I don’t know about you, but the older I get, the less I care about high school heroines in books. Yes, I get that the last summer before college is magical and hopeful, but its charisma gets a little old once you’ve seen it in about a hundred different stories and made your peace with high school long ago. From a twenty-year-old college student’s perspective, there just aren’t enough books about situations relevant to us. We need books about girls struggling to find internships in big cities, students thrown together in a house for a semester abroad, and even just routine, everyday campus life.
While real gems of college stories are few and far between, there are some standouts that have been released in the past few years and deserve a read.
1) A Little Something Different, by Sandy Hall
Gabe and Lea are college students who end up in the same creative writing class and keep running into each other throughout the school year. The people in their lives – their professor, a barista, and even a squirrel in the park – all think that they should be together, and the reader finds out exactly what everyone else thinks about this potential couple. Instead of taking place from Gabe or Lea’s point of view, the book shifts perspectives to include all of the observers of the two’s growing relationship.
You should read this if: there’s that one kid that you see everywhere, but you don’t know his name.
2) Fangirl, by Rainbow Rowell
Cath is Internet famous for writing Simon Snow (essentially a Harry Potter equivalent) fanfiction, and she is still devout to the series while her twin sister Wren has abandoned it as the girls enter their freshman year of college. No longer as close to Wren as before, Cath struggles to adapt to the world of college, all while clinging on to her childhood love of the Simon Snow books.
You should read this if: you’re looking for a pretty good summary of college, from pretentious students to awkward roommate situations to encounters with cute boys.
3) The Royal We, by Jessica Morgan and Heather Cocks
Inspired by the real love story of Prince William and Kate Middleton, The Royal We introduces Bex, an American student studying abroad at Oxford. There, she meets Prince Nicholas, and the two eventually enter a whirlwind romance. This was released last April and is already being adapted into a movie, so read it now before it becomes the next big thing!
You should read this if: you are a total Anglophile and miss the days when Prince William still had hair.
4) Commencement, by J. Courtney Sullivan
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants meets Mona Lisa Smile. Four girls begin at Smith College and are assigned to the same dorm, somehow becoming friends despite their major differences. The book focuses on the girls’ college experiences and how their friendships and personalities change after graduation.
You should read this if: you’re looking for a more serious read about college and life.
5) Roomies, by Sara Zarr and Tara Altebrando
So I admit that this is technically one of those “last summer before college” stories, but with a twist. Living on opposite sides of the country, Elizabeth and Lauren are assigned to be freshman roommates and turn to emails to try to get to know each other before move-in day. As the summer continues and their lives begin to change, the girls start to rely on each other for advice.
You should read this if: you’re feeling nostalgic and want to reminisce about all of that pre-college craziness.
What about you? Do you have any favorite books about college?