What are some great books for 20-something year olds?

I’m 23 and reading the chronicles of narnia books. And I must say they are a good light read.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. It is about Jane’s life, childhood through adulthood, but is a wonderful book that every woman should read. Also, The Moonspinners by Mary Stewart is a really fun read (and quick).

Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse

I second Siddhartha. And anything else by Hesse.

Do you have a particular genre you enjoy?

I’m open to any genre, really. I have a tendency to lean toward fantasy… but I’m very open to anything else.

anything by David Pelzer… like “The Child Called It”... sick but make you think!!

I just finished the book The Girl’s Guide to Hunting and Fishing by Melissa Bank. I’m 25 and I love love loved it! Hint: It has nothing to do with actual hunting and fishing. I thought it was smart, funny and enlightening!

Other than that, I’m not sure what is out there for us twenty-somethings.

anything Charles Bukowski.

anything by Charles DeLint is fantastic. Also Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series is awesome (and probably available at your local library). And if you have not read the Hitchhiker Guide to the Galaxy Series by Douglas Adams you should put it on your short list.

Two words, Chuck Palahinuk! He’s the guy who wrote Fight Club. Fight Club is a good book, but he has some better ones. If you want a good read that will make you appreciate your life and make you think, check him out.

I second Buster and Randy

the Odd Thomas books by Dean Koontz are fantastic… Except the third one which is terrible

The Bible (KJV)

yeah but the bible doesn’t start to get exciting until right near the end. Kind tedious until then to be fair. A good Richard Layman book is much more fun.

Terry Pratchett. Try Good Omens by Pratchett and Neil Gaimon.

Geez, I was just happy I was finally free after 20 years of being forced to read books… you can watch as much TV as you want now, you know.

If you want to read about women slightly younger than you and simultaneously discover one of the greatest novelists in the English-speaking countries, try all six of Jane Austen’s books. Her language will be more stylized and her heroines more coy than contemporary ones but wonderful.

I second Jane Austen. Emma is quite a lovely read, especially for someone in their twenties, seeing as how Emma is 22.

My favorite book is Anna Karenina and one of the protagonists ages from her teens to early twenties (I believe) over the course of the story.

I just finished a short, sweet book called Between a Rock and My Parent’s Place about a girl who moves home after college to illustrate and write a book on her travels to Japan.

Read Catch 22 and thank me later. It’s a little difficult to pick up all the characters at first, but this is one book I knew I’d plan on reading again before I finished it.

‘Jitterbug Perfume’ or ‘Still Life with Woodpecker’ by Tom Robbins
Read the reader reviews in http://www.amazon.com/

Norwegian Wood by Haruka Murakami.

If you like fantasy, try Juliet Marillier. Great female protagonists in the her Sevenwaters trilogy and really beautifully written. If you like lighter stuff you could also try the vampire/mystery books by Charlaine Harris

Murakami’s novels are very complex and require a lot of concentration. I suggest you start with some of the other suggestions.

A couple books I now wish I would have read when I was 20:

1) The 4 Agreements
2) Rich Dad, Poor Dad

They are both very easy to read, but have concepts that can help people avoid a lot of confusion in their lives.

A Heart Breaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Edggers. It’s a memoir, and the writing is a little off-beat so it’s not going to be your standard James Patterson straight forward plot, but it’s a fantastic book for 20–30 somethings because one of the main themes of the book is what it feels like to be that age. It’s a little older in it’s cultural references because Dave is now in his 30s and he is writeing about when he was actually in his 20s and the book was published a few years ago, but you should still Be able to follow the references. Also if you like romance, Check out Sarah Addison Allen’s books. Janet Evanovich’s Stephine Plum series is a riot. I don’t remember exactly how old she is supposed to be but I know a good number of younger people who like this series.

I found this link when I was googling “best books for 22 year olds” because I too seem to only find books about teenage angst or 30 something divorcees. Two I reccomend are “She’s Come Undone” by Wally Lamb, it starts when the main character is a kid then follows her into adulthood. The other one is “Summer Sisters” by Judy Blume, I know Judy Blume screams teen book, but the characters are older in this one, it was really good easy beach read.

Second Chuck Palahinuk and Christopher Moore’s books are super funny and fast to read! Also the Alanna series if you like fantasy

i like zane book i’m 26 and i get into everyone of her books

I just read Summer Sisters by Judy Blume and right before that I read She’s Come Undone byWally Lamb, I highly recommend both! I see someone else also recommended both of these! That must mean they’re good! :)