10 Essential Books for Baby Boomers, Boomers at 50 Must-Read Novels - AARP Ev... Books

10 Essential Boomer Books

Have you read these influential books In the comments below share other books that made an impact

The Catcher in the Rye 1951

By J .D. Salinger Our adolescent angst defined. (See also: Franny and Zooey.)

Catch-22 1961

By Joseph Heller
The antiwar novel to end all antiwar novels.

The Fire Next Time 1963

By James Baldwin The book that awakened New Yorker readers to the souls of black Americans.

The Group 1963

By Mary McCarthy The book that told us about our mothers' lives.

Couples 1968

By John Updike "Welcome to the post-pill paradise," as one liberated character says.

Whole Earth Catalog 1968

By Stewart Brand How to be green and save the globe.

Portnoy s Complaint 1969

By Philip Roth The penis as an instrument of men's liberation.

Sisterhood Is Powerful 1970

By Robin Morgan The book that told us how not to relive our mothers' lives.

The Female Eunuch 1970

By Germaine Greer Sexuality is power. Renouncing it only makes us powerless.

Diet for a Small Planet 1971

By Frances Moore Lappé The first book to make us aware that Earth's resources are far from infinite.

Honorable Mention Fear of Flying 1973

By Erica Jong Welcome to winged women. The novel just celebrated its 40th anniversary.

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