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bridold's avatar

What are some great books for 20-something year olds?

Asked by bridold (448 points) | asked 3 months ago | 24 responses | “Great Question” (0 points) | Flag as…

I’m 22 years old and I’ve found that most books are either based on high schoolers or people in their 30s. It seems that not too many authors write about 20-somethings. What are some books that you would reccommend to a 20-something year old?

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Answers

willbrawn's avatar

I’m 23 and reading the chronicles of narnia books. And I must say they are a good light read.

Les's avatar

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. It is about Jane’s life, childhood through adulthood, but is a wonderful book that every woman should read. Also, The Moonspinners by Mary Stewart is a really fun read (and quick).

johnpowell's avatar

I second Siddhartha. And anything else by Hesse.

playthebanjo's avatar

Do you have a particular genre you enjoy?

bridold's avatar

I’m open to any genre, really. I have a tendency to lean toward fantasy… but I’m very open to anything else.

themherme's avatar

anything by David Pelzer… like “The Child Called It”... sick but make you think!!

hollywoodduck's avatar

I just finished the book The Girl’s Guide to Hunting and Fishing by Melissa Bank. I’m 25 and I love love loved it! Hint: It has nothing to do with actual hunting and fishing. I thought it was smart, funny and enlightening!

Other than that, I’m not sure what is out there for us twenty-somethings.

buster's avatar

anything Charles Bukowski.

playthebanjo's avatar

anything by Charles DeLint is fantastic. Also Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series is awesome (and probably available at your local library). And if you have not read the Hitchhiker Guide to the Galaxy Series by Douglas Adams you should put it on your short list.

Randy's avatar

Two words, Chuck Palahinuk! He’s the guy who wrote Fight Club. Fight Club is a good book, but he has some better ones. If you want a good read that will make you appreciate your life and make you think, check him out.

autumnofage's avatar

I second Buster and Randy

sarbee's avatar

the Odd Thomas books by Dean Koontz are fantastic… Except the third one which is terrible

Vicseay's avatar

The Bible (KJV)

osullivanbr's avatar

yeah but the bible doesn’t start to get exciting until right near the end. Kind tedious until then to be fair. A good Richard Layman book is much more fun.

shrubbery's avatar

Terry Pratchett. Try Good Omens by Pratchett and Neil Gaimon.

Schenectandy's avatar

Geez, I was just happy I was finally free after 20 years of being forced to read books… you can watch as much TV as you want now, you know.

gailcalled's avatar

If you want to read about women slightly younger than you and simultaneously discover one of the greatest novelists in the English-speaking countries, try all six of Jane Austen’s books. Her language will be more stylized and her heroines more coy than contemporary ones but wonderful.

ambos's avatar

I second Jane Austen. Emma is quite a lovely read, especially for someone in their twenties, seeing as how Emma is 22.

My favorite book is Anna Karenina and one of the protagonists ages from her teens to early twenties (I believe) over the course of the story.

I just finished a short, sweet book called Between a Rock and My Parent’s Place about a girl who moves home after college to illustrate and write a book on her travels to Japan.

jlelandg's avatar

Read Catch 22 and thank me later. It’s a little difficult to pick up all the characters at first, but this is one book I knew I’d plan on reading again before I finished it.

BronxLens's avatar

‘Jitterbug Perfume’ or ‘Still Life with Woodpecker’ by Tom Robbins
Read the reader reviews in http://www.amazon.com/

lifeflame's avatar

Norwegian Wood by Haruka Murakami.

zahava85's avatar

If you like fantasy, try Juliet Marillier. Great female protagonists in the her Sevenwaters trilogy and really beautifully written. If you like lighter stuff you could also try the vampire/mystery books by Charlaine Harris

gailcalled's avatar

Murakami’s novels are very complex and require a lot of concentration. I suggest you start with some of the other suggestions.

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