Books that may be insightful, relatable, empowering for those of us 40+.
created by heidi
last updated June, 2026
The Summer Before the Dark
Doris Lessing
Don't Be a Stranger
Susan Minot
Sandwich
Catherine Newman
The Cost of Living: A Working Autobiography
Deborah Levy
Same As It Ever Was
Claire Lombardo
Big Swiss
Jen Beagin
Killers of a Certain Age
Deanna Raybourn
The Change
Kirsten Miller
She’s Come Undone
Wally Lamb
Convenience Store Woman
Sayaka Murata
My Name Is Lucy Barton (Amgash, #1)
Elizabeth Strout
All's Well
Mona Awad
Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe (Whistle Stop #1)
Fannie Flagg
Breasts and Eggs
Mieko Kawakami
Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things
Jenny Lawson
Remnant Population
Elizabeth Moon
Lolly Willowes
Sylvia Townsend Warner
Magical Midlife Madness (Leveling Up, #1)
K.F. Breene
Small Change
Elizabeth Hay
Britt-Marie Was Here
Fredrik Backman
Why We Can't Sleep: Women's New Midlife Crisis
Ada Calhoun
Where'd You Go, Bernadette
Maria Semple
Eat, Pray, Love
Elizabeth Gilbert
The Rough Patch: Marriage and the Art of Living Together
Daphne de Marneffe
To Throw Away Unopened: A Memoir
Viv Albertine
Hard to Love: Essays and Confessions
Briallen Hopper
The Wild Oats Project
Robin Rinaldi
The Dangerous Age
Karin Michaëlis
Mrs. Fletcher
Tom Perrotta
I'm Mostly Here to Enjoy Myself: One Woman's Pursuit of Pleasure in Paris
Glynnis MacNicol
I've only read a fraction of these myself - suggestions welcome!
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