Dreamstime
What do you buy the mom who already has just about everything? You give her a good book and the gift of time to read it!
While the latest New York Times bestseller is not as glamorous as a new Coach purse or diamond stud earrings, books are a gift that can be deeply intimate and have a lasting impact on the special mom in your life. Personalizing your books makes them all the more special, so take a moment and write a special message in the inside cover page and date it, or stamp your child’s fingerprints on the title page. Next time you are at the bookstore, look for these must-read books for moms.
Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive
by Stephanie Land
When Stephanie Land discovers she is unexpectedly pregnant, her dreams of a college education and a career as a writer evaporate with her new responsibilities. In this fresh take on what it means to be a mom living in poverty, Land sheds light on a group of Americans who have largely lived in the shadows of the upper-middle class — the service class. After giving birth, Land started working as a housekeeper but never relinquished the dream of a higher education. She began taking online classes and writing every spare moment she could find. Land kept her dream — the American dream — alive through it all. Give this book to moms who believe in making things happen, even when you are on the bottom rung of the ladder.
If, Then
by Kate Hope Day
What if your dreams one day became your reality? In this debut novel, Kate Day tells the story of four Oregonians who see glimpses into their futures. A career-driven surgeon, a first-time mom, an environmental scientist, and a grieving daughter all begin to contemplate what their lives might have been if they had made different choices. At first, the visions seem harmless, but soon the seemingly unrelated neighbors find themselves crossing paths and living in their alternate realities. Gift this book to fans of dystopian fiction and stories about parallel worlds.
The Unwinding of the Miracle: a Memoir of Life, Death, and Everything that Comes After
by Julie Yip-Williams
Barely escaping infanticide at the handsof her grandmother after being born blind in Vietnam, Julie Yip-Williams immigrated to the United States where she eventually gained partial eyesight. Her strife made her all the more determined to become a Harvard graduate, successful attorney, wife, and mother. So at age 37 when she was diagnosed with metastatic colon cancer, Yip-Williams began to write her way through her cancer journey, much like she strove to overcome other obstacles in her life. The chronicle began as a written history for her children but has since become a heartbreaking, yet inspiring ode to the biggest miracle of all — life. This memoir is perfect gift for fans of Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom.
The Perfect Mother
by Aimee Molloy
We all remember the first time we left our new baby with a sitter. It can be a stressful time filled with anxiety and fear about all the things that could go wrong. At the insistence of her new moms’ group, the May Mothers, newly single Winnie decides to finally leave her baby for a night out on the town. Her worst fears become reality when 6-week-old Midas is stolen from his crib, and a sensational investigation ensues. Fans of suspense and Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl will gobble up this read. Read this book before it makes its way to the big screen.
If the mom in your life has little time during her day to read, consider gifting an Audible subscription so she can listen to audiobooks during her commute or while doing household chores. If she swears by Marie Kondo’s method of discarding items that do not spark joy, gift cards for iBooks, Kindle, and Nook are great for buying eBooks that won’t take up physical space.
Jennifer Boren is the lead library media specialist for Collierville Schools and blogs at bookjabber.wordpress.com.