Read This! 10 Books Every Recent Grad & Young Professional Should Own

I like books. No, I love books! Ever since I can remember, I've always enjoyed reading. My childhood is filled with vivid images of The Secret Garden, Little Women, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, etc. In high school, English classes are required each year and I loved gaining exposure to different genres. College on the other hand...well, we all know how reading is in college. I had to learn to skim and use cliff notes if I wanted to stay on top of my workload. When I graduated last year, the first thing I did was order about 12 books, challenging myself to read one each day before I started my job. While I can't read a book each day, I do read anywhere from 2-5 books a month, often delving into different categories ranging from American history and political biographies to British mysteries and Sci-Fi. Reading has enhanced my life so much and I thought it appropriate to curate this list of books I found particularly useful during my transition to the workforce and young adulthood following graduation. This list may look odd as they are from different genres and perspectives, but each rendered me a new, more enlightened outlook on the world and my future as a young professional.

** I had to refrain from putting some of my favorite social justice/public health/Conscious raising books on this list in order to save them for other posts. Stay tuned for more curated book lists- You know I got y'all!

1.) The Defining Decade: Why your twenties matter and how to make the most of them now- Meg Jay (2012)

This was the first book I picked up in May 2019 and it taught me so much about how valuable my 20s are! Dr. Meg Jay (a clinical psychologist- yay!), covers everything from the brain development of a 20-something, to finding love and marriage, to launching a successful career. Dr. Jay specializes in helping young adults craft significant, purpose-filled lives. Spectacularly written, this book propelled me onto a positive journey of ambitious exploration and meaningful adventure.

2.) Outliers: The Story of Success- Malcolm Gladwell (2008)

This book is wildly popular and for good reason! Malcolm Gladwell describes several stories of success while analyzing the contextual and personal factors which made them all possible. From hockey players to technology pioneers, this book teaches you that grand success is possible for all of us. It's hard watching your peers and other young adults achieve what we perceive to be grand feats when you feel like you are barely keeping your head above water. After reading the real success stories of some of the most coveted people in America, I realized they are not much different from you and me.

3.) Keys to Success: The 17 Principles of Personal Achievement- Napoleon Hill (~1940 originally, copyrighted 1994)

I've quoted this book in at least three of my previous articles because it inspired me THAT MUCH. I put this book right after Outliers because I feel like it provides practical ways to apply the concepts explained by Gladwell. While many self-help books focus on the pragmatic steps required for success, this book was great for cultivating the personal characteristics associated with achievement. From going the extra mile, to creating a "mastermind alliance" (a group of friends and consults who help you reach your goals!), this book was so applicable to my life post-graduation.

4.) The Last Lecture- Randy Pausch with Jeffrey Zaslow (2008)

This book will have you laughing, contemplating, and crying (a lot!) all in one paragraph. I made the mistake of reading this book while casually sitting in a Starbucks cafe and onlookers had to witness me boo-hoo sob as I turned each page. Written by Randy Pausch, a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon with terminal cancer, the book details what he would have included in his"last lecture." As recent graduates, most of us aren't concerned about our own deaths- we're just getting started! This book however, will have you thinking about what you really value in life as it is narrated by someone looking at death square in the face. Out of all these books, I recommend this one most. It's short, well-written, and it will change your life- I promise.

5.) Love Does: Discover a Secretly Incredible Life in an Ordinary World-Bob Goff (2012)

Are you bored? When you graduate, your social life significantly dwindles in a matter of days, and with COVID-19, you've likely been bored for quite some time. This book will show you how to turn each day, no, each waking minute into an adventure- seriously! A Christian-based book, Bob Goff will take you on a journey of love and intention as he describes how a simple shift in mindset translated to action will allow you to live your best life while encouraging others to do the same. *Special note- this book is best to read one chapter a day. Take time to reflect, journal, and apply the lessons to your own life!

6.) Unfu*ck Yourself: Get out of Your Head and Into your Life-Gary John Bishop (2016)

Okay- sorry for the vulgar title but if anything, it shows you how straight-to-the-point this book is! Young people have a lot of crap filling their heads. Social media has created images that we think our lives ought to be like and when our fantasies and realities don't align- we're left questioning, sad, and lost. Honestly, this book put me on my feet. If you've been having a lot of pity parties lately and can't seem to break free, this book is for you. This book provides actionable steps to help you start becoming present in your life amidst all the lies the world tells us; it's pure self-investment.

7.) The Happiness Advantage: How a Positive Brain Fuels Success in Work and Life- Shawn Achor (2010)

I strongly recommend this for anyone pursuing a new job opportunity! I've written a little about how the workforce can be overwhelming for a recent graduate in my past posts. This book helped me stay grounded by helping me see the big picture of what a career even is. Despite being fortunate enough to land a job directly in my field of interest, there was a steep learning curve surrounding how to successfully acclimate to corporate America and adulthood in general. Many young professionals will find themselves in more dire situations, taking whatever jobs they can find to make a living. Regardless of your job situation, this book will teach you to integrate your passions with your career in any circumstance.

8.) When God Winks at You- Squire Rushnell (2006)

Regardless of whether you believe in God or not, this book will have you feeling at peace, comforted, and excited for a new day. Squire Rushnell offers a few, short vignettes each chapter which demonstrate how God (or the universe or whichever higher power you trust) speaks to us directly through coincidences. I've always been into "signs" which is probably why I enjoyed this so much but the more I read this book, the more I was able to recommend the subtle hints our daily lives offer us. As a recent grad, I was desperate for any sense of purpose from the Divine. This book showed me how to spot it and what to do once I found it.

9.) You are the Universe: Discovering Your Cosmic Self and Why it Matters- Deepak Chopra and Menas C. Kafatos (2017)

Feeling small? Read this! After graduating, I had never felt so insignificantly minuscule. Special note, all my science lovers will LOVE this. Written by a computational physicist and a physician, this book uses the science of the universe to explain how each of us is unique and why it is imperative that we use that uniqueness to help ourselves and others. As a Christian scientist, I am always trying to master the art of balancing science with spirituality. When I read this book, I felt fulfilled on so many levels and excited to start my life as a college graduate. Now, this book can be a little dense so make sure you have some hours carved out to really dive deep- you won't be sorry!

10.) Becoming Michelle Obama- Michelle Obama (2018)

It wasn't a conscious decision to name my blog after Michelle Obama's Becoming but you certainly can't deny the similarities. They say you take a piece of every book you read with you and in this case, I feel like the entire autobiography downloaded onto my soul. This book details former First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama's life from her upbringing as a young Black girl in Chicago, to her undergraduate studies at Princeton, to her position as First Lady. Being a Black woman, there are various superficial reasons why I connected to this book; her unapologetic account of being Black in America is identifiable on so many levels. However, what I treasure most about this book Michelle's ability to be vulnerable and express and normalize so many real feelings that we experience as young professionals (imposter syndrome, success guilt, self-esteem issues, anxiety and depression, etc.). Lastly, Michelle helped me learn that my story (and yours!) is important, necessary, and impactful. We are all becoming someone and in those first few years in adulthood, it's easy to lose sight of ourselves. If you're looking to be uplifted, inspired, and energized- add this to your bookshelf ASAP.

I hope you found this list useful. There are so many more books I could put on this list- let me know if I should make a part 2! Thanks for reading- Bri

Young yet passionate, Brianna is a social justice advocate committed to eradicating racial health disparities and improving life trajectories for racial minorities and other marginalized groups through behavioral health research. When not attempting to save the world, she's either raving about her pit-mix, Zola, or solving mysteries on Investigation Discovery.