Essential Reads to Get Your Kid Ready for College

How to Feed Yourself gives you exactly what you need to take control of your tiny kitchen and feed yourself depending on what’s in your fridge, what you’re craving, and what’s happening in your life. The goal isn’t to be perfect, but to finally cook like a real adult. No special equipment or skills or ingredients or magic required.

Coming down with the latest bug to make the rounds in college will never be on anyone’s to-do list. Don’t Get Sick makes the case for smart self-care as the key to stopping the spread of infectious illness. While germs may not be 100 percent avoidable, there’s a lot that people can do to reduce their exposure and strengthen their natural defenses.

Assigned to the same dorm their first year at Smith College, Celia, Bree, Sally, and April couldn’t have less in common. Written with radiant style and a wicked sense of humor, Commencement follows these unlikely friends through college and the years beyond, brilliantly capturing the complicated landscape facing young women today.

This much-loved classic, now in its fourth edition, will forever be the go-to guide when in need of a hint to make a turn of phrase clearer or a reminder on how to enliven prose with the active voice. The only style manual to ever appear on bestseller lists has explained to millions of readers the basic principals of plain English, and Maira Kalman’s fifty-seven exquisite illustrations give the revered work a jolt of new energy, making the learning experience more colorful and clear.

Before he inspired the world with Hamilton and was catapulted to international fame, Lin-Manuel Miranda was inspiring his Twitter followers with words of encouragement at the beginning and end of each day. Now Miranda has gathered the best of his daily greetings into a beautiful collection illustrated by acclaimed artist (and fellow Twitter favorite) Jonny Sun. Full of comfort and motivation, Gmorning, Gnight! is a touchstone for anyone who needs a quick lift.

The Areas of My Expertise is a lavish compendium of handy reference tables, fascinating trivia, and sage wisdom—all of it completely unresearched, completely undocumented and (presumably) completely untrue, fabricated by the illuminating, prodigious imagination of John Hodgman, certifiable genius. In an age when fake facts are all the rage, John Hodgman proves he is a man ahead of his time.

One part game, one part conversation starter, you don’t need to be a pun master to master Punderdome: the goal is to make bad jokes and have fun along the way.

Class is in session! From IUDs to UTIs, periods to pregnancy, and menstrual cups to cervical caps, Women’s Health Vagina University teaches the modern woman everything you need to know about your most intimate parts.

For almost three decades, readers have turned to The Complete Guide to Symptoms, Illness & Surgery for the most comprehensive and easy-to-use tool for diagnosing, understanding and seeking treatment for any illness—from the common cold to life-threatening cancer and heart disease.