Should there be a new word for "retirement"?

That's one of the questions Failing Retirement 101 struggles with. Part how-to and part memoir, this book highlights one woman's efforts to prepare for what life will be like "after."

Susan Meeuwenberg represents the next wave of baby boomers coming to terms with a new passage in their busy, committed lives. She describes her generation as both insecure and overachieving, and warns about the implications of those traits when it comes to making the shift from being fully employed and fully engaged in life to something, well, a little less so.

At the same time, she slings around statistics indicating that more of us than ever are still employed, at least part-time, after age 65. Although some of that continuing employment may be from necessity, her research reveals significant physical and mental health benefits from being employed part time, at least when that employment is related to one's chosen career field (probably not as true for those being a Walmart greeter or fast-food server).

What makes this book interesting to those who, like the author, may be wrestling a bit with the task of creating a satisfying post-retirement life is that it is one woman's "brutally honest" account of pitfalls and pleasures she discovered when she retired.

Despite having read several retirement advice books, she wasn't prepared for the emotional minefield, say, of not having Fridays to look forward to. Now Friday was just another day of the week.

She also found herself worrying about little things that, with a full-time job, she simply wouldn't have had time to worry about.

"Yes, retirement can be a time of discovery about ourselves—and obviously, we won't like everything we uncover," she writes.

One year post-retirement, had she discovered her passion? Not surprisingly, she found that writing—beginning with this book—gave her a passionate feeling of fulfillment.

She keeps a daily journal. She also regularly spends time visiting her other interests and investigating new ones, as well as making time for family and friends.

"I cannot allow my passion to consume me as my career did," she wisely says. "Time for enjoyment, relaxing with friends and family, is just as important. Finding a balance is the key."