Discover the best books for Mother’s Day gifts here. This post shares a range of top book recommendations that make the most relaxing gifts for her. The woman in your life will appreciate you on her own special day of appreciation. Let’s find the perfect gift below!
Top 3 Best Books for Mother’s Day Gifts
TOP BOOKS FOR MOM
Crying in H Mart: One of the most popular memoirs in recent years, this is the moving account of losing a mom and the cultural impact she leaves behind.
Lessons in Chemistry: One of the most popular novels in recent years, this is a story set in the 1950s and 1960s about a strong single mom who challenges the status quo.
Tom Lake: Another popular pick, this novel offers an exquisitely crafted narrative about that which we don’t know about our mothers and the joy of being a mother.
Quick List of the Best Books to Give Moms
Personalized Books for Mom (to Give As A Gift From Children)
Non-Fiction Books for Mom: Memoirs and Inspirational Self-Help
- Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner (memoir)
- Dear Girls by Ali Wong (humor/memoir)
- Tell Me More by Kelly Corrigan (essays)
Fiction Books for Mom: Novels the Women in Your Life Will Love
- Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty (contemporary fiction)
- Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson (literary historical fiction)
- The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah (historical fiction)
- Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell (literary historical fiction)
- The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan (literary historical fiction)
- Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus (historical fiction)
- Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
- The Mothers by Brit Bennett (contemporary fiction)
- The Mother-in-Law By Sally Hepworth (mystery/thriller)
- Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout (literary fiction)
- Olive, Again By Elizabeth Strout (literary fiction)
- The Overdue Life Of Amy Byler by Kelly Harms (contemporary fiction)
- The Push by Ashley Audrain (mystery/thriller)
- The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan (dystopian fiction)
- This Is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel (contemporary fiction)
- Tom Lake by Ann Patchett (literary fiction)
- Where the Heart Is by Billie Letts (contemporary fiction)
- Where’d You Go, Bernadette? By Maria Semple (contemporary fiction)
Full Details of the Best Books for Mother’s Day Gifts
Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
- #1 New York Times bestselling novel
Best for the mom who likes salacious women’s fiction
My Review: ★★★★☆
Big Little Lies is probably the most popular book about moms out there. For the record, it’s even better than the HBO TV show adaptation.
This book is a juicy one about mothers who wear facades and keep secrets (some very big and devastating) and the consequences they can have on an entire community. This is my favorite book by this particular popular author, and it’s great for a guilty pleasure that readers love.
Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson
- New York Times bestseller
- The Today Show’s book club pick
Best for fans of diverse family mysteries
My Review: ★★★★★
In Black Cake, two estranged siblings must come together to deal with their mother’s death, and, in the process, they learn secrets about her past.
What makes this popular story remarkable is how it spans from California to London to the Caribbean while weaving throughout it the story of a Caribbean black cake made from a family recipe and the mysterious story of a young swimmer who escaped her island home under the suspicion of murder.
It’s a great choice for fans of family drama books.
Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner
- New York Times bestseller
- A Best Book of 2021: Entertainment Weekly, Good Morning America, Wall Street Journal, and more
Best for moms coping with grief or misunderstandings in motherhood
My Review: ★★★★★
Crying in H Mart is the extremely popular AAPI-themed book of an indie rockstar about growing up Korean American, grieving her mother’s death, and forging her own identity.
While coping with her mother’s illness and death, she faced her Korean identity with a new appreciation for the culture her mother gave her.
It’s an absolutely unforgettable portrait of both grief and self-reflection that leaves nothing off the table and keeps her mother’s memory alive. It’s great for anyone who’s had misunderstandings as a mom or with their mom.
Dear Girls by Ali Wong
- New York Times bestseller
Best for moms who want a good laugh
My Review: ★★★☆☆
In Dear Girls, comedian Ali Wong writes letters to her daughters about everything from how to be a working mom in a male-dominated profession to how she met and married their dad, and life as an Asian American woman.
While heartfelt, they are also shockingly open and raw. And while hilarious, they also touch upon the AAPI experience in unique ways. Give it to the mom who needs a humorous look at motherhood.
