Whether you found this list searching for relatable 30-something main characters or as a participant in the Lifetime of Reading Challenge, we hope you’ll find a perfect read on our list.
One of our main goals for the Lifetime of Reading Challenge is to create understanding and reinforce an appreciation for our fellow humans who are in different phases of life. As a result, in researching books to recommend for this month, we’ve focused primarily (but not exclusively) on contemporary stories with protagonists in their 30s. These current stories can help us all understand what it is to be thirty-something in today’s society, with its unique challenges, pressures, and opportunities.
Our recommended books show a wide range of life experiences during this decade of life. While many of these titles are books with women characters in their 30s, the list also includes a number of wonderful male characters, and the protagonists vary in race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, class, background, lifestyle, and more.
Contemporary Fiction
What Alice Forgot
Liane Moriarty
Publication Date:
05/01/2010
Setting:
2000s, Sydney, Australia
Book Girls’ Readers Rate This Book
96% Would Recommend to a Friend
Book Summary
Alice Love is 29, madly in love with her husband, and pregnant with her first child. At least, that’s the last thing she remembers. When Alice wakes up on the floor of the gym and is whisked off to the hospital, she discovers that it’s actually 2008, not 1998, she has three kids, and she’s getting divorced. As she tries to reconstruct what she’s forgotten about the past decade, she also hopes to reconstruct the life she remembers. Ultimately, she’ll have to decide whether she really wants her old life back.
The Book Girls Say…
This book provides an intimate look at life in your 30s from the perspective of a woman who has forgotten hers. If you woke up with no memories of the past 10 years, what would surprise you? How have your relationships changed? Would you have any regrets? Like Liane Moriarty’s other books, this one will have you laughing, but it will also really make you think.
Thirty-two-year-old Helen is recovering from two unfortunately common losses that so many women deal with in their 30s – miscarriage followed by divorce. Her younger brother wants to help her heal, so he convinces her to attend a wilderness survival course in the Absaroka Mountains of Wyoming. She’s ready to take the time out to pull herself together, but then she finds out that her brother’s annoying best friend will also be on the trip.
In a period of three weeks, she’ll have to face both fears and annoyances, but through those experiences, she also learns more about herself and how to be brave.
The Book Girls Say…
This novel includes an element of contemporary romance mixed with a story of personal growth and discovery. Readers describe this book as an uplifting read. Author Katherine Center based this book (including the mid-summer blizzard) on her experience doing a month-long survival course in Wyoming while she was a college student.
Note: A few of our readers reported what they thought was a geographical error in this book, but after reading the book ourselves, we’ve realized it’s actually not an error at all. The novel references the distance between Boston and Evanston as 1,001 miles. Some readers thought this was a mistake because there is a town in Wyoming named Evanston that is 2,284 miles away from Boston. However, the characters are instead discussing the distance of the first leg of their road trip from Boston to their hometown of Evanston, Illinois, where they stop for the night at Helen’s grandmother’s house before driving another full day and a half to finally arrive in Wyoming.
Alice Island bookstore owner A.J. Fikry is having a terrible 39th year. His wife has died, the store isn’t making enough sales, and his beloved book of Poe poems has been stolen. As a result, he’s cranky and pushing those around him away more than ever. Luckily, he has a few people who look past his curmudgeonly attitude.
His depression reaches the point that he no longer enjoys books. But, sometimes, life gives you second chances in unexpected ways. For A.J., it’s a small, but heavy, mysterious package that arrives at his shop. And as he begins to see the world around him in a new way, those around him can see him in a new way too.
The Book Girls Say…
The Storied Life of AJ Fikry was also released as a movie. It would be fun to read with a friend and then watch.
From the outside, thirty-something couple Nick and Amy seemed to have a picture-perfect marriage. But on their fifth anniversary, Amy goes missing from their rented McMansion in the fictional town of North Carthage, along Missouri’s Mississippi River. Nick quickly becomes the prime suspect. Under the microscope of the resulting police investigation and media frenzy, it becomes apparent that their happy marriage might not have been so happy after all and that Nick – the town’s golden boy – might not be so squeaky clean.
Even as Amy’s fiercely doting parents put more pressure on him, Nick stands by his innocence. But if he didn’t do it, then where is his wife? And what’s in that gift box hidden in the back of Amy’s bedroom closet? Gone Girl combines sharp-edged wit and chilling prose to make reading this book feel like an addiction.
The Book Girls Say…
Although Angela isn’t usually drawn to domestic thrillers, she couldn’t put this book down! One of her friends described it as “dark and morally ambiguous,” and that’s really the perfect summary for this psychological suspense novel. If you love this genre, also consider reading Gillian Flynn’s Sharp Objects (the protagonist, Camille, is also in her 30s).
