Summer Reading List Eight books worth your time this summer.
The summer reading list. I know, I know. Just hearing those words probably brings back some visceral high school memory. But hear me out.
Summer is actually one of the best opportunities you have to step back from the grind and sit with a bigger question: who do you want to be? Not what activities look good on a list. Not what major you think you should pick. Who you actually are as a human.
Character gets built in the in-between moments. And a good book has a way of sneaking up on you with perspective you didn't know you needed.
These are eight I genuinely recommend — five that speak directly to the college process, and three that zoom out and ask bigger questions about education and learning itself. I hope you pick one up with a little more enthusiasm than I had for my assigned summer reading back in the day.
As Thoreau put it: "A truly good book teaches me better than to read it. I must soon lay it down and commence living on its hint. What I began by reading, I must finish by acting."
Hard to argue with that.
On the College Process
Where You Go Is Not Who You'll Be — Frank Bruni If you or your family has been losing sleep over college rankings, read this first. Bruni makes a compelling, research-backed case that the name on the diploma matters far less than what you do once you get there. A genuinely reassuring read.
The Price You Pay for College — Ron Lieber One of my personal favorites — I have bought copies for people. A New York Times columnist tackles the biggest financial decision most families will ever make with honesty, real data, and zero fluff. Required reading for parents.
Colleges That Change Lives — Loren Pope This one changed how I think about college fit. Profiles on 40 student-centered schools that go way beyond the numbers — campus culture, student life, what it actually feels like to be there. If you've been narrowly focused on prestige, this book will open things up.
I'm Going to College — Not You! — Jennifer Delahunty Written by a former Kenyon College dean, this one is especially for parents. Funny, honest, and genuinely useful for families trying to figure out how to support their student without taking over the process.
How to Raise an Adult — Julie Lythcott-Haims A thoughtful look at what over-parenting costs our kids — and what stepping back actually makes possible. Lythcott-Haims is direct and warm and very hard to dismiss.
On Learning and Education
Educated — Tara Westover I reread this one every few years. A young woman grows up completely outside of formal education and finds her way to Cambridge and Harvard through sheer will and intellectual hunger. It will make you think differently about what education is actually for.
Think Again — Adam Grant Grant makes the case for intellectual humility — why being wrong is something to lean into, not run from, and how the best thinkers are the ones who stay curious and keep updating. Relevant to the college process and to life after it.
Grit — Angela Duckworth Passion plus perseverance. Duckworth's research on what actually predicts long-term success is worth knowing — especially for students who feel like they're not the smartest person in the room. Spoiler: that's not what matters most.
Have a book you think belongs on this list? I'd love to hear it. Reach out at nohea@kismetcollegeconsulting.com.