The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah
- Book of the Month’s Book of the Year for 2021
- #1 New York Times and USA Today bestseller
- Wall Street Journal bestseller
- Read with Jenna book club selection
Best for moms who love historical fiction about strong women
My Review: ★★★★☆
In The Four Winds, Elsa Wolcott was considered too old to marry, and her future seemed bleak. Then, she met and quickly decided to marry a man.
But, when the Great Depression hit, Elsa was left alone to either fight for the land she loved or head west to California with her children, in search of a better life.
It’s a gripping tale of motherhood and the struggle to survive and thrive when everything is working against you. It’s one of Kristin Hannah’s best books for fans of her novels.
Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell
- National bestseller
- Women’s Prize for Fiction Winner
- National Book Critics Circle Award Winner
- Named “Novel of the Year” at the Dalkey Literary Awards
- Shortlisted for the Walter Scott Prize
- Longlisted for the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction
Best for moms who love Shakespeare
My Review: ★★★★★
Set in England during the late 1580s, Hamnet is loosely based on the death of William Shakespeare’s eleven-year-old son, Hamnet, from “The Black Death,” which inspired his famous play, Hamlet.
While this may seem focused on Shakespeare and his son, Hamnet actually imparts a lot of themes about motherhood through his wife, Agnes (also known in history as Anne).
Ultimately it’s a family drama novel about grief. It’s meticulously crafted down to each word choice and it works well for fans of literary fiction.
The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
- New York Times bestseller
Best for Asian American moms
My Review: ★★★★☆
The Joy Luck Club is a haunting character-driven book about four Asian American mothers, their daughters, and their life stories.
It started in 1949 when four Chinese women, each recently immigrated to San Francisco, began to meet and share their collective tragedies and hopes.
Their backstories intertwine in the present in the lives of their four daughters in ways that are both heartfelt and heartbreaking. This book is a tour de force that packs a lot of power, and you won’t soon forget it.
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
- #1 New York Times Bestseller
- Over 1 million copies sold
- Now an AppleTV+ series
- Good Morning America Book Club pick
- A best book of the year: The New York Times, Washington Post, NPR, Oprah Daily, Entertainment Weekly, Newsweek
Best for moms who are feminists
My Review: ★★★★★
Set in the 1950s-1960s, Lessons in Chemistry tells the story of the unforgettable character of Elizabeth Zott, a strong, self-assured, self-educated woman who becomes a chemist at a male-dominated research institute. There, she meets and falls in love with another chemist, but life soon leaves her a single, jobless mother.
She reluctantly and unexpectedly becomes the star of a hit cooking show on TV, where she intermingles her love of science and challenges women to change the status quo.
It’s one of the most popular books in recent years, so you can’t go wrong with this one.
Letters To My Mom
Best for sentimental moms
Letters to My Mom is a cute book that includes 12 foldable letter envelopes for sons and daughters to surprise their mothers with a unique and creative gift. They can seal their letters with the included stickers and give them on Mother’s Day or another special day.
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
- #1 New York Times bestseller
- Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick
Best for moms who will enjoy complex neighborhood drama
My Review: ★★★★★
Little Fires Everywhere by author Celeste Ng is full of a cast of women who are all experiencing motherhood in different ways and making different decisions for their children. This occurs as their lives interconnect in a suburban American neighborhood in the 1990s.
This is one of the most powerful books for Mother’s Day gifts. The themes of class and race are portrayed so thoughtfully in each mother’s story. It’s one of the best books of the last decade, making you think about what it means to be a mother.
The Mothers by Brit Bennett
- New York Times bestseller
Best for fans of diverse literary fiction
My Review: ★★★★☆
The Mothers is a poignant story set in a Black community in California. It focuses on Nadia’s struggle with her mother’s death and a consequential secret pregnancy. Their decisions ripple through their lives and those around them.
This plot is simultaneously underscored by commentary from the church’s elder women, known as “The Mothers.”
It explores themes of love, loss, and the lasting impact of choices. It’s an excellent choice for fans of diverse literary fiction.
