For a bit of context:
I am 27 years old, live away from home in a place I like but don’t have many friends. I have a job where I like the people I work with and the short commute I hate the job itself.
I don’t know whether to travel (lose money and continue missing parents), what career to change to or where to live
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by Cloudrage
33 Comments
Dino Buzatti’s The Tartar Steppe.
The Alchemist
The Four Agreements
Raynor Winn – The salt path
A couple with lots of problems are evicted and just walk. They end up doing the 600 mile coastal path route. Surprisingly uplifting
Man’s Search for Meaning- Viktor Frankel
Gifts of Imperfection
Anything by Sylvia Earle or Rachel Carson, or ‘Conversations with Grace Paley’
Brothers Karamazov
The Razor’s Edge would be a perfect read. The characters look back and reflect on their life choices they made in their 20’s and how it effect them in the present.
Dude you really gotta mention stuff you are into, else you are going to get a ton of different things, many of which won’t be for you…
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I love Isaac Asimov’s Foundation series starting with Prelude to Foundation…hope that works for you…if not, sorry…
You Can’t Go Hone Again by Thomas Wolfe
The Beach was a fun read. Don’t expect anything profound or life altering. It got me reading again around your age.
De bello Gallico by Julius Ceasar.
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When Julius Ceasar was 32 he was convinced he was a failure. 10 years later he went on to conquer Guals. Then he conquered the roman republic.
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck by Mark Mason
It’s more along the lines of self-help and it is very bro-y at times, but it does have some good concepts that helped me.
Stormlight archive by Brandon Sanderson
Between a Rock and a Hard Place by Aron Ralston
Sounds like the story of my life..
Generation X by Douglas Coupland. It’s all about having a quarter life crisis, but it’s very 90s and ironic.
I suggest if you are looking for hope and meaning: The Little Prince, Jonathan Livingston Seagull, or Tuesdays with Morrie.
If you are looking for an understanding on how the world works: 1984 or Animal Farm.
If you are looking for motivation, find it within yourself and start a journal or write your own stories. Everyone I know, including myself, were lost on their twenties and many times is for spending too much time looking at others and too little looking inside ourselves. Good luck my friend!
Picking Through Pieces – Keith Milne
The Cafe on the Edge of the World – John Strelecky
*Psalm for the Wild-Built* by Becky Chambers. No answers, but definitely a comforting vibe, the sense that someone out there gets it and some hope for going forward. Good luck!
siddhartha
The Subtle Art of Not Giving A Fuck.
How Will You Measure Your Life by Clayton Christensen, Finding Your Element by Ken Robinson, The Distraction Addition by Alex Soonung-Kim Pang and Deep Work by Cal Newport
The Defining Decade by Meg Jay (a clinical psychologist) is written for people in their 20s and may be what you’re looking for. I think it’s especially aimed at people who feel lost and aren’t sure what they should prioritize or pursue in terms of careers and personal relationships.
At the very least it may help you reflect on your values and goals, and then motivate you to start moving toward them. Basically, the decisions you make in your 20s will have a huge impact on the rest of your life, so it’s best to approach those decisions with clear intentions.
I hope that’s helpful and makes sense!
My Family and Other Animals. It’s just a light fun read. You’ll enjoy it.
Your Erroneous Zones by Wayne Dwyer. Highly recommend
Anthony de Mello – Awareness
The Stormlight Archives series by Brandon Sanderson
damn so it doesn’t get better with time 😔
I don’t know that any book is going to help you find your way to a better situation, but I will recommend a few nonetheless. Before that, though, I’d point out that if you like where you live but don’t have a lot of friends, you might begin doing things that will help you make friends. Have you considered sports teams, trivia nights, book clubs, coffee shops, dating apps, etc.? As for your job, if you like the people but not the job, why not look into getting a different and better job and turn the people you currently work with into friends? As for books, look into these:
