The June Intermission
Midlife Reading List, Part 2!
The Right Novel for Whatever Midlife is Throwing at You Right Now, Part 2!
Last month, I kicked off a three-part series of books to suit the mood of whatever you’re feeling right now. May’s list covered Angry, Stupefied, and Lonely.
This month, I’ve got recommendations for readers feeling Nostalgic, Lacking for Strength, or Dreaming of Adventure.
Here we go…
When you’ve got a serious case of the “What ifs…”, read Tom Lake by Ann Patchett.
Set during the pandemic lockdown, this novel explores the roads not taken through one woman’s storytelling about her youth to her adult daughters. Patchett examines the alternative lives we might have lived—the career that didn’t happen, the love that didn’t last, the person we didn’t become—with remarkable tenderness and zero regret. The book suggests that “what ifs” aren’t failures but rather the rich material of a life fully lived, choices made with the information we had at the time. It’s a meditation on contentment without complacency, on appreciating the life you’ve built while acknowledging the ones you didn’t.
When you worry you’re not strong enough to handle what’s coming, read The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon.
Based on the real-life diary of 18th-century midwife Martha Ballard, this historical novel showcases a woman who navigates impossible circumstances with practical competence and moral courage. Lawhon’s Martha faces brutal winters, deadly epidemics, and legal injustice while continuing to show up for her community’s births, deaths, and emergencies. The book is a powerful reminder that strength isn’t about never being afraid or overwhelmed—it’s about doing what needs to be done anyway. For women facing challenges that feel insurmountable, Martha’s steady presence across the centuries whispers: you’re tougher than you think.
When you wonder if it’s finally time to follow your dreams, read Miss Benson’s Beetle by Rachel Joyce.
Joyce’s protagonist is a middle-aged schoolteacher who has deferred her childhood passion for entomology through decades of sensible choices—until she suddenly doesn’t anymore. At 47, Margery Benson sets off for the other side of the world to find a mythical golden beetle, accompanied by the least likely assistant imaginable. This is a book about what happens when you finally prioritize wonder over practicality, when you decide that “someday” has arrived whether you feel ready or not. It celebrates the particular courage required to pursue seemingly impractical dreams in midlife, when the stakes feel higher and the path less clear.
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 Summer Island by Kristin Hannah
June’s book will make you cry as you tear through the pages. Kristin Hannah has a way of doing that, which I wrote about last week. Why do you love a book that tears at our heart? Because it’s cleansing and we aren’t the ones left picking up the pieces.
Bookshop.org (remember that 20% deal?) | Barnes & Noble (currently $3 off)
Quotable Quotes
“A daughter without her mother is a woman broken. It is a loss that turns to arthritis and settles deep into her bones.”
Live chat is Thursday, June 25th at 7pm Central. Everyone welcome.
Bite-Size Intermissions
ICMY, Author Liz Alterman Answers The Middle Questionnaire
Liz Alterman writes about her novel, Claire Casey’s Had Enough, a character she says was inspired by the “many wonderful, witty women I know—friends, family members, and the funny, resilient daughters and moms quietly carrying impossible loads, often without recognition, yet managing it all with humor and grace.” Check out the interview here. Then buy the book!
Book Club Swap Shop
Every issue, I’ll give something away and ask for something I need. It’s like our own “give a penny, take a penny” jar. Got something to share or need from fellow Middlers? Send me a message.
Available: See the 20% off code, above.
In Search Of: Your thoughts! I’ve been thinking about putting together a summer reading guide of all the books I’m excited about this summer. Is that something you’d be interested in seeing? Any books you’re looking forward to?
Got ideas for future Intermissions? Let me know.
Until next month, be well and read on.
