Holidays & Entertaining Holidays Mother's Day 29 Great Books for Mom for Mother's Day, Her Birthday, or the Holidays Can't afford to buy her a new car? We bet she'd like one of these transporting reads. By Lisa Milbrand Lisa Milbrand Lisa Milbrand has more than 20 years of experience as a lifestyle writer and editor, writing thousands of articles on topics that help people live better and healthier lives for Real Simple, Parents, and dozens of other top publications. Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Updated on March 14, 2024 Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: courtesy It's no secret that sometimes the hardest person to shop for is also one of the most special: your mom. That's why whenever we're in doubt or can't find that perfect gift for the holidays, her birthday, or Mother's Day, we look to books. Whether your mom has only a few precious minutes a week to read, she devotes time every day to devour the latest bestseller, there are plenty of thoughtful options for books for mom. The 55 Best Christmas Gifts for Moms When trying to choose a book, remember that being a mom is a lot of hard work: Treat her to some uninterrupted me-time to put up her feet and dive into a new read. If you're lucky, she'll let you read her new novel or hilarious autobiography once she's finished. 01 of 29 Tom Lake, by Ann Patchett Courtesy of Publisher Patchett's charming latest features adult daughters discovering their parents' past lives, dreams, and loves, as they hunker down together in their idyllic Michigan cherry farm during the early pandemic. The story could help you and your mom discover new things about the lives you've lived apart from each other. $19, amazon.com 02 of 29 Acts of Forgiveness, by Maura Cheeks Amazon In Maura Cheeks' debut novel, single mom Willie Revel is determined to help her parents through a financial crisis by applying for a new program offering up to $175,000 in reparations to Black families descended from slaves. But not everyone in the family supports the idea of digging up the past—even if it helps save them all. $25, amazon.com 03 of 29 Family Family, by Laurie Frankel Amazon Actress (and adoptive mom) India Allwood isn't a big fan of how her latest movie portrays adoption as a tragic tale, and confessing that in an interview leads to a firestorm around the movie. As her twin ten-year-olds seek to help her, they turn to the family member that may actually help—India's biological child that she created an adoption plan for years before. $26, amazon.com 04 of 29 Mother-Daughter Murder Night, by Nina Simon bookshop.org The family that investigates together, stays together? That's the premise behind this charming mystery novel, which features three generations of Rubicon women trying to help clear granddaughter Jack after she's suspected of murder. It's a perfect gift for crime podcast and cozy mystery fans (and perhaps, a perfect kickoff to a mother-daughter book club). $28, bookshop.org 05 of 29 Lessons in Chemistry, by Bonnie Garmus Bookshop.org If she hasn't already plowed through this gem of a book—a tale of a brilliant chemist turned Julia Child-esque cooking show host and single mom—make sure she tackles it before she starts watching the new series based on the novel on Apple TV. $27, bookshop.org 06 of 29 Demon Copperhead, by Barbara Kingsolver Amazon This Pulitzer-winning, modern take on Dickens' classic David Copperfield is a perfect read for the classics-loving mom. (In fact, pair it with Dickens' masterwork so she can compare and contrast the two!) $31, bookshop.org 07 of 29 The Husbands, by Chandler Baker bookshop.org The classic feminist horror favorite gets a modern twist in this charming page turner that's the perfect gift for your mom. (Especially if she's constantly complaining about your Dad's lack of dishwasher loading prowess.) $17, bookshop.org 08 of 29 The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters, by Priya Parker Bookshop.org As get-togethers have become even more precious, people have begun looking for more than just a good time out of parties. The Art of Gathering focuses on how to find deeper meaning every time we meet and celebrate, whether with our friends and family or our colleagues. If your mom is the hostess with the mostest, she'll definitely adore this book. $17, bookshop.org 09 of 29 Romantic Comedy, by Curtis Sittenfeld Bookshop.org The rom-com loving mom will definitely flip over Sittenfeld's funny boy-meets-girl tale featuring an SNL-like comedy writer and a glamorous show host as the leads. (And if she hasn't already read them, pair it with Sittenfeld's modern take on Pride and Prejudice, Eligible.) $26, bookshop.org The Best Gift Ideas of 2024 10 of 29 50 Years of Ms.: The