The 40’s and 50’s are often referred to as transformative decades – filled with reflection and a search for deeper meaning. As careers and relationships evolve, our tastes also go through a change. At this juncture, one seeks out books that inspire change or simply provide some much-needed escape.
Here is a curated list of 7 powerful reads, spanning fiction and non-fiction, that comes highly recommended by people in their midlife. Dive in – you just might find your new favourite book for this stage of your life.
1. The Forty Rules of Love – Elif Shafak
Book Recommended by Manpreet Bains (40)
The Forty Rules of Love by Elif Shafak follows Ella Rubinstein, a wife and mother, who feels empty despite her family life. Inspired by a manuscript on the Sufi poet Rumi and Shams of Tabriz, she embarks on a journey of love, faith, and self-discovery.
The book explores that idea that spirituality is to be lived in every moment of our life not just in our spare time because it is ultimately our connection to ourselves and through it to the Divine. It tells us how change is the only constant and it needs to be accepted and celebrated else one starts to die from within. It presents perhaps one of the best introduction to what true spirituality means and how simple it can be if we actually look at it closely.
Manpreet, who is a spiritual life coach, Tarot reader and energy healer shares, “I first read The Forty Rules of Love in 2015 and I thought it blew my mind back then. Then I reread it this year and it transformed something deep within me. Something shifted and changed me. As I turned 40 this year, I picked it up again only to realise the serendipity of it all. Ella and Shams both are 40 in the book and there are 40 rules of love of course.”
2. Untamed by Glennon Doyle
Book Recommended by Upasana Mahatani Luthra (53)
Untamed is both an intimate memoir and a galvanizing wake-up call. It is the story of how one woman learned that a responsible mother is not one who slowly dies for her children, but one who shows them how to fully live. It is the story of navigating divorce, forming a new blended family, and discovering that the brokenness or wholeness of a family depends not on its structure but on each member’s ability to bring her full self to the table.
Upasana, an avid reader, who manages a social media page called The Book Reporter, says, “You know you’re drawn in when you start highlighting at page five! You know you’re a goner when you want to finish it but want to linger on. This is one woman’s raw, Untamed account of her life, how she overcame an illness, a marriage gone bad and innumerable other things. It’s not sad- you will gape! It’s not sappy – it will give you goosebumps! The way she describes her ordeals is indeed relatable and will give you energy.”
3. More Than a Life Sadhguru by Arundhathi Subramaniam
Book Recommended by Dr Geetika Singh (43)
More than a Life is the extraordinary story of Sadhguru – a young agnostic who turned yogi, a wild motorcyclist who turned mystic, a skeptic who turned spiritual guide. Pulsating with his razor-sharp intelligence, bracing wit and modern-day vocabulary, the book empowers you to explore your spiritual self and could well change your life.
It seeks to re-create the life journey of a man who combines rationality with mysticism, irreverence with compassion, ancient wisdom with a provocatively contemporary outlook and a deep knowledge of the self with a contagious love of life.
Dr Geetika Singh, a senior pathologist at AIIMS, New Delhi, describes this book as having had a positive and negative impact on her life. She says, “As I entered my 40’s and went through questioning life, reading this book gave me an insight into several realities that are not visible to us. It introduced me to my inner state, and I say positive and negative because this knowing comes with its own baggage. It taught me to let go of several things and a lot of learning in my 40’s about my inner space came with reading this book.”
4. Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
Book Recommended by Vidya Raja (41)
Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom is a heartfelt memoir about the author’s visits with his former professor, Morrie Schwartz, who is terminally ill. Through their weekly conversations, Morrie shares life lessons on love, work, aging, and death, offering profound wisdom on how to live meaningfully.
Vidya, a lawyer and a passionate writer, says “Personally, this is a book that I keep going back to. On days when nothing seems to be working out, reading a chapter or two from this book leaves me with a feeling of warmth. It reminds me of things that truly matter – family and friendships. This is a book that is both moving and inspiring.”
5. Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingslover
Book Recommended by Radhika Kolluru (44)
Set in the mountains of southern Appalachia, this novel follows a boy born to a teen mother in a trailer, armed only with wit, good looks and a drive to survive. Told in his raw voice, he navigates foster care, addiction, love, loss and the various other challenges he is faced with.
Radhika, Head of Legal at Penguin Random House Private Limited says, “At over 500 pages, Demon Copperhead was a sad book. Despite the number of pages, I managed to race through it because of the sheer good writing. I would describe this read as being very evocative and atmospheric.”
6. Open by Andre Agassi
Book Recommended by Rachna Khanna (49)
“Open” is a candid and revealing autobiography by tennis legend Andre Agassi. The book delves into the highs and lows of his illustrious career, offering a raw and honest account of his life both on and off the court.
Rachna, a marketing consultant and an executive coach, says, “I started reading this book for the love of Agassi. Like most of us over 40, I grew up watching the man at the top of his game – THE GOAT back then. It shook me to read that while Andre Agassi is who he is today, Tennis was not a career of his choice, it was chosen for him. To have someone so good at what he does reveal that he has hated it all along, was baffling and reassuring at the same time. And reading it at a stage of my life when I was questioning my own life choices, made it all so real. It resonated and stayed with me. For whatever reason, we all feel stuck at some point, especially in our midlife. Trust me, reading this book will make you feel like less alone.”
7. Educated by Tara Westover
Book Recommended by Nupur Chaturvedi (48)
“Educated” is a memoir by Tara Westover that recounts her journey from a strict, survivalist upbringing in rural Idaho to earning a PhD from Cambridge University. The book explores themes of self-discovery, resilience, and the transformative power of education, highlighting her struggles to redefine her identity amidst familial conflict.
Nupur, a marketing consultant, and content specialist says, “The militant vehemence with which Tara pursued her education gives me pause to look at my own privilege. It makes me realise how much we take for granted and how much we complain about what we don’t have. That the book had scenes of brutal domestic violence made it a difficult read. But it was also my first foray into listening to a memoir as an audio book and I know that the narrator’s voice made the book even more compelling. I came away with lessons for both, perseverance as well as openness to trying something new.”