Although Angela usually loves audiobooks, she wasn’t a fan of the female narrator of Gone Girl at the beginning – or maybe it was just influenced by her feelings about the female protagonist. But once she got further into the story, she enjoyed listing to it. If you’re considering the audiobook, we’d recommend listening to the sample on Amazon before committing to this format.
This beautiful memoir was written in the final year of the author’s life. At 36, he was at the end of ten years of training to become a neurosurgeon. Overnight, he went from doctor to patient after being diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer.
He had always wanted to write a book and realized that he had one chance and could explore the question, “What makes a life worth living?” The resulting memoir blends his love of literature and experiences as both doctor and patient into one powerful work. Sadly, Paul passed away just before the completion of the book, so the last chapter is from his wife.
The Book Girls Say…
While this book can be seen as depressing because of the subject matter, his wife says, “What happened to Paul was tragic, but he was not a tragedy.” Reviewers say it is more about life than death.
Writers & Lovers is a classic coming-of-age book about the struggle of an in-debt 31-year-old. She works as a waitress to pay the bills while trying not to give up her bigger dream of writing a novel.
The book is a mix of literary fiction and reality TV as the book follows the main character through every aspect of her daily life as she struggles to find her way as an adult.
The Book Girls Say…
After reading so many reviews from people who found this book boring, we went in skeptical, but we both fell in love with Writers & Lovers. Specifically, we think fans of the movie Reality Bites will enjoy this book!
When Valentia was a teenager, her mother, Eloise, abandoned her and her father to start a new life in London. Now in her 30s, Val is a librarian and recently divorced. As she reevaluates her life, she realizes that the lack of closure with her mother is still nagging at her. But in a bittersweet twist of fate, Val learns that her mother has passed away before they’ve had a chance to reconcile.
Val is surprised to discover that Eloise left her a Primrose Hill apartment and the deed to a bookshop that Val never knew her mom owned. Determined to piece together a better understanding of Eloise’s life, Val decides to leave Seattle for a fresh start in London. It doesn’t take long for her to fall in love with the pastel-colored flat in a cozy neighborhood, not to mention the quaint bookstore. Unfortunately, she soon learns that The Book Garden is in financial trouble.
Told from a dual-timeline perspective, this book explores Valentia’s new life in London, as well as her mother’s past and what happened when she left her daughter behind.
The Book Girls Say…
Although the cover of this 2022 release says “sweet rom-com,” this is actually more of a feel-good story about mothers and daughters.
Another Sarah Jio book, Goodnight June, is also perfect for book lovers as it tells the fictionalized origin story of a best-selling work of children’s literature.
Lydia has a comfortable life in Acapulco as the wife of a journalist and the mother of an 8-year-old little boy. However, when her husband publishes a story about the newest drug lord bringing trouble to town, they become targets of a cartel. After hiding while many family members are massacred, they have to get out of the country for any hope for safety.
Lydia and Luca begin a harrowing journey to the US that will leave you on the edge of your seat. You’ll feel their fear along the way, making the book both suspenseful and heartbreaking as they make the journey of their lives.
The Book Girls Say…
When this book was published, it came with understandable criticism because it was not written by an OWN voices author. The author received significantly more money and publicity than books written by authors with Mexican heritage and first-hand experience of the journey.
Much of the criticism was aimed at the publishing industry versus the author’s writing, and the story has deeply impacted many readers. Readers often say their eyes were opened to aspects of immigration they hadn’t previously considered and increased their empathy, so we are including it. However, we recommend combining your reading of the fictional American Dirt with an OWN memoir, such as A Dream Called Home by Reyna Grande.
Brett seems to have it all – a good job, a spacious loft, and a handsome boyfriend. Her life checks all the boxes of where she thinks she’s supposed to be at thirty-four years old. But according to who?
When her mom passes away, Brett is surprised to learn that her inheritance comes with one major stipulation. She must first complete the list of life goals that she penned at the young age of fourteen. She can’t understand what her mom was thinking. Her teenage goals certainly don’t line up with her adult ambitions, and some of them seem downright impossible.
How can she have a relationship with her father, who passed away seven years ago? And how can she become an awesome teacher when she picked a completely different career path?
She reluctantly sets out on the journey her mother has laid before her, and along the way, she’ll discover that sometimes the best things come from unexpected places, and it’s never too late to reinvent your life!
Struggling novelist and divorced mom of two Finlay Donovan is BARELY holding things together. Each day has new challenges, like her ex-husband firing the nanny with no warning right before an important meeting.
