoming freshman. If you’re looking for more freshman fiction, we’ve got that here. Or, if you were hoping for college prep books, we’ve got you covered.
As usual, I’m curious to hear what titles I may have missed. What are your recommended books to read before college? What book do you think everyone should read before heading off to academia?
You may notice that Famous Classic of the Literary Cannon by That White Guy is missing from my list. Although I’ve certainly included some classics here—and I’ll concede that there are important so-called classics to read before college—I generally avoided books I thought you may have been assigned and books I noticed on many other books-to-read-before-college lists. I figure you know the classics, the canon—and if you don’t, there are lists aplenty on the internet. Instead, I’ve focused on books to read before college you may not have thought of, books you may not have been assigned.
