Class of 2020: Books You Should Be Reading!

Hello Class of 2020! How are you all doing? Keeping up with your studies, I hope? Well, all my articles so far were about academia & how you need to create your personal brand. A lot of it was technical which is undoubtedly crucial to land a job. But, guess what, Class of 2020? I think you need a break from all that! Now, I wish I was telling you that this article would be more fun. That it would be about which amazing movies or shows to watch. That it would be about some cool study hacks. But, I’m afraid it’s not. Also, I am sure you know all that from other better sources!

This article, Class of 2020, is about BOOKS! Being a voracious reader myself, reading is what I consider a ‘fun activity’. I’m sure that is not the case for most of you. But for all those fellow readers out there, here I am to your rescue! Don’t take me as a na?ve writer who thinks there aren’t already similar articles like these. I have read & studied those. You can safely assume that I am not going to recommend the books that are already in all the other articles. No recommendation for ‘How to Win Friends and Influence People’ or ‘The 7 Habits of Highly Effectively People’ or ‘The Art of War’ or ‘Ikigai’. I am here to make reading fun & in my opinion, all these non-fictional books only put weightage on learning with no fun in it. So, check out below the books that you should be reading, Class of 2020!

FICTION:

• Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Alboom
• The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
• Animal Farm by George Orwell
• The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
• The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
• The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

NON-FICTION:

• Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari
• The Moment of Lift by Melinda Gates

BIOGRAPHY/AUTOBIOGRAPHY:

• Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson
• Becoming by Michelle Obama

These above ten books are just a few books that you need to read in the ample time that you have got. The first 6 fictional books should be the right way to start, especially if you are not a reader. I highly believe that fictional books can teach us a lot of invaluable lessons. Most importantly, we can find those lessons between the lines unlike those in non-fiction books. The above fiction books have taught me deeply about friendship, racial & gender equality, being my own best self, leadership, overcoming tragedies, not losing hope, being happy & so much more. My key takeaways are going to be different than yours, such is the beauty of finding meaning in fiction. I am hopeful that you will read these and every book will have a different lesson to fuel your life purpose.

No two persons ever read the same book.

-         Edmund Wilson

Next, there are two non-fiction books which I think are the ones that everyone need to read. 'Sapiens' is already well-known & has a lot of intrigue created around it. As for ‘The Moment of Lift’, I can assure you it is not what you think it is. That book will unravel you in multiple ways & at this stage you really need that. It is a must-read from me!

Lastly, we have the biography of Steve Jobs & the autobiography of Michelle Obama. These are the life stories that are incredibly inspiring for our generation. Especially in these trying times, where it is easy to lose our way & forget our goals, this is the time you need to read these two books. They will set you right on track!

I sincerely hope you will consider making reading a hobby. Not to sound like your English Professor, but honestly, there is nothing more rewarding to oneself as reading is. In today’s advanced tech world, you can not only read a hardcover copy of a book, but can also resort to other ways of reading, such as e-books or audio books. Choose an option best for you & just read. Page after page. Just keep going! Until finally you will say to yourself, "Just one more chapter" and you will be completing a book at 2 AM!

Happy Reading!!