The 6 Books Every Millennial Should Read This Year
Reading isn’t something that every person loves to do. We’re forced to read certain books in high school and college (well, plenty of us don’t actually read them). Forced reading ruins the pleasure in the activity for a lot of us, including myself.
But, recently I’ve found that reading is underrated. Cuddling up by a fireplace while snuggling under a pile blankets with a book is a delightful way spend an afternoon. Don’t know what to read? No problem. Check out this reading list that every 20-something should complete:
1. “Tuesdays With Morrie” by Mitch Albom
Most 20-somethings are obsessed with making plans. Whether it’s getting the right job or finding the right person, we love to know what’s ahead of us. But, newsflash: no matter how hard you try to plan your life, it’ll never end up exactly as you desire. “Tuesdays With Morrie” is about life, love and learning to roll with the punches.
2. “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald
If you skipped this book in high school, or just read the summaries, now’s the time to read this gem from cover to cover. Not only is “The Great Gatsby” a classic and a goldmine for metaphors, but it also communicates the age-old American dream (if its corruption). It provides hope that, despite the difficult economy, we can still succeed, at least financially. More than anything, it teaches us to take a stake in learning about ourselves.
3. “The Fault in Our Stars” by John Green
This one is just genius. We often don’t realize the small things we take for granted, like our good health, and John Green does a wonderful job highlighting this for us. In our 20s, it’s our jobs to live our lives and not worry about these things (even if they do plague our existences). As clichéd as it sounds, this book emphasizes the importance of living our lives to their fullest — and you know it’s good when you continuously bawl for four chapter straight.
4. “What I Know Now: Letters to My Younger Self” by Ellyn Spragins
Remember when we used to worry about petty things, like how our hair looks and whether or not a certain outfit makes our eyes pop? Maybe you lost a friend and you thought it was the end of the world, or maybe you spent a week stressing over a test that didn’t ever end up mattering. Maya Angelou, Eileen Fisher, Cokie Roberts, Macy Gray and many more people write letters to their younger selves in this compilation, which shines insight on the things they wish they would have known.
5. “Bossypants” by Tina Fey
This book is simply because women can do anything men can, and because women can do some things better than men can. Tina Fey’s hilarious memoir tells the (mostly awkward) stories that led her to her amazing career. It should be required reading for aspirational women everywhere.
6. “He’s Just Not That Into You” by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo
All of us have sat for hours on end analyzing and over-thinking every text message some guy sent. You probably called your friends to get their opinions and most of the time, they told you what you wanted want to hear rather than what's actually transpiring. Every 20-something should read “He’s Just Not That Into You” because even though the truth may be hard to hear, not everyone in the world will like you or reciprocate your feelings. And, not all people will sugarcoat it either!
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