So what’s currently on your nightstand (or your Kindle)? Are you plowing through a new book or meandering your way through several different works, picking and choosing to start and stop depending on your mood? Well, according to a new NPR/Ipsos Poll, most of us enjoy reading and would like to read more, but when push comes to shove, it’s not at the top of our pursuits when we have the time. According to this new poll of 2000 American adults, 82% of us think reading is a useful way to learn about the world, and 76% of us find reading relaxing. And almost all of us (98%) want our kids to develop a love of reading. Yet only about ½ of us read a book this past month, somehow finding that life’s other activities just take priority. According to the survey, women seem to prioritize reading over men, and overall, those over 65 find the most opportunity to read in a given day. So, where do you fall in this portrait of American readers?

Well, knowing from a previous agebuzz poll that our subscribers are enthusiastic readers (and predominantly female), we have some lists of reading recommendations that might strike your fancy. First, did you know that this year, many of the most classic works of literature turn 100 years old? It may be just the time to revisit such classics as The Great Gatsby or Mrs. Dalloway for your reading pleasure or your book group discussion. And for those of you who enjoy reading works by female authors, take a look at this list from Good Housekeeping of the 100 best books by women authors. If instead, you’re interested in romance books intended for older women, settle in with some tea and check out this list here.

There’s also no shortage of lists that highlight the best new books of this season. The New York Times recently came out with its list of the 24 best new works of fiction for this spring, while Vogue has its own sampling of spring reads, including new fiction, non-fiction, and short stories by Allegra Goodman, Curtis Sittenfeld, and Colum McCann. Finally, for a short but superb list, check out NPR’s “10 books we’re looking forward to this spring,” which includes works about Mark Twain, Toni Morrison, and Virgil Abloh.

In keeping with our mission to promote healthy and purposeful aging, we have 2 new works to recommend. First is the new book by Annabel Streets, whom we’ve previously profiled for her work on healthy aging and promotion of walking. Her new book, The Walking Cure: Harness the life-changing power of landscape to heal, energise and inspire, will encourage you to pursue the physical and emotional health benefits of walking, along with evidence and experiential wisdom about how your walking path can influence and inspire your journey. You can read more from Annabel Streets here. 

Finally, there’s a new book just out from Richard Clough, a retired British professor who spent his career focused on aging and now, at the age of 82, has written a self-reflective book on his own experience. The book, Oldenland: A Journey in Search of the Good Last Years, is a meditation on how to live well as an older adult, based upon his own work and personal experiences. You can find out more here. And for those of you who wish you had more time to read, let’s advocate for the position of Lena Dunham, who once said, “Let’s be reasonable and add an eighth day to the week that is devoted exclusively to reading.”