When I graduated from college, I had absolutely no idea what the universe had in store for me. Adulthood is a rollercoaster, y’all, and it will ask you to grow up quickly, whether you’re ready to or not.

Thankfully, I had a wonderful, loving support system of family, friends, coworkers, and my partner (it’s still you, babe), who held my hand (or held my hair back, depending) while I figured some stuff out. I also happened to read a lot of awesome books along the way that not only plied me with practical knowledge about how to navigate the world, but about what kind of adult I wanted to be.

Here are the 5 books that helped me be a better adult:

Table of Contents

Adulting: How to Become a Grown-Up in 468 Easy(ish) Steps by Kelly Williams Brown

Book via Amazon

I’ve written about Adulting before on this site, but I wanted to mention it again, as it is really a gem that isn’t talked about enough.

Don’t know ish about ish when it comes to setting a budget or getting a credit card? Adulting has a section on it. Wondering if you should hook up with your coworker? Adulting has a section on that, too. Don’t know what that light that came up on your dashboard means? Adulting, yo.

Williams Brown is an entertaining and shrewd writer who comes off as both an authority and your empathetic bff, and I have referenced this book so many times when in a pickle at work or when I didn’t know what a 401(k) was.

There is also some really compassionate advice on how to deal with some real shit, like how to deliver terrible news or break up with a bad friend.