Best of the Pathfinding Magazine That Ignited a Revolution Bookshop.org This weighty volume collects the very best of the groundbreaking feminist magazine from every decade of its 50 years, including some of the best essays, interviews, and work of groundbreakers like Toni Morrison, Joyce Carol Oates, Nancy Pelosi, and Alice Walker. $47, bookshop.org 11 of 29 Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel Bookshop.org If your mom adored the book (or the HBO show) Station Eleven, you can't do wrong with gifting her with Mandel's latest critically acclaimed, sprawling novel, which takes readers from 1912 Vancouver Island to a moon colony half a millennium later. $25, bookshop.org 12 of 29 Girls With Bright Futures, by Tracy Dobmeier and Wendy Katzman Courtesy of Amazon For the mom...ahem...who may have been a little too involved in pushing us along the path toward success, this sharp look at three moms jockeying to get their accomplished daughters into a single top spot at Stanford—which may or may not have included attempted murder—may hit her in all the right ways. If your mom couldn't get enough of the college admissions scandal, she won't put this one down. $16, bookshop.org 13 of 29 The School for Good Mothers, by Jessamine Chan Bookshop.org Any mom who has ever felt mom shamed or judged will definitely feel seen when they read this thriller, in which one mom's bad day puts the entire future of her family at risk—and into the hands of a government reform program for wayward mothers. $25, bookshop.org 14 of 29 Hamnet, by Maggie O'Farrell Bookshop.org This lyrical and rich novel focuses on some of the most mysterious figures in literary history—Shakespeare's wife and family—and the tragic impact of the plague on their lives. $16, bookshop.org 15 of 29 The Club, by Ellery Lloyd Bookshop.org The mom who loves a dishy murder mystery will be all in on this frothy novel about a series of murders during a weekend at a posh club that caters to A-list celebrities—written by the real-life editorial director of the equally posh Soho House. $25, bookshop.org 16 of 29 I'm So Effing Tired: A Proven Plan to Beat Burnout, Boost Your Energy, and Reclaim Your Life, by Amy Shah Bookshop.org If the mom in your life is feeling burned out, this self-help book may be just the thing to help her deal with stress and rebuild her energy. (Just pair it with some quality me-time so she can recuperate, too!) $25, bookshop.org 17 of 29 There are Girls like Lions: Poems about Being a Woman Chronicle Books Poetry collections make great gifts for moms—and especially those who might feel like they haven't had time to read. We love this small, gorgeously illustrated collection of 30 poems from the likes of the late Mary Oliver and poet laureate Tracy K. Smith about being a woman. It's the perfect book for mom to read in one sitting or pick up as she pleases. $16, bookshop.org 18 of 29 The Goodbye Diaries, by Marisa Bardach Ramel and Sally Bardach Wyatt-MacKenzie Publishing In this deeply moving memoir, tight-knit mother-daughter duo Marisa Bardach Ramel and the late Sally Bardach share their experiences of coping with Sally's terminal cancer diagnosis in the last months of her life. Though it's a memoir about grief and loss, it's also as much a tribute to the unbreakable bonds between mothers and daughters. $22, bookshop.org 19 of 29 The Island of Sea Women, by Lisa See Simon & Schuster If your mom loves to lose herself in big, epic novels along the lines of The Queen of the Night or Pachinko that she can lose herself in, she'll love See's latest, The Island of Sea Women, about two friends working in their Korean village's all-female diving collective. Their bond is tested as they come of age against a backdrop of war, social change, and technological advancements. What's even cooler: See based her novel on a real place, Jeju, where men take care of children while women work as divers. This is a novel about women who are strong as your own mom. $17, bookshop.org These Are the 60 Best Books of 2023—According to Real Simple Editors 20 of 29 Women in Sunlight, by Frances Mayes Penguin Random House If your mom loved Under the Tuscan Sun (or the delightful movie adaptation starring Diane Lane), she'll love reading this new title from Mayes. In this story, Kit Raine is an American writer living in Tuscany, when three recently retired American women move into the mansion next door. This warm novel follow Kit and the trio as they spend a year together on an Italian adventure, exploring the rich culture around them and becoming closer as friends. $16, bookshop.org 21 of 29 Song of a Captive Bird, by Jasmin Darznik Penguin Random House This gorgeous debut novel was inspired by the life of Forugh Farrokhzad, a famous