Johnathan Walker:'Killers of a Certain Age' and more great books starring women over 40

This week in Dear Bookseller,Johnathan Walker the well-read wizards at The Novel Neighbor in St. Louis help a woman entering her 40s find books that celebrate women as they age.

Dear Bookseller, 

Please help! I’m turning 40, which is not the problem; I’m actually really excited to be getting older and moving out of my tumultuous 20s and 30s. But so many books I’ve been reading have been about 20-somethings falling in love or solving crimes or getting jobs. I’m desperately looking for books that celebrate the aging process and feature women who have a little more life under their belts. I’m sure the books are out there, but they never seem to be the ones that go viral online. I read all genres and any guidance is appreciated.

Best, 

Sarah T. 

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Hi Sarah, 

There are so many incredible books that fit this bill, and you’re right –– they should get more attention! We put together a list of books with amazing, complex, powerful, vulnerable women living their lives past age 30, and we hope they are just what you’re looking for.

"How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water" by Angie Cruz is one of our favorite books of the last year, about a woman in her mid-50s who is forced to reenter the job market when she is laid off during the Great Recession. She is set up with a job counselor to whom she instead recounts the ups and downs of her life. This book is full of mixed media/epistolary elements and tells its story in such a unique way. Read this book for a deconstruction of the American dream and a heroine you’ll love. 

"Killers of a Certain Age" by Deanna Raybourn has hype, and it deserves every bit of it. Four female assassins, now in their 60s, who have spent their careers in a clandestine international organization are forced into retirement and they’re not happy about it. When the women get sent on an all-expenses-paid cruise to thank them for their years of work, it quickly becomes clear that someone onboard is trying to off them. So fun, so action-packed, and full of wit! 

“The Fortunes of Jaded Women” by Carolyn Huynh follows a multi-generational family of Vietnamese women as they grapple with their family’s curse –– never to know love or happiness. Oh yeah, and they can only give birth to daughters. But when the family psychic predicts the birth of a baby boy in the coming year, it brings generations of the Duong family back together. Big-hearted, hugely funny, heartwrenching, chaotic and oh so perfect. 

We’re all for more depictions of women over the age of 30 in romance, and we absolutely love “Before I Let Go” by Kennedy Ryan for this reason, plus so many more. This story is a second-chance romance between a divorced couple trying to coparent kids and run a restaurant. These characters are like magnets, drawn back to each other over and over. And while this is a romance, it touches on heavy themes like grief and depression. Everything Kennedy writes is gold, and this is no different. 

• "How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water" at Bookshop.org for $26
• "Killers of a Certain Age" at Bookshop.org for $25
• “The Fortunes of Jaded Women” at Bookshop.org for $25
• "Before I Let Go" at Bookshop.org for $15

XOXO, 

The Novel Neighbor 

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In the mood for a good book but don't know what title to pick? The Novel Neighbor is here to help.

The independently owned and operated bookstore in St. Louis puts its well-read booksellers' expertise to the test with their popular Mystery Box program. Readers write in, sharing details about the kinds of books they're looking for, sharing biographical details and personal tastes to help find the right match.

To order your own Mystery Box, visit thenovelneighbor.com.