7 Books You Need to Read Before You Start College
1/10A word to incoming college freshmen: No matter what you study in college, you’ll read a lot of books. And unless you’re an English major, they’ll be textbooks. You probably won’t have much time to read for fun over the next four years, so it’s probably a good idea to read as much as you can this summer to make up for lost time. These works of literary fiction, nonfiction, and YA belong on every freshman’s bookshelf, so it’s time to add them to your reading list!
2/10The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chobsky
In college, thousands of lives intersect for the first time, and everyone is looking to make new friends. But everyone’s also looking to put the past behind them and start fresh. Like Charlie, Sam, and Patrick in Perks, college freshmen are accumulations of their experiences, and you never know what kinds of issues your new peers are dealing with. The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a reminder to be sensitive to the people around you, which is one of the reasons it’s widely considered a modern classic.
3/10The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
Sometimes little things make a big difference — at least, according to journalist Malcolm Gladwell. In The Tipping Point, he explores the factors of social and cultural phenomena like fashion trends, television shows, and celebrities. How did they rise to fame and gain notoriety? Gladwell claims there are three types of people who spread ideas and drive epidemics: Connectors, Mavens, and Salesmen. Once you read this book, we promise you’ll look at things differently, and start seeing how the smaller moments in your own life have led to bigger opportunities — which is very helpful when you’re a college student trying to build a résumé.
4/10The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Not only is this one of the greatest books of all time, filled with a gut-wrenching love story, opulent 1920s imagery, and lyrical prose, but you’ll inevitably attend a Gatsby-themed party at some point during your college career (which will be way more fun if you spend it quoting the book). Plus, you don’t want to be that person who thinks it’s just a movie with Leo DiCaprio.
5/10Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling
Mindy Kaling’s first memoir chronicles how she went from high school outcast to key player in the development of The Office, and the chapters about her days at Dartmouth and working as an intern in television are as close to a “how to” manual on making it in TV as you’ll get. Like most of us trying to nab internships in the arts, Mindy ran into her fair share of obstacles, and reflects on overcoming them with poise and humor.
6/10Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
Rainbow Rowell’s Fangirl is perfect for any high school senior because it follows identical twins Cath and Wren as they adjust to college life at the University of Nebraska. While Wren branches out and makes friends with frat guys and party girls, Cath remains bound to her computer, writing stories for her millions of readers in the online “Simon Snow” fanfiction community. When goofy and loveable Levi enters her life, Cath must decide which she values more: living in the moment or living in her head.
7/10Reading Lolita In Tehran by Azar Nafisi
While homework can sometimes be a drag, it’s important to realize that we’re incredibly lucky to go to college in the United States. In some countries like Iran, content is censored, and groundbreaking works of Western literature are banned. Told through the lenses of books like The Great Gatsby (see? Gatsby is everywhere!), Daisy Miller, Lolita, and Jane Austen, Azar Nafisi’s memoir documents the secret all-female book club she hosted at her apartment after quitting her job as a professor at the University of Tehran and the personal struggles of her students.
8/10Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling
Especially with Harry Potter and the Cursed Child opening this summer, it’s a good idea to add Harry Potter to your arsenal of pop culture trivia. The Wizarding World is so universal that it’s an instant conversation topic during those awkward freshman orientation activities and an even more instant connection with roommates. (And even though you can cheat by watching the movies, we promise the books are SO worth it.) (Also, if you haven't yet read the series, what have you been doing with your life?!)
9/10The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
Winner of the 2014 Pulitzer Prize, The Goldfinch opens with a terrorist attack on the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where Theo, the protagonist, loses his mother. In the chaos, he steals her favorite painting, the Goldfinch, which he’ll carry with him throughout the novel. As he grows up, he moves between the wealthy Barbour family on the Upper East Side, his father’s home in Las Vegas, and Amsterdam. It’s a dark coming-of-age tale, but also a sweeping one, and well worth nearly 800 pages
