I love to track, journal and reflect on my life and being ‘somewhat’ bookish, this is the seventh year I have made this list. It’s more or less in the order I read them.
Naked Portrait A Memoir of Lucien Freud – Rose Boyt
I started reading with a curiosity about the great artist, just like many of Rose’s unpleasantly nosy acquaintances, I wanted all the dirt. Then having obligingly dished it up with naked vulnerability, the reading changed to a painful act of baring witness to the unfolding trauma. A miserable read, but thankfully with a happy ending.
Maureen Fry and the Angel of the North – Rachel Joyce
The third part of the trilogy centred around loss, grief, and redemption. We travel with Margaret, the world reflecting her brittle rage back to her, to an epiphany of the bossy where she is forced to surrender to life. Brief at 200 pages, and good enough to be read without the previous two books, Rachel saves the best bit till the end in an imagined interview with Maureen.
Goddess With A Thousand Faces – Jasmine Elmer
Skilful reimagining of the stories of Goddesses across different cultures, some familiar e.g. Athena, Kali, and some less so. Beyond the gripping retelling, Jasmine gives the real depth by sharing historical context and what understanding we can draw for our every lives. The blurb says Jasmine wanted to ‘glow up’ mythology and succeeds with this inspiring, easy read.
Why Women Grow – Alice Vincent
As a longtime gardener, reading about women starting to plant awakened a combination of inspiration and envy. Having had a tough few gardening years (thank you honey fungus and box moth), it seems wonderful to just ‘have a go’ and be surprised by the results. It is of course the women’s stories at the heart of the book and the combination of location and story is an exquisite counterpoint.
The Dreaming Way – Toko-Pa Turner
Brilliantly inspiring and informative exploration of the wisdom of dreams. I’ve long felt the universe wants to communicate to us all, if only we could listen, and this book gives the key. More than a practical guide, Toko-Pa covers the feminine nature of wisdom, historical context of the repression of Sophia to the present day, dream recall, archetypes and much more. It was literally opened a door into another world and I’ll be returning to it time and again.
Godmersham Park – Gill Hornby
Centring on the life of a single woman in 1804 who finds herself needing to earn her living as a governess, this weaves in drama, feminism and an appearance by Jane Austen. Based on letters and research, many of the characters are real figures, including our Shero Ann. I loved this: raced through it and was thrown into misery when I’d finished. A must for fans of J Austen.
Miss Austen – Gill Hornby
So of course I marched quickly onto this. Themes of privacy, ageing, femininism, legacy, class and the exquisite conflict of having a hugely talented sister. We follow Cassandra, Jane Austen’s beloved sister, back and forth in time to feel the losses and challenges that made her into the sturdy old woman she becomes 23 years after Jane’s death. I loved it only a little less than Godersham Park. I may only read Austen related stuff all year!
Dream Wise: Unlocking the meaning of your dreams – Lisa Marchiano, Deborah Steward, Joseph Lee
Written by the hosts of the podcast ‘This Jungian Life’ this is simply the best guide to dreams I’ve encountered (sorry Too-pa). The many examples of dreams offer insight into different themes, and the many practical approaches to interpretation give lots of choice. Following even a few of their suggestions has been transformational and made a significant integration between my outer and inner life.
The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois – Honnoreé Fannone Jeffers
Epic narrative of a family from the colonial slave trade, through the American Civil War and into the present. I fell in love with the complex characters, through the carefully placed time shifts, as they navigated racism, passion and freedom. Huge book, but an effortless read, even at the most harrowing episodes.
Wild Houses – Colin Barrett
A drug deal goes wrong in County Mayo in this Booker longlisted treasure. So deeply descriptive I felt the inside of the characters migraines and panic attacks, and recognised the pores on the noses in close up. It’s a slow burn with violence shifting beneath the text, so when it comes, we meet it with the same resignation as the characters. Clever bugger.
So Late In The Day – Claire Keegan
A masterclass in the placement of words to maximum effect. Fifty small, perfectly formed pages describing the arc of a relationship, from the point of view of Cathal, as he eye-balls a long, lonely weekend from his office desk.
