Gifts for Moms and Other Strong Women
Let's hear it for the strong women in our lives! Moms, adopted moms, female role models. We love you all.
Check out our Mothers Day inspired reads. Here's to a day relaxing with a good book, which might just be the best present one, mom or not, could ask for...
Ally’s Picks
Unearthing: Relationships with moms can sometimes be complicated and weedy like an unkempt garden. But like gardens, they can grow and become beautiful the more you understand and tend to them. Here's a memoir about the seasons of life, of parental relationships, all told through the lens of the natural world and an identity-shaking discovery.
A Curious Herbal: Elizabeth Blackwell was a pioneering botanical artist and all around badass. As is writer Marta McDowell, who introduces this gorgeous gift-able edition. Mother’s Day gift, anyone? Or (Ally whispers to herself) just get it for yourself, you deserve it! - Ally
Melissa’s Pick
BOMB SHELTER, by Mary Laura Philpott. My mom-of-teens heart felt so seen in this gorgeous book! Less of a traditional memoir and more of a musing on the complicated relationship between motherhood and anxiety, it will make you laugh (hysterically) and cry in equal measure.
Abby’s Picks
Romaine Wasn't Built in a Day: A great gift for a foodie or chef that isn't yet another tea towel! A funny history of food language from around the world that will delight anyone looking for a fun little read to pick up and put down, and definitely spice up cocktail hour or work lunch conversations.
I Swear: Politics Is Messier Than My Minivan: A political book that's less about politics and more about moms making change in the world. Laugh-out-loud funny at parts, and incredibly poignant at others, it's a great gift for the woman in your life who you know could fix it all, given some time and maybe a whiteboard or two.
Pachinko: Yes, I know everyone and their mother (heh) has recommended this book, but there truly is a reason! Spanning decades, families, and narrators, this intergenerational family saga set in Japan occupied Korea features a cast of women you won't soon forget, as they raise their children and support their families through war, poverty and racism, making hard decisions that might haunt them for years but ultimately doing all they can to keep their family alive.
Rachel’s Picks
Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone - My Mother-In-Law loves a good mystery book, so this will be my gift for her- bringing in that mystery vibe, but centering it on family!
Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers - At the end of the day, Vera is just a mom who wants to see her son call more and marry well. As the story progresses, she collects lost little ducklings, who start to view their new found Auntie in a new light as the mystery progresses. Funny, twisty and cozy, another great mystery gift!
Change of Plans- Okay, this one isn’t out until August 1, but I read it recently, so on the off chance you won’t see your Mom or Mother figure until August, or just want to put in a pre-order, I thought I’d throw it out there. An aunt is named as guardian of her deceased brother’s daughters and is trying to figure out how to be a caretaker and put order to her unrecognizable life. Who better to help than the reclusive local war hero? Funny, swoony and a little heart wrenching - the perfect gift, honestly.
Nicole’s Picks
I picked books that have interesting and unique mother/child relationships
What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez has a great mother figure, complicated & flawed but devoted to her daughters, even if it's not how they'd prefer her love.
Nora Goes Off Script is great for a book with a romantic storyline featuring a mom! Her kids are actually in the story!
Our Missing Hearts is for someone wanting a literary read centering on a mother/son relationship, and The Book Eaters would be for someone wanting a literary read focusing mother/child relationship, but with an SFF twist.
Lily’s Picks
The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi - A humorous but still hard-hitting fantasy following a middle-aged ex-pirate who settled down to raise her daughter and is forced to come out of retirement to rescue the child of an old friend. The story grapples with how to be a mother without putting the rest of your life on hold.
The Vanished Birds - A beautiful space opera about found family - motherhood doesn't always equal giving birth!
Athena’s Picks
Sweet Enough - Baking is at the root of my female empowered soul and no one inspires me quite like Alison Roman. From spending nights cooking her recipes with my mom, to connecting with coworkers over a sweet treat I baked, Alison never lets me down and I will always dream of being her in another life.
How to Think Like a Woman - Whether you're into the study of philosophy or not, I think it's fair to say that every woman's life has been screwed by men at one point or another. This book perfectly captures the ways in which that is true and seen throughout history but also in highly relatable ways in this day-of-age, from careers and relationships, to finances and opportunities. You'll basically end it feeling empowered while also thinking "SCREW YOU" to the men who have wrecked your memories and attempts at success in life.
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches - Cozy, feel-good, and inspiring women of all ages is what you get in this gem of a novel. It beautifully reminds you that found family can exist in all stages of life, and your impact on the world will not be held back by your past as you continue to grow each day.
Amanda’s Pick
These Precious Days - A series of essays on Ann's writing life, marriage, family, and friendships that keenly shows the normalcy and chaos of life, something any mother can relate to.
Acacia’s Picks
Circe - A powerful Greek mythology retelling of Circe daughter of the titan Helios. She is the black sheep of the family and her story commences when she is sentenced to solidarity on an island. Throughout the novel we witness her becoming and struggling with defining the identity of self outside the shadow of her family history. Along the way her confrontation with motherhood and the hurdles she faces are some that all mothers can find some relation in. Such as how much do we let family influence our kids upbringing? How do we balance our own inner fears of the unknown world without restricting our children from experiencing their own authentic life? Beautiful story for all brave women alike.
Ghost Music - An exquisite piece of literature that takes the reader on a journey through the plutonic experiences of life. Yu reminds us that as we rise from each cycle of rebirth and heartache, our pain is a mark of our consciousness begging us to continue existing. Whether you are a "ghost or god" we each have a desire to express ourselves in this lifetime beyond the confounds of bestowed roles of "mother/grandmother".