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45 Things To Do Before You're 45: A Novel

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45 Things To Do Before You're 45: A Novel

By: Julia Tuffs
Narrated by: Isy Suttie
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"This isn’t how I pictured my life, you know? It was going to be fabulous. I was going to be fabulous.”

Meet Charlie; unfulfilled and perimenopausal, Charlie’s suburban life is a far cry from the Manhattan glamour she once dreamed of. Her husband is incapable of talking about anything other than his latest Ironman challenge, her sex life consists of fictional encounters with Hollywood stars, her kids need constant man-management, and to make things worse, her optician has just prescribed her reading glasses.

Oh, and she can’t stop crying at TV adverts…

In the hope of re-discovering her sense of self, Charlie begins writing a list: 45 things to do before she’s 45.

  1. Eat an oyster
  2. Take up parkour
  3. Read War and Peace
  4. Take ecstasy
  5. Try stand-up comedy
  6. Go to a sex club

Determined to complete them all, Charlie embarks on a chaotic odyssey through her own spectacular midlife crisis, challenging herself to become the person she wants to be. But what happens if we’re not that person? How do we learn to let them go? Or does something else have to give?

Uproariously funny and deeply human, 45 Things… is an all-too relatable story of what it means to be alive and how much living we all still have to do.

Narrated by the inimitable Isy Suttie (Peep Show), 45 Things... is the perfect listen for fans of Dolly Alderton, Caitlin Moran and Marian Keyes.

"There is so much to relate to. I can guarantee that if you're a woman and over thirty, you'll be nodding and laughing along!” – Laura Pearson, author of The Last List of Mabel Beaumont

©2024 Julia Tuffs (P)2025 Audible Ltd.
Contemporary Family Life Genre Fiction Romantic Comedy Funny Feel-Good Witty
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A hilarious and heartwarming book about the strange and often unexplored period of middle age for women. I devoured this book the week before I turn 45. I won’t be following the list- for my own and everyone else’s safety! Great writing, great narration, highly recommend.

Midlife crisis never sounded so fun.

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As a erimenopausal woman of 44, trying to find herself up some big life changes, I was looking forward to listening to this. I have been left disappointed. The sort started well enough but it lost its way somewhere along the line and the ending was so badly telegraphed. I really didn't like the main character, don't understand why some people are so happy with her last-minute epiphany. Also, the narration was dreadful. The narrator needs to avoid too many accents in future work as she was really bad at the xx

Disappointing

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I absolutely loved this book. As a middle-aged woman in perimenopause I found it completely relatable, from the needy kids, heartbroken teenager and challenging relationships. It was so very close to reality for many women, I imagine. Lots of laughing out loud and I didn’t want it to end.

Completely relatable and laugh out loud funny

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Loved listening while getting on with stuff around the house and cooking meals. Found it very true to life.

Loved the whole story and audio voice.

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Rather than just a list it's a story about what leads her to write the list and she takes on a little journey through her life as she works through the list. I loved it, I downloaded it just for something light to listen to while falling asleep but I really got hooked on it. Recommended!

Really good. Well written & Read

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