The Miniaturist – Jessie Burton
Gobbled this up over a long weekend, hugely enjoyable. Set in 17th century Amsterdam, a society obsessed with the accumulation of wealth and a sharp eye for puritanical moral obedience. Our (reliable) narrator Nella arrives from the country aged 18 as the new wife in a complicated household. A debut novel, amazingly, and no doubt a film is in production already.
Foster – Clare Keegan
Another tiny masterpiece from Claire Keegan in which a child spends the summer with kindly foster parents, dumped there unceremoniously by her careless father. Achingly, exquisitely sad.
My Year of Meats – Ruth Ozeki
Sparkling story of documentary-maker Jane Tagaki-Little wrestling with the moral dilemma of creating Japanese TV to promote American beef. Meanwhile, in Japan, Akiko Ueno experiences a gradual awakening thanks to Jane’s increasingly subversive take on the beef industry. If you’re a non-meat-eater you will be vindicated, if you eat beef, it will likely put you off your steak forever.
Small Things Like These – Claire Keegan
This one was on the Booker shortlist, and though a little longer than Foster and So Late In The Day, has all their depth and nuance. Set in 1986, coal merchant Bill Furlong becomes aware of the brutality at the convent in his neighbourhood. The last Magdalene laundry closed in 1996 and 30,000 women are thought to have been incarcerated.
Brit-ish On Race, Identity and Belonging – Afua Hirsch
The best book I’ve read on racism in Britain, Afua covers every aspect arising from the brutality of the slave trade from 17th Century till today. Part memoir, part interviews, each section is thoroughly investigated with nuance and clarity, skewering the facile blindness of folk ‘ not seeing race’ in the UK and how this only further embeds the white privilege that built the Empire.
A Theatre For Dreamers – Polly Samson
A semi-fact-semi-fictional account of bohemian life on Hydra in 1960. The hook is we get to lurk voyeuristically on the sidelines of Leonard Cohen and Marianne Ihlen’s relationship, as seen through the eyes of young Erica. There are many pages of description of drunk wannabe artists and writers squabbling and shagging, but the island is the star of the show. Thinking that I should dive more into travel books for low-carbon adventures.
We All Want Impossible Things – Catherine Newman
Ash’s life-long best friend Edi is dying in the hospice. The friends and family come and go, each bringing a snippet of story about their lives. It doesn’t hold back on the reality of death, the difficulty with poo and fluids are all there. But nowhere on earth would you ever find a bunch of people as cute, funny and charming as these. Even the uptight patriarch is adorable. Too feel good for me.
The Body Is A Doorway – Sophie Strand
Sophie’s memoir takes us on a journey from her teens into the present, as the complex problems of her condition unfold. Eventually diagnosed as Ellers Danlos , the sheer range of issues flood her in tides of incapacity as she is variously dismissed, poisoned and (rarely) supported by the medical and therapists she employs. Set against her deep relationship to the environment we ponder on what health, healing, sickness might be and what cure is possible a fractured world.
The Garden Against Time – Olivia Lang
This might have proved a bit too clever for me, if it wasn’t for her actual gardening in real earth, with real-world gardening problems. Olivia weaves in the life and work of John Clare, William Morris, Milton and Derrick Jarman in and around the changing notions of ‘garden’ and what that might be. I learned loads though, especially about the clearances and the famous landscapers of the 17th century and the colonial slave money that funded them.
Bloody Hell! And Other Stories. Edited by Mona Eltahawy
I really thought I would never pick up, let alone enjoy another book about menopause ever again but this anthology sparkled with life. The essays from women, transmasculine, and non-binary folk from all over the world, are intimate, vibrant and highlight the uniqueness and similarities of the transition. Unfortunately the publishers Unbound, went bust just as it was coming out and Boundless, who took over, had still not paid Mona at the time of writing.
Her Soul Is Ablaze: A companion for your midlife awakening – Stella Tomlinson
Re-inspired by Bloody Hell! I said yes to reading this poetic companion by Stella. It is a tender, earthy guide to the deep transformation of menopause. With practical wisdom and soulful reflections, this book is a daily companion to remind you of your power, your beauty, and the profound renewal waiting beneath the surface.
ADHD & Perimenopause: Embracing neurodivergence in a changing body
This thoughtful and well-researched guide offers a clear, in-depth exploration of the complex relationship between perimenopause and ADHD. With practical insights on diagnosis, physiology, medication, nervous system support, and real-life case studies, it’s an invaluable resource for both individuals navigating these challenges and the professionals who support them.
