15 Books You Should Read In Your 20s

Are you in your twenties? Here are some of the best books you should read in your twenties.

These are some of the best books in various niches that will improve your life for the better.

Being the most transformative decade, transitions and challenges are most discernible in one’s twenties. 

More often than not, this decade wraps up with the highest number of questions than one began with. 

For an exhilarating yet scholastic journey, I would recommend the following books.

These are books you should read as soon as you can.

1. The Alchemist (Top Of the List Of Books You Should Read)

By Paulo Coelho.

Have you ever dreamt of exploring your wildest dreams then talked yourself out of it? Or wanted to make a self-discovery journey but you were hesitant on leaving everything behind?

Then The Alchemist is a book you should read.

I bet you will love it.

It weaves a remarkable tale of a young Spanish shepherd boy who leaves his nation, his livelihood and household trying to find covert treasure.

It stresses on the idea that all individuals should live in the singular pursuit of their individual dreams.

Click here to download the Alchemist from Amazon.

2. The Subtle Art Of Not Giving A F*ck

By Mark Manson.

“A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life”, as described by the author, is a lead for self-improvement junkies, anyone overburdened by life or worries.

It is one of those books you should read if burdened by life.

Mark Manson argues that life struggles give life more meaning which is a better or rather positive approach to those constantly trying to be happy.

Mind you, he uses profanity and blunt honesty to illustrate his ideas but what better way to teach this decade?

Download the book from Amazon here.

3. Americanah

By Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

Americanah is a flawless book that deeply broadens your knowledge on other cultures and a world other than your own.

It is easily tagged as a modern classic telling the story of a young Nigerian woman, Ifemelu, who leaves her first world and home for a whole new world in the United States and explores it with ruthless honesty and open for love.

It holds the discomfiting realities of our times and decade fearlessly before us.

I wish I had read this earlier in my twenties.

Download Americanah on Amazon by clicking here.

4. The Dirt

By Motley Crue and Neil Strauss.

The Dirt will make you realize that your crazy, hyped twenties were nothing.

This provocatively written book houses the autobiographies and stories of a band and its outrageous explanation makes it a page turner for anyone in their twenties.

Click here to download the Dirt on Amazon.

5. 101 Secrets For Your Twenties

By Paul Angone.

“Sometimes surviving your twenties is nothing more glamorous than just holding on for dear life on the back of an inner tube like a kid being whipped around by a speedboat.”

That was the beginning read when I first encountered the book.

It is refreshingly witty, entertaining and most importantly, a real evaluation of the things millenials often deal with.

It is more of a consolation that we are not alone in this capricious transition to adulthood.

Get the book on Amazon now.

6. The Great Gatsby

By F.Scott Fitzgerald.

To a notable degree, many literary critics consider The Great Gatsby to be one of the greatest novels ever written. 

It is purely fictional yet a classic that deserves a read in your early years.

It tells of the tragic story of Jay Gatsby, a self made millionaire and his pursuit of Daisy Buchanan, a wealthy divine young woman whom he loved in his youth.

A tragic story of an ultimate American dream that is taught in the rest of the world.

You can click here to download the Great Gatsby on Amazon.

7. The Picture Of Dorian Gray

By Oscar Wilde.

Who doesn’t love a good classic?

The Picture of Dorian Gray is a classic that challenges boundaries written by an iconic author, Oscar Wilde.

This book is an archetypal tale of a young man who purchases eternal and beauty at the expense of his soul.

In all it’s transgressive delights,it exposes a theme on aestheticism and all that is beautiful; which was one of Oscar’s most discernible obsessions.

Download the Picture Of Dorian Gray.

8. Conversation With Friends

By Sally Rooney.

By the time you flip the third or the fourth page, you will find the words making up the whole book, a lucid gift.

It is a sharply discerning novel about two college students and the strange unexpected connection they forge with a married couple.

At the end of it all, Sally Rooney intensely taps into an aspect of being young in today’s world.

Download Conversation With Friends here.

 

9. The Secret History

By Donna Tartt.

This book is undoubtedly best read when campus life and friendships are still fresh in your mind. 

It experiments the boundaries of normal morality and consequences of eroding them (boundaries).

The secret history is an inverted detective story narrated by one of the close six students at a college, who reflects years later upon a situation that led to particular murder.

The events leading to the murder are revealed sequentially as you get more lured in this psychological and intellectual world.

Click here to download The Secret History.

10. 52 Cups Of Coffee

By Megan Gebhurt.

This is one awfully interesting book.

The author, Megan Gebhurt, challenges herself to have a single cup of coffee with different persons to learn about their careers and life every week. For a year!

This is immediately after graduation where she does not want to subject herself to an aimless climb of the career ladder. 

You will learn, though, that there is no right way of doing things but this is a story that will clearly depict places conversations could take you.

Whether it’s debating power with a politician or arguing about talents and skills with a certain founder, her enthusiasm in doing this provides the greatest inspiration.

Download 52 Cups Of Coffee on Amazon.

11. Anna Karenina

By Leo Tolstoy.

Anna Karenina is yet another classic that is the greatest work of literature ever.

The plot centers on an cataclysmic extramarital affair between a married Anna and a dashing cavalry officer Count Alexei Kirillovich Vronsky, forcing them to flee to Italy in search of happiness.

Yet their lives truly unravel when they return to Russia.

It might be a tad difficult to read but nothing beats the intellect of a good classic and the enchantment of reading one.

Download Anna Karenina on Amazon.

12. Yes Please

By Amy Poehler.

Yes please is described as “full of humor, honesty and brimming with true stories, fictional anecdotes and life lessons” by the publisher.

She delivers each story with such sheer delight and funny and each advice and mantra, with thought-provoking energy.

It is a must read book, one you need to live by.

It is definitely a book you should in your twenties.

Download Yes Please on Amazon.

13. Modern Romance

By Aziz Ansari.

The book is a hot take on why dating in this decade is not like it used to be back then.

It is surprisingly informative and scientific especially in this digital era.

The author being a stand-up comedian makes the whole experience relatable to twenty-something’s and also far from being boring. All that is in relation to relationships and inspiration.

Click here to download the book from Amazon.

 

 14. My Mistress’s Sparrow Is Dead

By Alice Munro.

“When it comes to love, there are a million ways to explain it. But when it comes to love stories, things are simpler…”

To take a break from the seriousness and solemnity of life, have this book in your hands to enjoy a great romance partaking ecstasy and agony of being in love. 

A great recommendation it is, as you will find the other many variegated experiences of love and pleasures common yet unknown by most.

Get the book on Amazon here.

15.Generation Z Unfiltered

By Andrew McPeak and Tim Elmore.

Unlike all the aforementioned recommendations, this book points to the nine challenges faced by this generation or “anxious population” as quoted by the author.

It evokes empowerment, privilege, individualism, involvement and several other contexts we seek answers to.

It points out just how much the 21st century generation is living a life of paradox and presents skills to lead a real life.

Click here to get the book on Amazon.

Final Thoughts On the Books You Should Read In Your 20s

So basically, regardless of what you have going on, books are a great source of insight and comfort.

They are ultimately about taking heed to your heart, following your dreams and grabbing opportunities as they whiz past you, all of which are pivotal for anyone in their twenties.

They are the indefectible chronicles of our age of anxiety, providing all its seekers an unspoiled solace.

Naturally all the stuff amidst your transition is reflected in great literature.

Did you enjoy reading this article on the books you should read in your twenties?

Is there a particular book that stood out for you?

Is there any book you would love to see added on to this list of the best books one should read in their twenties?

Let me know in the comments below.

Also share this post with your friends and family that are looking for books to read in their twenties.

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