Books To Read When You Need Direction In Life
To all those who need direction, I was going to say to title this blog post to all the seniors out there, but when thinking about it further, I felt like it wasn’t fair to say that these books were books to read when you were only a senior in high school or college. Some of the recommendations below are certainly books that pertain to those times of being a senior and transitioning to college or even being a college senior and transitioning to the real world. But I believe that no matter what point you may be in life, that these books can provide direction and relatability. And that’s what I love about books.
Speaking more about being a senior, I know that it is the most confusing, stressful time there is. You feel like there are all these things you have to tie up before graduating and moving onto the next journey in life. There are all these decisions you have to make at such a young age—-what college you want to go to, what college is affordable, whether that college is close to home, what major you want to be, what you want to do after you graduate with that major, where you’re going to work, where you’re going to live, who are you going to live with, what about a relationship, etc. All these thoughts pile up in your head, making for the biggest headache in the world. That is how I would describe being on the cusp of a huge life change: the biggest headache in the world.
And it’s hard.
When you’re 17 or 18 or even 25, it is difficult to know what you want to do for the rest of your life and to feel locked down to that. I think it’s such a foreboding idea that when you are that young you have to choose one thing that is stable for the REST of your LIFE. REST OF YOUR LIFE. How is that fair to ask that of someone who has spent the majority of his/her life at school, not living or exploring what life is? We put kids in school to learn what they could want to do and to give them the knowledge and skillsets to figure it out, but when school takes up a lot of time, it leaves no room for kids to live—-find his/her passion. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying school is bad and confining, because gosh knows I am so grateful for education. Heck, my major is elementary education đ. But for others, their passion might not be education and they might not know what that is yet because they haven’t lived outside of school. I know school can lead to exploration in passions like with sports, arts, theater, dance, music, technology, science, and so much more. But school doesn’t encompass all the interest. Maybe there’s something more out there for a person.
So I think it’s important to always remember that there are options out there—-a whole world. If college or higher education or training interests you, then I say go for it! Take some classes, figure out which ones bring you passion and joy. Explore. If you want to work straight out of high school, I say go for it too! College isn’t for everyone and it’s not fair of me to write this and say that everyone needs to go to college when I know that is not financially feasible for some. But at best, if college does interest you somewhat, take community college classes. There is no shame in that! Also know, college isn’t going anywhere. You can literally learn wherever, whenever you want. Let yourself explore. Or for some, a gap year is needed. Travel, take up different jobs, do internships, or put yourself out there. Take the break you need to discover things for you. Because coming out of 12+ years of school is draining. If you need a moment for you to create experiences, go do that! Don’t be ashamed or afraid to speak up for what you feel you need. And don’t be ashamed if out of college, you don’t get the job right away because it’s competitive out there. Give yourself kindness.
Life is about exploring who you are and doing what makes you happy.
Far too often, I hear people say they hate their job or they wish they could quit, but the can’t. And I get that. Sometimes people don’t have the security to say, I can quit my job and pursue what I want because maybe that person has a house they have to pay for, a family to feed, student debt or debt to pay. I get it. My heart is just really heavy for those people because I am a firm believer that work shouldn’t be for external reward, but for intrinsic fulfillment. Life is too short to doing something solely to make money. And I do not think that work has to be compromised by happiness. You can have both.
I feel in the past, people choice jobs for the pay because of what was going on in the world. But we live in a time, where thankfully, we can do better for ourselves and our parents. We can have the job that makes us happy. We can be happy. We can show our kids that work can be happy.
Getting back to what I was talking about, sometimes we need direction when things are hard. Wouldn’t it be nice if we all just had street signs that said, go here, apply there, or you’ll be hired here. This is what you’re meant to do. Literal signs for us to give us direction. But how BORING would that be do have everything laid out for us. Because then it will feel confining to think that that one thing, that one path is the only option. But we have so many options and paths out there because life is a journey. We might not know if the path we take is right or wrong, but we have to go down it to decide if it is. From there we learn. We can move forward on a new path and keep creating all these paths for us to learn, grow, and move forward.
One day you will look back on all your paths and see the twists, the turns, and the pitfalls. But you will also see the difference. What a big difference. Look at how far you came to where you are now. And then look forward to how much further you have to go. Be proud of that. Keep going.
So as you embark on your journey in life, always remember that the path you choose is the one that was meant for something greater and one day you will understand why you had to take it. It will guide you to make future journey’s. Also know that there is a whole world of paths, destinations, and places for you to go and be. You don’t have to be one thing or stay in one place for the rest of your life. You can be whatever and be wherever you want to be. If you want to be a teacher and then later decide to be a chef. That’s alright. If you always had the idea you would grow up and be a doctor, but then fell in love with video making, then explore that path. And maybe when the times right, you can go back to that initial dream. Go after what feels right. Go after what makes you happy.
I promise you, that’s the direction you need to head.
Now I can’t guide you on what you do in life, but I hoped this helped relieve that massive headache that comes with momentous change in life. And if not, take an Advil đ. I’m joking, I’m not a doctor. But do take a deep breathe, close your eyes, listen to your heart, open your eyes up, and make that first step forward.
Here are books to read when you need a bit of direction in life. I hope it finds you well on whatever path you choose to take đ
The Map From There to Here By Emery Lord
Synopsis
It’s senior year, and Paige Hancock is finally living her best life. She has a fun summer job, great friends, and a super charming boyfriend who totally gets her. But senior year also means big decisions. Weighing “the rest of her life,” Paige feels her anxiety begin to pervade every decision she makes. Everything is exactly how she always wanted it to be–how can she leave it all behind next year? In her head, she knows there is so much more to experience after high school. But in her heart, is it so terrible to want everything to stay the same forever?
Emery Lord’s award-winning storytelling shines with lovable characters and heartfelt exploration of life’s most important questions.
Finding Felicity By Stacey Kade
Synopsis
Caroline Sands has never been particularly good at making friends. And her parentsâ divorce and the move to Arizona three years ago didnât help. Being the new girl is hard enough without being socially awkward too. So out of desperation and a desire to please her worried mother, Caroline invented a whole life for herselfâusing characters from Felicity, an old show she discovered online and fell in love with.
But now itâs time for Caroline to go off to college and she wants nothing more than to leave her old âlifeâ behind and build something real. However, when her mother discovers the truth about her manufactured friends, she gives Caroline an ultimatum: Prove in this first semester that she can make friends of the nonfictional variety and thrive in a new environment. Otherwise, itâs back to living at homeâand a lot of therapy.
Armed with nothing more than her resolve and a Felicity-inspired plan, Caroline accepts the challenge. But she soon realizes that the real world is rarely as simple as television makes it out to be. And to find a place where she truly belongs, Caroline may have to abandon her script and take the risk of being herself.
Small Town Hearts By Lillie Vale
Synopsis
Fresh out of high school, Babe Vogel should be thrilled to have the whole summer at her fingertips. She loves living in her lighthouse home in the sleepy Maine beach town of Oarâs Rest and being a barista at the Busy Bean, but sheâs totally freaking out about how her life will change when her two best friends go to college in the fall. And when a reckless kiss causes all three of them to break up, she may lose them a lot sooner. On top of that, her ex-girlfriend is back in town, bringing with her a slew of memories, both good and bad.
And then thereâs Levi Keller, the cute artist whoâs spending all his free time at the coffee shop where she works. Leviâs from out of town, and even though Babe knows better than to fall for a tourist who will leave when summer ends, she canât stop herself from wanting to know him. Can Babe keep her distance, or will she break the one rule sheâs always had – to never fall for a summer boy?
Time of Our Lives by Emily Wibberly and Austin Siegemund-Broka
Synopsis
A boy desperate to hold on, a girl ready to let go.
Fitz Holton waits in fear for the day his single mother’s early-onset Alzheimer’s starts stealing her memory. He’s vowed to stay close to home to care for her in the years to come–never mind the ridiculous college tour she’s forcing him on to visit schools where he knows he’ll never go. Juniper Ramirez is counting down the days until she can leave home, a home crowded with five younger siblings and zero privacy. Against the wishes of her tight-knit family, Juniper plans her own college tour of the East Coast with one goal: get out.
When Fitz and Juniper cross paths on their first college tour in Boston, they’re at odds from the moment they meet– while Juniper’s dying to start a new life apart from her family, Fitz faces the sacrifices he must make for his. Their relationship sparks a deep connection–in each other’s eyes, they glimpse alternate possibilities regarding the first big decision of their adult lives.
Time of Our Lives is a story of home and away, of the wonder and weight of memory, of outgrowing fears and growing into the future.
With The Fire On High By Elizabeth Acevedo
Synopsis
Ever since she got pregnant freshman year, Emoni Santiagoâs life has been about making the tough decisionsâdoing what has to be done for her daughter and her abuela.
The one place she can let all that go is in the kitchen, where she adds a little something magical to everything she cooks, turning her food into straight-up goodness.
Even though she dreams of working as a chef after she graduates, Emoni knows that itâs not worth her time to pursue the impossible. Yet despite the rules she thinks she has to play by, once Emoni starts cooking, her only choice is to let her talent break free.
