Raise your hand if you're in your twenties. Raise your hand if you're still telling people you're in your twenties. Welcome, one and all. Above are ten books that are perfect for that quarter-life crisis moment in your life. That moment when you collapse on your couch after work, debating if you should nap, thinking why am I not in college anymore? That moment when you think, dear God, I think I'm an adult.
Attachments was my first Rainbow Rowell read, and she is practically perfect in every way. This book has love, comedy and friendship. It's your typical boy-meets-girl-through-email romance, oh but, she doesn't actually know he's reading. So he's kind of stalking? Except it's his job. Intrigued? Recommended for: Anyone who's in that what's a job anyway slump.
This is still on my shelf, waiting to be read. My mother read it — and she's a voracious reader, so we can trust her opinion — and loved it. Cheryl writes about her experience hiking through her pain and putting her life back together. It's raw and honest and awesome. I personally can't wait to read. Recommended for: Anyone who doesn't know what the heck they're doing. Travel-hungry desk-sitters.
I read this book in a couple of days, because I completely threw myself into the story. Lou's loses her job, still lives at home and hasn't wandered past her small little town. She gets a job as a caretaker through a temp agency and the rest is history. It's romantic and sad and sappy, everything you want in a quick read. Recommended for: Anyone who needs a good cry. Lovers of The Notebook.
Adulting by Kelly Williams Brown
How often do you do laundry? Do you know how to properly clean your tiny little space? Are you having a hard time letting go of your big sorority t-shirts? Enter Kelly Williams Brown. She'll teach you how to adult (because it's a verb) in 468 easy(ish) steps. Recommended for: Anyone who still takes laundry home to their mother.
Twenty Something by Iain Hollingshead
I found a copy of this book in a used bookstore, and by name alone, could not leave it behind. Jack Lancaster is kind of a terrible guy, but he's funny and somewhat redeemable eventually. Recently dumped and hating his job, Jack's at his best when he's with his group of friends. Recommended for: Anyone who likes How I Met Your Mother or Friends. Ensemble-fans welcome.
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
Never Let Me Go is the perfect combination of literary fiction, science fiction and romance. The story follows Kathy, Ruth and Tommy from school to adulthood, and all of the awakening that comes with it. There's innocence and heartbreak, love and death. Recommended for: Anyone who wants a deep read.
The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery
For some reason, I never read this as a child. The narrator meets the little prince, who tells him this elaborate story about everyone he met, and the flower waiting for him back home. Why should you read this in your twenties? Because big messages come in small books. Recommended for: Anyone who's a big kid at heart.
Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling
Who doesn't love Mindy Kaling? She's hilarious and beautiful, and clearly just like every other girl who hates missing out. Get to know Mindy's story chapter by chapter, and realize that she's just like you. Except more awesome. Recommended for: Anyone who loves Mindy Kaling. And the Office. And hilarious people.
I won't lie to you. I'm not a huge fan of the ending; however, the rest of the book is magic. Dexter and Emma are best friends, and this book documents their lives, one day out of the year. Their chemistry is perfect and Nicholls is a master of dialogue. Recommended for: Anyone who loves love. The Fault in Our Stars fans.
Never Have I Ever: My Life (So Far) Without a Date by Katie Heaney
Another on my to-read list. Twenty-five year old Katie Heaney has never been in a relationship. She's hardly been on a second date. This memoir is about friendship and love and fumbling your way through being in your mid-twenties. Recommended for: Anyone who likes New Girl. And the perpetually single. And people who feel perpetually single.
Got something to add? Comment below with your top books to read in your twenties!