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College may be over, but that doesn't mean you should put away your reading glasses forever.
Instead, curl up with some of the great reads that Chris Schluep, a senior editor at Amazon, recommended to Business Insider.
These books all contain stories, advice, or insight that are perfect for recent grads, and we've included blurbs from Schluep, as well as an Amazon synopsis.
'Oh, the Places You’ll Go' by Dr. Seuss
"Let's mention this out of the gate. There's even a version of the book intended just for graduates."
Amazon synopsis:
"Dr. Seuss's wonderfully wise 'Oh, the Places You'll Go!' is the perfect send-off for grads — from nursery school, high school, college, and beyond! From soaring to high heights and seeing great sights to being left in a Lurch on a prickle-ly perch, Dr. Seuss addresses life's ups and downs with his trademark humorous verse and illustrations, while encouraging readers to find the success that lies within."
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'The Power of Habit' by Charles Duhigg
"Because Plato said 'character is simply habits long continued.'"
Amazon synopsis:
"At its core, 'The Power of Habit' contains an exhilarating argument: The key to exercising regularly, losing weight, being more productive, and achieving success is understanding how habits work. As Duhigg shows, by harnessing this new science, we can transform our businesses, our communities, and our lives."
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'A Little Life' by Hanya Yanagihara
"One of last year's It books for the literary crowd — four graduates strive through the decades to make it."
Amazon synopsis:
"'A Little Life' follows four college classmates — broke, adrift, and buoyed only by their friendship and ambition — as they move to New York in search of fame and fortune. While their relationships, which are tinged by addiction, success, and pride, deepen over the decades, the men are held together by their devotion to the brilliant, enigmatic Jude, a man scarred by an unspeakable childhood trauma. A hymn to brotherly bonds and a masterful depiction of love in the twenty-first century, Hanya Yanagihara's stunning novel is about the families we are born into, and those that we make for ourselves."
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'Option B' by Sheryl Sandberg and Adam Grant
"There are going to be setbacks in life. How will your graduate deal with them?"
Amazon synopsis:
"Resilience comes from deep within us and from support outside us. Even after the most devastating events, it is possible to grow by finding deeper meaning and gaining greater appreciation in our lives. Option B illuminates how to help others in crisis, develop compassion for ourselves, raise strong children, and create resilient families, communities, and workplaces."
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'Alton Brown: EveryDayCook' by Alton Brown
"This is a gift that will help them every day."
Amazon synopsis:
"My name is Alton Brown, and I wrote this book. It's my first in a few years because I've been a little busy with TV stuff and interwebs stuff and live stage show stuff. Sure, I've been cooking, but it's been mostly to feed myself and people in my immediate vicinity—which is really what a cook is supposed to do, right? Well, one day I was sitting around trying to organize my recipes, and I realized that I should put them into a personal collection. One thing led to another, and here's 'EveryDayCook.'"
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'The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up' by Marie Kondo
"Congratulations, graduate. Now de-clutter."
Amazon synopsis:
"Despite constant efforts to declutter your home, do papers still accumulate like snowdrifts and clothes pile up like a tangled mess of noodles? Japanese cleaning consultant Marie Kondo takes tidying to a whole new level, promising that if you properly simplify and organize your home once, you'll never have to do it again. Most methods advocate a room-by-room or little-by-little approach, which doom you to pick away at your piles of stuff forever. The KonMari Method, with its revolutionary category-by-category system, leads to lasting results. In fact, none of Kondo's clients have lapsed (and she still has a three-month waiting list)."
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'The Intelligent Investor' by Benjamin Graham
"At age 19, future-billionaire Warren Buffett picked up this book. He's called it one of his luckiest moments."
Amazon synopsis:
"'The Intelligent Investor' teaches us how to reach our goals financially and how to avoid the calculated risks involved. This book has become famous as being imperative for everyone in the business of investing. Our market has come a long way and the advancements are a proof of Graham's take on finance, his plans and ideas."
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'Very Good Lives' by J.K. Rowling
"Rowling's speaks of embracing failure in the pursuit of success."
Amazon synopsis:
"In 2008, J.K. Rowling delivered a deeply affecting commencement speech at Harvard University. Now published for the first time in book form, 'Very Good Lives' presents J.K. Rowling's words of wisdom for anyone at a turning point in life. How can we embrace failure? And how can we use our imagination to better both ourselves and others?"
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'Make Trouble' by John Waters
"The iconoclast tells us that talent is only part of the equation. To really cause trouble, you'll need pragmatism and discipline."
Amazon synopsis:
"When John Waters delivered his gleefully subversive advice to the graduates of the Rhode Island School of Design, the speech went viral, in part because it was so brilliantly on point about making a living as a creative person. Now we can all enjoy his sly wisdom in a manifesto that reminds us, no matter what field we choose, to embrace chaos, be nosy, and outrage our critics."
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'Make Your Bed' by William H. McRaven
"An admiral relates the ten most important things he learned as a Navy Seal."
Amazon synopsis:
"Admiral McRaven's original speech went viral with over 10 million views. Building on the core tenets laid out in his speech, McRaven now recounts tales from his own life and from those of people he encountered during his military service who dealt with hardship and made tough decisions with determination, compassion, honor, and courage. Told with great humility and optimism, this timeless book provides simple wisdom, practical advice, and words of encouragement that will inspire readers to achieve more, even in life's darkest moments."
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'The Road to Character' by David Brooks
"It's a long road. The sooner you start, the better."
Amazon synopsis:
"Blending psychology, politics, spirituality, and confessional, 'The Road to Character' provides an opportunity for us to rethink our priorities, and strive to build rich inner lives marked by humility and moral depth."
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