Books To Read if You Love The Sex Lives of College Girls
When Mindy Kaling and Justin Noble’s comedy-drama premiered on HBO Max, it quickly became one of the network’s top shows. The show follows four college roommates as they navigate the highs and lows of adult life, covering important topics like sexual orientation and social class differences. Lucky for us, these clever and sassy girls handle each problem with undeniable wit, humor, and courage. While we anxiously wait for season three, we’ve rounded up a list of fun, amusing, and poignant reads to lose yourself in until the Essex roomies return.
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Add to BookshelfRequired Reading for the Disenfranchised Freshman
by Kristen R. Lee
Savannah Howard worked hard in high school in order to get into a top-rated college, so when she is offered a full ride to the prestigious Wooddale University (on par with Harvard, Brown, Yale, and the Sex Lives of College Girls’s Essex), how could she say no? Almost upon arrival, Savannah experiences microaggressions that are hard to look past. Within the perfectly manicured ivy-covered walls of the academy lies a long history of racism and elitism. Savannah wants to expose the truth and stand up for what’s right, but is she willing to sacrifice her bright future in exchange?
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My Mechanical Romance
by Alexene Farol Follmuth
Similar to how Bela struggled to find her voice at the male-dominated comedy magazine, The Catullan, Bel struggles to find her place in the robotics club – where all the boys just keep asking her if she needs help. Bel has a natural talent for engineering, but that doesn’t seem to be enough for others to take her seriously. This woman-in-STEM novel is an inspiring story about taking a stand and believing in your talents.
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$10.99Buy from Other Retailers:
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Love Your Life
by Sophie Kinsella
In the very first episode, Kimberly’s boyfriend dumps her … and her story begins. Just like Kimberly, Ava has just gone through a breakup. With zero luck on dating apps, Ava heads to the Italian coast for a writer’s retreat. There she meets Matt and the two fall head-over-heels for each other. But when the retreat ends, they’re forced back to reality. Can their new relationship survive in the real world?
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One of Us Is Lying
by Karen M. McManus
When Kimberly’s econ grade starts slipping, she attempts to cheat. Bronwyn faces a similar predicament … but with deadly consequences. Lose yourself in this #1 New York Times bestselling thriller novel that circles around the death of a classmate who dies mysteriously during detention. There were only three other people in the room, and one of them is the killer…
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Friday I’m in Love
by Camryn Garrett
In season two, Leighton is ready to explore her sexuality after keeping it a secret for so long. The same can be said for Mahalia Harris. Mahalia wants to host a coming-out party to celebrate queerness on her own terms. But she may have bitten off more than she can chew when the celebration quickly sparks problem after problem.
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$11.99Buy from Other Retailers:
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Friends and Strangers: A Read with Jenna Pick
by J. Courtney Sullivan
An essential element of The Sex Lives of College Girls is female friendship and the impact it has on each character’s life. Female friendship is also the focus of this New York Times bestseller. Elizabeth is a new mother struggling to adjust to suburban life after years of living in New York City. She hires Sam as her babysitter and the two soon grow very close. The novel is a masterful examination of adulthood, motherhood, class differences, and the secrets that are kept behind closed doors.
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The Ivies
by Alexa Donne
Essex College is one of the most reputable and respected schools in the country. It’s the kind of school that students would kill to be able to attend. At Claflin Academy, five high school students are willing to do just that for their acceptance letter. In this nail-biting thriller, five girls will stop at nothing to get into an Ivy League, even if it means lying, cheating, sabotaging, and yes, even murder.
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Mademoiselle Revolution
by Zoe Sivak
Kimberly, Bela, Leighton, and Whitney are roommates at the same college but come from very different backgrounds. Whitney is the daughter of a U.S. senator, Leighton is a legacy from a wealthy family, and Kimberly comes from a small-town working family. And while their friendships remain strong, these differences have a way of causing friction. In Zoe Sivak’s historical fiction novel, Sylvie de Rosiers must confront her own disparate identity as the daughter of a rich planter and an enslaved woman. This becomes especially apparent when the Haitian Revolution breaks out, and she starts to see how her privileged background allowed her to be complicit in society’s evils.
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Juliet Takes a Breath
by Gabby Rivera
In the first season, Leighton hides her sexuality and even uses Cory as a beard. Juliet was also hiding her sexuality from her friends and family, until the night before she leaves to take an internship in Portland, Oregon, where an unforgettable summer awaits. But her coming-out ends in disaster and she’s not sure her mom will ever speak to her again. Raw, funny, and poignant, this coming-of-age story gives a perfect reflection of a young adult’s life and its full spectrum of emotions.
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A Lesson in Vengeance
by Victoria Lee
Take the collegiate setting, female friendships, and academia of the show and add a touch of witchcraft to get Victoria Lee’s twisted thriller. Welcome to Dalloway School, a centuries-old institution haunted by the spirits of five students who mysteriously died on the grounds. Felicity and Ellis form an unlikely pair that begins to investigate the school’s dark past. But the past and present soon collide when history begins to repeat itself.
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