For many people in the United States, the move to retirement represents an opportunity to learn as much as they possibly can. Reading, on the other hand, has a tendency to deteriorate as people become older. According to data from the Pew Research Center, 69 percent of seniors reported having read at least one book in the previous year, compared to 80 percent of persons between the ages of 18 and 29. Finding the perfect book can be difficult, particularly for seniors who have not read for a long period of time. Take a look at our list of the greatest novels for older citizens.

Seniors who have taken a long vacation from reading may want some assistance when resuming their reading routine. First, choose easy-to-understand books. Young adult fiction frequently deals with difficult subjects in simple and digestible ways. Books like Lois Lowry's The Giver are classics that are simple to start into and keep reading. Other simple first-time novelists' works include:

J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series
Judy Blume’s adult offerings, including Summer Sisters

Anything that is amusing and cheerful. Consider checking out Hyperbole and a Half, which has comic strip-style renderings of common occurrences, or Furiously Happy, which provides a funny spin on some of life's most difficult challenges. It's no surprise that Southerners are particularly fond of Lewis Grizzard's many works, which are amusing without being harsh.

Many elders have a nostalgic yearning for times that have passed. With these excellent suggestions, you may assist students in exploring the past from a fresh perspective:

Kristin Hannah’s The Nightingale
Gore Vidal’s United States
Daniel James Brown’s The Boys in the Boat
Kathryn Stockett’s The Help

Seniors' reading habits might sometimes be influenced by their political ideologies. Conservative-minded seniors may like Bill O'Reilly's Killing Series, which begins with the film Killing Lincoln and continues to the series' conclusion. Those who are liberal or who want to look at history through a critical perspective would likely enjoy Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States of America.

Learning something new may open the door to a whole new universe of possibilities. These books provide elders with an opportunity to learn and explore without ever having to leave the house:

The Canon by Natalie Angier
A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking
A Short History of Nearly Everything and The Body by Bill Bryson
How to Change Your Mind by Michael Pollan
Your Default Settings by Rad Wendzich
How to Do Nothing by Jenny Odell

For many seniors, thinking about the future can be a frightening prospect. These books help to take the sting off of the procedure while also inspiring profound philosophical contemplation:

Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End by Atul Gawande
The Second Mountain: The Quest for a Moral Life by David Brooks
Mortality by Christopher Hitchens
When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi
The Emperor of All Maladies by Siddhartha Mukherjee
Dementia Reimagined by Tia Powell

Everyone is looking for something different in a work of fiction, which makes finding the correct one difficult. These amazing pieces of art appeal to a wide range of aesthetic preferences:

East of Eden by John Steinbeck
A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace
I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb

When choosing books for elders, keep in mind any cognitive or physical restrictions they may have. The use of audiobooks or big print volumes is preferred by many elders over reading from a traditional book. Picture books may be preferred by those suffering from severe dementia. The ultimate objective should be to make reading as enjoyable and approachable as feasible. After all, with a little effort and dedication, reading can be a pleasurable activity for everyone.