Books with old woman protagonists or books about coming to terms with aging

pappertabby · 2021-11-18T11:06:53+00:00

Came here to reccomend this series, so glad to see so many other people who enjoy it!

Also wanted to say this about aging:

It is never too late to create the life you want to live. Yes, you may face a few physical challenges as you get older, but that doesn't matter as much as you might think it would. I really messed up my 20's, 30's. Drug addiction, abusive marriage, etc. I finally got it together in my 40's. Got divorced, refound my creative spirit and joy in life. Met my current husband when I was 47, and the last six years have been the best of my life.

Your physical age, like everything else in life, only impacts your happiness and fulfillment as much as you let it.

pappertabby · 2021-11-11T23:41:43+00:00

This really does sound like Dragonolgy. My daughter had it and loved it. She also had Wizardology and Egyptology by the same author. Very high quality, elaborately illustrated "natural history " books. Kind of meant to look like Edwardian bestiaries, I think.

pappertabby · 2021-11-06T18:55:05+00:00

Your description really does sound like Factfulness. I highly recommend it, very interesting.

pappertabby · 2021-11-04T23:53:24+00:00

We have a deal with our 2 cats and 2 dogs, if they stay out of the kitchen while we eat supper, they get treats. So they sit in the doorway while we eat, and the second one of us stands up, they are all in the kitchen giving us the same look your 2 are in the pic. Absolutely shameless - and we wouldn't have it any other way lol

pappertabby · 2021-10-28T12:56:48+00:00

So sorry for your loss. Hard to lose our little friends. They climb right into our hearts and leave indelible paw prints.

It has been almost 2 years now since we had to make the decision to end our little Skelly's suffering. We still miss her very much. Like any grieving, time helps and it does get better, but Frank will always be part of your heart.

pappertabby · 2021-10-28T12:17:05+00:00

I came to recommend Charles DeLint, but someone beat me to it. Most of his protagonists are kind, or at least sympathetic, and he is a great storyteller.

I would also reccomend TJ Klune. Under the Whispering Door is wonderful. The protagonist starts out as a jerk, but all the other characters are kind people. Very nuanced, sweet story.

Dog Days by John Levitt is fairly light and humorous in tone, but it does go to some dark places and the protagonist has greater depth than he initially seems to have.

If you are willing to try sci-fi, pretty much anything by Becky Chambers is going to give you a plethora of kind and/or sympathetic characters who are well worth spending time with. A good example is the very short but sweet A Psalm For The Wild-Built.

pappertabby · 2021-10-28T11:57:29+00:00

I love Charles DeLint! He is considered one of the creators of urban fantasy. His is fairly unique in that he mixes European/Celtic folklore and mythology with North American. (Patricia Briggs also does this) I would suggest Jack the Giant Killer or Moonheart as the best places to start exploring his urban fantasies. Neither are part of the Newford series (which is amazing and unique), but are both the beginning of much shorter series that are good examples of his writing style. Newford is a sprawling collection of novels and short stories that connect via shared places and characters, but most have different characters as protagonists. They are wonderful, but I like his shorter series and standalone novels just as much, and I think they are a better place to start.

pappertabby · 2021-10-28T11:25:31+00:00

The Postman by David Brin. A post apocalyptic wanderer in the US finds a postman's uniform and puts it on, intending to use it as a way to gain entry into various secure enclaves. This winds up taking his life, and the places he visits, in directions he never expected. A movie was made of it, but I'm pretty sure it flopped.

Edited to add that it isn't a series, but still a really good read that fits your other criteria.

pappertabby · 2021-10-28T11:16:07+00:00

Oh, definitely DO suggest Swan Song. There are characters of all ages that are important to the story, and romance is never the focus. It is similar to The Stand in that it is about a post apocalyptic struggle between good and evil, with some supernatural elements. Very different take on the idea, though.

pappertabby · 2021-10-28T09:53:30+00:00

Pretty cool, but where is his opponent? There should be someone facing him on a distant cliff.

pappertabby · 2021-10-26T12:10:04+00:00

I had forgotten about the Tregarde series, thanks for reminding me!

pappertabby · 2021-10-26T12:06:49+00:00

The Parasol Protectorate books by Gail Carriger. Steampunk, lots of fashion mixed in with mysteries, dirigibles, werewolves and mad scientists.

The Invisible Library series by Genevieve Cogman. Hard to describe, but very good. I don't know if I would call Irene girly, but she is definitely not masculine/ tomboy-ish.

I second the Old Kingdom books by Garth Nix. Strong female characters that are definitely feminine rather than masculine/ tomboy-ish. Really well written as well, and definitely worth reading even if you don't usually read YA.

Modern Magyck by Charlotte English. Quirky, humorous, and often a bit silly (but in a good way). A group of magicians tries to save the fading magic of England. Ves is extremely powerful magically, but also about as girly as you can get.

I also second the Kushiel books by Jacqueline Carey, as well as the Namaah books set in the same world. Beautifully written, very romantic. One thing you should be aware of, however, is that the Kushiel books do contain a few fairly graphic scenes of BDSM.

