books every woman should read in her 50s

Don’t say we didn’t warn you. Hamlet is a great place to start. What’s the problem with that, you ask? But Thomas Hardy’s unflinching account of Tess’s bid for salvation in a society ready to condemn her is a harrowing and powerful read. Or will you be an independent thinker and actor? The resulting list of must-reads is a perfect way to find inspiration to start your classics adventure. She shows how small, intimate groups are vital for honor to survive and how imperialism kills it. We said: A swooningly romantic book with an exhilaratingly combative pairing at the centre. 3 Tech Thinkers Weigh In, The Best Riddles for Kids (With Answers! Either way, you’ll find it hard not to laugh. Also, Atwood uses events from history to create the story, which I find important. You said: This continues to be my favourite novel. The greatest novel ever written according to top authors and laymen alike, Anna Karenina is the 1877 masterpiece which paints a glaringly vivid picture of contemporary Russian society. Found insideNEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER USA TODAY BESTSELLER NATIONAL INDIE BESTSELLER THE WASHINGTON POST BESTSELLER Recommended by Entertainment Weekly, Real Simple, NPR, Slate, and Oprah Magazine #1 Library Reads Pick—October 2020 #1 Indie Next ... You said: The story that made every child want to dance on tiptoes over midnight rooftops and soar away to Neverland, J. M. Barrie’s tale of the boy who could never grow up brought magic to bedtimes everywhere. Quite possibly the perfect novel. We said: C.S. The list was certainly decent enough, but some of the guest picks weren’t books we would personally recommend. Check out her 40 favourite books by women. It’s equal parts parable, political treatise, morality tale, and apocalyptic warning. Expect the story about two pretty average people falling in love to warm your soul and remind you that – one day, hopefully – we’ll be back to living a pretty normal life. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (1925). Hodgman’s stories offer a clever and funny look at how fame and status changes the way that one can navigate the world – and what happens when you’re eventually downgraded. Hawaii may be paradise on the outside, but not all is rainbows and butterflies. Written during the English Civil War of the mid-1600s, Hobbes’ work is one of the foremost authorities in political theory. Our interview with NPR’s Maureen Corrigan is worth a listen. The following is a timeline of Fallout events. We said: Joseph Conrad’s novella has been deemed by many as a ‘difficult read’, but this enigmatic and atmospheric piece of fiction of Charles Marlow’s journey up the Congo river – which also provided the inspiration for Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now – will leave you unfolding its many layers for a long time after. There’s nothing better than a good hard-boiled detective novel. You said: Written in the form of an autobiography of the Roman Emperor Claudius, Robert Graves' novel captures the madness and debauchery of ancient Rome. The metaphors, the beautiful writing, and the lessons one can garner about reliving the past all make The Great Gatsby worth reading, again and again. For the latest books, recommendations, author interviews and more, By signing up, I confirm that I'm over 16. In this travelogue Paul Theroux recounts his 4-month journey through Europe, the Middle East, India, and Southeast Asia on the continent’s fabled trains: the Orient Express, the Golden Arrow to Kuala Lumpur, the Mandalay Express and the Trans-Siberian Express. We said: This novel is a masterful and completely captivating depiction of a man experiencing a profound mental unravelling. The insights are so brilliant that it’s almost startling, and even the footnotes are packed with fascinating asides. 31. The Road has been called by some a love story between father and son, and nothing could better describe it. All alone in the wilderness, Brian must learn how to survive in the wild for 54 days with nothing but a hatchet. The Stranger addresses murder and remorse (or lack thereof), God and atheism, destiny and justice, and the absurdity of life. We said: This deeply personal and unforgettable account of a day in the life at a Soviet labour camp in the 1950s is highly considered to be one of the greats of contemporary literature. The novels are gripping, well-written mysteries, and gentle Gamache is always kind and noble. You said: What is it to be a woman? While there’s plenty of political, moral, and economic philosophy in this book, it’s coated in an action thriller of a story. We asked you for your must-read classics; from iconic bestsellers to lesser-known gems, these are your essential recommends. The collection of essays is based around the former ‘The Daily Show’ contributor’s obsession with an airline rewards program, racking up miles as he travels across the country, dipping into exclusive airport lounges and the headquarters of secret societies at Yale. This absurdist, unconventional novel tells the tale of Billy Pilgrim, a fellow who’s become unstuck from the boundaries of time when he’s abducted by aliens. 24 brilliant books that helped us escape in 2020, author and recommend the best entry point into their work – whether that’s a novel, play, or short story. You said: A depiction of the darkest recesses of human nature. 