10 Need-to-Read Books for Young Adults
Start writing a post
Entertainment

10 Need-to-Read Books for Young Adults

Add these books to your reading list right now.

16
10 Need-to-Read Books for Young Adults
Lauren Viar

I don't think much compares to getting lost within yourself. This wave of tranquility and self awareness seems to wash over your mind and down your body. The only thing I can think of that gives me this feeling is books. Books do the most incredible job of transporting you out of this world and into another. As an avid reader, I believe books also have a great power to change people and most of the time for the better. There are certain books that I've read that I relate to on a very personal level or have moved me to think a different way about the world around me. Here some book that I have read as a young adult that particularly moved me in some way or that I have fallen in love with.

1. "A Lovers Dictionary" by David Levithan

This book is about a modern love told through dictionary like entries. The book reaches out to everyone whether they are in love, out of love, or in between.

Favorite Quote: "Gravity, n. : I imagine you saved my life. And then I wonder if I'm just imagining it."

2. "Chasers of The Light: Poems from the Typerwriter Series" by Tyler Knott Gregson

"Chasers of the Light" is a collection of poems done by Gregson that were all done with a typewriter on random pieces of paper, reciepts, napkins, etc. and also some poems he's created via black out method about the small things in life that matter more than we think.

Favorite Quote: "Sometimes the only way to catch your breath is to lose it completely."

3. "A Boy in France" by J.D. Salinger

"A Boy in France" isn't actually a book, but it's the second part of a trio of short stories done by Salinger. Salinger didn't write a lot of war stories, but this is about a young boy on the front lines of war in France during WWII reading a letter from his sister to comfort him. The short story is simply just captures your imagination so easily and takes you back in time.

Favorite Quote: "I'll read my books and I'll drink my coffee and I'll listen to music, and I'll bolt the door."

4. "Reasons to Stay Alive" by Matt Haig

"Reasons to Stay Alive" is a personal account about Haig's experience with anxiety and depression. His world caves in and he finds reasons to stay living through these small moments.

Favorite Quote: "I was better. I was better. But it only takes a doubt. A drop of ink into a clear glass of water and clouds the whole thing."

5. "The Picture of Dorian Gray" by Oscar Wilde

This novel is actually a philosophical piece done by Wilde that is really critizing hedonism and that beauty and pleasure are all you need in life. Definitely is a book that the minute you put it down, you're left a mind boggled.

Favorite Quote: "You are a wonderful creation. You know more than you think you know, just as you know less than you want to know."

6. "Paper Towns" by John Green

"Paper Towns" is about a boy who is on a mission with his three best friends to find the love of his life after she mysteriously disappears, leaving behind an array of clues. The book leaves the reader to believe it's a typical teen love story, until you find out it's really not. This is a great book to read when you're moving on from high school to college or college to beyond.

Favorite Quotes: "What a treacherous thing to believe that a person is more than a person."

7. Diary of an Oxygen Thief by Anonymous

This book is a very raw, real and painful novel not just about love but about what we allow ourselves to do others and what we let people do to us. The characters in the story are very honest and easy to relate to. This book moves me to the core and is something that I think everyone should read.

Favorite Quote: "Romance has killed more people than cancer. Ok...maybe not killed but dulled more lives. Removed more hope, sold more medication, caused more tears."

8. "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseni

Khlaled Hosseni is the same author who wrote the book "The Kite Runner" and if you liked "The Kite Runner," you will absolutely love this book. The book is essentially about two women in Afghanistan whose lives intersect. The story really gives you a great look into Middle Eastern culture and an incredibly moving "mother-daughter story". The book is tragically moving and beautiful.

Favorite Quote: "A society has no chance success if its women are uneducated."

9. "Thirteen Reasons Why" by Jay Asher

This story is one of many that truly made me look at the world very differently. The plot is about a boy who listening to a set of tapes left behind by a local girl who committed suicide. The story is full of mystery and sadness and is one of those that strikes you in the heart very hard and very fast.

Favorite Quote: "In the end... everything matters."

10. "The Book Thief" by Markus Zusaks


This book is set in the midst of Nazi Germany during WWII. The narrator isn't actually the main character but the narrator is Death. The story is about young girl going through the obstacles of a war torn society and how she realizes the power of books and language. I definitely reccommend reading the book before watching the movie. The book and the movie are both incredibly moving and tug at your heart strings but, the book does a more powerful job I think.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
houses under green sky
Photo by Alev Takil on Unsplash

Small towns certainly have their pros and cons. Many people who grow up in small towns find themselves counting the days until they get to escape their roots and plant new ones in bigger, "better" places. And that's fine. I'd be lying if I said I hadn't thought those same thoughts before too. We all have, but they say it's important to remember where you came from. When I think about where I come from, I can't help having an overwhelming feeling of gratitude for my roots. Being from a small town has taught me so many important lessons that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.

Keep Reading...Show less
​a woman sitting at a table having a coffee
nappy.co

I can't say "thank you" enough to express how grateful I am for you coming into my life. You have made such a huge impact on my life. I would not be the person I am today without you and I know that you will keep inspiring me to become an even better version of myself.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

91072
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less
a man and a woman sitting on the beach in front of the sunset

Whether you met your new love interest online, through mutual friends, or another way entirely, you'll definitely want to know what you're getting into. I mean, really, what's the point in entering a relationship with someone if you don't know whether or not you're compatible on a very basic level?

Consider these 21 questions to ask in the talking stage when getting to know that new guy or girl you just started talking to:

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Challah vs. Easter Bread: A Delicious Dilemma

Is there really such a difference in Challah bread or Easter Bread?

64556
loaves of challah and easter bread stacked up aside each other, an abundance of food in baskets
StableDiffusion

Ever since I could remember, it was a treat to receive Easter Bread made by my grandmother. We would only have it once a year and the wait was excruciating. Now that my grandmother has gotten older, she has stopped baking a lot of her recipes that require a lot of hand usage--her traditional Italian baking means no machines. So for the past few years, I have missed enjoying my Easter Bread.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments