10 Books Everyone Should Read Before College — The Second Angle

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In your school you must have read hundreds of academic books and in your college life your professors would already have a long list of books ready for you that would likely shape your academic career. But literature would be another useful source of knowledge for you in your college life. In this post, we have compiled the list of books everyone should read before college.

So, whether you’re a proud bookworm or a casual reader, there are several books you could add to your literary arsenal as you prepare to start the first chapter of university life.

So keeping all that in mind, here is a list of Top 10 books that everyone should read before college:

1. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee

10 Books Everyone Should Read Before College — Image Source: wikipedia

Any college going student from any part of the world who is studying English or Literature will already have read or set to read To Kill a Mockingbird. However, if you have not already read it then it should be added to your list. The character of Atticus Finch remains one of the foremost heroes of racial equality and justice, and this book has some disturbing instances of racial bigotry and rape.

2. The Catcher In The Rye by J.D. Salinger

The Catcher in the Rye is a perfect book that deals with topics such as loneliness, anger, identity, rebellion, sex, and superficiality, among others that almost every adolescent faces during growing up. The book’s protagonist, Holden Caulfield, cannot endure the hypocrisies of his high school boarding school any longer and tries to flee to New York. This book should definitely be on college student’s list.

3. 1984 by George Orwell

If any student who is about to start college has a dystopian novel on his reading list then it has to be 1984 by George Orwell. George Orwell’s dystopia world has been compared to contemporary, global events from time to time. As our world has taken a step back from progress in recent years, 1984 is a good book to scare us straight.

4. This Side of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald

No book list is complete without mention the great F Scott Fitzgerald. One of his books that every single college student should make a point of reading before they graduate is This Side of Paradise. The classic novel tells the story of a Princeton student who becomes disillusioned with life after graduation. It is written in a quite witty and romantic way.

5. One Hundred Years Of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez

Leaving your home and going somewhere else to study would mean that you would now have to live on your own. Gabriel García Márquez’s novel One Hundred Years of Solitude seems quite a fitting read for this situation. The book explores solitude and what effects it has on individual lives. The book tells a multigenerational story of an isolated town located in the Colombian rainforest.

6. Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking by Malcolm Gladwell

If you have ever wondered what are the consequences you would likely face when you are making quick decision regarding your life then this book is for you. This book is about us when we make certain choices in our lives without giving it a proper thought. This tells us the consequences of thinking without thinking.

7. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

Just like George Orwell’s 1984, Brave New World is also a dystopian novel. Aldous Huxley takes his readers in a world where humans have been engineered to be docile and their only purpose is to serve the needs and desires of the ruling class. This will definitely be a good read before starting your college life.

8. Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi

The books deals with topics like faith, science and religion. The main character of the novel, Gifty, is a research scholar in neuroscience. She tries to use some scientific understanding to the suffering of her family. Meanwhile Gifty is suffering through some personal conflicts with her faith. This book has been selected for various reading programs at several universities.

9. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

Worthy of its many impressive accolades, this haunting dystopian tale by Margaret Atwood should be on every college student’s shelf. This novel due to its prophetic and dark insights has been praised and is the perfect read to sharpen your critical thinking and improve your mind skills as a young adult.

10. The Defining Decade: Why Your Twenties Matter–And How to Make the Most of Them Now by Meg Jay

If you are about to start college, you might have entered your twenties or would about to. This book would give you a direction to head in this decade. The book is full of stories from other twenty-year-olds and plenty of scientific research, this is one of the best college books to read for students and young adults.

Books are portals to new and different perspectives that allow us to view things a little differently. So before heading to college, having a new perspective about the way you see things would be more helpful. Here was the wrap-up on books everyone should read before college.