10 Great Books for Mature Moms

I have had some favorite books over the years. In the summers I take a few off the shelf and see if I still love them, while adding a few new ones to try to the mix. I always pack a book to take up to our lake house, so let’s just say I’ve read MANY.

Of course we all have our own interests (my daughter likes historical fiction for example) and styles of writing that resonate with us. I lean toward those authors that write in a very conversational style–informal and authentic–so you’ll definitely see a theme with those kinds of books on my list.

Here are some that I originally read as a 30-40 something year old, and have re-read recently as a ‘mature mom’. These are my reviews as to whether these books have stood the test of time and I would recommend for ladies in their ‘second acts’.

Didn’t Hold Up

Nothing against these authors at ALL, because these books were hugely popular best sellers for a reason. I still get that reason. It’s just that the themes don’t hit the mark the same way they did when I was in a very different phase of life.

Eat, Pray, Love. I still do love this book, mostly because of the frank and honest way Elizabeth Gilbert writes. Back when I was going through a divorce, this book (and movie) majorly struck a chord with me. The incredible way the author is in touch with a woman’s feeling when going through this struggle was insanely accurate.

Now that I’m in a new and healthy marriage, it’s not something I can relate to as well. It feels more like an autobiography now too, (which it really is); and I want to really escape into a good imaginary story these days.

However, now that I’ve been to Pizzeria da Michele in Italy, I definitely relate to her description of the pizza in Naples. Ha.

These pies we have just ordered are making us lose our minds. I love my pizza so much, in fact, that I have come to believe in my delirium that my pizza might actually love me in return. – Elizabeth Gilbert

Fear of Flying. This book just had its 50th anniversary, and I totally get why it’s considered a landmark book for female empowerment. I can only image how it revolutionized the way women thought and felt about their place in the world when it came out in the 70s! I only read it say 10-15 years ago for the first time, and it moved me the same way. There were some genius references to the double standards for men and women and the idiocy of women trapping themselves into certain expectations they had no interest in at all. It’s all very true and very insightful.

But today I’m just not getting it. I’m the farthest thing from a prude even at almost 60, but the constant indecision this woman has about staying with her husband or going off with someone else (she’s already slept with) actually makes her seem pathetic and childish. We all understand the attraction of a “zipless f%#@”, and that’s a fine fantasy, but looking your whole life to act out a fantasy is just stupid, and the reality will never be as good as in your dreams anyway.

Jodi Picoult Books.

I have read, no lie, at least six of her books in the past several years, and swear by them for my summer book clubs with my young adult children. (See my post on hosting these, and books that work well.)

Why? Because the stories are controversial and taken right out of current events-like school shootings, organ donation, or teenage pregnancy. So it’s a natural conversation starter for a book club, and gets people/your kids to think deeper. She also writes in a style that is easy to read- so in general I love her books, or wouldn’t have continued reading more of them.

But as a mature mom, I don’t feel the same level of passion for the societal topics as I did years back, when as a mother of teenagers these were issues of huge concern for me. I still am passionate about things like gun violence, but adapting the subject into storylines with characters who no longer resonate with me falls flat.

Still Hold Up

Gone Girl. I find that a good story is just a good story. I’ve wanted so badly to have a unique idea for a murder mystery- because I love watching my Investigation Discovery shows. It’s just bizarre to know there are such psychopathic people in our world, and it fascinates me! Maybe a great plot idea will come to me like it did for Gillian Flynn, lucky girl. I thought this story was genius when the book came out, and I think it’s genius today. That’s that.

A Long Way Down. I got turned on to Nick Hornby years ago when the movie About a Boy came out with Hugh Grant. It was such a funny and quirky story, and quickly became one of my favorite movies. I never thought twice about the fact that the movie was adapted from a book, or who the author of that book might be…but it just came across a (Good Reads) feed one day. I’ve tried a few of his books, and to be honest could not manage to get into all of them, like High Fidelity (that also became a movie with John Cusack), or Fever Pitch.

But this one spoke to me from page one. Again, a good story is a good story- and this is a good story with humor and wit, which is the hallmark of Nick Hornby and something that 100% stands the test of time.

Speaking with the Angels is another one ‘by’ Nick Hornby. It’s actually a collection of short stories that he collected from his friends and fellow authors, and almost all of them are insanely clever and funny. He wrote only one of the stories (which is my favorite of course), but all of the choices he made here are dead on. They made me laugh out loud, and if you aren’t someone who has a lot of time to devote to reading, a short story is perfect for you.

The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo. Back in the day, when Amy Schumer was popular because of the movie Train Wreck, my husband got me her autobiography- check out the inscription. HAHAHA.

I would watch that movie when I was depressed, because there was no question it would have me out of that depression in no time: No other word but hilarious. Since the book is also about Amy’s craziness, drinking and promiscuity- it certainly resonates more with younger women. But it holds up for me today, because it doesn’t really matter if Amy did these things as a younger woman. We all did some of those things- and like her, you want to be able to laugh today at how stupid you were! The stories are just empirically hysterical.

Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout. An endearing, crochety old woman? I love this book more than I did years ago! I can certainly relate more to issues facing older women, but on top of that, this story is so clever. It is actually many stories woven together that center around the heroine Olive, each one more interesting than the last. It’s a Pulitzer Prize winner for a reason.

New Books for Mature Moms

I’m adding these two that I had not read before. I found them on my mother’s bookshelf when cleaning out their bedroom. She was an avid reader too, and since she was a smart, older lady, I thought they might be a fit for me (and other smart, older ladies).

I was right. I found both of these to be incredible page-turners. Check them out!

Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs. I think you get the attention of most women if you base a story around a women’s club of any sort, no? You know that you’re going to get a motley crew of ladies, an assortment of crazy personalities and deep friendships.

This book doesn’t disappoint.

Blessings by Anna Quindlen. I got through this book in two days. I love the character development in this story. A surprising array of characters with such different backgrounds (one of them is a stubborn older lady) who you would never imagine would ever see eye to eye. They come together in such meaningful ways for a common good (a baby). It is heartwarming and gives you some hope in humanity, which I think we can really use right now.

I hope you’ve enjoyed my little book review! If you enjoy reading, I hope that you will give some of these books a try this summer.

Stay tuned for an upcoming post on my recommended spiritual books for mature moms. These are books that shift how you see the world, and wake you up to gratitude and living fully in each moment. I can’t wait to share them.