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These are the books booksellers say will change the way you think about your next chapter.
Retirement isn’t just about leaving a career—it’s about entering a new chapter. Whether you’re years away or counting down the days, the best books can offer perspective on aging, purpose, relationships, creativity, and what it means to build a meaningful life.
We asked independent booksellers from across the South, including Long Story Books, The Book & Cover, and Dorothy June Booksellers, to recommend the titles they believe everyone should read before retirement, and their picks range from timeless classics to unforgettable new releases.
The Correspondent by Virginia Evans
Through a series of letters, we learn the story of Sybil Van Antwerp, a retired lawyer in her ‘70s who writes to make sense of her world. Sybil is an unforgettable character—brilliant, witty, courageous, and honest about the mistakes she’s made in her life.
“73-year-old Sybil Van Antwerp is one of the most memorable characters I’ve ever read. This debut novel is an instant classic about the wisdom that comes with age, the beauty in forgiveness, and the power of the written word,” Kate Kiefer Lee, the owner of Long Story Books in Atlanta’s Inman Park, tells Southern Living.
Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen
Elizabeth Bennet is a sharp-witted young woman navigating love, family expectations, and social pressures in Regency-era England. When she meets the wealthy and seemingly arrogant Mr. Darcy, their initial misunderstandings slowly give way to self-discovery, unexpected affection, and a deeper understanding of one another.
“Many of us read Pride & Prejudice for the first time in high school, but there’s a reason it remains to be an unparalleled favorite for so many readers to this day. Jane Austen penned a classic that captures romance and family in a beautiful way,” Reide Irwin, owner of Dorothy June Booksellers, in Foley, Alabama, tells Southern Living.
American Fantasy by Emma Straub
On a themed four-day cruise with her favorite 90s boy band and thousands of devoted fans, newly divorced Annie, who is on the cusp of turning fifty, rediscovers a long-lost part of herself amid music, nostalgia, and unexpected connections. Amid the chaos and excitement, she forms a surprising friendship with one of the band members, opening the door to new possibilities in her life.
“She dresses like Madonna, stays up too late, drinks iced cocktails, and realizes starting over can happen at any age!” Sarah Jackson, co-owner of The Book & Cover, in Chattanooga, Tennessee, tells Southern Living.
Whistler by Ann Patchett
When Daphne Fuller unexpectedly reunites with her former stepfather, Eddie Triplett, decades after a brief, but life-changing connection, they discover that some bonds endure no matter the years apart.
“Ann Patchett’s latest is an intimate reflection on memory, reconciliation, and enduring love. The dialogue between the main characters, a 53-year-old woman and her former stepfather who vanished from her life years ago, will leave you thinking about the story long after you close the book,” Kiefer Lee says.
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
Sisters Vianne and Isabelle struggle to survive and resist the Nazi occupation of France during World War II in very different ways. As war tests their courage, love, and resilience, they discover the strength it takes to endure unimaginable hardship and fight for the people they hold dear.
“I return to this book at least once a year, because of its story of courage, sacrifice, and resilience,” Irwin says. “Historical fiction readers most likely already know Kristin Hannah’s ability to so accurately depict historical struggles and the relationships that navigated them. It’s nearly impossible to finish this book without crying, but Hannah writes heartbreaking stories so well.”
Orbital by Samantha Harvey
The winner of the 2024 Booker Prize, Orbital follows six astronauts from around the world as they orbit Earth, reflecting on the lives and loved ones they left behind. Through moments of quiet routine and breathtaking wonder, the novel explores humanity, connection, and our shared place in the vastness of the universe.
“There’s nothing like a space story if you’re looking to gain perspective. This novel about a group of astronauts from all over the world orbiting the Earth together is set over a single day and short enough to read in a few sittings. It’s both an ordinary look at space travel and a meditative portrait of our planet from orbit,” Kiefer Lee says.
The Skyland Trilogy by Kennedy Ryan
The Skyland trilogy follows the lives of three Black best friends in Atlanta, Georgia as they navigate love, career, and personal challenges.
“The protagonists in Kennedy Ryan’s contemporary romance Skyland trilogy (Before I Let Go, This Could Be Us, and Can’t Get Enough) experience much on the page, genre typifying passion and love,” Jackson says of the three-part series. “As they are each in midlife, they do so while very realistically navigating the struggle of divorce, grieving the loss of a child, career growth and loss, caring for an aging parent, or infidelity. Ryan deftly shows that happily ever afters (or happy for right nows) are within reach and scope for any individual despite age or circumstance and that yearning, passionate love can find us anywhere!”