Money is running out, and her next novel is way behind schedule. While meeting with her agent and attempting to buy more time, she receives a mysterious envelope with an offer of quick cash in exchange for a job.
Desperation and intrigue lead her to follow up with the number on the note, and before she knows what’s happening, she’s kind of agreed to be a contract killer for a woman with a truly terrible husband. Whoops.
The Book Girls Say…
While the synopsis sounds pretty dramatic, this book is definitely witty and hilarious versus gory or scary. It’s filled with twists and turns that will keep you turning the pages and unable to put it down!
Keep in mind that this isn’t intended to be a realistic crime book and you have to suspense your disbelief at points and just enjoy the ride. It’s perfect for fans of the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich.
Nora has decided she is done. Done with the way her life is going. In a moment of darkness, she attempts suicide, but she finds herself in the Midnight Library between life and death. The shelves go on and on, and inside each book is a life that she could have lived, had she made just one different choice somewhere along the way – from following dreams to pursuing different careers to undoing old breakups.
Each time she opens a book, she finds herself living that alternate life, and she is faced with the decision of whether she wants to permanently exchange her life for a new one. As she visits these alternate realities, she’ll have to decide not only which life she wants, but also what makes life worth living in the first place.
The Book Girls Say…
Some find this book to be too predictable – and it’s true that the synopsis of the book tells you exactly what to expect. However, this is a book that will really make you think – not just about Nora’s choices and regrets, but also about your own.
As mentioned, this book does deal with suicide contemplation. However, we believe by the end, you’ll be left positively contemplating life.
When Jende and his wife Neni immigrate to the US from Cameroon, they expect to work hard but be rewarded for that work with a better life than they left behind. In 2007, he began working as a chauffeur for Clark, a Lehman Brothers executive who appears to have achieved the American Dream.
Jende is an exceptional employee, and his dedication leads to his wife’s job working for Clark’s family at their Hamptons house. With two incomes, the family can finally begin to see the possibility of their brave move to America paying off.
However, all is not as it seems with their employers. As they learn more secrets, the world is about to learn some secrets as well. Lehman Brothers is collapsing, and Jende’s job is no longer certain. He needs this job to get his permanent green card, so their entire future is at risk.
The Book Girls Say…
While this book feels very real, it is a work of fiction. The author was born and raised in Cameroon before receiving her undergraduate and graduate degrees in the US. She drew upon her observations of class divides in NYC, especially during the Great Recession, as the basis for Behold the Dreamers.
Neighbors Celeste and Wendy are both moms. As far as they can tell, that’s the only thing they have in common – other than their mutual disdain for each other!
Celeste is a stay-at-home mom who spends her days volunteering and creating a Pinterest-worthy life that makes other moms despise her. Wendy is a career-driven working mom who lives by her minute-to-minute schedule as she balances her business and keeps things afloat at home.
After a bit too much sangria at a softball potluck, Celeste and Wendy wake up in each other’s bodies – Freaky Friday style. Soon everything they thought they knew about the other is turned upside down. Their messy lives are about to get a whole lot more complicated, but along the way, they’ll discover they might not be so different after all.
The Book Girls Say…
This book is a heartwarming reminder – presented in a laugh-out-loud funny package – that we shouldn’t be so quick to judge one another and that parenting and adulting are easier when we have each other’s backs!
Artist Celestial and young corporate executive Roy are newly married and all signs point toward them having a happy successful life. However, everything goes wrong one night in a hotel when someone accuses Roy of a crime that Celestial knows was impossible.
Despite their protests, Roy is convicted and sentenced to 12 years in prison. In the beginning, she holds strong to their love. After five years, Roy’s conviction is overturned and he returns to Atlanta, ready to pick up right where they left off. However, Celestial’s life has been moving forward while he was away, leaving everyone in a tough situation.
Lauren and Ryan were college sweethearts. They’ve been together for 11 years and married for six, but now, in their early 30s, they’ve grown apart. Their marriage is at a breaking point, but they aren’t ready to call it quits. Instead, they’ve come up with a plan – they’ll take one year apart in hopes that at the end of the year, they’ll find a way to fall in love again. There is just one rule – during their year off, they cannot contact each other. Other than that, anything goes.
Told from Lauren’s perspective, you’ll join her for her year of self-discovery. Her friends and family all have their own ideas about the meaning of marriage. As the year goes on, she questions everything she thought she knew about love and lust, loyalty and commitment.
The Book Girls Say…
Before Taylor Jenkins Reid became a household name with books like Daisy Jones & the Six, she wrote a number of excellent and nuanced books about relationships and marriage.
