Whether you are in need of something to help you through all the post-grad emotions or just looking for a summer reading list, these books feature aimless wanderings, purposeful journeys, powerful relationships and even a cookbook full of accessible tips and tricks all meant to help you along the incoming transitional, sunny season. 

“Educated” by Tara Westover 

Westover’s memoir details her life as a child in a survivalist Mormon family before she left to pursue education. Her memoir speaks to how education helped her expand her worldview.

“Americanah” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie 

The story tells of Ifemelu, a young Nigerian, her relationships, her immigration to the U.S. and, most importantly, her ponderings and activism in America. She does this through her anonymous blog postings as she grapples with returning home to Nigeria and the resurgence of her relationship with her longtime love Obinze. 

“The Book of Hope: A Survival Guide for Trying Times” by Jane Goodall 

Though not discussing the potentially trying times of leaving college or wilderness survival tips, Goodall covers the topic of hope when current headlines make it difficult to find. 

“Cook This Book: Techniques That Teach and Recipes to Repeat” by Molly Baz

This cookbook is full of cooking tips, techniques to increase your comfortability in the kitchen and several easy to complex recipes for your new stage of life. A helpful inclusion are the QR codes that link to a video of Baz teaching where there might be confusion. 

“The Opposite of Loneliness” by Marina Keegan 

This poignant, posthumous collection of essays comes from a recent Yale graduate who had been on the rise before her tragic car accident. Keegan’s essays and short stories are compiled here featuring activism, purpose, courage and more. 

“The Humans” by Matt Haig

This dark comedy is good for seeing the good in the imperfections of Earth. It features an alien who takes over the life of a Cambridge professor to explore humanity, who he is less than impressed by. However, as he gets to know the messiness and joys of humans, the more he is unsure of what his mission was.  

“A Little Life” by Hanya Yanagihara 

This story tells of four college classmates who move to New York City to take on their careers. Their decades-long friendship is held together by a steady thread of brotherhood through the love, loss, trauma, fame, addiction, success and more as the person who holds them together grows increasingly haunted by his past. 

“Happy Hour” by Marlowe Granados

The wanderings of Isa Epley and Gala Novak as they work together to avoid work in New York City’s daytime while partying with actors, academics and more throughout their nights. Their story is one of existing while living life to its fullest, even while their friendship struggles beneath the surface.