For Adults
The debut adult novel from acclaimed YA author Julia Tuffs is here! Uproariously funny and deeply human, 45 Things Things to Do Before You’re 45 is an all-too-relatable story of what it means to be alive and how much living we all still have to do, exploring the messy complications – along with the joys – of womanhood in your forties.
Midlife isn’t a crisis if you have a to-do list
Meet Charlie; unfulfilled and perimenopausal, Charlie’s outer London 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 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. Eat an oyster, Take up parkour, Read War and Peace, Take ecstasy, Try stand-up comedy, 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?
If you fancy winning one of five sets of 10 copies of 45 Things to Do Before You’re 45 for your Book Club, please email foxandink@lancashire.ac.uk with the subject header ‘Reading Agency – 45 Things’ and include the following:
- Name of your reading group
- Name of local library authority (if applicable)
- Name of your main group contact (your name)
- Email address of main group contact (this is so that we can contact you on whether your pitch is successful or not)
- Full address of library (best address to send the books if your group is successful)
- Tell us more about your group (how often you meet, the type of books you like to read etc.)
- Please tell us why your group would like to take part in this offer.
- If your group is selected, how will you promote excitement about this book with your group?
- Is your group happy to read, discuss and review the book?
- Will you be able to share some images with your group (these can be without faces), of your display or your reviews on social media?
The deadline is 28 February 2026.
The books will be delivered to you by the beginning of March and you will have six weeks after you receive the book to send back individual reviews.
Please only apply if you will be able to send the club’s feedback six weeks after receiving books. If you do not send in feedback in return for the free books you will not be able to apply for other opportunities.
We also welcome photos and screengrabs of any social media posts.
