by Anastasia Tuckness

As I head into the second half of my life, I am drawn to books whose characters are also older, experiencing change, looking for connection and meaning in new ways and places. From the funny to the heartwarming to the death-defying, here are some recent favorites.

In “Remarkably Bright Creatures” by Shelby Van Pelt, Tova Sullivan has been rebuilding since her son disappeared, and after her husband dies, she seeks solace in an overnight janitorial job at the local aquarium and her longtime friends, the Knitwits. I loved the slower pace and tone of this book, as well as the unique characters (including Marcellus the octopus). The mid-book plot twist and subsequent unraveling of the past were very satisfying.

Looking at death honestly and without cringing can be an advantage of being older. The characters in Richard Osman’s “The Thursday Murder Club” often consider risks (even fatal ones) and decide to take them, because death seems like such an imminent possibility anyway! (Don’t miss the next installment in the series, “The Impossible Fortune,” coming in September.) Another well-loved mystery series features Detective Inspector Vera Stanhope in Ann Cleeve’s series that starts with “The Crow Trap”; these books and the spinoff TV show are well-beloved by fans of police procedurals. Also try “Killers of a Certain Age” by Deanna Raybourn and “The Marlow Murder Club” by Robert Thorogood.

In “The Switch” by Beth O’Leary, Eileen Cotton finds herself rebuilding after her husband runs off with their salsa instructor. Noticing that the dating prospects in her tiny village are limited, she decides to expand her options by swapping places with her Londonite granddaughter, Leena, and jumping into online dating. Leena, for her part, finds her own connections and joys in Hamleigh. Both Leena and Eileen can be bold and even reckless, leading to some funny situations. 

“The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County” by Claire Swinarski features another multi-generational family. Esther and her friends have been feeding people at funerals in their small lakeside town in Wisconsin for years. Not much changes. But then drama arrives in the form of Cooper Welsh (who’s interested in Esther’s granddaughter Iris), and Cooper’s celebrity chef father. As their stories intertwine and resurface old pain, everyone must come to terms with themselves, their pasts, and how to move forward. Esther’s homey food and Cooper’s father’s gourmet food add a delightful layer to this ultimately optimistic book.