One great thing about being in your 40s is that, maybe for the first time ever, you feel like you're in a really good place: You have life experience, perspective, and let's be real—you finally feel like you have it all together. (Hey, it takes time!) So when you're looking for the perfect book that suits your needs, you can't just reach for anything.
An essential pick for someone in her 20s isn't necessarily going to be a favorite for someone in her 40s. But with that being said, there are also timeless classes and reads that are universal to all women, no matter their age.
These tops picks hit every check mark: Some tell epic love stories, some are laugh-out-loud funny, some are dark, and some will leave you breathless. No matter what your preference is, rest assured that once you start reading you certainly won't want to stop. These are the books every woman should read in her 40s.
1 | Little Fires Everywhere, by Celeste Ng
$22.95; buy now at barnesandnoble.com
It will probably only take you one sitting to breeze through this novel about an artsy single mother and her daughter, Mia and Pearl, who move to the calm suburb Shaker Heights and rent a house from rule-following Elena Richardson. But the duo's mysterious past holds plenty of secrets that threaten to cause some chaos in the lives of those around them.
2 | Yes Please, by Amy Poehler
$13.59; buy now at target.com
Even if you're not a die-hard Amy Poehler fan, you'll love this read. The funny lady's first book dives into everything from personal stories to must-read advice, including when you should show off your comedic skills and when you should keep your mouth shut.
3 | In the Company of Women, by Grace Bonney
$35; buy now at powells.com
Anytime you need a boost of inspiration, just open this book. Within the pages, you'll get to meet more than 100 influential women who are all makers, artists, and entrepreneurs—and discover exactly how they found success and happiness in their lives. It gets better, though: You can learn how to go for your passion through their journeys, too.
4 | The Feminine Mystique, by Betty Friedan
$18; buy now at powells.com
This book has been around since the '60s, but it's known for sparking the beginning of second-wave feminism in the United States. At the time, being fulfilled as a woman was thought to be through being a housewife and having children. But that wasn't the case and it ignited a flame in ladies everywhere.
5 | Wonder, by RJ Palacio
$14.44; buy now at barnesandnoble.com
This book tells the story of August Pullman, a boy who was born with a rare facial deformity who just wants to be treated like any other kid. There's plenty of hard moments along the way, but he also becomes an inspiration to everyone around him, teaching everyone that it's OK to be different.
6 | Eat Pray Love, by Elizabeth Gilbert
$14.45; buy now at barnesandnoble.com
Let's hope you have your passport ready, because this book is going to make you want to go travel the world. The story is a memoir from author Elizabeth Gilbert as she travels the world after her divorce, learning plenty of great lessons along the way during her time in Italy, India, and Indonesia.
7 | Wild, by Cheryl Strayed
$14.41; buy now at barnesandnoble.com
Can you imagine going on a 1,110-mile hike on the Pacific Crest Trail from the Mojave Desert to Washington completely by yourself with no previous hiking experience? That's exactly what Cheryl Strayed did in order to get through her pain and personal challenges, and this memoir goes deep into her journey of self-discovery along the way.
8 | The Girl on the Train, by Paula Hawkins
$8.43; buy now at amazon.com
Every day Rachel Watson takes a train into London, and as the train stops for its signal, she has the view of a couple in their home and always imagines their perfect life together. But one day she sees something so shocking that it unfolds a series of events that will leave you on the edge of your seat.
9 | A Secret Sisterhood, by Emily Midorikawa and Emma Claire Sweeney
$24.30; buy now at barnesandnoble.com
Contrary to popular belief, famous female authors didn't just sit alone and write all the time while male authors had legendary friendships. Through unpublished letters and diaries, this book dives into the interesting friendships of Jane Austen and Anne Sharp, Mary Taylor and Charlotte Brontë, George Eliot and Harriet Beecher Stowe, and Virginia Woolf and Katherine Mansfield.
10 | Alias Grace, by Margaret Atwood
$17; buy now at powells.com
This book looks into the life of Grace Marks, who was convicted of being involved in the murder of her boss, his housekeeper, and mistress in 1843. The only problem? She's serving a life sentence but says she doesn't remember a thing. That's when one mental health expert decided to hear her out and see what happens if he helps her unlock her memories.
11 | Gone Girl, by Gillian Flynn
$14.40; buy now at strandbooks.com
On Nick and Amy Dunne's fifth wedding anniversary, something terrible happens: His wife disappears. The catch? People start to think he might have done it. But that's just one of the many twists and turns ahead in this page-turner.
