If he's trying to make you read THAT you probably already understand him ... and don't think it's worth the time.
I was not so smart when I was 21.
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
That's on my TBR list!
a friend in college gave me her absolute favorite book in the world and I hated it.
Freshman year of college, my roommate tried to get me to read Prince of Tides, but the cover made it look like a cheesy romance novel, and I was also not super open-minded as a lass of 18. I did eventually read it, I think the summer after freshman year, and I absolutely loved it. And my roommate has teased me about that—initially refusing to read it, but then loving it once I finally read it—ever since.
And even though I do still love Prince of Tides, I wouldn't necessarily recommend it to people, because it falls squarely in the category of books I like to call "Holy Shit This Family Is Severely Fucked Up." And while I tend to like those books, I never assume other people will.