10 Must-Read Books for the Ultimate Student Bookshelf

In this carefully curated list, I have compiled a broad mix of modern and classic books that explore the intricacies and challenges of young adulthood. From complex narratives exploring the search for identity and friendship, to themes of dark academia and struggles with sexuality. Through these books you will find literature imitates life.

1. My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante

My Brilliant Friend introduces us to an intense and complicated friendship between two young girls growing up in the impoverished outskirts of Naples. Despite living in a world of violence and anger through the male driven society they are born into, Elena and Lila have each other to share their dreams with. 

Ferrante’s modern coming of age narrative explores the delicacies of friendship, the thirst and ambition for knowledge, and the courage to leave behind your childhood life in hope of better things. I found the novel more relatable than I would ever imagine, and especially for any young woman, I believe it is a deeply important piece of literature.

2. The Catcher in the Rye

   
   
   
   

   

   The Catcher in The Rye is a classic coming of age story that was famously labelled a ‘banned book’ for excessive profanity and indecent portrayal of sexuality in the 1950s. Arguably more important than ever, J.D Salinger writes of themes of rebellion, alienation and the fear of growing up, as prep school student Holden Caulfield strives for real connection in a world he deems so ‘phoney’.  For students facing their own existential crises, Salinger explores the pressures of societal expectation and what it really means to be an adult.

   
   

   Despite criticisms of Holden being an insufferable teen (who wasn’t an insufferable teen?), I personally love his character, and Salinger writes in a style so modern and refreshing it is hard to believe it’s a book from the fifties. 

   
   

3. Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami

Set in the beautiful country of Japan, Murakami creates a dreamlike, surreal tone through his prose in Norwegian Wood, intertwining both beauty and loneliness into this sixties novel. Toru, a quiet and introspective University student, deals with grief, isolation and love as he navigates the death of his best friend years before. New, strange relationships are formed, forcing Toru to adapt to the demands of adulthood and investigate his own emotional vulnerability. 

What I love most about Murakami’s work is his talent at capturing beauty in the mundanity of life, and I felt transported to Japan myself in some instances. However, it is not to say some of the passages aren’t questionable, and my issues lie with the portrayal of some of Murakami’s female characters… Like marmite, it is definitely a love or hate situation, but nonetheless I urge you to give it a go.  

4. Normal People by sally rooney

Sally Rooney has taken this generation by storm, and it is no surprise why. The love story/ relationship/ situationship of Connell and Marianne in Normal People is a refreshing, intimate narrative about the challenges of youth and adulthood. We follow the pair through school, then at Trinity College where they rekindle and recomplicate their relationship with each other. Rooney delves into issues of class, mental health and identity, but more importantly it is a novel all about connection. 

‘Most people go through their whole lives, without ever really feeling that close with anyone.’

Normal People is only 273 pages, so relatively short, and Rooney’s writing left me wanting more- except maybe not more of the frustratingly bad communication skills of Connell and Marianne. This bittersweet story is a compelling, and warning, quite a sad read, but nonetheless a perfect and raw book for anyone in early adulthood. 

5. Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin

This 1956 novel by James Baldwin follows David, an American in Paris, who strikes up a complicated and tormenting connection with Italian bartender Giovanni. The struggle between desire and conventionality is the central theme of this narrative, and love for David is mingled with shame and repression due to the society he is entangled in. Although not dealing with student life directly, I think Giovanni’s Room is an important read for any young person who thinks love is important or has ever had to question their own self and desires.

The emotions I have felt from this novel have been turbulent, and Baldwin writes in such a stunning, poetic manner like no other author I have read. If I would urge you to read one novel from this list, it would be Giovanni’s Room. 

6. The Rachel Incident by Niamh O'Donoghue

Set in Ireland, The Rachel Incident, gives us Rachel, an English student who reflects on her life working in her local bookshop, whilst living with her best friend- who happens to be a closeted gay man. The story navigates authentic and life changing friendships, tumultuous relationships, a small-town scandal, and most poignantly, the feeling of being lost in your 20s. 

O’Donoghue writes a perfectly witty and heartwarming novel, which is reflective yet, doesn’t take itself too seriously. It is the perfect book to pick up if you’re in a reading slump and not wanting to start something too heavy or overwhelming. 

7. The Idiot by Elif Batuman

Like many first year students, Harvard student Selin, daughter of Turkish immigrants, is plunged into her life at university in which she feels like everything is new and strange. She forms a close relationship with Ivan, whom she meets in her Russian class, and they begin writing each other cryptic, peculiar emails. Intelligent yet slightly naïve, Selin is over analytical yet always intensely persceptive, and narrates universal experiences of alcohol, sex and relationships- all with a funny, dry wit. A modern-day twist on Dostoevsky’s The Idiot, Batuman shares the same key themes of human nature and innocence.

My favourite part of the novel was Selin and her relatability and quirks- despite maybe the second-hand embarrassment I sometimes felt from her awkward situations. The university setting adds to the relatability element of being a student, and spending most your time swamped with work. It definitely makes it a good book to chuck in your bag to read on campus. 

8. Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton

‘Nearly everything I know about love, I've learnt from my long-term friendships with women’, states Dolly Alderton in her charming, funny and emotional memoir that encapsulates the best, and worst, parts of growing up. From friendships, jobs, relationships, love and sex, Alderton recounts memories and invokes wisdom through her honest tales and tribulations. Everything I Know About Love is comforting read that any university student will resonate with. 

Do not be tricked by the title, as Alderton does not write a traditional story about love. Instead, the importance self-love and friendship are the focus. A little cheesy at times, but nevertheless, a lovely, heartwarming read. 

9. The secret history by donna tartt

At the preppy and prestigious New England college, a group of misfit students begin on a journey of chaos and destruction under the influence of their classics professor. In The Secret History, Tartt explores the dark side of morality and evil, and whilst not entirely realistic, the characters and backdrop evoke a deep sense of academia and obsession with intellect. Tartt encapsulates the need for friendship and the innate desire to be accepted by people we admire, which I think is an anxiety relatable to all students.

Despite taking a little while to get fully into, and sometimes a bit slow, The Secret History, is definitely a unique and satisfying reading experience- and perfect for anyone who loves the aesthetic of dark academia. 

10. Just Kids by Patti Smith

American artist and musician Patti Smith offers a moving narrative of youth and friendship in the sixties and seventies in her memoir Just Kids. From her complex relationship with Robert Mapplethorpe, fellow artist, and journey throughout the New York art scene, Smith writes with an honest, raw account of her life. Smith moves from odd job to odd job and encounters incredible people on the way. Her journey is messy, rewarding and not at all straightforward, in a sense which mirrors the unpredictability of student life.

 Warning, there are a lot of name drops in this memoir, most of which I would assume you wouldn’t be familiar with unless you’re into niche sixties and seventies musicians. However, what I love most about this book is the themes and core messages. That the importance of life derives from love and art and following what you believe in, even despite the sacrifices.