Happy Top Ten Tuesday over at That Artsy Reader Girl!
Top Ten Books for a College Student
Today was a back-to-school freebie at That Artsy Reader Girl, but I was inspired by Sorry, I'm Booked's post about top ten books for a college student, so I'm going to follow her lead, but with a twist, books for college seniors and books for recent college graduates!
Also, I feel like I should note that I went "back-to-school" yesterday at the college where I work! It truly is amazing stepping back on campus and having all of that student energy after our quiet summer!
TopFive Six Books for College Seniors
1. Broken Earth trilogy by N.K. Jemisin
These books weren't around when I was in college, but I've since recommended them to students I work with. Before you graduate, I think you should have a sense of what it's like to feel systemically oppressed, preferably within the novum of a fantasy novel. Plus, definitely fun for thought experiments (what if I could control the weather?) and book groups, with plenty of people on campus to talk to.
2. Woman on the Edge of Time by Marge Piercy
3. The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin
I read Woman on the Edge of Time and The Dispossessed for a utopian science fiction class in grad school, but a couple undergraduates were in our class, and I think these are great for senior year. Both play with ideas of utopia and how that affects gender and language (and vice versa), and neither have a perfect solution, but both books inspire you to create a better society--definitely something I want college seniors to think about!
4. "Sultana's Dream" by Rokheya Shekhawat Hussein
A short feminist utopian story with a similar aim to above, except I also love that this story is from a female Muslim Bengali writer from the late 19th/early 20th century, so, no, utopia does not have to be from a Western-centric perspective.
5. Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl
I read this as an adult, but it really shifted my perspective on life, and I wish I'd read it earlier.
6. "The Soul of Man Under Socialism" by Oscar Wilde
I did read this in college, in my Literary Theory class, which I'd put off till senior year. It's just a different perspective, and I love the idea of machines running everything so people are free to pursue their artistic callings.
Top Five Books for Recent College Graduates
1. Dispatch from the Future by Leigh Stein
These poems just get what being a millenial is all about, and as the last millenials have just graduated, maybe this won't resonate as much with future generations, but for now, highly recommend.
2. Best American Travel Writing 2013, edited by Elizabeth Gilbert
I loved this book, and read it during my Birthright Israel trip, post-grad school. Each essay tells a true story from a different part of the world, from dressing in a burqa, to running with the bulls, to a potential kidnapping by Bedouins. I particularly loved the stories from this year, although a new edition comes out every year.
3. Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed
These are based on Strayed's Dear Sugar columns from the Rumpus (back in the day...), but I enjoyed having it in book form, and I find many of the stories in the columns inspiring (but not preachy).
4. Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert
I'd especially recommend this for writers, but I think the idea that your work doesn't need to be your passion is important for anyone, and also the idea that your 'art,' whatever it is, is its own spirit, coming and going as it pleases, is freeing. It takes the pressure off to be 'original' or to be ridiculously productive. It comes when it comes.
5. The Sweet Life in Paris by David Lebovitz
This book just made me laugh aloud so.many.times. And although he's living in Paris (I think he would argue because he lives in Paris!), there are plenty of relatable adulting foibles, including paperwork catch-22s and tiny kitchen "solutions."
Bonus: Books I Would NOT Recommend for Recent College Graduates, Especially If They Don't Have a Job Yet
1. What Color Is Your Parachute? by Richard N. Boles
2. The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey
No matter how well-intentioned, these books will feel like a slap in the face to the unemployed recent graduate. Ask me how I know.
Top Ten Books for a College Student
Today was a back-to-school freebie at That Artsy Reader Girl, but I was inspired by Sorry, I'm Booked's post about top ten books for a college student, so I'm going to follow her lead, but with a twist, books for college seniors and books for recent college graduates!
Also, I feel like I should note that I went "back-to-school" yesterday at the college where I work! It truly is amazing stepping back on campus and having all of that student energy after our quiet summer!
Top
1. Broken Earth trilogy by N.K. JemisinThese books weren't around when I was in college, but I've since recommended them to students I work with. Before you graduate, I think you should have a sense of what it's like to feel systemically oppressed, preferably within the novum of a fantasy novel. Plus, definitely fun for thought experiments (what if I could control the weather?) and book groups, with plenty of people on campus to talk to.
2. Woman on the Edge of Time by Marge Piercy
3. The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin
I read Woman on the Edge of Time and The Dispossessed for a utopian science fiction class in grad school, but a couple undergraduates were in our class, and I think these are great for senior year. Both play with ideas of utopia and how that affects gender and language (and vice versa), and neither have a perfect solution, but both books inspire you to create a better society--definitely something I want college seniors to think about!
4. "Sultana's Dream" by Rokheya Shekhawat Hussein
A short feminist utopian story with a similar aim to above, except I also love that this story is from a female Muslim Bengali writer from the late 19th/early 20th century, so, no, utopia does not have to be from a Western-centric perspective.
5. Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl
I read this as an adult, but it really shifted my perspective on life, and I wish I'd read it earlier.
6. "The Soul of Man Under Socialism" by Oscar Wilde
I did read this in college, in my Literary Theory class, which I'd put off till senior year. It's just a different perspective, and I love the idea of machines running everything so people are free to pursue their artistic callings.
Top Five Books for Recent College Graduates
These poems just get what being a millenial is all about, and as the last millenials have just graduated, maybe this won't resonate as much with future generations, but for now, highly recommend.
2. Best American Travel Writing 2013, edited by Elizabeth Gilbert
I loved this book, and read it during my Birthright Israel trip, post-grad school. Each essay tells a true story from a different part of the world, from dressing in a burqa, to running with the bulls, to a potential kidnapping by Bedouins. I particularly loved the stories from this year, although a new edition comes out every year.
3. Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed
These are based on Strayed's Dear Sugar columns from the Rumpus (back in the day...), but I enjoyed having it in book form, and I find many of the stories in the columns inspiring (but not preachy).
4. Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert
I'd especially recommend this for writers, but I think the idea that your work doesn't need to be your passion is important for anyone, and also the idea that your 'art,' whatever it is, is its own spirit, coming and going as it pleases, is freeing. It takes the pressure off to be 'original' or to be ridiculously productive. It comes when it comes.
5. The Sweet Life in Paris by David Lebovitz
This book just made me laugh aloud so.many.times. And although he's living in Paris (I think he would argue because he lives in Paris!), there are plenty of relatable adulting foibles, including paperwork catch-22s and tiny kitchen "solutions."
Bonus: Books I Would NOT Recommend for Recent College Graduates, Especially If They Don't Have a Job Yet
2. The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey
No matter how well-intentioned, these books will feel like a slap in the face to the unemployed recent graduate. Ask me how I know.
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