The Mother-in-Law by Sally Hepworth
- National bestseller
Best for moms who love a good mystery
My Review: ★★★★☆
The Mother-in-Law is a great book for mothers who love complex thrillers. After the main character’s mother-in-law dies, the mystery of her death uncovers a deep history that is revealed as the book progresses.
The lesson here is neither dark nor sinister. It’s that even our matriarchs have parts of their lives we don’t know about.
It’s hard to put down and it’s oh-so-satisfying. I gifted it to my own mother-in-law, and she absolutely loved it!
Olive Kitteridge and Olive, Again by Elizabeth Strout
- Olive Kitteridge: Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and named one of the best books of the year by several outlets
- Olive, Again: Oprah’s Book Club pick, New York Times bestseller, and named one of the best books of the year by several outlets
Best for moms who like complex characters
My Review: ★★★★★
Olive Kitteridge may be America’s favorite curmudgeon. This book and the sequel Olive, Again read like snippets of still life rich with words craving to be savored and analyzed.
In grumpy everyday moments from a coastal Maine town, Olive teaches the reader about life, particularly the many ways in which she didn’t know how to be a mother. She sometimes got it right and, oftentimes, got it wrong.
They’re the kind of books in which every word choice leaves you breathless. They’re great for moms with a very realistic worldview.
One Question a Day For Moms
Best for moms who like to journal
One Question A Day for Moms is a five-year journal with daily prompts for moms, with both big and small topics, for them to pause and reflect on their motherhood journey. This is great for the thoughtful and/or creative mother, and it will be fun for her to look back upon in time to come.
The Overdue Life Of Amy Byler By Kelly Harms
![[Hardcover] [Kelly Harms] The Overdue Life of Amy Byler](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/510GUGYEsIL.jpg)
- An Amazon Charts and Washington Post bestseller
- A Goodreads Choice Award finalist
Best for moms who want a light read
My Review: ★★★★☆
The Overdue Life of Amy Byler is great for the mother who wants a book that feels like a breath of fresh air.
An overworked and unappreciated single mother and Pennsylvania librarian, Amy Byler, goes on a journey of self-discovery in New York. It’s filled with witty dialogue, heartwarming moments, and a makeover like The Devil Wears Prada.
This book is, quite simply, a delight. It will make any mom smile.
The Push by Ashley Audrain
- New York Times bestseller
- #1 international bestseller
- Good Morning America book club pick
Best for moms who like thought-provoking thrillers
My Review: ★★★★★
The Push is one of author Ashley Audrain’s books about mothers. In it, Fox and Blythe are a married couple with a child named Violet. Blythe descends from a long line of “bad mothers,” so she’s determined to be a good one. The problem? Something about Violet feels “off.”
But, her husband dismisses her concerns, leading her to grapple alone with her confusing thoughts and emotions.
When their son, Sam, is born, however, Blythe’s connection with him is immediate and undeniable — that is, until one pivotal moment changes everything in their family.
Essentially, The Push is a really provocative novel about society’s push for women to give birth and how the physical act of pushing a child into the world forever changes a person’s life. It’s also about how generational family trauma is handed down. It’s a must-read with heavy themes of motherhood.
Related Post: Book Review of The Push
The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan
- Longlisted for the PEN/Hemingway Award for Debut Novel and the 2023 Carnegie Medal for Excellence
- Shortlisted for The Center for Fiction 2022 First Novel Prize
- One of Barack Obama’s Favorite Books of 2022
- New York Times bestseller
- Today show Read with Jenna Book Club pick
Best for moms who like dystopian women’s fiction
My Review: ★★★☆☆
The School for Good Mothers is one dark and disturbing book about motherhood! I recommend it to fans of books like The Handmaid’s Tale.
Frida is the daughter of Chinese immigrants, and she’s feeling unworthy of their sacrifices in her work and personal life, particularly as a newly single mom. One day, she mistakenly leaves her daughter at home.
Unfortunately, the state watches mothers like her and she must prove herself as a fit and loving mom.
This book tackles an array of issues many women and mothers face today in an extremely raw way.
Tell Me More by Kelly Corrigan
- National Bestseller
Best for moms who enjoy relatable essays
My Review: ★★★☆☆
Tell Me More is a book of essays, many of which are about the everyday lives of mothers, told from the perspective of the author. It is so magnetically relatable.