12 | Me Before You, by Jojo Moyes
$13.60; buy now at barnesandnoble.com
Louisa Clark didn't expect to fall for the very moody Will Traynor when she gets a job taking care of him due to him being confined to a wheelchair after an accident. He can't seem to become happy with his new life and has a plan to end it all, and that's when she swoops in and tries to show him there's something to live for: love.
13 | The Goldfinch, by Donna Tartt
$7.50; buy now at powells.com
After 13-year-old Theo Decker survives an accident that leaves him without a mother, he's taken in by a family friend who just so happens to be super wealthy. His new life was a far cry from his old one and he gets comfort from a small painting, thrusting himself into the world of art. But as an adult working in an antique shop, he finds himself in an even more dangerous circle.
14 | The Girls, by Emma Cline
$18.36; buy now at target.com
Everyone has that cool girl they're drawn to growing up, and for Evie Boyd that was Suzanne. From that friendship, she gets wound up in an infamous cult—so much so that she has no idea that her obsession is leading her down a very dark and dangerous path.
15 | What Happened, by Hillary Rodham Clinton
$16.82; buy now at amazon.com
If you still feel like breaking down over Hillary Clinton's loss to Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election, you're not alone. In this personal memoir, Clinton goes into detail on exactly how she felt that fateful day, the struggles that came before it, and how she's picked up the pieces since.
16 | You Are a Bad-ss, by Jen Sincero
$9.19; buy now at target.com
Sometimes you just need someone to tell you that you're great, and that's where Jen Sincero comes in. In this book, you'll get tips, advice, and easy-to-follow exercises from the success coach that will help you create a life you truly love.
17 | Everything I Never Told You, by Celeste Ng
$14.40; buy now at strandbooks.com
Lydia was her parents' favorite child and was always meant to live out their dreams someday, but that all came to a halt when her body was found in a lake. What comes next is a story that will have you flying through the pages until you're finished.
18 | Bad Feminist, by Roxane Gay
$14.39; buy now at amazon.com
In this book, writer Roxane Gay not only takes you on her journey as a woman of color, but will also give you important lessons on culture and feminism along the way through a collection of sharp and insightful essays.
19 | Bossypants, by Tina Fey
$9.59; buy now at target.com
You can't have Amy Poehler's book on a list without including Tina Fey's, too. This book follows Fey's life from her childhood as a self-proclaimed nerd to her terrifying honeymoon situation. So, yes—it's incredibly amusing.
20 | Milk and Honey, by Rupi Kaur
$15; buy now at powells.com
Even if you don't like poetry, you'll enjoy this book by Rupi Kaur. The four chapters go through different pain people deal with in life and finds sweetness in them, showing the world you can always find something good from the bad if you look hard enough.
21 | Bridget Jones's Diary, by Helen Fielding
$14.40; buy now at barnesandnoble,com
Before the famous movie staring Renée Zellweger became a household favorite, there was a book. And the hilarious adventures of this singleton—written as if you're snooping through her actual diary—is definitely worth reading.
22 | The Color Purple, by Alice Walker
$8.72; buy now at amazon.com
You know a book is good when it's been turned into a movie and a Broadway show. This story goes through the life of Celie, a poor black woman who has been abused and raped by her father since she was 14 years old. Now 20, married to a brutal husband, and separated from her sister, she meets a singer who helps her let go of her past and reunite with the people she cares about.
23 | The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood
$13.56; buy now at barnesandnoble.com
Now a hit show on Hulu, this book follows the story of Offred, a Handmaid in the Republic of Gilead whose only purpose is to be bear children—but not by choice. Before being forced into this world, she had a normal life with a husband and daughter—but now it doesn't seem like that will ever be possible again.
24 | All the Light We Cannot See, by Anthony Doerr
$11.95; buy now at powells.com
This award-winning novel tells the story of a blind French girl whose life intertwines with a German soldier during World War II. Both are doing their best to survive, and some magic happens along the way that makes all the difference.
25 | The Time Traveler's Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger
$9.98; buy now at amazon.com
In this book, a man's disorder causes him to time travel unpredictably, leaving his wife behind never knowing how long he'll be gone. You'll instantly get caught up in their unique love story—one that actually begins when he visits her from the future when she's only 6 years old.
