15 books graduates will actually want to read

Tell Me More: Stories About the 12 Hardest Things I’m Learning to Say

by Kelly Corrigan

I adored this book; I wish I could download it into my brain. Kelly talks in depth about how after her friend Liz was diagnosed with cancer, they both pushed past the surface stuff to forge a powerful and enduring friendship. (The dedication page makes me cry every time: "I wish we could have done this together, Lizzard, though in a way, we sort of did.") This book will make you want to be a better friend, and also give you insight into how. Personal, heartfelt, and really really good.

1,000 Books to Read Before You Die: A Life-Changing List

by James Mustich

This fun doorstop of a collection (and I say that with affection) includes titles I expected (all six Austen novels) and titles I didn't (Make Way for Ducklings, Into Thin Air, The Hunt for Red October). The book includes numerous shorter reading lists, thorough indexes, and a checklist so you can see how many on the list you have read. (My current total is 168.) I chatted with Mustich on a special New Year's episode of What Should I Read Next?, where Jim recommended which of those 1000 books he thinks I should prioritize.

You Learn by Living: Eleven Keys for a More Fulfilling Life

by Eleanor Roosevelt

Roosevelt penned this book--part memoir, part advice manual--in 1960, when she was 76 years old. It’s striking how fresh and wise her insight seems today, over fifty years later. Roosevelt offers an interesting perspective on history, unique insights into her life (which contained a surprising amount of personal tragedy), and a good bit of wisdom you might just apply to your own life.

Gmorning, Gnight!: Little Pep Talks for Me & You

by Lin-Manuel Miranda

Lin-Manuel Miranda has long tweeted short, inspirational messages to his followers at the beginning and end of each day. This collection pairs the best of his greetings. It makes for a great pick-me-up. From the publisher: "Before he inspired the world with Hamilton and was catapulted to international fame, Lin-Manuel Miranda was inspiring his Twitter followers with words of encouragement at the beginning and end of each day. He wrote these original sayings, aphorisms, and poetry for himself as much as for others. But as Miranda's audience grew, these messages took on a life on their own. Now Miranda has gathered the best of his daily greetings into a collection. Full of comfort and motivation, Gmorning, Gnight! is a touchstone for anyone who needs a quick lift."

Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life from Dear Sugar

by Cheryl Strayed

For years, Cheryl Strayed wrote an advice column for TheRumpus.net called "Dear Sugar." Strayed wrote anonymously—to her readers she was only "Sugar"—and she answered likewise anonymous letters about love and romance, grief and loss, money and family troubles. To call these "columns" seems to sell them short: these are beautiful, heartfelt, brutally honest essays that go in directions you don't expect. Strayed is compassionate with her letter writers, giving them gentle advice while not pulling any punches, but says her real mission isn't to tell them what they "should" do. Instead, she tries to reveal a third way by either presenting a perspective that those who write can't see on their own, or to complexly hash out what's really going on in their life and situation. My favorite essays, hands-down, are The Ghost Ship That Didn't Carry Us and The Obliterated Place. Proceed with caution: this has a hefty f-bomb count and triggers galore, but it's too good to leave out.

Dreyer’s English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style

by Benjamin Dreyer

Long-time copy chief Benjamin Dreyer schools us all on the ins and outs of grammar. For everyone who wants to write better, a fresh (and often snarky) take on how to write.

Year of Yes: How to Dance It Out, Stand In the Sun and Be Your Own Person

by Shonda Rhimes

This inspirational memoir's epigraph bears quotes from Maya Angelou and Christina from Grey's Anatomy, which gives you a good idea of what you'll find inside. Rhimes is the queen of Thursday night tv, creating and producing smash hits like Grey's and Scandal. This time she's telling her own story of how her sister issued her a six-word wake-up call—You never say yes to anything—and the year of YES that followed. I saw parts of myself all over this and absolutely loved the last chapter when the author discovers what her big year was really about. Heads up for audio lovers: Rhimes reads her own work for the audio version.

The Source of Self-Regard: Selected Essays, Speeches, and Meditations

by Toni Morrison

Toni Morrison might be known for her fiction but her nonfiction is just as worth reading. This collection includes meditations, her takes on much debated issues, and commentary on other works. It offers a new perspective on an esteemed writer but also invites readers to see the world in a different light, leaving them better for it.

In the Company of Women: Inspiration and Advice from over 100 Makers, Artists, and Entrepreneurs

by Grace Bonney

From the publisher: "Across the globe, women are embracing the entrepreneurial spirit and starting creative businesses. In the Company of Women profiles over 100 of these influential and creative women from all ages, races, backgrounds, and industries."

The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World

by Dalai Lama, Desmond Tutu

From the publisher: "This sparkling, wise, and immediately useful gift to readers from two remarkable spiritual masters offers hope that joy is possible for everyone even in the most difficult circumstances, and describes a clear path for attaining it."

Adulting: How to Become a Grown-up in 468 Easy(ish) Step

by Kelly Williams Brown

I have confidence in Meg Jay, author of The Defining Decade, who says, "Twentysomethings who are looking for a silver bullet will find it here in the form of 468 silver pellets. Without a doubt, one (or a hundred) of these pellets will change your relationship or your career or your mind or your potatoes, all of which matter in adulthood."

1,000 Places to See Before You Die

by Patricia Schultz

TIME.com said "[1,000 Places to See Before You Die] has joined the canon of classic reference tomes that earn cozy homes on the bookshelf next to the thesaurus."

The Defining Decade: Why Your Twenties Matter–And How to Make the Most of Them Now

by Meg Jay

Whether you're approaching twenty, are in your twenties, or have ever been twenty, Jay provides a fascinating look at what's so important about these years. Well-written, heavily researched, story-driven, and absolutely inspiring. This is one of my favorites, and would also make an excellent gift for the parents of grads.

I’d Rather Be Reading: The Delights and Dilemmas of the Reading Life

by Anne Bogel

Our books shape us, define us, enchant us, and even sometimes infuriate us. Our books are a part of who we are as people, and we can't imagine life without them. I'd Rather Be Reading leads readers to remember the book that first hooked them, the place where they first fell in love with reading, and all of the moments afterward that helped make them the reader they are today.

Target

Daring Greatly

by Brené Brown

This is the Brené Brown book best suited to the beach, and since you need to read at least one Brené Brown book in your lifetime, go ahead and throw it in your swim bag. Brown is a researcher and a storyteller: while she’s educating you about vulnerability and courage, you’ll find yourself thinking she’d make a great girlfriend. Funny, insightful, and wise.

15 books graduates will actually want to read

Tell Me More: Stories About the 12 Hardest Things I’m Learning to Say

1,000 Books to Read Before You Die: A Life-Changing List

You Learn by Living: Eleven Keys for a More Fulfilling Life

Gmorning, Gnight!: Little Pep Talks for Me & You

Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life from Dear Sugar

Dreyer’s English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style

Year of Yes: How to Dance It Out, Stand In the Sun and Be Your Own Person

The Source of Self-Regard: Selected Essays, Speeches, and Meditations

In the Company of Women: Inspiration and Advice from over 100 Makers, Artists, and Entrepreneurs

The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World

Adulting: How to Become a Grown-up in 468 Easy(ish) Step

1,000 Places to See Before You Die

The Defining Decade: Why Your Twenties Matter–And How to Make the Most of Them Now

I’d Rather Be Reading: The Delights and Dilemmas of the Reading Life

Daring Greatly

Find your next read with:

100 Book recommendations
for every mood

15 books graduates will actually want to read

Find your next read with:

100 Book recommendations for every mood

100 Book recommendations
for every mood