Running to work. Running to get the kids to school on time. Running to get errands done in that one hour on the weekend when you weren’t driving carpool. Pre-retirement life was all about running - and running out of time. You were lucky to find a few precious minutes to sit down, let alone enough peaceful solitude to sit down with a good book.
Now that your time is your own, you can relax to your heart’s content, while exploring the world, learning something new, or just immersing yourself in a good old fashioned bodice ripper. The list of good books for older adults is endless.
Check out these fall book recommendations and get ready to flex your imagination muscles.
Best Novels for Older Adults
Horse by Geraldine Brooks
You just can’t go wrong with Geraldine Brooks. This time she has crafted a saga based on the true story of the greatest racehorse in American history. Spanning over 150 years, this book is a beautiful and moving story but also a hard look at slavery and the 19th century south. Combining art, science and love with the ugliness of racism through America’s past and present, Horse is a page turner that will stay with you long after you’ve closed the book.
Little by Edward Carey
Tourists all over the world have been enjoying the fruits of Madame Tussaud’s labors for decades. Little explores the life of this amazing woman within the context of the French Revolution. Her nickname was Little because of her stature, but her influence on the art world was huge. Her humble beginnings and the subsequent trials of her early life fill the pages of this engrossing novel. Hers is a story of perseverance and survival in a world stacked against her.
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
It’s the early 1960s and single mom and brilliant chemist Elizabeth Zott battles misogynism in the scientific community. Her journey leads her to hosting a television cooking show and the rest is, as they say, zany history. This book is filled with humor and Zott’s perspective during the early stages of the women’s movement. Those of a certain age will recall that era and enjoy reliving it with this formidable, no-nonsense heroine.
The Extinction Trials by A. G. Riddle
Get your sci-fi on with The Extinction Trials, another futuristic adventure by AG Riddle. After a mysterious global event, six strangers wake up in a research facility only to learn they are to restart the human race. Written in Riddle’s signature style, this book is filled with humor and weaves a spellbinding story that makes so much sense you almost believe it can be true. If you like this genre, check out his other bestsellers.
The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles
Written by Amor Towles, author of the bestselling “A Gentleman in Moscow,” The Lincoln Highway is one of those books that reads like a ride in a 50s convertible on a beautiful spring day. It’s a story of brothers, and family, and coming of age. It starts in 1954 and is one of the best fall reads - especially for those who can remember the car designs from that year.
So, step one: Figure out where to park your favorite reading chair in your new Overture apartment.
Step two: Settle into said favorite chair, grab a book that speaks to you, and enjoy. Most importantly, don’t forget that “Do Not Disturb” sign. You’ve earned it.