Most people in their 20s are reading the right books to impress others, not because those books matter to them. I wasted so much time forcing myself through dense literary fiction because my book club friends said I should. Then I started reading thriller novels and creative nonfiction I actually enjoyed, and suddenly I read more books in a year than in my previous five years.
Your 20s should be about discovering your reading taste, not conforming to some intellectual checklist. Yes, read some challenging stuff, but also embrace genre fiction, young adult novels, memoirs that matter to your life. I learned more about decision-making from "The 99% Invisible City" than from "Thinking, Fast and Slow."
Read reviews from people with your values, join communities you genuinely like, and give yourself permission to DNF books. Your reading life in your 20s should be about developing habits you'll maintain, not proving something to yourself or others.