[https://www.amazon.com/Happiness-Pursuit-Finding-Quest-Purpose-ebook/dp/B00J1IQW6I/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3127MVXBM45N7&keywords=the+happiness+of+pursuit&qid=1696207312&sprefix=the+happiness+of+%2Caps%2C155&sr=8-1](https://www.amazon.com/Happiness-Pursuit-Finding-Quest-Purpose-ebook/dp/B00J1IQW6I/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3127MVXBM45N7&keywords=the+happiness+of+pursuit&qid=1696207312&sprefix=the+happiness+of+%2Caps%2C155&sr=8-1)
[https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DIHO7NS/?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=QpP5j&content-id=amzn1.sym.8b2b42de-5596-4345-a1f0-cf4667f80d86&pf_rd_p=8b2b42de-5596-4345-a1f0-cf4667f80d86&pf_rd_r=C4J2CYFZYFQT9DK7SG8B&pd_rd_wg=9R9RZ&pd_rd_r=c428523d-ac77-4432-94e4-0b994ca22c2e&ref_=bd_tags_dp_rec&asin=B00DIHO7NS&revisionId=e783a88c&format=1&depth=1](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DIHO7NS/?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=QpP5j&content-id=amzn1.sym.8b2b42de-5596-4345-a1f0-cf4667f80d86&pf_rd_p=8b2b42de-5596-4345-a1f0-cf4667f80d86&pf_rd_r=C4J2CYFZYFQT9DK7SG8B&pd_rd_wg=9R9RZ&pd_rd_r=c428523d-ac77-4432-94e4-0b994ca22c2e&ref_=bd_tags_dp_rec&asin=B00DIHO7NS&revisionId=e783a88c&format=1&depth=1)
[https://www.amazon.com/What-Color-Your-Parachute-Meaningful/dp/1984861204/ref=sr_1_1?crid=GY5ZFZI6JWL&keywords=what+color+is+your+parachute+2023&qid=1696207516&sprefix=what+color+is+yiour+%2Caps%2C158&sr=8-1](https://www.amazon.com/What-Color-Your-Parachute-Meaningful/dp/1984861204/ref=sr_1_1?crid=GY5ZFZI6JWL&keywords=what+color+is+your+parachute+2023&qid=1696207516&sprefix=what+color+is+yiour+%2Caps%2C158&sr=8-1)
[https://www.amazon.com/Life-Purpose-Matters-Changes-Everything-ebook/dp/B01416479S/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1EVHM7NF1GAVK&keywords=Life+on+Purpose%3A+How+Living+for+What+Matters+Most+Changes+Everything+by%3A+Victor+J.+Strecher&qid=1696207609&sprefix=life+on+purpose+how+living+for+what+matters+most+changes+everything+by+victor+j.+strecher%2Caps%2C296&sr=8-1](https://www.amazon.com/Life-Purpose-Matters-Changes-Everything-ebook/dp/B01416479S/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1EVHM7NF1GAVK&keywords=Life+on+Purpose%3A+How+Living+for+What+Matters+Most+Changes+Everything+by%3A+Victor+J.+Strecher&qid=1696207609&sprefix=life+on+purpose+how+living+for+what+matters+most+changes+everything+by+victor+j.+strecher%2Caps%2C296&sr=8-1)
[https://www.amazon.com/Quarter-Life-Breakthrough-Invent-Meaningful-Matters-ebook/dp/B01BD1STPM/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2BAUJHO981LC8&keywords=The+Quarter-Life+Breakthrough&qid=1696207666&sprefix=the+quarter-life+breakthrough%2Caps%2C98&sr=8-1](https://www.amazon.com/Quarter-Life-Breakthrough-Invent-Meaningful-Matters-ebook/dp/B01BD1STPM/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2BAUJHO981LC8&keywords=The+Quarter-Life+Breakthrough&qid=1696207666&sprefix=the+quarter-life+breakthrough%2Caps%2C98&sr=8-1)
[https://www.amazon.com/You-Purpose-Discover-Calling-Create-ebook/dp/B08XLQ7V3B/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1UCZTJ9KWJVP4&keywords=you+on+purpose&qid=1696207706&sprefix=you+on+purpose%2Caps%2C153&sr=8-1](https://www.amazon.com/You-Purpose-Discover-Calling-Create-ebook/dp/B08XLQ7V3B/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1UCZTJ9KWJVP4&keywords=you+on+purpose&qid=1696207706&sprefix=you+on+purpose%2Caps%2C153&sr=8-1)
[https://www.amazon.com/Your-Self-Discovery-Journal-Identify-Actualize/dp/1507217293/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3BDI38VB1VFB0&keywords=your+self+discovery+journal&qid=1696207877&sprefix=your+self+%2Caps%2C187&sr=8-1](https://www.amazon.com/Your-Self-Discovery-Journal-Identify-Actualize/dp/1507217293/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3BDI38VB1VFB0&keywords=your+self+discovery+journal&qid=1696207877&sprefix=your+self+%2Caps%2C187&sr=8-1)
[https://www.amazon.com/Wild-Found-Pacific-Crest-Oprahs-ebook/dp/B005IQZB14/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1BVN5WP2T7X4Q&keywords=wild+cheryl+strayed+book&qid=1696207910&sprefix=wild+cher%2Caps%2C133&sr=8-1](https://www.amazon.com/Wild-Found-Pacific-Crest-Oprahs-ebook/dp/B005IQZB14/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1BVN5WP2T7X4Q&keywords=wild+cheryl+strayed+book&qid=1696207910&sprefix=wild+cher%2Caps%2C133&sr=8-1)
[https://www.amazon.com/Eat-Pray-Love-10th-Anniversary-Everything-ebook/dp/B000PDYVVG/ref=sr_1_2?crid=15DBIBAUEHVAN&keywords=eat+pray+love&qid=1696207947&sprefix=eat+pray+lov%2Caps%2C149&sr=8-2](https://www.amazon.com/Eat-Pray-Love-10th-Anniversary-Everything-ebook/dp/B000PDYVVG/ref=sr_1_2?crid=15DBIBAUEHVAN&keywords=eat+pray+love&qid=1696207947&sprefix=eat+pray+lov%2Caps%2C149&sr=8-2)
Circe
The midnight library
Tiny, beautiful things
Siddhartha – Herman Hesse