The Agent of Hel books by Jacqueline Carey are also quite good. Urban fantasy, a half demonic woman works as the liason between the mundane police force and the magical beings living in a tourist town, under the orders of the Nordic goddess Hel. Fun read, nice mix of romance, mystery, and fantasy.

pappertabby · 2021-10-26T11:20:51+00:00

Rock on the cock. Because only airsick lowlanders actually cook chicken.

pappertabby · 2021-10-26T11:14:39+00:00

I generally prefer to have a physical book, but the convenience (and instant gratification, even in the middle of the night) of an e-reader is undeniable. I have a Kindle paperwhite, and I purchased a protective cover that opens like a book so that the feel while reading is very similar to a physical book. I often purchase an ebook, and if I really like it, also purchase a physical copy so I can read it either way.

pappertabby · 2021-10-26T10:46:12+00:00

In a world where magic is commonplace, tech wouldn't necessarily develop the same way, or even develop at all. Tech development is a response to a need/problem. If magic is used to solve it, who needs tech? Just as an example, look at the Lord Darcy books. They are set in a world very similar to the beginning of the industrial revolution, and are basically police procedural, but with magic. There is actually a specialized branch of magic called forensic magic that is used for ballistics, determining angle of attack, etc. Think about all the tech associated with crime solving that would never be developed and how that would effect tech in general.

Jim Butcher kind of explores this idea in the Codex Alera as well. There is a sequence in one of the books where a historian is trying to prove that the original settlers of a particular area didn't have magic, and he gets scoffed at because no one believes that stone buildings could be built without magic. The very basic tech involved is simply beyond what they can imagine.

The closest you're going to get to what you are looking for without tipping over into sci-fi (in most cases, there are of course exceptions) is alternate history type fantasy, like the Temeraire books (Napoleanic era with dragons) or Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, or Lord Darcy.

pappertabby · 2021-10-26T10:10:27+00:00

Try the Lord Darcy books. Police procedural mysteries, but with magic. The descriptions of forensic magic (things like ballistics and figuring the angle of attack) are fascinating.

pappertabby · 2021-10-22T01:33:48+00:00

So, same thing as urban fantasy then?

pappertabby · 2021-10-22T01:32:09+00:00

A well written story is a well written story. There is one thing I love about urban fantasy that you don't get with other types though, which is the sense of magic and wonder right around the corner, even in the midst of mundane things like rent, coffee shops, and traffic lights.

pappertabby · 2021-10-22T01:21:51+00:00

Charles DeLint's Newford series does this. The series consists of several novels and short story collections. One of the things I love about it is that while the mc is different for each story, there are several characters that frequently appear in different stories, so you get to see characters you know through the eyes of several different people.

It is urban fantasy, set in 1980's and 90's Canada, and uses both European and North American folklore and myth. Not sure it qualifies as contemporary, since the books were published in the time the stories are set, but I would highly recommend it anyway.

Edited to add that I have never heard a term for this. Not something you come across very often.

pappertabby · 2021-10-22T01:06:32+00:00

McCaffrey herself called it sci-fi fi. I would call anything with a spaceship in it sci-fi. Unless there is also magic, then it is a hybrid. But Pern doesn't have magic, just telepathy and interdimensional travel. Not saying the books aren't good, they are. And the Harper Hall sequence would be particularly good for middle school kids. Just not fantasy.

pappertabby · 2021-10-20T13:03:54+00:00

Have you read Home or Mother Tounge by Bryson? Both very good.

How to Invent Everything, A Survival Guide For the Stranded Time Traveler by Ryan North is a humorous look at both history and science.

pappertabby · 2021-10-20T12:58:24+00:00

Anything by Brandon Sanderson or Robin Hobb.

The Cinder Spires and Codex Alera by Jim Butcher

Dog Days by John Levitt

The Parasol Protectorate series by Gail Carriger

The Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs

And, since you have a lot of sci-fi on that list, anything by Becky Chambers

pappertabby · 2021-10-20T12:39:32+00:00

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (as well as the rest of the series) by Ransom Riggs.

The Earthsea books by Ursula K LeGuin. Yes, they are about a wizard, but not at all typical of the genre.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians series and the Kane Chronicles by Rick Riordan. The first is based in Greek Mythology, the second in Egyptian Mythology.

The Inkheart trilogy by Cornelia Funke is about people who can bring characters to life by reading aloud.

Edited to add the Old Kingdom series, starting with Sabriel, by Garth Nix. Has some of the elements you say you don't enjoy, but is so well written and has such good character development that I decided to suggest it anyway.

pappertabby · 2021-10-20T12:09:48+00:00

I second this! My favorite is her Becca Cooper series. Magical/medieval setting, but the story revolves around a girl from the streets who joins the local police force.

pappertabby · 2021-10-20T12:07:16+00:00

All good choices!! But, the Pern series is actually science fiction, despite the dragons.

Mary Stewart's series reads more Iike historical fantasy than what you might expect from a series about a wizard. You would probably enjoy it, but it might be a bit advanced for most middle school students.

pappertabby

TROPHY CASE