You will laugh, cry, and raise your hand, exclaiming, “Me too,” as you read along with this “real life” book.
This Is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel
- New York Times bestseller
- Reese’s Book Club pick
- Longlisted for the 2019 International DUBLIN Literary Award
Best for moms to learn about LGBTQIA+ themes
My Review: ★★★★★
This Is How It Always Is is one book that, I swear, everyone loves. At its core, it’s about the process of parenting a very young transgender child.
The reader goes along for the journey and gets to step in the family’s shoes, as they try to figure it all out as they live it. It’s intimate and tender, written from the personal experience of the author. It makes you feel the deepest emotions of another mother.
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
- #1 New York Times bestseller
- Reese’s Book Club pick
Best for fans of luscious prose
My Review: ★★★★★
In Tom Lake, it’s Spring 2020, and Lara’s three daughters visit the family’s Northern Michigan orchard, where they ask her to retell the story of the famous actor with whom she once shared both the stage (in Our Town) and a love affair.
It’s both a family drama and a story of love and its various forms at various times in our lives, including a mother’s love. It’s both immersive and captivating, methodically revealing parts of a mother’s life that her children didn’t experience with her. I highly recommend this extremely popular and exquisitely written bestseller to any reader.
Related Posts: Tom Lake Summary and Character Guide | Book Review of Tom Lake | Tom Lake Book Club Questions
Vouchers for Mom
- Amazon’s Choice
Best for moms who need help
Vouchers for Mom just may be the gift for which the mom in your life is most grateful. Twenty coupon vouchers in this book prompt moms to request things like “breakfast in bed” and “peace and quiet.”
What I Love About Mom
- Amazon’s Choice
Best for moms who love handmade gifts
What I Love About Mom is a fun fill-in-the-blank journal gift for a unique, personalized gift. Just complete sentences like, “If you were a scent, you’d be…” and “I always want to hear what you’re going to say about…” You will be left with a memorable, heartwarming gift for the mom in your life.
Where the Heart Is by Billie Letts
- #1 New York Times bestseller
Best for moms who love found families
My Review: ★★★☆☆
Where the Heart Is was a huge hit in the 1990s, and it was even required reading for me in high school!
It’s the story of a seventeen-year-old pregnant teen who gives birth in a Wal-Mart store, where her boyfriend stranded her. It becomes a moving story of “found family.”
Where’d You Go, Bernadette? by Maria Semple
- National bestseller
- A major motion picture
Best for moms who are quirky and/or creative
My Review: ★★★★★
Where’d You Go Bernadette is a great escape book for the creative mom in your life. Artistic Bernadette has lost her mojo after years of prioritizing motherhood over personal development.
So, she escapes to Antarctica. Through a series of comedic events, she finds personal meaning. Bernadette has quirky traits and a voice all her own, which will make you laugh out loud.
Frequently Asked Questions
For Mother’s Day, consider gifting impactful non-fiction books like Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner, the heartfelt memoir about a mother’s impact, or Dear Girls by Ali Wong, which offers hilariously raw essays with a mother’s advice.
For Mother’s Day, consider gifting Tom Lake by Ann Patchett, for a moving narrative of the joy of choosing motherhood or Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus for an empowering story of a single mother’s resilience.
To select the perfect book for Mother’s Day, consider her interests and reading preferences. Opt for fiction genres she loves or non-fiction self-help she may need. Look for themes of mothers’ resilience, and empowerment.
Conclusion
The best books for Mother’s Day gifts show appreciation for her and offer her something meaningful to read on the theme of motherhood, from resilience to love, sacrifice, joy, and beyond.
SHOP THE TOP 3 BEST BOOKS FOR MOTHER’S DAY GIFTS
- Crying in H Mart: a popular memoir about losing a mom
- Lessons in Chemistry: a popular historical fiction novel about a strong single mom who challenges the status quo
- Tom Lake: An exquisitely crafted narrative about the joy of being a mother
More Bookish Gift Guides for Moms
For more gift ideas, check out these blogger gift guides:
