10 Best Books to Give a Recent Graduate

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Nora Ephron said, “Your education is a dress rehearsal for a life that is yours to lead." Still, come graduation, even the most well-prepared students often feel that they are going out into the world a little naked. These books will help keep them covered, guiding them through all the life skills that the “rehearsal” never prepared them for: from cooking to decorating to handling their finances.

Along with practical guides, other books on this list show readers that they are not alone in the big, post-school world. (Yes, everyone makes mistakes on their first job. Yes, everyone struggles to find an identity that isn’t just borrowed or collaged from the identities of those around them. Yes, everyone ends up overcooking stovetop rice.)

Nobody—no matter what their stage of life—needs another generic platitude. And that’s what makes these books so special. They say congratulations in a way that’s meaningful, offer useful advice, and, above all, help the reader with perspective. While so many graduation gifts end up in Mom and Dad’s basement (move-out day is tough!), these titles will end up on the graduate’s next bookshelf—wherever that may be. So toss those caps, pop some champagne, and get reading!

All That Happiness Is, by Adam Gopnik

This is one that every one of us—and recent graduates especially— needs to hear. In just 67 pages, New Yorker staff writer Adam Gopnik holds a mirror up to our achievement-obsessed world, bent on monetizing every hobby and accelerating every career move, and opens a door to a brighter future: one with accomplishment at its center. For those frantically looking around at other people’s awards, GPAs, graduate school acceptances, and prestigious job opportunities, this book offers permission to look inward for satisfaction, by tapping into passions and pursuing your hobbies—not as an means to an end, but as an end all its own. Though Gopnik doesn’t mince his words (“If we make life a subject to rule of achievement—does it pay? Does it work?—we not only betray our values but we make a joke of our time on Earth”) his overall argument is both humble and motivating. And the book is slim enough to fit in even the most cramped hatchback on move-out day!

HBCU Made, by Ayesha Rascoe

Edited by Howard grad and NPR’s Weekend Edition Sunday host Ayesha Roscoe, this collection features 17 powerhouse voices as they reflect on their experience at historically Black colleges and universities—from politician Stacey Abrams to Oprah’s Book Club author Honorée Fanonne Jeffers to Oprah herself! These stories not only affirm the value of these particular institutions but also help graduates of any school recognize the scale of their accomplishments. You may find them inspiring yourself. These are some of the most influential voices of our era, and, decades after leaving school, their education has continued.

Dinner in One, by Melissa Clark

Recent grads have so much on their plates; at the very least, this book will ensure that they will have fewer to wash at the end of the night. The New York Times columnist and cookbook author breaks down dozens of easy, healthy, and budget-friendly meals—from sheet-pan meatball subs to one-bowl cardamom pound cake. Alongside her recipes for deceptively simple showstoppers and weeknight mainstays, Clark provides basic kitchen knowledge that may have eluded even the most experiences chef; you might want to snap a picture of the “fail-safe rice” recipe before you gift wrap.

How Should a Person Be?, by Sheila Heti

Although this book is technically fiction, it reads, in turns, like a self-help manual, a spiritual text, and a transcript of every floundering 20-year old’s thoughts—if those thoughts were consistently hilarious and revelatory. Based largely on the author’s own youth, a fictional narrator (coincidentally, also named Sheila!) becomes obsessed with the question of “how should a person be,” asking it explicitly of everyone she meets and trying to divine a formula for her own existence by noticing the “way people dressed, the way they treated their lovers—in everyone there was something to envy.” In trying to collect and select from a growing collection of other people’s ways of being in the world, Sheila inadvertently fashions an identity all her own.

The Defining Decade, by Meg Jay, PhD

In the more than a decade since its publication, this bestselling nonfiction guide to making the most of one’s terrible 20s has achieved cult status, with devotees ranging from Harvard PhDs to pop star (and newly minted 20-something) Olivia Rodrigo. While many of us simply white-knuckle our way through the years between 19 and 30, trying our best to keep our head above the water and occasionally ingest something besides Trader Joe’s frozen cauliflower gnocchi, Jay argues that our 20s should not be endured but optimized. Drawing from decades of research and dozens of stories, the so-called Patron Saint of Striving Youth outlines why these years are the most socially, economically, and professionally valuable of our lives. While this may sound like a quarter-life crisis bound between two covers, Jay’s tone is both motivating and intensely practical, leaving readers empowered to take the helm of years that often wash us over.

Rental Style, by Chelsey Brown

Chances are, your soon-to-be grad’s interior decorating skills have thus far been limited to printing out album cover posters in the library and stuffing old soda bottles with dried (read: dead) flowers. Help them adjust to the raised expectational and personal standards of adult living with this chic edition, which focuses on making the most of the small and rented spaces that, for better or worse, they will likely be inhabiting for many years to come. Brown is a straight shooter when it comes to telling readers which pieces are worth investing in and which are just as good from Ikea as from West Elm, and the sleek design of the book itself will ensure that the giftee will have at least one grown-up decor piece, even if it is relegated to the coffee table.

Navigate Your Stars, by Jesmyn Ward

This illustrated edition of Ward’s infectiously inspirational address at Tulane’s commencement is perfect to gift not only for recent grads but for anyone in need of support and inspiration. In 2018, Ward—the two-time National Book Award winner and author of Oprah’s 103rd Book Club pick—took to the stage to offer the graduating class some words of wisdom on an unexpected subject for a renowned author: failure. In the speech, she reveals her own post-graduate floundering and her mistaken belief that education alone would grant her a better life than those who came before her. “My years in college and afterward taught me this: Success is not the result of making one good choice, of taking one step. Real success requires step after step, after step, after step. It requires choice after choice; it demands education and passion and commitment and persistence and hunger and patience.” If you weren’t lucky enough to score a seat in the audience when Ward delivered her original address, this book is the next best thing.

Get a Financial Life, by Beth Kobliner

Your grad has learned it all: post-Marxist theory and art history, calculus and bioethics—everything, it seems, besides how to file their taxes or save for retirement (you know, the little stuff). This New York Times bestseller will fill the gaps in their hard-won education with accessible and engaging guidance on everything from crafting a savings plan for the month to building financial habits for a lifetime. Kobliner who, in 2010 was selected by President Obama to be a member of the President’s Advisory Council on Financial Capability, breaks complex money problems into simple action steps and manages to write on a young person’s level without seeming condescending—even when she’s giving financial advice to Elmo.

Dear Intern, edited by Mara Nelson-Greenberg

Let's be real; nobody strides into their first job and knocks it out of the park—it's unwritten law that you're going to have some “oops” moments. This book makes the unwritten written, including dozens of hilarious letters from (still employed!) adults on their recent career blunders. While the career advice sandwiched between these letters is useful, mostly, for a good laugh (i.e. do: ask your coworker if they’ve seen the game, don’t: ask your coworker if they’ve seen the new article on loneliness), the letters themselves are surprisingly useful. Embedded in each cringe-worthy account is a real lesson: Don’t beat yourself up, always read instructions all the way to the end, remember you can’t predict the future, and, of course, it can only go up!

The Sky Is the Limit, by Lisa Swerling and Ralph Lazar

Dr. Suess’s Oh the Places You’ll Go has become the go-to gift book for recent grads, but if you want to stand out from the crowd (and steer clear of a culture war) consider this picture book from the bestselling husband-and-wife team behind Me Without You. Though technically a children’s book, the illustrations—including a full-page graduation scene—will charm readers of all ages. Post-grad life can feel scary, but this book is a loving reminder that “a world full of wonder is waiting for you; the sky is the limit of what you can do.”

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