One of our readers said: “This book is a real tearjerker. I learned so much about what people go through when a marriage may or may not work out in the end. My heart felt broken for both spouses throughout the book.”
Bea is a plus-sized fashion blogger tired of watching casts full of size 0 models. After a drunken post about the un-realness of the reality dating show, Main Squeeze, she gets a shocking call asking HER to be the next star of the show.
Can she trust the male contestants with her heart or is it safer to remember she’s on the show largely for her career? As the season progresses throughout the book, you’ll be rooting for Bea to find love.
The Book Girls Say…
We both loved this one and enjoyed that the story varies between the actual narrative/ standard book format and snippets of podcast dialog, emails, etc about the show as fans watched. All the aspects came together and served as a great way to help your brain fully engage in the story.
The storyline blending reality TV, blogging, and the push to stop judging based on traditional beauty standards is fun and an excellent representation of the life 30-somethings grew up with.
Heart surgeon Stephen is at the top of his career, but things at home are difficult since his wife has severe dementia. When he suddenly announces to his 30-something daughters, Tully and Rachel, that he’s getting remarried, they are shocked. He’s not even divorced from their mother.
Then they find out the new wife is younger than both of them and quickly assume she’s just after their dad’s money. Each of these 30-somethings has their own addictions and secrets, and they take turns narrating this suspenseful family drama. If you love an unreliable narrator, this should be a great pick!
The Book Girls Say…
Some reviewers say the ending will make you want to throw the book across the room. However, they also call it discussion-worthy, so we’re intrigued to read it for ourselves.
Don Tillman is a charming but awkward 39-year-old genetics professor at a university in Melbourne, on the southeast coast of Australia. He is trying to find love, and true to his academic roots, he approaches the challenge scientifically. He creates a 16-page survey designed to find his perfect match called “The Wife Project.” Will anyone be his perfect match?
Enter Rosie. Although Don quickly disqualifies her as a candidate for the Wife Project, he’s intrigued by her own quest to identify her biological father and he’s eager to help. He terms their collaboration The Father Project. As they work together, Don is forced to confront the spontaneous whirlwind that is Rosie―and the realization that, despite your best scientific efforts, you don’t find love, it finds you.
The Book Girls Say…
The premise sounds like a romantic comedy, and it does have plenty of both, but this book is also so much more than that. It’s a novel about the power of human connection that will restore your faith in humanity.
While it is never explicitly stated whether Don is on the autism spectrum, many readers interpret him as an example of one of the many undiagnosed adults. The Chicago Tribune sums this book up perfectly: “Filled with humor and plenty of heart, The Rosie Project is a delightful reminder that all of us, no matter how we’re wired, just want to fit in.”
Nova is a 33-year-old end-of-life doula, and her job is to help terminally ill patients make peace with their impending death. Unlike her business partner, Nova doesn’t shy away from difficult cases – including those with challenging personalities or those who are heartbreakingly young.
Mason is one of the heartbreakingly young. He’s a 36-year-old indie-favorite singer-songwriter who recently vanished from the public eye. He tells Nova that his condition is getting worse, and with limited use of his hands and arms it’s becoming impossible for him to do the thing he loves most. Life as he knows it is over, but he doesn’t know how to say goodbye.
Nova knows that helping Mason will be her biggest challenge yet, especially because she’s finding it hard to maintain a professional distance. Before long, Mason’s mom comes knocking at Nova’s door… and reporters are not far behind.
The Book Girls Say…
This new novel has been described as A Star is Born meets Me Before You, and the musical component is said to really help to tie the whole story together.
A number of states have passed Death with Dignity Laws in recent years that allow “medical aid in dying” under very specific guidelines. End-of-life doulas, on the other hand, can’t provide medical intervention or assist in the death process. Their role is to care for the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of a terminally ill patient. End-life-doulas can also help with planning for things like hospice and funerals. While this is a fairly new concept in the United States, in many cultures this type of support has always been an integral part of the dying process.
Unnamed town around Bethel, NY & Woodstock Music Festival
Book Summary
At 36, Phronsie is running out of time to create the family she longs for. So when her childhood friend suggests that they both give up on romance and marry each other, it’s a tempting offer. But, as fate would have it, the moment they announce their engagement, another possibility enters the picture.
Phronsie’s always been a mix of genes that came from her hippie mom and rational dad. Which side will win out when it comes to love?
Successful food writer Nina expected her 30s to be liberating, but at 32, she’s finding life quite stressful. She’s been focused on her career and enjoying her younger years, but now it seems everyone is moving on without her. From ex’s finding new love to best friends having babies and leaving London to the suburbs, she feels like her own opportunities for a family are slipping away.
