Books for Every Mom: A Mother’s Day Reading List

An essential gift book for anyone who cried watching Barbie. Whether you cried together, over the phone, or by yourself thinking about her, commemorate the occasion with this nifty book that will please any fashionista mom.

For those of us lucky enough to have a fangirl mom, this book is hard to beat. Explore the culture of critique, artistry and fandom — you and mom will find yourselves debating, agreeing, cheering and wanting to ask even more questions with each page turned. 

If you’ve listened to your mom drone on and on about her favorite bands of years past and the Riot Grrrl movement, there’s a good chance she’s heard of Kathleen Hanna. From fronting Bikini Kill to sharing anecdotes about Kurt Cobain and Joan Jett, we’re totally stoked for this brand-new punk rock memoir.

Give mom the gift of slowing down and smelling the roses with this stunning collection. Edited by Poet Laureate Ada Limón, this anthology of poetry is an ode to the natural world and the way we interact with it.

Essays about all kinds of food, written only the way a poet could. Aimee Nezhukumatathil’s book would make a great gift for any mom who loves to rave about the best recipes, restaurants and meals you’ve shared together.

An essential gift from one of our most indelible voices in poetry. Mary Oliver writes of the importance of slowing down and taking in the beauty of every day — a message any mom can get behind.

Is there anything better than the gift of laughs? If your mom cracks jokes at every turn and tends to love a hilarious sitcom, Samantha Irby’s essay collection is the way to go this Mother’s Day.

It’s a natural human right to poke light fun at mom here and there, and Glenn Boozan’s book is the perfect way to do that. (Whip this out the next time she asks why you can’t be more like one of your friends.)

Moms love Facebook and Instagram as much as we do, and the witty quips in this gem of a book are sure to be uploaded far and wide. Make her the resident funny frog lady of her friend group this May.

There’s a good chance your mom has had Good Morning America playing in the background of morning breakfast for years. Surprise her with this moving memoir from Savannah Guthrie with plenty of heart, faith and love.

It’s common to hear from the men of the Bible, but the women provide plenty of wisdom too, and Mom will enjoy how this book brings them front and center with digestible lessons centered on being a woman of faith.

Not every day is going to be a winner, but Kate Bowler is here with a little encouragement to help those not-winning days feel less like losing. With daily insights, this book is a reliable companion for Mom’s daily trials.

Mother’s Day can be a reflective time for moms, just as much as it is a celebration. Genevieve Kingston’s remarkable memoir — as heartbreaking as it is hopeful — is an intimate and compelling story of grief and love, family, and the reverberating impact of what we leave behind.

Who better to give mom nuggets of wisdom than one of the most impressive moms out there? Former First Lady Michelle Obama shares practical wisdom and powerful strategies for staying hopeful and balanced in today’s highly uncertain world.

Anne Lamott’s latest reminds us of the beauty of life and love. Full of empathy, heart and humanity, Lamott reflects on the struggles and triumphs of life through essays on all different kinds of love, from motherhood to romantic and platonic.

The History Buff moms out there most likely know and revere these three iconic men in history, but has she heard of how their mothers shaped them? A celebratory, and revelatory, account of the three remarkable moms who helped change history.

There have been millions of incredible women throughout history who have changed the world. While they haven’t always been recognized, this compendium will take mom through women’s history, one object at a time.

From pirates to murderers and housewives, Philippa Gregory puts the women who helped build England’s massive empire at center stage.

Everything you’ve heard about this one is true — centered on a woman who goes to the front lines of the war in Vietnam, Kristin Hannah writes of courage, love and friendship, and the sacrifices we make for the people around us. (Don’t forget to give mom a pack of tissues with this one.)

Ann Patchett is back with a gorgeous novel about family, our histories and how our lives are built on so many small choices. Weaving the past with the present, Patchett reminds readers that our parents had entire lives before we came along.

Like Anne Tyler and Ann Patchett, Anna Quindlen is a gentle guide through life’s tricky bits. We’ve missed reading her fiction and we’re so excited for her first novel in years.

Moms deserve romance too, and no one does it quite like Emily Henry. Her latest gives us another relatable, hilarious and cathartic rom-com centered on a pair of roommates in an idyllic lakeside town who struggle to make friends and find their footing in the world.

If your mom has dragged you into the living room to watch her favorite old rom-coms and flicks, she’ll love Abby Jimenez. The bestselling author of Part of Your World brings joy, warmth and butterflies in this charming romance.

Build mom’s gift basket with one of our favorite things: a book about books. With a romance so sweet it makes our teeth ache, this one feels like one of our favorite fairy tales.

From purples to pinks and blues, we love tulips and all their hues. Find your green thumb in these pages and learn all about what it takes to take care of this classic flower, one petal at a time.

If your mom loves spending time among the trees, why not give her a book that celebrates them throughout history? The Language of Trees gathers poets, musicians, philosophers and more to unearth this new language we all ought to know, one that changes the way we walk through the world.

Give mom the gift of a new hobby this year with the witty and wise voice of Amy Tan. Anyone can be a birder, and once she reads this one, birding she shall go.

Foods guaranteed to make your soul (and plate) more colorful. Jess Damuck brings us back into the kitchen to try out even more delectable recipes you’ll want to brag to all your friends about.

Baking, cooking and cocktails: lemons are a bright pop in any recipe. This beautiful book is a great gift for any home cook or a person who aspires to taste summer all year round.

If your mom likes to spice her recipes up every now and then, this collection on Spanish cuisine is a classic. Simone and Ines Ortega break down traditional recipes and usher in new generations of chefs looking to dive into over a thousand recipes.

A collection from one of the world’s greatest painters brought to the page by MoMA. This Mother’s Day, let mom enjoy the exquisite works of a revolutionary artist.

A stunning visual compendium of Black Joy as a form of resistance, Kleaver Cruz’s collection is the type of book we’ll pass along for generations to come. From city to forest, suburb to desert, Black Joy is all around.

The kind of book you can enjoy together, give mom Katy Hessel’s groundbreaking collection on the history of women’s art from the earliest movements to today.