I’ve been reading books for as long as I can remember. I’ve always loved a good story, whether it was a cute and sappy romance, a heart-stopping thriller, a mystical fantasy or any combination of the three. When I started college I realized I’d grown out of most Young Adult (YA) fiction. I was sick of 16-year-old high school drama, love triangles and other played out cliches.
I wanted something a little more mature without having to dive straight into serious adult literature. After reading a lot of more mature YA, New Adult (NA), or even Adult books, I’ve compiled a list of books I think people in college will enjoy. The themes are more mature, less sheltered and overall, more relatable to my life now. I’m confident I’ve found at least one book you can read if you’re sick of YA! These books are perfect for when you have a couple of extra minutes between classes, have no new shows to watch, or just love to read like I do.
- “Red, White, & Royal Blue” by Casey McQuiston
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“The next slide is titled: ‘Exploring your sexuality: Healthy, but does it have to be with the Prince of England?’ She apologizes for not having time to come up with better titles. Alex actively wishes for the sweet release of death.”
― Casey McQuiston, “Red, White & Royal Blue“
This book was so fun that the moment I finished it, I immediately flipped to page one and started to re-read it—it’s just that good. This book revolves around Alex Claremont-Diaz (the son of the first female President in a world where Trump was never elected) and Henry the Prince of Wales. These two start as rivals, but after a photo of them getting into a messy altercation surfaces around the world, they must pretend to be friends in order to show that there isn’t a problem with U.S./British relations. When forced to spend time with one another they form an even deeper connection that they must hide from everyone.
The representation of LGBT relationships, mixed racial identity and the importance of political participation was amazing in this book. Not to mention the simple fact that the characters and the dialogue between them were just so funny. It actually had me laughing out loud at some parts. I promise you will not regret picking this book up!
- “It Ends With Us” by Colleen Hoover
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“Just because someone hurts you doesn’t mean you can simply stop loving them. It’s not a person’s actions that hurt the most. It’s the love. If there was no love attached to the action, the pain would be a little easier to bear.”
― Colleen Hoover, “It Ends with Us“
This book was definitely a tough read, but it was also a very important one. Lily Blossom is trying to open her own small flower shop in Boston when she meets Ryle Kincaid, a gorgeous neurosurgeon who has a strict “no dating” rule. As the spark between them grows more intense she accidentally runs into Atlas Corrigan—someone she thought she left in the past. Soon, her life is spiraling into chaos and she realizes the people you love most are capable of causing the most pain.
It’s best to go into this one not knowing much about the plot, but it’s important to know there are explicit scenes of domestic violence, so if that would be triggering at all it might be best to skip this book. I felt like it was an extremely powerful story that allows you to empathize with people who get trapped in abusive relationships. From the outside, it might seem easy to simply leave someone who hurts you, but from the inside of the relationship, the story is completely different.
- “A Darker Shade Of Magic” by Victoria Schwab
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“Aren’t you afraid of dying?” he asked Lila now.
She looked at him as if it were a strange question. And then she shook her head. “Death comes for everyone,” she said simply. “I’m not afraid of dying. But I am afraid of dying here.” She swept her hand over the room, the tavern, the city. “I’d rather die on an adventure than live standing still.”
― Victoria Schwab, “A Darker Shade of Magic“
Victoria Schwab is one of my favorite authors. She has such beautiful control over language and she creates some of the most multifaceted morally gray characters and the most unbelievably realistic magical worlds. This series is one big magical adventure that is probably unlike anything you’ve read before. It follows Kell, who is one of the last people capable of traveling between parallel Londons. There used to be four Londons: Grey, Red, White, and the now destroyed Black. While traveling in Grey London, Kell meets Lila: a pickpocketing girl yearning for an adventure. When perilous magic threatens to destroy all of the worlds, Kell and Lila must team up to stop it.