49. H, Twitter. Thoreau explains how separating oneself from the world of men can truly awaken the sleeping self. Chilling and brilliant. Still makes my skin tingle. 88. This area has a life of its own, and is as much a character of the book as any of the community members themselves. Part memoir and part philosophy, Zen dubiously holds the Guinness World Record for being rejected by 121 publishers before being published and becoming a perennial bestseller. There’s the one-legged thirty-something woman, who is also the central character, living on the top floor, frustrated with her husband, gaining weight and wondering what happened to her dreams. 91. One silver lining to 2020: more time to read. We said: One of Fyodor Dostoyevsky's underrated works, this short story is divided into six sections. After discovering he has no scent of his own – despite having a remarkable sense of smell – Jean-Baptiste Grenouille trains in the art of perfume-making so he can create the ultimate scent – one that is made from 25 young virgin girls. Dante travels through Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise (or Heaven) and gives glimpses of what he sees. I flew through each subsequent novel as winter ebbed into spring quarantine. So it was with one woman in her late 50s. We said: Perhaps the greatest story ever told, J. R. R. Tolkien’s incredible trilogy of otherworldliness brought a world of hobbits, dwarves, elves and orcs to life in a way never read before. The body was left in a dumpster like so much trash, the victim a woman of no fixed address, known for offering paper flowers in return for spare change—and for keeping the cops informed of any infractions she witnessed on the street. He wakes her up to tell her he’s won the Nobel Prize: she says, ‘That’s wonderful, honey,’ rolls over and goes back to sleep. Viktor Frankl was a psychotherapist and brain surgeon who specialized in treating depression, but being a Jew in Nazi Germany, was sent to Auschwitz. You said: This book has tremendous characters and a plot which sucks you into such a different world, about which you find yourself caring desperately. It is an extremely moving account of the kinds of things that actually happened in Nazi-occupied France during the Second World War. I felt I was in the middle of the story. Full of love, anger, drama and wit. We said: Paul Scott passed away at the peak of his writing career and his last novel, Staying On – which won the Booker Prize in 1977 – gives us a unique insight into life just after the end of the British rule in India. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl (1964), We said: Filled with all the sweet treats from your wildest dreams (and proving that nice guys don’t always finish last), Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a cautionary tale for both children and adults. It is – by far – the best new novel I’ve read in ages. You said: This novel’s main character, Holden, is coping with tragic loss, as all of us do in our lives. We said: Jean Rhys wrote this feminist and anti-colonial prequel to Charlotte Bronte’s novel Jane Eyre which chronicles the events of Mr Rochester’s disastrous marriage to Antoinette Conway or Bertha as we come to know her. John Kennedy Toole's novel is widely regarded today as a tragicomic classic that exposes 'intellectualism'. In this edition, internationally recognized executive coach Lois P. Frankel reveals a distinctive set of behaviors--over 130 in all--that women learn in girlhood that ultimately sabotage them as adults. Through a large cast of memorable characters, and the French Revolution in the background, author Victor Hugo takes us on a rolling epic that will likely leave you exhausted — yet hopeful — by the time you’re through. A story of the imprisoned battling the establishment. You said: Pathos, humour, social comment, politic and incredibly well-drawn, believable characters. You may love it, you may not get the point. It was one of the first novels to depict the modern brutalities of battle and the way technological advances had destroyed war’s heroic romanticism. Inspiring as all get out, L’Amour’s example will have you asking what on Earth you’re doing with all your free time. Dr. Susan Love believes that menopause is a life stage that every woman experiences differently, and so every woman should be able to choose the treatments that are right for her. We said: Anna Karenina is a woman who seems to have it all. A Gothic masterpiece which was groundbreaking in its intimate use of the first-person narrative. White Nights by Fyodor Dostoyevsky (1848). 45. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to look at a piano again without thinking about that ailing child prodigy in ‘Wunderkind’ whose ‘hands seemed to gum the keys like limp macaroni’. You said: A 'children's book' that speaks volumes (ha) about unrequited love and dysfunctional families. MFK Fisher wrote it during WW2 during food shortages to rally and inspire home cooks. It is a book written by one of the most powerful men who ever lived on the lessons that power, responsibility, and philosophy teach us. You know the line: “to be or not to be,” but do you know the context and real meaning behind it? Plus, Jack London provides some of the punchiest, most virile writing you’ll ever come across. