The July Intermission
Plus, the final installment of my Midlife Reading List
The Right Novel for Whatever Midlife is Throwing at You… the final installment
In May, I kicked off a three-part series of books to suit the mood of whatever you’re feeling right now. If you missed the earlier installments, check out Part 1 and Part 2.
And now, the final installment.
When only a cozy Scottish town filled with quirky characters will cure what ails you, read Winter Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcher.
Elfrida, a former London actress settles into village life in Dibton—friendly shopkeepers, neighbors who know her name—yet still aches with loneliness. Oscar gave up music for marriage, and only his only daughter Francesca makes that sacrifice feel worth it. Carrie flees a doomed affair in Austria, comes home to a mother and sister who bicker nonstop, and gets roped into minding her awkward teenage niece Lucy over Christmas. Sam, blindsided by his wife leaving him, has nothing left but his job, until a business trip to Scotland’s wild coast makes him fall for a house there.
One tragedy, five strangers, and a crumbling estate near a Scottish fishing town that pulls them all together.
When you fear that “Love thy neighbor” no longer has a place in our world, read How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water by Angie Cruz.
Cara Romero figured she’d be able to stay at her factory job forever. Then the Great Recession takes her job in her mid-50s, and she’s back on the job market, unprepared financially or emotionally. Cara ends up telling her life story to her state-assigned job counselor, including all her messy love affairs, the fragile bond with neighbor Lulu and sister Angela, debt, gentrification, loss, and finally the truth about her estranged son, Fernando.
When all you need is good friends, a glass of wine, and a few good laughs, read Tired Ladies Take a Stand by, well… me.
Sometimes the solution to life’s problems isn’t deep introspection or dramatic reinvention but simply the company of women who get it. Tired Ladies Take a Stand follows three friends navigating the chaos of midlife with laughter, wine, and friendship—even at its messiest.
Who doesn’t love 20% off?
Quick reminder that you may be eligible to get 20% off your purchase at Bookshop.org. You’ve heard me harping on the need to support bookstores over billionaires, and here’s your chance to do it for less. Code is good for 20% off your one-time purchase. (Further exclusions may apply.)
Midway Through Sandwich by Catherine Newman
July’s pick is a mega-bestseller that has spoken to millions of midlife women throughout the world. I once heard one reader react to it by saying, “Sometimes I wondered if Catherine Newman had crawled inside my head to write it.”
Bookshop.org (remember that 20% deal?) | Barnes & Noble
Quotable Quotes
“Life is a seesaw, and I am standing dead center, still and balanced: living kids on one side, living parents on the other. Nicky here with me at the fulcrum. Don't move a muscle, I think. But I will, of course. You have to.”
Live chat is Thursday, July 30th at 7pm Central. Everyone welcome.
Bite-Size Intermissions
Dolly Parton’s Heartstrings on Netflix
I’m a Dolly Parton fan and so I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to stop and watch her Heartstrings series on Netflix. It’s eight episodes, each one dedicated to the stories behind her most iconic songs, including “Jolene” and “Two Doors Down.” It shouldn’t be any surprise that I’m a big advocate of women storytellers, and this series is further proof that Dolly is one of the all-time best.
More to come: The Anthonys hit Dollywood in August. (You bet you read that right!).
Got ideas for future Intermissions? Let me know.
Until next month, be well and read on.
