During the school year, you’re bombarded with books to read from every class. It can get expensive, overwhelming, and sometimes downright boring. However, deciding to pick up a book during the summer break has its advantages.
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Summer break allows you to take your time and choose books that you enjoy. What would you read if you had the chance? Fiction? Non-fiction? Self-help? As usual, College Raptor is here to help! Here are our suggestions for your summer reading list—we promise it’s not boring.
1. Chicken Soup for the College Soul by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen & Kimberly Kirbeger
Who doesn’t like chicken soup? You’ve probably heard of the Chicken Soup series as a kid or a teenager. Now as a young adult, Chicken Soup for the College Soul offers their usual 101 stories of guidance, laughter, support, encouragement, and inspiration written by college students just like you. They’ve been in your shoes and know where you’re coming from. Sometimes hearing things from that point of view helps.
Where to get it: Chicken Soup for the College Soul
2. Adulting: How to Become A Grown Up in 468 Easy(ish) Steps by Kelly Williams Brown
Based on the popular blog ADULTING, by Kelly Williams Brown, this book covers some basic, practical things young adults need to know in order to survive in this world. For example, how to avoid a workplace romance, how to cook a proper meal, and how to fake it ‘til you make it. Humor mixed in with real talk makes the world seem like not such a scary place for all of us constantly trying to properly “adult” these days. Whatever that means.
Where to get it: Adulting: How to Become a Grownup in 468 Easy(ish) Steps
3. Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert T. Kiyosaki
Money, money, money! Kiyosaki takes you through what it is, how to use it, and why it should be working for you (not the other way around). In this book, the author has two dads — His poor dad, who is his biological father, and his rich dad, who is his best friend’s father. In plain language, he explains how he grew up watching them and carefully watched how they each handled their money.
As a result, he formed his own opinions about money and what to do with it. Now he’s taking all he’s learned and passing it down to the people that need it. According to Kiyosaki, the idea that having a lot of money makes you rich is actually a myth. In this book, he includes chapters on financial literacy, the history of taxes and the power of corporations. Add all that good stuff to the knowledge you gain here on College Raptor, and you should be set!
Where to get it: Rich Dad, Poor Dad
4. 15 Things Successful People Know About Time Management by Kevin Kruse
What do seven billionaires, 13 Olympic Athletes, 29 straight ‘A’ students, and 239 entrepreneurs have in common? According to Kevin Kruse, the answer is productivity. Kruse gives you the secrets to accomplishing extreme productivity. It’s filled with practical, valuable information like how to get rid of that pesky procrastination habit, or if social media easily distracts you, there’s a chapter for that!
In college, time management is one of the keys to your survival. It can mean the difference between sleeping soundly the night before an exam and cramming until the early morning. The ability to manage your time well, also frees you up, in the long run, to do more if you decide to. There’s something for everyone in this book no matter what stage of life you’re in. You can take these time management skills you learn and apply them to every area in your life! Who knew a simple book from a summer reading list could change your life?
Where to get it: 15 Things Successful People Know About Time Management
5. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling
What’s summer reading without some humor? Actress, producer and everyone’s favorite girl from “The Office,” Mindy Kaling invites us into her very own world. Readers get a glimpse into her opinions on friendship, romance, and navigating Hollywood – it’s all there. In true Mindy fashion, she gives her thoughts while making us laugh out loud in the process. She’s like that really honest, funny friend we’d all love to have. This book is on our list because it’s just the kind of free, lighthearted fun that your summer break should be made of.
Where to get it: Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me (And Other Concerns)
6. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
If you haven’t already read this critically acclaimed book, it’s time to add it to your TBR list. This fiction book is about a young Spanish boy who is on a journey to find the worldly treasure but is quickly finding the treasures from within. This book is inspiring, magical, and relatable to college students who are embarking on this new chapter of life. There’s a reason why it has sold millions of copies and why it’s on our college summer reading list.
Where to get it: The Alchemist
7. The 5-Ingredient College Cookbook: Easy, Healthy Recipes for the Next Four Years & Beyond
This book is not like any other on our list but we believe it’s essential to learn to cook healthy and great-tasting meals before heading off to college. The 5-Ingredient College Cookbook has easy-to-follow recipes that will make you feel like Gordan Ramsey. Spend the summer trying out and perfecting these recipes before you head off to college!
Where to get it: The 5-Ingredient College Cookbook: Easy, Healthy Recipes for the Next Four Years & Beyond
8. Beach Read by Emily Henry
This author has written THE books for summer. Beach Read, People We Meet on Vacation, and Book Lovers are all great options. Her debut novel, Beach Read, is the perfect light-hearted option. The main character is a writer who is in a rut and is starting to not believe in those fairytale love stories. It’s more of a romance novel so if you’re looking for something different for your summer reading list, this is it!
Where to get it: Beach Read
They say better readers make better writers, so take some time this summer to relax with a book in hand—you’ll see the improvements in your academics once the fall semester rolls back around. Our book suggestions and summer reading list range in genres so there’s something for everyone to enjoy! If you find yourself wanting more book suggestions (especially if you’ve already read these great books), then Penguin Random House and Scholastic have summer reading lists to go through. For now, happy reading!