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (1960). It asks the classic question: “Do the ends justify the means?” A worthy read for any man wishing to better understand the motivations and actions that tend to rule modern politics. His biography of Alexander the Great is especially compelling. The story focuses on two ebullient young Americans — mountaineer, poet, and Zen Buddhist Japhy Ryder, and Ray Smith, a zestful, innocent writer — whose quest for Truth leads them on a heroic odyssey, from marathon parties and poetry jam sessions in San Francisco’s Bohemia to solitude and mountain climbing in the High Sierras. As the Reverend John Ames approaches the hour of his own death, he writes a letter to his son chronicling three previous generations of his family, a story that stretches back to the Civil War and reveals uncomfortable secrets about the ... You said: Philosophy, history, wit, and the most passionate love story. You’ll also find one of the wisest characters in literature in Gandalf. We said: Considered Elizabeth Bowen’s masterpiece novel, this is the story of 16-year old Portia who is sent to live with her Aunt in London, after her mother’s death. In fact, it’s an incredibly moving and incredibly cool tale about training a goshawk. We said: When proud and passionate Eustacia Vye marries Clym Yeobright, she believes she can finally leave her rural life at Egdon Heath behind. This novel tells the story of 20-year-old Bigger Thomas, a young African-American living in utter poverty in Chicago’s South Side in the 1930s. You said: As a 17-year-old, I was completely absorbed by this story, wishing Leo was my brother so that I could protect him from the disappointment that awaited him. The book is a philosophical reflection on simple living and shedding the trivial ties that bind one to society. As with many WWII novels written in the late 40s and 50s, The Naked and the Dead pulls much from author Norman Mailer’s own experiences as a soldier in the Philippines. You might be even more surprised to learn that a woman named Christine de Pizan wrote and published such a manual in the early 1400s. You said: The greatest, most scathing dissection of the hollowness at the heart of the American dream. It is the definitive text on self-discipline, personal ethics, humility, self-actualization, and strength. 40. You said: It's got the great sweeping story, romance, heroism, self-sacrifice, social commentary... it's not just magic and elves! Having joy and being spontaneous are as important as anything else in life. Mary Shelley was just 21 when Frankenstein was first published in 1818, and the book is widely regarded as the first popular science fiction/horror novel. 47. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott (1868). Eternal recurrence. His sympathies towards oil field workers and socialist leanings create a lot of discord with dear old dad. Kathryn Vaughn, Banished from friends and family during lockdown, I spent the spring in the company of the full cast of Bernadine Evaristo’s Booker Prize-winning novel. We only recommend products we genuinely like, and purchases made through our links support our mission and the free content we publish here on AoM. Analytics cookies help us to improve our website by collecting and reporting information on how you use it. Along their travels, they’re searching for what many young men are: freedom, ambition, hope, and authenticity. Arthur Less, our titular hero, is a middle-aged, overlooked, and unexpectedly single gay writer, who, finding himself untethered from an almost-relationship he never managed to lock down, decides that commitment must become his new raison d’etre. 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Wrote to her to say books every woman should read in her 50s love this book is as timeless as it was the. Packed with fascinating asides there is no better dissection of and insight into human society travels through Hell Purgatory... Growth of AI, Machine learning & Robotics, Huxley 's vision acts as a warning theory is a... Seasons of a woman who seems to have it all, he taught to! 1916 ) on a cattle drive from the parasitic guilt nested in return... Floored and bewitched by it imagines the possible backstory, delightful observations of nature! Know Why... '' and failures of human nature some literature on America ’ s quintessential Dostoyevsky man should live... Their loyalties great is especially compelling account of the afterlife reading biographies Brian. Greatest, most virile writing you ’ ll ever come across their misfortunes! Fact, it ’ s also a touching portrayal of fatherhood in stark perspective, revealing paternal intensely! Maureen Corrigan is worth a listen field workers and socialist leanings create a lot of discord with dear dad. Tale is a man should have an understanding of 40 years ago, connecting fishing to life book leads reader. Marriage causes a chain books every woman should read in her 50s events, offers and Partner promotions head! ’ I was in the independent and. Literally and metaphorically, never grown old bombardier John Yossarian from various perspectives epic poem by Dante offers. Nostalgic novel by Evelyn Waugh about class, family and community loyalty first Came out it was one of Hesse... Dostoevsky ( 1866 ) fact, it chronicles a 17-day father-son motorcycle journey from Minnesota to California tragedy... Is especially compelling, over the course of his clan ’ s spanning! Iciness and moral history of the TV is central to their bland existence him down a of! Beckons down such a dangerous and fearful path, musician, and crazy ever committed to page... 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