This book is really hard to describe, but it’s almost better going into it not knowing what’s going to happen. This series is one of my all-time favorites, and I guarantee it will not disappoint.
- “The Deal” by Elle Kennedy
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“Just out of curiosity,” she says, “after you wake up in the morning, do you admire yourself in the mirror for one hour or two?”
“Two,” I reply cheerfully.
“Do you high five yourself?”
“Of course not.” I smirk. “I kiss each of my biceps and then point to the ceiling and thank the big man upstairs for creating such a perfect male specimen.”
I admit the cover for this book makes it seem super cringe-y, but haven’t you heard you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover? This book is set in college and alternates between two perspectives: Hannah, a music major focused on winning a scholarship at the winter showcase, and Garrett, a popular hockey player who needs to keep his grades up to stay on the team. They strike a deal (hence the name) to fake date, but end up realizing they have a lot of real chemistry.
It’s basically a more mature version of “To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before” with college drama instead of high school drama. This book is funny, relatable and perfect for when you’re in the mood for a steamy love story. My description of it might make it seem like it’s only an annoying romance novel, but it does cover some serious topics like domestic violence and rape, which is important to know before diving into it.
- “The Foxhole Court” by Nora Sakavic
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“It’s about second chances, Neil. Second, third, fourth, whatever, as long as you get at least one more than what anyone else wanted to give you.”
― Nora Sakavic, “The Foxhole Court“
Neil Josten is on the run from a cruel and dangerous past. His life turns upside down when he’s recruited to play exy (a sort of combination of lacrosse, hockey, and soccer) for the Palmetto State Foxes. Can his teammates show him what it’s like to stand his ground and fight for the one thing he loves?
This book series has one of the best portrayals of the found family trope I have ever read. It’s so heartening to see all these broken and mistreated characters come together and prove everyone who thought they couldn’t wrong. The plot of this book is kind of outrageous and soap opera-y, but I think it just makes it even more fun to read. There’s also a lot of dark stuff in this trilogy, including abuse, mentions of rape, drug abuse and an overwhelming amount of needless violence. Despite all of that it manages to have a diverse group of characters with an LGBT+ relationship represented. The first book is also free on iBooks, and the other two books in the series are only 99 cents, which is such a steal!
- “Sadie” by Courtney Summers
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“And Sadie, if you’re out there, please let me know. Because I can’t take another dead girl.”
― Courtney Summers, “Sadie“
This is probably the saddest, darkest book on this list, and definitely not for the faint of heart. After Sadie’s little sister is found dead, Sadie hits the road following a couple of meager clues in a desperate attempt to find answers about her sister’s killer. The book switches from Sadie’s devastatingly determined perspective and the more detached professional perspective of West McCray who covers the disappearance and subsequent investigation on his radio show. As Sadie discovers more dark secrets, all you can do, as the reader, is hope the truth is revealed and justice is served.
I couldn’t put this story down. It was gritty, honest and raw. A powerfully tragic book, it made me want to be a better person after reading it. Once again, this book does deal with some heavy dark things including pedophilia and sexual abuse, so please read with caution.
- “Ninth House” by Leigh Bardugo
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“That was what magic did. It revealed the heart of who you’d been before life took away your belief in the possible. It gave back the world all lonely children longed for.”
― Leigh Bardugo, “Ninth House“
If you like dark academia, the paranormal, or tricky magic, you should definitely consider picking this book up! The beginning is a little slow, but once the pace speeds up, it’s incredibly hard to put down. The book is set at Yale, where the main character Alex Stern must monitor the activities of the university’s secret elite societies. These “activities” are actually different kinds of dangerous magical abilities that potentially led to the death of a young college-aged girl. As Alex investigates the circumstances leading to the girl’s death we learn more about the societies and their specific magic, more about Alex’s past and what lead her to be chosen to monitor the societies, and more about the odd circumstances that lead to her mentor’s disappearance.