Iranian poet and feminist. After Farrokhzad's father forces her into a marriage, she finds herself a prisoner in her own home. Despite objections from those around her, she begins to fight back against the traditional society she lives in and her husband by writing and publishing feminist poetry. Moms that love historical fiction will be captivated by this fascinating woman and moved by her inspiring search for independence. $16, bookshop.org 22 of 29 Paris by the Book, by Liam Callanan Penguin Random House If your mom has been dreaming of a Parisian adventure, she'll love joining Leah Eady on her captivating search to find her husband. When Robert Eady, an eccentric novelist, vanishes, his wife and daughters soon discover a clue he left behind: plane tickets to Paris for the three of them. Once they arrive in Paris, the trio moves into an apartment above a bookshop, where they try to reinvent their lives while also searching the city for their missing patriarch. $15, bookshop.org 23 of 29 Mr. Boddington's Etiquette: Charm and Civility for Every Occasion Chronicle Books If your mom is always reminding you to mind your Ps and Qs, she'll love this funny guide to modern politeness from Mr. Boddington's Studio. Between pages of adorable illustrations, she'll find advice on acing every interaction—from being a host to navigating a wedding. $18, bookshop.org 24 of 29 At My Table, by Nigella Lawson MacMillan Your mom already mastered basic kitchen skills with the help of Nigella Lawson's How to Be a Domestic Goddess, and now she can perfect her recipe repertoire with this no-frills guide to simple and delicious cooking. Dishes like Chili Cheese Garlic Bread and Chicken with Red Grapes and Marsala will take foods she knows and loves and elevate them with unexpected flavors. If the titles of the recipes aren't enough to make her mouth water, the 100-plus gorgeous photographs will. $33, bookshop.org 25 of 29 Circe, by Madeline Miller Little, Brown Mythology-buff moms will love this masterful novel from Miller (The Song of Achilles). The novel tells the little-known Greek myth of Circe, the daughter of Helios, the god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans. When Zeus discovers that she possesses the power of witchcraft, he banishes her to a deserted island. Over her years trapped on the island, Circe meets sailors that come to the land seeking shelter, and eventually finds herself torn between her two identities, mortal and divine, until she must choose between her godly family and the mortals she has come to know. $16, bookshop.org 26 of 29 Tell Me More, by Kelly Corrigan Penguin Random House Are there certain words and phrases that create strong relationships? In this collection of essays from Kelly Corrigan, she reflects on 12 phrases that connect us as humans—from "Tell Me More," to "I Was Wrong." Your mom will love Corrigan's musings on marriage and motherhood, and she will find the essay is poignant, funny, and filled with warmth. $15, bookshop.org 27 of 29 I Love Mom With the Very Hungry Caterpillar, by Eric Carle amazon.com For a book that Mom can read and share with her kids, gift her the newest book by Eric Carle. Filled with Carle's signature colorful illustrations that have made his work famous, this book follows the Very Hungry Caterpillar as he celebrates Mother's Day and all the incredible parents in the world. Carle brings to life yet another read with adorable illustrations of various animal mom-baby pairs throughout the story, something young children will love to read. $9, bookshop.org 28 of 29 Diamond Head, by Cecily Wong amazon.com Following a horrific tragedy, four generations of women are forced to deal with a long-kept family secret. The wives and daughters of the Leong family are haunted by a Chinese legend that says each person is bound to their beloved with an invisible string, but whenever they make a romantic mistake, that string gathers knots. This knotted string is passed through generations, and ends with Theresa—18 and pregnant—who is burdened with the Leong family secrets. The novel spans years and perspectives—chapters are told by sisters, daughters, and wives—as the women grieve, and eventually rebuild. $16, barnesandnoble.com 29 of 29 Listen to Your Mother, by Ann Imig amazon.com This collection of stories was born from a live event asking women to share their stories about motherhood—now the show happens in more than 20 cities across America. This frank, funny, and touching anthology puts many of those stories down on paper, and discusses the complex and diverse array of parenting experiences, from step-motherhood to infertility, and everything in between. $26, barnesandnoble.com Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit