Turning: The Magic and Mystery of More Days

Blue, whose blog and first book are both titled Made with Words, delivers some optimistic musings on turning 60. She reflects on her career as a geriatric nurse as she prepares to enter her “third act,” drawing on her Christian faith to offer wisdom on how to make the most of one’s later years. The author contends that there is a need for more diverse narratives about aging to negate “early-bird discount” stereotypes, and encourages readers to share their own stories. Recounting when her contribution to a meeting was ignored, Blue discusses feelings of invisibility and suggests dealing with them by finding recognition from God. Some of the advice feels standard—including recommendations to sleep, exercise, hydrate, maintain an active social life, and stay open to new experiences—but other proposals are delightfully quirky, such as her exhortation for readers to “be a mountain goat” by “clinging to our faith” the way a goat clings to a cliffside. Questions that conclude each chapter prompt reflection, including “What would you tell your twenty-something self about aging?” and “What are your functional health goals?” The personable guidance affirms, though some of the author’s anecdotes (playing hide-and-seek and learning to swim as a child) come across as tangential. Still, there are some nuggets of wisdom. (Nov.)