Best Student Reads For 2020

Looking for a wholesome way to fill in your free time this semester? Check out our list of the best student reads in 2020.

There’s nothing quite like getting lost in a book you just can’t put down.  

Maybe you’ve simply had a long day. Or, maybe your homework has taken its final toll on your brain for the night and you’re ready to unwind. 

Maybe you’re seeking some motivation, inspiration, and direction for your future. Or, maybe you’re feeling lonely and homesick. 

Or maybe, you’re looking for a complete escape into another world that is completely irrelevant to college life. 

Whatever the case may be, in the following article, we have some seriously good reads for you to check out. 

Let’s dive in!

#Girlboss by Sophia Amoruso 

Don’t be fooled by the title, this one’s not just for the ladies. 

Sophia is nothing short of inspirational. She will tell you straight up, when to quit and when you should push for more. She explains how to use your mistakes and learn from them to reach your full potential. 

Honestly, who hasn’t made a mistake in their life? 

We all have, and we all are a little guilty of beating ourselves up over it. She’ll show you how to keep the energy moving to reach your full potential, and thrive. 

This book is gold! 

Freedom By Jonathan Franzen 

Freedom is a story about a less than usual relationship, where the characters first met in college. 

Will they choose their friendship? Or love? How does one decide if a close friendship is worth jeopardizing for love? 

Freedom is a must-read for navigating complicated feelings. 

Into The Wild By John Krakauer 

There’s a certain perspective nature can give to a person.

Back in 1990, a college graduate, Chris McCandless, burned all of his money, stopped communicating with his peers, changed his name, and hit the western United States looking to escape from his life. 

By 1992, Chris had made it to Alaska and survived off the Alaskan forest for a little over 100 days. 

Trying to find the reasons he disappeared, journalist Jon Krakauer decided to turn Chris McCandless’ story into a book. 

In “Into the Wild,” Krakauer talks about McCandless’ family life, impressive education and his passion for the outdoors. 

This book is particularly interesting because, despite everything a person may achieve in life, one can still find themselves searching for more, or in this case, much less. 

Learn more about the life and death of Chris McCandless here: https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/how-chris-mccandless-died

Bluets By Maggie Nelson

When you’re feeling like you’ve reached the lowest of lows, check out Bluets. 

Providing inspiration and relatable quotes that truly touch on the fact that you have nowhere to go but up. 

Whatever your low is, it won’t break you. 

Bluets is an essay that will go through triumphs and tribulations with you and remind you where you are at, and what you’re here to accomplish. 

Whether you’re feeling homesick or feeling sick to your stomach from a recent break-up, read Bluets and it will forever change your perspective, maybe even your entire life for that matter. 

Sometimes you’ve got to rip the band-aid off and feel bad, to eventually get to where the good is at. Sometimes you have to just go for it. 

In the end, you’ll thank yourself for reading what Maggie Nelson has to say. 

Hunger: A Memoir Of (My) Body By Roxanne Gay

Let’s talk about body image issues just for a second.  

It’s so easy to feel pressured and get wrapped up into society’s idea of the standards of beauty. 

In a world that often feels like it just doesn’t accept her, Gay goes through ways of taking care of herself and her body and learning to be comfortable in her own skin, in her own lenses, and not what society wants her to be. 

There’s some serious confrontation going on in this book, but I promise, it will resonate with you, especially if you’re a younger student just trying to get through the school year. 

Today, with social media filters & airbrushed models on magazine covers, it can be so difficult not to compare yourself to others, and to actually accept and find beauty within yourself. 

If you seek out what Roxanne Gay has to say in Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body, I promise you won’t regret it. 

The Brief Wondrous Life Of Oscar Wao By Junot Diaz

Next on our list of the best student reads, we have a best-selling book by Junot Diaz.

We all know that we can’t erase the past. 

You know, that embarrassing moment you had at last week’s party, which you will be known as “that person” for the remainder of your post-secondary career. 

Regretting you ate an entire pizza to yourself in one sitting. 

The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao walks you through his life through his college roommate’s eyes. 

He goes through Oscar’s struggles and triumphs in finding his identity despite how his past has affected him. 

This inspirational novel will have you flipping pages for days. 

The chapters are laid out with purpose and really set the tone for moving through your past, to move forward in your future. 

Catcher In The Rye By J.D. Salinger

The final book on our list of best student reads is a classic that you've probably heard of before: Catcher in the Rye.

I think everyone can identify with going through a phase where you’re feeling lonely and maybe even a little under-appreciated and invisible at times. 

These phases tend to happen when going through teenage years or early adulthood. 

Catcher in the Rye is known for making its readers feel heard and understood.  

Salinger has inspired so many young students around the globe with words one can not only just take in, but also relate.  

For many of us, it will take us back to our younger more troubling years and possibly help us make some sense of it, or at least, learn to laugh at ourselves while we’re there. 

Every student should read Catcher in the Rye at least once in their lifetime.  

Best Reads 2020

Whether you're looking for some inspiration, or just need to escape from the real world for a little bit, our list of the 7 best student reads is sure to have something for everyone to love.

---

What books have you recently read and would recommend to your peers? What books are on your to-read list?