After a hectic day of parenting, I try to carve out a little time in the evening to decompress and read. Whether it helps me relax, feel encouraged, or simply escape for a bit, reading has become one of my favorite ways to unwind after a long day with the kids. The only problem is deciding what to read when there are so many good options out there.
To help narrow it down, I asked several moms what books they truly enjoyed and found meaningful, from parenting reads to comfort books and fun leisure picks. This list is not about what moms should read, but what real mothers have loved in different seasons of life. If you are looking for your next good book, here are 25 thoughtful picks for every mother.
Related: Best Parenting and Motherhood Books to Read
Parenting Books
These parenting books offer guidance, perspective, and reassurance for navigating everyday challenges with confidence.
1. Operating Instructions: A Journal of My Son’s First Year, by Anne Lamott
This book is HIGHLY recommended. In this awesome book, Anne Lamott details—in short, poignant entries—what life was like in the first year after her son was born. It’s beautiful, funny, and soulful—an absolute must for every mother.
2. Bringing Up Bébé, by Pamela Druckerman
This book has been a favorite of many. We read it years ago and loved it too! Druckerman, an American, shares her experience raising her child in Paris, France. She provides fascinating details about French sleep training, feeding schedules, child care, and family rituals. This is a great book if you want ideas on how to have your child behave better and eat everything.
Related: Book Review: Bringing Up Bébé
3. Parenting with Love and Logic, by Foster Cline and Jim Fay
We all know that parenting can be tough. You can suddenly find yourself screaming at your kids after a crazy day. Yikes! This parenting book shows you how to raise self-confident and motivated children who are ready for the real world. And helps you establish healthy control through easy-to-implement steps, without resorting to anger, threats, nagging, or power struggles. Learn how to parent effectively while teaching your children responsibility and fostering their character development.
4. The Baby Whisperer Solves All Your Problems, by Tracy Hogg and Melinda Blau
The ultimate parenting book. Tracy Hogg, The Baby Whisperer, helps you establish a daily routine and tailor your parenting strategies according to your child’s unique personality and stage of development. In this book, you will learn about the EASY sleep method, the pick-up-put-down sleep trick, simple troubleshooting techniques for everyday situations, understanding and managing feelings, introducing bottles to breastfed babies, toilet training, and other growth issues.
5. Nurture Shock, by Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman
Released in hardcover in September 2009, Nurture Shock remained on the New York Times best-seller list for three months and was one of Amazon’s best-selling books that year. The book has become a worldwide phenomenon, with editions published in fifteen languages worldwide. Nurture Shock offers a revolutionary new perspective on children that upends a library’s worth of conventional wisdom.
With impeccable storytelling and razor-sharp analysis, the authors demonstrate that many of modern society’s strategies for nurturing children are backfiring—because key twists in the science have been overlooked. Nothing like a parenting manual, Nurture Shock gets to the core of how we grow, learn, and live.
6. The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding, by Diane Wiessinger, Diana West, and Teresa Pitman
It’s no secret that breastfeeding is the #1 recommended way to nourish and nurture your baby. Dedicated to supporting nursing and expectant mothers, the internationally respected La Leche League has set the standard for educating and empowering mothers in this natural art for generations. Their classic bestselling guide, The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding, has been retooled, refocused, and updated for today’s mothers and lifestyles.
Working mothers, stay-at-home moms, single mothers, and mothers of multiples will all benefit from the book’s range of nursing advice, stories, and information—from preparing for breastfeeding during pregnancy to feeding cues, nursing positions, and expressing and storing breast milk. It’s the breastfeeding manual you’ve been looking for.
7. Raising Cain: Protecting the Emotional Life of Boys, by Dan Kindlon and Michael Thompson
We’ve long been aware of the dangers of telling boys “not to cry” and to “keep a stiff upper lip,” but this book details exactly why stifling our sons’ emotions is one of the most heartbreaking things we can do as parents. Herein, Kindlon and Thompson detail exactly the challenges boys face at home, school, and on the athletic field, and how we can help them cultivate and embrace the most important gift of all: emotional literacy.
8. Oh Crap Potty Training, by Jamie Glowacki
If you need to start potty training soon and are unsure where to start. Here’s a fun book! Jamie Glowacki—potty-training expert, Pied Piper of Poop, and author of the popular guide Oh Crap! Potty Training—shares her proven 6-step plan to help you toilet train your preschooler quickly and successfully. Her 6-step, proven process to get your toddler out of diapers and onto the toilet has already worked for tens of thousands of kids and their parents.
