Remember those required summer reading lists we'd receive as teens? And the way all those titles served as a sneak peek into the curriculum for the following year? Some were good, some were bad, and some taught us valuable life lessons.
But what if we were to give you a carefully curated catalog of books that were guaranteed to make you wiser, wittier, and unabashedly woke?
Well, we did just that.
In honor of Malia Obama not only turning 18 on July 4, but also committing to Harvard in the fall of 2017 (gap year FTW), we made her a reading list for the ages, full of the books we can't get out of our heads from our own required reading days.
It's true that there's never a bad time to start a wonderful book, but there's never a better time than those formative pre-college days.
Malia's "Essential College Reading List" is eclectic, ranging from short stories to non-fiction to modern-day classics. But hey — this list isn't just for POTUS' eldest. It's for you, too, no matter your age. We're not expecting you to read them all, but now would be a good time to visit your local bookstore. Trust us.
Fates and Furies
By Lauren Groff
Life Lesson Learned:
Every story, relationship, and situation has two sides. It's best to know both before making judgments or rash decisions.
Recommended by President Barack Obama
Courtesy of Riverhead Books.
Tuesdays with Morrie
By Mitch Albom
Life Lesson Learned:
Memories last forever, and can be more comforting than we realize.
Recommended by Kerry Gillespie, Refinery29 Sales Director CPG
Courtesy of Doubleday.
Nine Stories
By J.D. Salinger
Life Lesson Learned:
Let your moments of loneliness and isolation give you unbounded clarity about the important things in life.
Recommended by Samantha Schlaifer, Refinery29 Director of Development
Courtesy of Brown and Company.
The Master and Margarita
By Mikhail Bulgakov
Life Lesson Learned:
Politics, while always a heavy topic, can also have a humorous side.
Recommended by Alexia Bacigalupi, Refinery29 Editorial Intern
What Will It Take to Make a Woman President?
By Marianne Schnall
Life Lesson Learned:
In the words of Beyoncé: "It’s a collection of interviews and essays by great women, including Maya Angelou, Gloria Steinem, and Melissa Etheridge. They will inspire you to become a better leader.”
Recommended by Beyoncé
Courtesy of Seal Press.
Some Of My Best Friends Are Black
By Tanner Colby
Life Lesson Learned:
This book tells the stories of integration that aren't often talked about, but are still very much a part of our lives in modern America — just as they were in the '60s and '70s.
Recommended by Marshall Bright, Refinery 29 Living Production Assistant
Courtesy of Penguin Books.
I’m With The Band: Confessions Of A Groupie
By Pamela Des Barres
Life Lesson Learned:
To get that whole groupie thing out of your system before entering the real world.
Recommended by Anne Cohen, Refinery29 Associate Entertainment Editor
Courtesy of Chicago Review Press.
The Unbearable Lightness of Being
By Milan Kundera
Life Lesson Learned:
Love is as wonderful as it is complex.
Recommended by Alexia Bacigalupi, Refinery29 Editorial Intern
Courtesy of Harper Perennial.
Purple Hibiscus
By Ngozi Chimamanda Adichie
Life Lesson Learned:
Find your voice. And then let it be heard.
Recommended by Nneka Okoli, Refinery29 Account Coordinator
Courtesy of Algonquin Books.
The Neapolitan Novels
By Elena Ferrante
Life Lesson Learned:
How import it is to maintain strong friendships throughout all phases of life.
Recommended by Bianca Heyward, Refinery29 Writer
Courtesy of Europe Editions.
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
By Jonathan Safran Foer
Life Lesson Learned:
We can learn the most about ourselves in our most trying times.
Recommended by Victoria Tomkinson, Refinery29 Associate Social Media Editor
Courtesy of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
The Song of the Lionness
By Tamora Pierce.
Life Lesson Learned:
Girls rule, boys drool.
Recommended by Sara Coughlin, Refinery29 Editorial Assistant
Courtesy of Atheneum Books.
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
By Rebecca Skloot
Life Lesson Learned:
Nonfiction is indeed stranger than fiction.
Recommended by Kara Quill, Refinery29 Social Media Intern
Courtesy of Crown Publishing Group.
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
By Junot Diaz
Life Lesson Learned
Life itself is thorny, complicated, magical, and most of all, temporary.
Recommended by Alexia Bacigalupi, Refinery29 Editorial Intern
Courtesy of Riverhead Books.
The Marriage Plot
By Jeffrey Eugenides
Life Lesson Learned:
The traditional archetypes of love do not exist in real life. But that's okay. (Also that The Talking Heads are the best.)
Recommended by Morgan Baila, Refinery29 Trend Entertainment Writer
Courtesy of Picador.Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
10 Brand-New Books To Read In July
Behold, The Weirdest Breakup Text You'll Ever Read
This Is The Most Terrifying Children's Book Author Of All Time