Does anyone know of any great books for a twenty year old?

Digital Fortress, excellent book

There are so many great books out there – one of my favorites was The Glass Castle, by Jeanette Walls. It’s a true story about a dysfunctional family with 4 children. The father and mother are very intelligent, hippie types, who never want to work, and it’s the story about how the family survives on practically nothing, and how the kids overcome all the odds.
Sounds like it would be depressing, but it isn’t. It is actually very uplifting and shows how strong children really are. I also found it very funny at times. In fact, right now I feel like reading it over again. I think almost anyone would love it.

Life of Pi – incredible story, themes dealing with loss, family, acceptance of religion, world travel….and it has a twist!

Ishmael – Daniel Quinn

This book has changed so many of my friend’s lives. I always recommend it as a must have for anyone who hasn’t read it.

Fast Food Nation (Schlosser)
Collapse (also by Jared Diamond)
The Botany of Desire (Pollan)
The God Delusion (Dawkins)
The Demon-Haunted World (Carl Sagan)

Chuck Palahnuick is a great author. If you liked fight club I suggest reading the book. Another one of his books has been made into a movie, Choke which releases in September.

Haruki Murakami is one of my favorite authors. Everything he touches is golden, but I am reading South of the Border, West of the Sun right now. I find myself wishing that I had read it at 20 for the first time instead of 36. If you start now, we can chat about it, even.

Read anything by Nick Hornby, Carl Hiassen or David Sedaris for great writing and laughs.

Under the Banner of Heaven (Krakauer) – fascinating true story about a Mormon murderer paralleled with Mormon history. Crazy stuff!

Narnia series and a new series first book is Twlight. My girlfriend is reading it and I’ll read it next. It really popular right now.

http://www.fluther.com/disc/14933/what-are-some-great-books-for-20-something-year-olds/

http://www.fluther.com/disc/20157/what-is-your-favorite-book-of-all-time/

http://www.fluther.com/disc/18148/what-are-your-top-10-favorite-books/

http://www.fluther.com/disc/18393/what-books-have-most-impacted-your-life/

http://www.fluther.com/disc/12291/what-is-the-best-book-youve-read-lately/

http://www.fluther.com/disc/1106/can-you-recommend-a-good-book/

The Prince

Check our “the shack” by William P. Young

I’d second Life of Pi, but also throw Dave Eggers in to the ring – Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius is a great book to read in your early twenties.

A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole. Incredibly funny.
Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny. A short novel, but simply brilliant; it stands up to many rereadings.
Superstoe by William Borden. It was recently republished. Political comedy, very dark and funny.
Kim by Rudyard Kipling. Anyone who hasn’t read this one really should.

I could list many more, but I’ll do just one last one: Shogun by James Clavell. Yeah, it was one of those best-selling megabooks, but it’s still amazing. Every time I read it, I’m stunned at what an incredible story it is. Over 1200 pages, but you can’t put it down and when you’re done you wish there was more.