9. The Whole-Brained Child, by Dan J. Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson
In this pioneering, practical book, Daniel J. Siegel, a neuropsychiatrist and parenting expert, and Tina Payne Bryson offer a revolutionary approach to child rearing, featuring twelve key strategies that foster healthy brain development and lead to calmer, happier children. The authors explain—and make accessible—the new science of how a child’s brain is wired and how it matures.
Complete with age-appropriate strategies for dealing with day-to-day struggles and illustrations that will help you explain these concepts to your child, The Whole-Brain Child shows you how to cultivate healthy emotional and intellectual development so that your children can lead balanced, meaningful, and connected lives.
10. No-Drama Discipline, by Dan J. Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson
We love Siegel and Bryson’s books, so we had to include the No-Drama Discipline on our list. Parenthood can often feel like a lot of drama, but it doesn’t have to be that way. This book highlights the fascinating connection between a child’s neurological development and a parent’s response to misbehavior. No-Drama Discipline provides an effective and compassionate roadmap for dealing with tantrums, tensions, and tears—without causing a scene.
The authors explain how to connect with your child, redirect their emotions, and turn a meltdown into an opportunity for growth. By doing so, the cycle of negative behavior (and punishment) is essentially halted, as problem-solving becomes a win/win situation.
11. Elevating Child Care: A Guide to Respectful Parenting, by Janet Lansbury
R.E.S.P.E.C.T. That’s what every parent wants, right? Well, in this book, Janet Lansbury encourages parents and childcare professionals to perceive babies as unique, capable human beings with natural abilities to learn without being taught, to develop motor and cognitive skills, communicate, face age-appropriate struggles, initiate and direct independent play for extended periods, and much more. Once we can view our children in this light, even the most common daily parenting experiences become stimulating opportunities to learn, discover, and connect with our children.
Janet’s insightful philosophy lays the foundation for a closer, more fulfilling parent-child relationship, and children who grow up to be authentic, confident, and successful adults.
12. No Bad Kids: Toddler Discipline without Shame, by Janet Lansbury
I think many parents worry if their kid will be around too many “bad kids” or become “the bad kid.” We love Janet’s unique advice in this book. No Bad Kids is a collection of Janet’s most popular and widely read articles about common toddler behaviors and how you can apply respectful parenting practices to benefit both parents and children. It covers a range of common topics, including punishment, cooperation, boundaries, testing boundaries, tantrums, hitting, and more.
No Bad Kids provides a practical, indispensable tool for parents anticipating or experiencing those critical years when toddlers are developmentally obliged to test the limits of our patience and love.
Motherhood Books
These reads focus on identity, burnout, faith, and emotional wellbeing, offering comfort and connection through shared experiences.
1. Mommy Burnout, by Dr. Sheryl Ziegler
The title alone pulled me in. This is the ultimate must-read handbook for the modern mother: a practical and positive tool to help free women from the debilitating notion of being the “perfect mom,” filled with funny and all too relatable true-life stories and realistic suggestions to stop the burnout cycle, and protect our kids from the damage burnout can cause. Pretty much a book that every mother could benefit from.
2. The Magic of Motherhood, by Ashlee Gadd
The Magic of Motherhood celebrates your life as a mom—the good, the hard, and everything in between. In this book, you’ll find heartwarming essays about identity, adoption, body image, miscarriage, friendship, faith, infertility, and more. The Magic of Motherhood is a curated collection of honest stories that weave together the love, joy, and magnificent heartache of motherhood. Instead of offering advice, the writers offer something even better: their hearts.
3. The First Forty Days, by Heng Ou, Amely Greeven, and Marisa Belger
As modern mothers are pushed to prematurely “bounce back” after delivering their babies and are often left alone to face the physical and emotional challenges of this new stage of their lives, the first forty days provide a lifeline—a source of connection, nourishment, and guidance. The book includes 60 simple recipes for healing soups, replenishing meals and snacks, and calming and lactation-boosting teas, all formulated to support the unique needs of new mothers.
In addition to the recipes, this warm and encouraging guide offers advice on establishing a support system during the postpartum period, navigating relationship challenges, and honoring the significance of pregnancy and childbirth.
4. Breathe, Mama, Breathe, by Shonda Moralis MSW LCSW
Moms can feel like they are sprinting through life, crashing onto the pillow at day’s end, only to start the next morning again. In Breathe, Mama, Breathe, psychotherapist Shonda Moralis outlines the benefits of daily meditation and shows moms how to do it—in just five minutes! Plus, she shares over 60 “mindful breaks” that will help moms tune into their well-being. Every mom—whether caring for a new baby, an overscheduled grade schooler, or an angsty teen—can become a mindful mama!
