5 Books Every Twenty-Something Should Read!

Our 20s are a time for fun, a time for self-exploration, and a time for mistakes. So often there are pressures for us to do more or slow down, to mature rapidly or hang tight to our youth. It’s often the first time that we set out on the world on our own. In short, our 20s are times when we often feel lost. 

So, for the years when we are feeling most unsure, we should seek out advice. The best place to find some of these wise words are from books! With the crazy amount of new publications that have been flooding the market, picking just the right one can be difficult. No need to worry, however! We’ve got you covered! These are 5 books every twenty-something should be reading...

1. My Body by Emily Ratajkowski

For those who may not be familiar with Emily Ratajkowski, she is a model and actress. In 2019, she examined the ways that she related to her body and how her self-image was and continues to be affected by her world and surroundings. She took her personal findings and shared them through her debut memoir My Body. The book shares an intimate and vulnerable relationship between a woman and her body, which expertly navigates the highs and lows of body dysmorphia, self-worth, and identity. Ratajkowski questions the value of herself, brings up integral conversations about body and person, and captures all this in a highly relatable and sentimental tone. 

2. Stay True by Hua Hsu

In a memoir that examines friendship, culture, and identity in your twenties, Hua Hsu does so in a sensitive and sweet way. Sharing a relationship he had, Hsu showcases his own vulnerabilities and mistakes as he tried to find himself and keep friendships in his twenties. The author dives into loss, guilt, pain, and grieving while balancing the fun and freedom of youth. Hsu lays it all out on the table in the sharing of his personal life and stories, revealing hardships and the fickleness of life. Hsu’s book reflects on the inevitability of change and encourages readers to learn from his life. 

3. 101 Essays That Will Change the Way You Think by Brianna Weist

Brianna Weist’s 101 Essays That Will Change the Way You Think maps out thoughts in a logical yet explorative way. She navigates change, love, relationships, and life in personal writings that allow the reader to journey with her. This book brings on a collection of thoughts to be paired with the writer’s own adventures in the land of identity. Weist, like the other writers on this list, doesn’t shy away from the difficult conversations and complicated thoughts. The importance, which Weist poses, is continuing in the face of these troubles in life. 

4. Normal People by Sally Rooney

Sally Rooney’s novel explores relationships through time. The author identifies change as a character in all our lives through the characters in her novel. She unabashedly approaches the awkwardness of growing up and not knowing who you are alongside exploring the way love looks and feels and changes through life. These are essential realties for every twenty-something-year-old. Rooney also doesn’t brush away guilt or mistakes; she makes them real and seen. She forces characters to deal with the constant change of their lives and the way they thought they’d be at their age. The themes balance in these characters and hold true to our real life in a shocking connection between fiction and nonfiction. 

5. James Baldwin: The Last Interview by James Baldwin

Writer, poet, and activist James Baldwin shares incredibly blunt and complex experiences in this conversation. The Last Interview allows the writer that many know from his stories or poems to expose his relationship with others -- friends, family, fellow writers -- and his relationship with the world -- society, culture, the planet. The musings of his personal lived experiences develop into deep conversations on the continued themes of our society, the pains of love, and the connections between loved ones. 

Happy reading!