The plot of the book is another one that is really hard to explain, but please trust that it’s good. There are some potentially triggering scenes to be cautious about, like scenes depicting sexual assault and other violent acts.
- “A Court Of Mist And Fury” by Sarah J Maas
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“He thinks he’ll be remembered as the villain in the story. But I forgot to tell him that the villain is usually the person who locks up the maiden and throws away the key. He was the one who let me out.”
― Sarah J. Maas, “A Court of Mist and Fury“
This is the second book in a trilogy loosely written as a Beauty and the Beast retelling. The first book is “A Court of Thorns and Roses,” which you must read before reading this one. To be quite honest, I did not love the first book in this series. I tolerated it at best, but it’s definitely worth it to get to the second book.
To say I was obsessed with the second book is a bit of an understatement. The character development, the world-building, the group dynamic and the funny banter make this book worth it. This series revolves around a human named Feyre who gets taken to a cursed magical land ruled over by the Fae—immortal beings with supernatural capabilities. This land is separated into seven courts—Spring, Fall, Winter, Summer, Night, Day, and Dawn—and each is ruled over by a Highlord who is exceptionally powerful. In order not to spoil the series, all I’m going to say is Feyre ends up having to save a Highlord from a curse, and by doing so, realizes more about herself and who she really loves.
- “Addicted To You” by Krista and Becca Ritchie
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“No one told me you can love someone and still be miserable. How is that possible?”
― Krista Ritchie, “Addicted to You“
This book series is my biggest guilty pleasure. The first couple of books revolve around Lily Calloway and Loren Hale, but later books also follow Lily’s sisters: Rose and Daisy. The plot of this book sounds ridiculous, so I totally understand thinking it’s going to be trash and not worth your time, but as the series progresses, it actually becomes really good. Basically, Lily and Loren have been best friends since they were really young because both of their mega-rich corporation CEO parents are friends. When they get old enough for college, they pretend to date so that they can both bask in their addictions without anyone knowing. Loren is an alcoholic, and Lily is a sex addict. They must choose each other over their addictions, but that is harder than it sounds when you’re used to enabling addictive behavior. In the following books, Lily’s addiction gets leaked to the public and to control the damage, her family chooses to create their own reality show. This is perfect for if you’re looking for a less serious read and liked the show/s Gossip Girl or Keeping Up With The Kardashians.
- The Hating Game by Sally Thorne
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“I have a theory. Hating someone feels disturbingly similar to being in love with them. I’ve had a lot of time to compare love and hate, and these are my observations.
Love and hate are visceral. Your stomach twists at the thought of that person. The heart in your chest beats heavy and bright, nearly visible through your flesh and clothes. Your appetite and sleep are shredded. Every interaction spikes your blood with adrenaline, and you’re on the brink of fight or flight. Your body is barely under your control. You’re consumed, and it scares you.
Both love and hate are mirror versions of the same game – and you háve to win. Why? Your heart and your ego. Trust me, I should know.”
― Sally Thorne, The Hating Game
This book is on the more mature side, featuring an enemies-to-lovers trope in an office setting. Lucy Hutton and Joshua Templeman are competing for the same promotion, and their conflicting personalities lead to a never-ending game of immature one-upmanship. Their hate for each other gets tested after an elevator ride filled with tension leads to a steamy kiss. Do they really hate each other? Is this just another game?
This was a more saucy read, but I absolutely adore the enemies-to-lovers trope and I had so much fun reading this book. It’s also getting turned into a movie starring Lucy Hale and Robie Amell, which means you should read it before it comes out! They’re set to film some time in 2020, and I bet it’s going to be amazing.
Those are just a couple of books I’ve enjoyed while being in college! Some of them are fun and quick, some are heavy and dark, and some are a good combination of both. Of course, there are many more great books I haven’t even read yet and that’s the beauty of reading—there will always be more stories to pick up. If you’ve read a great book, please let me know! I’m always looking for more books to check out and discuss with people.
~Oriel Voegele