On top of that, her parents are becoming more of a concern. Her dad is slipping into the grasp of dementia, and her mom is having her own identity crisis.
The Book Girls Say…
While this book is categorized as a rom-com as Nina tries to find love, it’s much more than that. Single reviewers in this age group commonly state that they felt very seen reading the book and that it’s the perfect glimpse into this stage of life.
Robbie is a 35-year-old math genius and well-known philanthropist who is also quite reclusive. When he gets a terminal diagnosis, he doesn’t want the world to know. As Robbie considers his remaining time on Earth, he begins planning how to change the lives of his three oldest friends – Blair, Cat, and Wade.
To share his news, he invites them to Fenwick Island, where he plans to fill them in on his plans for their lives. However, Robbie isn’t the only one of these high school friends with a secret. Can Robbie’s plans really help once he knows more about each situation?
The Book Girls Say…
While the concept of his book and the main character’s impending death sounds depressing, readers actually describe it aswitty, touching, uplifting, and funny.
At 35, Mallory’s life is not going according to plan. She caught her soon-to-be ex-husband cheating with his paralegal, she lost her NYC apartment, her job, her money, and her dignity. And she also just lost her beloved great-aunt Maggie.
Aunt Maggie left Mallory her house in the suburbs, which provides her with exactly the fresh start she needs. But it’s not a smooth transition. The house is a hot mess and the grumpy (but swoon-worthy) next door neighbor, Nick, and HOA are none too pleased! In fact, the house has no fewer than 47 HOA violations that she’s going to have to remedy if she wants to make a go of her new life in the burbs. Fortunately, she’s got wine and YouTube DIY videos – which makes anything seem doable.
The Book Girls Say…
This is a laugh-out-loud rom-com with some steamy scenes, but it also carries a lot of emotional baggage, including the lasting impacts of emotional and verbal abuse from an ex-spouse. True to real life, you’ll experience the full range of emotions while reading this book.
If you are specifically interested in reading books with 30+ characters that are set in a different part of the world, we recommend taking a look at our Book Voyage reading lists, which are organized by region. Additionally, if you’re looking for a book that provides a historical perspective, our Decades Challenge reading lists, which cover the 1910s through the present, are a great place to start!
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Printable Version of the Challenge Booklists
Readers who support The Book Girls’ Guide through our Buy Me a Coffee (BMAC) membership site as Inner Circle or BFF members can access printable versions of the reading challenge book lists. As we update the Lifetime of Reading Challenges throughout the year according to the challenge schedule, the lists will become available in a single-page printable format for our BMAC members.
We offer two membership levels. Both our BFF members and our Inner Circle members get access to the single-page printables for the year-long reading challenges. Visit our Buy Me a Coffee membership page for a full list of benefits for each level.
Our BMAC members help cover the cost of running the challenges so we can keep them free for everyone!
If you have a suggestion for a book that you think would be a great addition to this list, please fill out this form.
Book Lists By Character Age
Links to our book recommendations for all twelve of the Lifetime of Reading challenge prompts can be found below:
In today’s society, many view your 20s as a dress rehearsal for adulthood, which makes your 30s the real performance. While your twenties may come with a sense of comfort knowing it’s ok to make mistakes and restarts as you determine who you want to be and where you want to go in life, once you enter your thirties, there’s an expectation to achieve many of the traditional milestones of “adulthood” – including building a more impressive resume, settling down with a life partner, starting a family, and buying a home.
While the baby boomer generation typically started their families younger, the average age for first-time parenthood is now between 31 and 32 in most major cities. And the average age of first-time homebuyers is 32 – pushed later by factors like increasing college debt and incomes that are lower relative to those that boomers and Gen Xers received at the same point in their lives.
Of course, no two experiences are the same, and this traditionally laid out path of homeownership, marriage, and family isn’t for everyone. But those who decide to go a different route, or who simply haven’t settled on their direction yet, often feel immense pressure from older generations to explain themselves when don’t conform to societal expectations by the time they are in their 30s.
Despite its challenges and pressures, the thirties are also a very good time of life for many people! By our thirties, we know ourselves better and often feel more comfortable in our own skin. Your 20s may have been spent slaving away with long hours and low pay, but by your 30s that hard work is often starting to pay off – allowing for more optimism and less stress. One study found that people begin to find true happiness in life around age 33 due to a combination of still living in the moment, but also worrying less.
The Book Girls are best friends who jointly read over 200 books per year. We started Book Girls' Guide in 2019 to help others de-stress and find joy through the power of a great book. We do in-depth research on thousands of novels and non-fiction titles each year to provide curated book lists covering a variety of genres.
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