26 | Still Alice, by Lisa Genova
$14.83; buy now at barnesandnoble.com
When Alice—a successful professor at Harvard—is only 50 years old, she learns she has Alzheimer's. Although it's a hard truth to grasp at first, she realizes being able to remember isn't the only thing that's important in life.
27 | The Help, by Kathryn Stockett
$8.29; buy now at target.com
When three seemingly different women—a black maid, her friend, and a socialite—come together to write a tell-all book about working as a black maid in the South, they end up starting a movement.
28 | Room, by Emma Donoghue
$12.34; buy now at amazon.com
Although he doesn't know it, 5-year-old Jack's life isn't normal. He's been in one small room with his mother since he was born—and little does he know, she's being held there against her will. Their story of survival will have you so invested that you won't be able to put down this book.
29 | We Need to Talk About Kevin, by Lionel Shriver
$8.50; buy now at powells.com
Ready for a page-turner? In this book, Eva's son murders seven of his fellow classmates, a cafeteria worker, and a teacher before his 16th birthday. In the years that follow, she wonders if her not ever wanting to be a mother in the first place had something to do with making him turn out the way he did.
30 | The Sleep Revolution, by Arianna Huffington
$14.40; buy now at barnesandnoble.com
Arianna Huffington is set out to change the way you catch your Zs. This book goes through it all, from the sleeping pill industry to how technology affects your sleep. Once you finish, you'll have a new outlook on one of the most important things your body needs—and why you should focus on getting a proper amount of shut-eye.
31 | The Woman in Cabin 10, by Ruth Ware
$12.80; buy now at target.com
This story of Lo Blacklock—a travel journalist—takes plenty of twists and turns during her week on a luxury cruise. While she's there, she witnesses something awful and tries to figure out what exactly went wrong.
32 | Fear of Flying, by Erica Jong
$9; buy now at barnesandnoble.com
This novel was incredibly controversial when it came out in the early '70s, but its openness about female sexuality opened a new door that resulted in a strong wave of feminism.
33 | The Great Alone, by Kristin Hannah
$15.94; buy now at amazon.com
This book tells the story of a family that moved to Alaska in 1974 to start a new life and their journey in the harsh wilderness. Though the isolation was just as hard to deal with as the unbearable weather, it turned into something truly powerful.
34 | Hit So Hard, by Patty Schemel
$18.36; buy now at target.com
In this memoir, Hole drummer Patty Schemel does a deep dive into the story of her life, from difficult childhood memories and dealing with addiction to living with Kurt Cobain and his Hole front-woman wife Courtney Love.
35 | The Immortalists, by Chloe Benjamin
$9.95; buy now at powells.com
What if someone told you exactly when you would die down to the day? That's exactly what when four adolescents visited a traveling psychic in New York City to pass some time on a summer day, and this book follows the stories of what they decide to do with that knowledge.
36 | The Woman in the Window, by A.J. Finn
$22.94; buy now at barnesandnoble.com
Anna Fox—who's too afraid to leave her home—watches the world through her window. But when seemingly perfect new neighbors move in, she ends up seeing something horrible and has to figure out what actually happened.
37 | Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl, by Anne Frank
Bantam Dell$4.50; buy now at powells.com
By now, you probably know Anne Frank—but do you know her story from her own words? Her diary goes into detail of what her life was like during her time in hiding from the Nazis. Her life was short, but the account of the Holocaust from the eyes of a Jewish teenager is a must-read.
38 | My Sister's Keeper, by Jodi Picoult
$14.44; buy now at barnesandnoble.com
If your daughter was sick, would you do everything in your power to save her? For one mother, that meant having Anna undergo multiple surgeries, transfusions, and other procedures for her sister Kate in order to help her fight her leukemia. But now that Anna is older, she's faced with a decision that could completely tear her family apart.
39 | The Happiness Project, by Gretchen Rubin
$10.98; buy now at amazon.com
Finding happiness is harder than you think, and author Gretchen Rubin took an entire year to find out exactly what it takes to become truly content. It's not only a great read, but you can also learn what steps you need to take to become happier along the way.
40 | Uncommon Type: Some Stories, by Tom Hanks
$24.26; buy now at barnesandnoble.com
Love Tom Hanks? Then you need to pick up his first collection of short stories—17, to be exact!—that prove he's just as great of a writer as he is an actor. And you won't be bored: They feature all sorts of interesting characters, from a World War II vet to a surfer kid in California.
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