Long Island Compromise- Taft Brodesser-Akner
Carl is kidnapped from in front of his home in 1980. The book follows the consequences for himself and his family through the following two generations. It beautifully unfolds the ways trauma plays out through families, as it blows apart the pillars of Jewish American life. Highly readable, and I grew to love even the most impossible characters by the end; all of them doing the best they could under the circumstances.
All This Could Be Different – Sarah Thankam Matthews
South Asian Sneha moves to Milwaukee for a graduate job and grapples with her landlord, racism, microagressions and relentless workload. Meanwhile her personal life is just as stormy as she comes to terms with her queerness, internalised racism and issues with emotional intimacy in a transactional landscape. I had a bit of a problem with the way the dialogue was written: verbatim and without quotation marks, my dude.
City of Sin: London and its vices – Catharine Arnold
A book that answers the question : can you read too much about sex. This pop history of sex in London from Roman times to the present day covers it all: sex workers, orgies, lewd acts. No surprise that the winners were the church, police, politicians and establishment and the losers, poor women who hadn’t the means to lift themselves out of poverty. The answer: yes. But not so much too much sex as too much misery and violence heaped on women in the service of male gratification. I didn’t finish it.
The Summer Book – Tove Jansson
I thought I’d ease myself into book research gently by starting with the Moomin author’s other famous book. Young Sophie and her near end of life grandma roam their little island at the edge of the Finnish archipelago. Stories, fears, emotional and meteorological storms, all laced with the magic of the very old and very young. Very short, with 20 little essays, it’s an excellent primer on how to be a badass old lady.
Ageing For Beginners – Ezra Bayda, Elizabeth Hamilton
I loved this practical, pop-Buddhist guide to getting old. It balances the realities of aging with the depth of appreciation for life, and how to bring a lightness of living even in the most difficult of circumstances. Loss of control, of loved ones, capacity, and meaning are all addressed. It includes helpful practices that are accessible even to non-meditators. Highly recommend.
Come of Age: the case for elderhood in a time of trouble – Stephen Jenkinson
More research. This time about how being old doesn’t automatically bestow wisdom or the capacity to ‘elder’. At a moment we desperately need wisdom and experience to guide us, and have more old people than ever before, how do we train for this impossible responsibility? Lots of appropriately elder poetic meandering, stories and life experience.
Murder By The Book – Claire Harman
Lord William Russell’s throat was cut on 6th May 1840, and Claire’s meticulous research unpacks the effect of the crime in this highly readable non-fiction. What else could bring together Queen Victoria, Dickens, Thackeray, the inventor of fingerprinting, racey songs from the theatre and choice slang as vibrant as current youf-speak ?
How We Live Is How We Die – Pema Chodron
Few writers on spirituality have the gentle, reassuring tone of Pema Chodron and I loved this book. It pretty much does what it says on the tin, giving us insight into how awareness into daily habits can support a ‘good’ death. Dealing with the unknown, having no control, avoiding pain… all the tough stuff we face can be held with compassion and love. Hopeful and wise.
The Invisible Life Of Addie LaRue – V E Schwab
Fiendishly clever novel where the protagonist sells her soul to the devil to be free, and is rendered instantly forgettable to all who meet her. Three hundred years later, she meets a boy who sold his soul to be loved by everyone he meets, (hideously empty experience for him), and they make the perfect match. Highly recommended.
Sandwich – Catherine Newman
I grabbed this on my e-reader one night when I was overwhelmed by all the death I was absorbing. It wasn’t till 60 pages in that I recognised all the adorably cute, loving, cookie, handsome, beautiful characters who just forgave each other. Infuriating. A book written by Pollyanna, which just made me feel hateful towards all. Nice description of perimenopause state, but still. No.
I’m Mostly Here To Enjoy Myself- Glynnis MacNicol
To my mind, we work as a team. At any one time, if a woman breaks loose and runs free, she’s doing it for all of us. In this lockdown memoir, Glynnis miraculously escapes to Paris, and abandons her work in exchange for lots of commitment free sex, food, wine and friends. Thank you Glynnis!