5. Becoming MomStrong, by Heidi St. John
If you’re looking for a book about motherhood and faith, consider Becoming MomStrong. Through encouragement, practical prayer points, and authentic “me-too” moments, Heidi equips you for a job that only you can do: to train your children to hear God’s voice and to walk in truth no matter where our culture is heading. If you’re feeling tired or inadequate today, get ready to find new strength.
Cookbooks
Cooking can feel overwhelming during busy seasons of motherhood. These cookbooks make meals more approachable and enjoyable.
1. Cravings, by Chrissy Teigen
When I heard Chrissy Teigen was coming out with a cookbook, I had to check it out. Salty, spicy, saucy, and fun as sin—that’s the food you’ll get in this book, which is so fitting because that’s Chrissy, too. These dishes are perfect for family dinners, date nights at home, parties, and a few life’s tough moments (salads).
You’ll learn the importance of chili peppers, the secret to cheesy-cheeseless eggs, life tips like how to use bacon as a home fragrance, the single best way to wake up in the morning, and how not to overthink men or Brussels sprouts.
2. Weelicious, by Catherine McCord
Every parent knows how difficult it is to get kids to eat happily and healthily. Catherine McCord’s Weelicious cookbook can help! Catherine strongly believes in the “one family/one meal” idea—preparing a single, scrumptious meal that the entire family can sit down and enjoy together rather than having to act as a “short-order cook” for kids who each want something different. In Weelicious, she offers dozens of recipes and tips for creating quick, easy, healthy, and fun food that moms, dads, and young children of all ages will adore—from the most finicky infants to the pickiest grade-schoolers.
3. Milk Street: Tuesday Nights, by Christopher Kimball
A momma highly recommended this cookbook to us! Apparently, Tuesdays are the new Saturdays with this book! That means every Tuesday Nights recipe delivers big, bold flavors, but the cooking is quick and easy—simple enough for the middle of the week. It presents over 200 solutions to transform your weeknight cooking, showing how to make simple, healthy, delicious meals using pantry staples and just a few other ingredients.
4. Whiskey in a Teacup, by Reese Witherspoon
If you haven’t checked out Reese Witherspoon’s cookbook, Whiskey in a Teacup, you are missing out! This book shares how Reese entertains, decorates her home, and makes holidays special for her kids—not to mention how she talks, dances, and does her hair. It’s a little bit of everything, and we love it! Reese loves sharing her grandmother’s most delicious recipes and her favorite southern traditions, from midnight barn parties to backyard bridal showers and magical Christmas mornings to rollicking honky-tonks.
Books Just for Fun
Sometimes the best book is one that simply helps you relax. These picks are perfect for unwinding and escaping for a bit.
1. Girl, Wash Your Face, by Rachel Hollis
You either love this book or hate it, but you can’t deny that everyone is talking about it. In this challenging and inspiring new book, Rachel exposes the twenty lies and misconceptions that too often hold us back from living joyfully and productively, lies we’ve told ourselves so often that we no longer even hear them. Rachel encourages, entertains, and even kicks a little butt, all to convince you to do whatever it takes to get real and become the joyous, confident woman you were meant to be. Girl, Wash Your Face shows you how to live with passion and hustle—and how to give yourself grace without giving up.
2. Present Over Perfect, by Shauna Niequist
As mothers, we can often find ourselves feeling exhausted and isolated. We become tired of being tired, burned out on being busy. And, it seems like almost everyone we encounter—especially other moms—is in the same boat: a longing for connection, meaning, and depth, but it is settling. Present Over Perfect is an invitation to walk away from frantic pushing and proving and toward your essential self, the one you were created to be before you began proving and earning for your worth.
3. The Mothers, by Brit Bennett
The Mothers is a surprising story about young love, a big secret in a small community—and the things that ultimately haunt us most. A part coming-of-age tale, part meditation on how mothers define us even after they’re gone, The Mothers is about a girl named Nadia, who loses her mom at a young age and must find the way to adulthood on her own. This immersive book serves as a poignant reminder to everyone about the importance of our mothers.
4. Brave Love, by Lisa Leonard
Lisa is a wife, a mother to a son with a severe disability, and the owner of a jewelry business. She committed to giving it her all, but over the years, the exhaustion of trying to be the perfect wife, mother, and businesswoman took its toll. Lisa knew it wasn’t working. She wanted to change things, but how could she do so? Everyone depended on her. So she kept going, pushing, and trying to prove she could do it all.
In Brave Love, Lisa shares her story of finding truth and wholeness amid life’s competing demands. The book explores what it means to be human, the emotions of being broken and afraid, and the consequences of daring to love deeply.
Reading can be a small but powerful way for moms to recharge, feel seen, and find encouragement in every season. Whether you are looking for guidance, comfort, or a little escape, the right book can make a meaningful difference in your day.
