1. "Where Things Come Back" by John Corey Whaley
This fast-paced story of one high school senior's search for his missing brother teaches readers that the end of the world is farther away than it seems, while urging us to look at our everyday surroundings in a new way. Read to remind yourself to pause and look around every once in a while.
Take Away Quote: "We can get up, anticipate that the day will probably have a few good moments and a few bad ones, and then just deal with it. Take it all in and deal as best we can."
2. "Breakfast of Champions" by Kurt Vonnegut
This novel exists solely to pit readers against themselves. Through his protagonist's careful narration, you will learn to teach yourself to live fast just to keep up with this never-slowing world. Plus, come on, it's Vonnegut. Read to receive direction in a world where there is none.
Take Away Quote: "There is no order in the world around us, we must adapt ourselves to the requirements of chaos instead."
3. "The Opposite of Loneliness" by Marina Keegan
At this age, it is very easy to convince yourself that you are alone on your campus, in your city, or in our world. Through short essays and stories written during her time living as a young adult in Boston, Keegan convinces the reader that we are not alone. And even if we are, so what? Read to convince yourself, simply, that you are going to be okay.
Take Away Quote: "What we have to remember is that we can still do anything. We can change our minds. We can start over."
4. "Deadline" by Chris Crutcher
An inspiring novel about a high schooler diagnosed with one calendar year left to live, this story is a far from stereotypical interpretation of welcoming death. Follow each separate character as they confront their demons and, in some rare cases even welcome them with open arms. Read to decide for yourself what is important.
Take Away Quote: "I would rather be a flash than a slowly burning ember."
5. "The Bell Jar" by Sylvia Plath
I'm sure many of you have read parts or the entirety of this book in school, so here is the perfect excuse to put aside your homework and read it again. We watch our heroine crumble under the weight of simply being alive; we watch her pull herself back up, and we flinch when she collapses again. Nothing is more fit to inspire the wondering college student than this, classic Sylvia. Read to expose yourself to how simple the truth can be.
Take Away Quote: "I took a deep breath and listened the the old brag of my heart. I am. I am. I am."
6. "What We Talk About When We Talk About Love" by Raymond Carver
This collection of short stories is raw in its many excuses for how we justify behavior in the name of love. By exploring the different shapes and sounds of love, Carver delivers unforgettable moments after moments that force us to sit back and look just a little closer at the people we let into our lives. Read to dare yourself to love aggressively.
Take Away Quote: "A big moon was laid over the mountains that went around the city. It was a white moon and covered with scars. Any damn fool could imagine a face there."
7. "Lord of the Flies" by William Golding
Another high school classic that I can't help but love. We are transported to an island in the 1950s and are invited to soak in the many mistakes easily made during adolescence. The reader can't help but root for the most hopeless of characters. Read to learn how not to behave in dire situations.
Take Away Quote: "The thing is—fear can't hurt you anymore than a dream."
8. "Egghead" by Bo Burnham
At the end of a long day or at the beginning of a rainy one, I often take this book of poems off of my shelf, flip it open to any given page, and sink into the easy hilarity. Burnham's poems are often funny, sometimes serious, and always true. Ranging from digging yourself out of a hole to how to properly sit on a Unicorn, this book has a poem fit for every mood one could find themselves in. Read to remind yourself to laugh, loud.
Take Away Quote: "I wrote down the words that I needed to say but a wind came through and blew them away."