Sylvia Townsend Warner, a Biography – Claire Harman
I grabbbed this from the library because I had enjoyed Murder By The Book so much, and I’m a huge fan of Sylvia T W’s book Lolly Willows. A child prodigy in an extraordinary family, I was gripped by the early life, but as the ennui and unrequited love set in, I lost heart and gave up.
How to Live Well With Chronic Pain And Illness A Mindful Guide – Toni Bernhard
This was recommended to me by menstrual coach Claire Baker and I’ve been sending it on to everyone. It’s a beautiful guide for those with chronic illness and the people who love and work with them. It covers practical everyday dilemmas, managing tricky conversations and mindfulness practices without being patronising, or trite. The title is ‘Ronseal’ in that it does what it says on the tin.
The Rose Field – Phillip Pullman
Caution: spoilers in this one. I had waited six years for Lyra to be bumped out of her frozen trauma state and finally Pullman put us out of our collective misery. It was both HUGE and also, not quite enough. Pan and Lyra were reunited, the alethiometer, Lyra’s outsourced intuition, is smashed, and she has to find new skills, but many characters and story lines were left hanging in air. The destruction of the natural world and rise of fascism were timely, of course, but a bit heavy handed, and though it was so exciting I had dodgy sleep, it also felt a little disappointing. It’s still a bit undigested, and perhaps I’ll have to start the book of dust again. On the other hand, nothing will ever be as good as reading His Dark Materials for the first time. Nothing.
The Memory Palace of Bones – David Laurenstein and Jeff Rockwell
I’ve been dipping into this over the last six months and it is glorious. A mix of physiology, poetry, history, etymology, client experience and embodied practice. The authors’ warmth and enthusiasm is infectious, drawing me deeper into explorations of how I experience myself and can support other folk to do the same. Top fact: scapulas used to be used for divination.
Sex Death And Other Inspiring Stories – edited by Ruth Rouse
Once you start to look for inspiring elders, they are everywhere! This anthology of essays collected from The Advantages of Age Substack is bursting at the seams with sass. Ravers, adventurers, reinventers finding new work, funking up fashion, facing death, having wild sex, new partners, multiple partners in fact all the exciting things we consider to be the property of youth. Highly recommend their faceache too. A proper dose of daily delight.
The World According To Bokkie – Bibi Brown
An extraordinary story set in 1940’s South Africa and contemporary London. Rooted in the colonialism and racism of the time, two lovers from the Jewish and Africaans communities run away together and presently Bokkie is born. No ordinary child, Bokkie is imbued with the wisdom and power of the mysterious M’Matwetwe. Through the liminal space, Bokkie can send healing energy to desperate children all over the world and develops a team of heart warriors to work with her. Just beautiful.
Strong Female Character – Fern Brady
This is amongst the best books I read in 2025 and it’s won lots of prizes. Fern’s brutal memoir of fighting for survival in a neurotypical world is funny, heartbreaking and best of all, utterly without self pity. I thought I knew a fair bit about autistic women, but this book has educated me beyond expectations: I loved her well researched, clear style (there are footnotes where necessary) and that I am never patronised.
The Tarot Reader of Versailles – Anya Bergman
Set in the French Revolution, this novel weaves tarot, folklore and revolution into a meditation on fate and choice. Our Sheros Lenormand and Cait are vivid, real women, their love and loyalties tested amid terror, mysticism and political awakening. A haunting read that kept me up late to see what happened next, and stopped me from sleeping altogether because of the relentless violence of the revolution. Five popcorns.
The Age Well Project – Susan Saunders and Annabel Streets
Part book-research, part personal panic, I was recommended this as a dive into how we can positively influence our longterm health. Looking beyond the obvious: move more, eat well etc. Age Well Project digests the longevity science to bring nuance and detail to guide us to make practical changes that are backed by research. Useful despite the slightly bossy tone.
Amazing Grace Adams – Fran Littlewood
Starting this, I thought it was going to be a lazy trawl through perimenopause tropes but I was wrong, it’s much better than that. Each chapter is written at one of three timelines, so that the narrative is gathered piece by piece, only becoming clear in the end. I’m not ‘at work’ here, but I will say that the unravelling of formerly ‘amazing’ women is part of the perimenopause process as we move towards what is most important in our lives. I really cared about Grace and was greatly relieved by the ending.
