I recently finished Anna Quinden’s new book Alternate Side and realized how few recent books I’ve read with middle-aged women protagonists. Bonus points for young adult children as in this book.
Does anyone have recommendations?
Some old, some recent: “The Book that Matters Most” by Ann Hood; “Cat’s Eye” by Margaret Atwood; “Under the Influence” by Joyce Maynard; “Modern Lovers” by Emma Straub; “Commonwealth” by Ann Patchett; “The Arsonist” by Sue Miller.
Step Ball Change by Jeanne Ray.
The elegance of the hedgehog
The rent collector
these come to mind - although a few really center on the husband and wife not just the wife.
Mrs. Fletcher by Tom Perrotta, Us by David Nicholls, Calling Invisible Women by Jeanne Ray, Olive Kitteridge, The Dinner by Herman Koch,
I loved alternate side and modern lovers - recommend both.
Olive Kitterage is the only novel that comes to mind. **just saw that it was already mentioned.
Also, I liked Tales of a Female Nomad: Living at Large in the World, which is not a novel, but the account of a 48 year old woman who decided to travel the world at 48 years old. She wrote the children’s book “Spaghetti I Say!”
Neither of those is recent and I had to think hard to come up with those. BTW, what are you considering middle age? And does the middle aged woman need to be the main character - or possibly just a supporting protagonist/s?
If you like light and fluffy, Dorthea Benton Frank writes a good beach read each year centering on middle aged women.
Remember Bridges of Madison County? Wasn’t that the name of the book about late middle aged love?
Look at Clare Messud’s book, The Woman Upstairs, Margaret Drabble, The Middle Ground, Lianne Moriarty, Big Little Lies–all of these should fit the bill.
Still Alice by Lisa Genova.
All the books that are written by Sue Grafton have Kinsey as the sleuth. She’s a middle-aged woman—divorced.
@himom, I think of Kinsey as being young 
I was depressed when someone informed me I was middle aged at 35.
Nora Roberts writes lots of books about middle aged or older women, but I’m not recommending them as great literature by any stretch. James Patterson has a series that’s numbered, and they are mostly about a couple of women from early career to late career, set in San Francisco. I’ve read all of them, but I’m not saying they are great either.
Loved While I’m Falling by Laura Moriarty. Bonus points: about a middle aged mother and a daughter off at college–and mom needs to sneak in to daughter’s dorm cuz temporarily homeless.No, really, it’s good! Also wrote The Center of Everything.
I think Kinsey is only in her 30s in the Sue Grafton books, definitely younger than middle aged. I think of middle aged as anywhere from about 45 to 65.
I plan to write one some day. Will let you know when I’m published. 
Mrs. Dalloway by Viginia Woolf.
Ann(e?) Tyler novels.
I guess we all differ as to what “middle aged” is. To me, it’s when you’re no longer someone’s kid. I enjoyed Kinsey. She had such a different life than those many of us live.
And for a mystery/thriller series: Brigid Quinn books by Becky Masterman
Seconding @ignatius about Brigid Quinn.