As millennials in college, in order to wind down or relax after a long day we often turn to social media or the internet (let’s be honest, I really mean Netflix). But what ever happened to sitting down with a good book and reading for fun? I get that college makes you borderline hate reading because textbooks are the worst and assigned readings every night makes you want to rip your hair out, but this is different! Books are really the greatest invention in the world if you think about. They can supply infinite knowledge, make you feel the full spectrum of human emotion, require no batteries or electricity, are portable, and they get better with age. Don’t even try to tell me you don’t like reading because if you think you don’t, you haven’t found the right book for you yet. Finding a book that speaks to you is like having a constant companion who will never change. Whether you’re a freshman, studying abroad, or living out your last few weeks of college, these five books will be your constant companions.
1. "Fangirl" by Rainbow Rowell
“Fangirl” tells of the story of two twins, Cath and Wren, who embark on the journey that is college. Surprisingly, the twins do not room together and separate themselves to establish their own identities. Cath is a nervous, introverted, aspiring author who is also the main protagonist of the novel. While Wren is the extroverted, confident, yet less responsible twin. “Fangirl” follows Cath through her experience with college and her love of writing a fanfiction for the Harry Potter-esque “Carry On” book series featuring a magical school. Cath struggles to adapt to college life, fearing she won't do as well as she hoped, while also dealing with family issues at home with her dad and her sister, Wren. She also meets some interesting characters such as her barista and friend Levi, her roommate Reagan, and classmate Nick, who are all relatable to the types of people you’ll meet in college. This novel is perfect for incoming freshmen or freshmen wrapping up their first year at college. You’ll learn that even though everything seems to be happening all at once, no matter how horrible, you can get through it and Rowell will teach you about being true to yourself while the world around you is changing drastically.
2. "A Moveable Feast" by Ernest Hemingway
During my time in France in my senior year of high school, I was fortunate enough to have an English teacher as a chaperone who shared my love for books. Naturally, two book lovers in Paris will flock to the famous independent bookstore, “Shakespeare & Company.” I’m not exaggerating when I say this place is the literal embodiment of an old, classic, yet crisp book in the form of a building — it’s awesome. While in awe of this incredible and lifelong dream, my chaperone pulled “A Moveable Feast” out of the shelves and told me I had to read it. Usually when English teachers tell me I need to read a book I take it as a suggestion then look it up in Sparknotes later, but this was for enjoyment so I went to the little cashier countertop and purchased this short and sweet Hemingway memoir.
Hemingway was apart of what's known as “The Lost Generation”, a term coined by Hemingway himself to describe the generation that came of age in the 1920s. F. Scott Fitzgerald and John Steinbeck and other famous authors are apart of this generation as well. Published after his death using his journals, “A Moveable Feast” is Hemingway’s memoir about his time in Paris during the 1920s. He writes of sitting at cafés while writing and people watching, struggling to survive with his wife Hadley, and encounters with other Lost Generation authors. I highly recommend this if you plan on studying abroad in France during your college career. “A Moveable Feast” is like stepping into history so make it a game and sit in the places Hemingway mentions in his memoir while reading about them, that way you can truly experience France through his eyes and compare now to the 1920s!
3. "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" by Stephen Chbosky
You don’t need to be a wallflower to enjoy and grasp the complexity of this coming-of-age novel set during the 1990s. Although the main character, Charlie, is only fifteen, he’s wise beyond his years. This book is written in a series of letters addressed to an anonymous person whom Charlie confides in. His letters talk about the world of first dates and mix tapes, family drama, new friends, sex, drugs, and “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.” Although on the surface “Perks” seems to be about the excitements of entering a new school and social world, it also deals with emotional and mental health aspects that people of all ages can either relate to or learn from. This one can be a tearjerker so if you plan on reading it, have a box of tissues ready.
4. "Horseradish: The Bitter Truths You Can’t Avoid" by Lemony Snicket
Whether you know him as Daniel Handler or by his pen name, Lemony Snicket, there’s no doubt you’ll love his books. His use of sarcastic, satirical, ironic and intelligent humor, gives him this dual title of children’s author and adult-truthbomb-dropper. “Horseradish” isn’t a book in the traditional sense, as it’s more of advice on how to deal with life.
His chapters are titled: Home, Family, School, Work, Entertainment, Literature, Travel, Emotional Health, Affairs of the Heart, A Life of Mystery, The Mystery of Life, An Overall Feeling of Doom that One Cannot Ever Escape no Matter What One Does, and Miscellaneous. Each chapter features a page with a line of advice from the man-of-laughs himself that are both humorous and a reality check. This book is great to read when you’re facing a problem you don’t know how to deal with. Just find the appropriate chapter to begin the search for your answer. This is also a really great gag-but-not-really-gag gift for a friend going into college or graduating!
5. "Tuesdays with Morrie" by Mitch Albom
“Tuesdays with Morrie” is the sweetest and saddest book of this list. In college, Mitch Albom, the author, had a professor that changed his life. Morrie Schwartz became more than a professor, he became a colleague. But, as always, life can get in the way. As Mitch graduated, got a career, got married and had kids, he eventually got too busy to continue keeping in touch with Morrie.
As time passed, he reconnected with Morrie in the last months of his life. Knowing he was dying, Mitch visited Morrie in his study every Tuesday, just as they used to back in college. Their rekindled relationship turned into one final “class” with lessons about how to live. This true story about everlasting friendship and mentorship will help you learn about things you haven’t, had, and will come across in your life. Although this book is aimed for all ages, Morrie’s sentiments can relate to those entering, enduring, or leaving college. You’ll probably laugh, cry, or have all sorts of feelings you didn’t know you had, but that’s just the way to tell a book is having the right impact on you.