Feast On Your Life by Tamar Adler
“Tamar Adler, a renowned chef who has cooked at Chez Pannisse and Farm 255 and authored numerous cookbooks, published Feast on Your Life as a collection of brief essays formatted to be read daily, offering reflections on the ways food connects us to our lives, our loved ones, and the world around us,” Emily Lilley, co-owner of Chattanooga’s The Book & Cover, tells Southern Living. “The book is a meditation on simple pleasures and a peaceful reminder of the easy joys daily life can offer, and the warm writing style and lovely prose feels like having a quick cup of tea in a friend’s kitchen.”
The Little Prince by Antoine De Saint-Exupéry
A stranded pilot in the Sahara Desert meets a mysterious young boy from a distant asteroid who shares stories of his travels among different planets that explore what it means to be human.
“At Dorothy June Booksellers, we love a book about finding joy and meaning in everyday life. The Little Prince is one of those books that is thought of as both a philosophical fable for children and adults. One of my favorite quotes from this story is, ‘One sees clearly only with the heart. What is essential is invisible to the eyes’,” Irwin says.
The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron
The Artist’s Way is a guided program designed to help readers overcome creative blocks and reconnect with their imagination through practical exercises and self-reflection. Centered around tools like Morning Pages and Artist Dates, it encourages personal growth, renewed creativity, and a deeper sense of purpose.
“A career change or retirement is the perfect time to tap into your (potentially neglected) creative self,” Hope Bissell, general manager of The Book & Cover, tells Southern Living. “Cameron guides the reader through an exploration of personal purpose and passion through prompts, questions and activities. The Artist’s Way proves that everyone is creative!”
The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
Cora, an enslaved young woman on a Georgia cotton plantation, escapes with fellow slave Caesar through the Underground Railroad in pursuit of freedom and a life beyond bondage. Their dangerous journey north reveals the brutal realities of slavery and the relentless pursuit of hope, survival, and liberation.
“It’s a story of resilience and hope, despite immense hardships,” Irwin says. “Colson Whitehead wrote a Pulitzer Prize winning historical work of fiction that demonstrates an alternative version of what we know as the Underground Railroad, and reimagines it to be a literal railroad system. Whitehead’s novel demonstrates the bravery, oppression, and doesn’t shy away from the brutal realities of slavery.”
The Wall by Marlen Haushofer
While vacationing in the Austrian Alps, a woman awakens to discover an invisible wall has cut her off from the rest of humanity. Left alone with only a few animals for companionship, she must learn to survive while confronting profound questions about isolation, resilience, and what it means to be human.
“What do you do when life as you know it drastically shifts? Haushofer’s The Wall prompts readers to reflect on this question as an unnamed protagonist becomes a forced—though not unhappy—homesteader, cutoff from society by an invisible barrier. Introspective and deeply moving, The Wall is a must read as it encourages resolve in the face of change, expected or otherwise,” Asa Ruiz, bookseller at The Book & Cover, says.
Now Is Not The Time To Panic by Kevin Wilson
In 1996 Tennessee, two teenage outsiders—aspiring writer Frankie Budge and artist Zeke—form an unlikely bond when a mysterious poster they create sparks a town-wide moral panic. Twenty years later, Frankie is forced to revisit the secrets of that summer when a journalist’s investigation threatens to expose the truth behind the infamous Coalfield Panic.
“All of Kevin Wilson’s books provide a sense of nostalgia for a place, time, or relationship that no longer exists, but none more acutely than Now is Not the Time to Panic,” Bennett Burns, bookseller at The Book & Cover, says. “The novel ends with a hopeful optimism about the future, particularly for Francis and her lost friendships, reminding readers that we all start over with every decision, and our future selves are often looking back fondly at our mistakes.”
Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
Tuesdays with Morrie chronicles Mitch Albom’s reunion with his beloved college professor Morrie Schwartz during the final months of Morrie’s life. Through their weekly conversations, Morrie offers his former student a final lesson on how to live, sharing wisdom about love, purpose, acceptance, and finding meaning in life’s most important moments.
“This book is short, but it tugs at the heartstrings, and has themes of finding meaning, facing aging, and mortality. My mom shared it with me over a decade ago, and I recall re-reading it in college and talking on the phone with her about how wonderfully sweet and sincere Albom’s writing is,” Irwin says.
Read the original article on Southern Living