Almost Adulting By Arden Rose
Synopsis
In Almost Adultingâperfect for budding adults, failing adults, and eaters of microwave mug browniesâArden tells you how to survive your future adulthood. Topics include:
- Making internet friends who are cool and not murderers
- Flirting with someone in a way to make them think you are cool and not a murderer
- Being in an actual relationship where you talk about your feelings in a healthy manner??? To the other person???????
- Eating enough protein
- Assembling a somewhat acceptable adult wardrobe when you have zero dollars
- Going on adventures without starting to smell
- How sex is supposed to feel, but, like, actually though
What If It’s Us By Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera
Synopsis
ARTHUR is only in New York for the summer, but if Broadway has taught him anything, itâs that the universe can deliver a showstopping romance when you least expect it.
BEN thinks the universe needs to mind its business. If the universe had his back, he wouldnât be on his way to the post office carrying a box of his ex-boyfriendâs things.
But when Arthur and Ben meet-cute at the post office, what exactly does the universe have in store for them . . . ?
Maybe nothing. After all, they get separated.
Maybe everything. After all, they get reunited.
But what if they canât nail a first date even after three do-overs?
What if Arthur tries too hard to make it work and Ben doesnât try hard enough?
What if life really isnât like a Broadway play?
But what if it is?
What if itâs us?
When Dimple Met Rishi By Sandhya Menon
Synopsis
Dimple Shah has it all figured out. With graduation behind her, sheâs more than ready for a break from her family, from Mammaâs inexplicable obsession with her finding the âIdeal Indian Husband.â Ugh. Dimple knows they must respect her principles on some level, though. If they truly believed she needed a husband right now, they wouldnât have paid for her to attend a summer program for aspiring web developersâŚright?
Rishi Patel is a hopeless romantic. So when his parents tell him that his future wife will be attending the same summer program as himâwherein heâll have to woo herâheâs totally on board. Because as silly as it sounds to most people in his life, Rishi wants to be arranged, believes in the power of tradition, stability, and being a part of something much bigger than himself.
The Shahs and Patels didnât mean to start turning the wheels on this âsuggested arrangementâ so early in their childrenâs lives, but when they noticed them both gravitate toward the same summer program, they figured, Why not?
Dimple and Rishi may think they have each other figured out. But when opposites clash, love works hard to prove itself in the most unexpected ways.
I See London, I See France By Sarah Mlynowski
Synopsis
Nineteen-year-old Sydney has the perfect summer mapped out. Sheâs spending the next four and a half weeks travelling through Europe with her childhood best friend Leela. Their plans include Eiffel Tower selfies, eating cocco gelato, and making out with très hot strangers.
Her plans do not include Leelaâs cheating ex-boyfriend showing up on the flight to London, falling for the cheating ex-boyfriendâs très hot friend, monitoring her motherâs spiraling mental health via texts, or feeling like the rope in a friendship tug of war.
In this hilarious and unforgettable adventure, New York Times bestselling author Sarah Mlynowski tells the story of a girl learning to navigate secret romances, thorny relationships, and the London Tube. As Sydney zigzags through Amsterdam, Switzerland, Italy, and France, she must learn when to hold on, when to keep moving, and when to jump into the Riviera…wearing only her polka dot underpants.
Roomies By Chrisitina Lauren
Synopsis
Marriages of convenience are so…inconvenient.
For months Holland Bakker has invented excuses to descend into the subway station near her apartment, drawn to the captivating music performed by her street musician crush. Lacking the nerve to actually talk to the gorgeous stranger, fate steps in one night in the form of a drunken attacker. Calvin Mcloughlin rescues her, but quickly disappears when the police start asking questions.
Using the only resource she has to pay the brilliant musician back, Holland gets Calvin an audition with her uncle, Broadwayâs hottest musical director. When the tryout goes better than even Holland could have imagined, Calvin is set for a great entry into Broadwayâuntil his reason for disappearing earlier becomes clear: heâs in the country illegally, his student visa having expired years ago.
Seeing that her uncle needs Calvin as much as Calvin needs him, a wild idea takes hold of her. Impulsively, she marries the Irishman, her infatuation a secret only to him. As their relationship evolves and Calvin becomes the darling of Broadwayâin the middle of the theatrics and the acting-not-actingâwill Holland and Calvin to realize that they both stopped pretending a long time ago?
If you read any of these books, let me know what you think of them and if they helped you find a little direction in life đ Or if you have any books that have done just that for you and I haven’t mentioned, let me know!
I hope you have a beautiful and wonderful day whenever and wherever you might be reading this đ
And as always, with love,
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