Reading particular books at certain times in your life can be helpful. And there’s no better time to read than when you’re heading off to college! While you’re busy packing your mattress topper (for those hard dorm beds), your laptop (for that essay you’ll have your first week), and your new kitchenware (for those late-night dinners of instant ramen), you should consider packing these books, as well. No matter what your normal taste in books happens to be, these classics (and some more obscure options) are some of the best books to read in college. A good “college book” is the one that is going to enrich and entertain you. Whether you want more adult fiction or some good nonfiction books for teens, these are great additions to your library.

A Farewell to Arms

Ernest Hemmingway is one of the most famous authors of all time. This book, A Farewell to Arms, is perhaps one of his most popular works. Many literature teachers recommend reading it, and you may even choose to do an essay on it. (You should probably run it through a plagiarism checker such as Studymoose.com before turning it in, though. Professors will certainly check for plagiarism.) In the end, it took dozens of rewrites for Hemmingway to finally feel like it was good enough to publish. Anyone who has ever struggled with writing knows how that feels!

Brave New World

College students frequently leave home with stars in their eyes, ready to change the world. Every young generation wants to make the world a better place, and the newfound freedom many young adults find makes them feel powerful enough to accomplish it. Brave New World takes a dark but satirical view of a so-called Utopia, where those who are misfits suffer for it. Not only is this book a great source for many argumentative essay topics, but it will teach you valuable life lessons, as well. You’ll learn how you feel about either accepting the bad or fighting for the good.

Lord of the Flies

This book is one of the most famous on this list. Almost everyone has heard of Lord of the Flies, but most of that group hasn’t actually read it. That’s a shame because it is one of the most hard-hitting looks at human nature that you’ll ever see. Still as controversial as it was back in the early 1950s when it was published, this book follows the story of young boys stranded on an island and forced to fend for themselves. What happens is metaphorical for the human struggle and how we, as species, interact among ourselves. It helps to gain insight and is a classic. Still, be warned: The book is fairly dark.

The Grapes of Wrath

If you want part drama, part heartbreak, part strength, and part history, then The Grapes of Wrath is going to be a welcome addition to your book collection. The story centers around a family driven from their home in Oklahoma and into California. This is prompted by one of the worst economic disasters seen in living memory: The Great Depression. Though it sounds bleak, love and friendship seen in this book are strong. For those who have worked very hard to find themselves in college, this can be a reminder of both how strong they are and what really matters the most in life: Those closest to you.

Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking

The last book is our only nonfiction book on this list. For the people who prefer to read books of this nature, it’s the best that you could choose. Young adults, particularly those going away to school and living on their own for the first time, can really see a benefit from reading this. You’ll always have to make quick decisions in life, but you should know what is behind the decisions that you’re making. Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking will help you to explore that at many different levels. After you’ve read this book, you’ll likely see a great increase in the quality of decisions that you’ve made on the fly. Everyone should have a copy on their shelf.

Finding the right books to bring with you to college is difficult. While it might be tempting just to pack up nothing but old tried-and-true favorites, you should take the opportunity to bring some fresh blood into your collection. These books all teach important lessons that college students should know, and are worth the time spent reading them. You won’t regret any of these choices.