17 Best Books for Writers to Give on Mother’s Day in 2022
There is still time to pick up the perfect last-minute Mother’s Day gift! If your mother loves to read, you will love this list of the best books to give on Mother’s Day.
Books are a wonderful gift option but, with thousands of books out there, it can be hard to choose the perfect gift for your mother. Here are 17 books I believe make perfect gifts. Whether it is a novel, poetry collection, cookbook, memoir, this list is packed with the best books to give on Mother’s Day.
While these books may not be strikingly dissimilar, every book here is a story no reader will soon forget. Each book on this list takes the reader on an emotional and informative journey, making every book on this list of the best books to give on Mother’s Day a must-read.
Best Books to Give to the Historical Fiction Loving Mom
1. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See.
This beautiful novel explores uplifting and heartbreaking moments of motherhood and sisterhood in nineteenth century China, with struggles and topics still relatable today.
2. The Light Between Oceans by M. L. Stedman.
This sweeping novel is set in Australia at an isolated lighthouse run by a childless couple. When a boat washes onshore carrying a dead man and a living baby, the couple adopt the baby only to discover, years later, their choice has unwittingly broken a distant mother’s heart.
3. The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennet.
This fascinating story about twin sisters, one born black, and one born white, set during the 1950’s in the Deep South weaves together multiple strands and generations of this family and poignantly explores how the choices the twin sisters made effected their offspring for years to come.
4. The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan.
I watched the movie to this beautiful and emotional book with my mum and sisters and it is truly a poignant tale! In 1949, four women migrate from China to San Francisco and soon begin to gather to celebrate their traditions and culture. As their stories unfold, their lives and the lives of their children are forever changed.
Best Books to give on Mother’s Day to the Memoir Loving Mom.
These books range of travel stories to inspiring personal narratives and are the perfect books to give to your mom this Mother’s Day if she loves memoir fiction.
5. Women in Sunlight by Frances Mayes.
From the author of the gorgeous Under the Tuscan Sun memoirs comes Women in Sunlight. Frances Mayes watches from her terrazzo as the three American women carry their luggage into the stone villa down the hill. Who are they, and what brings them to this Tuscan village so far from home? An expat herself and with her own unfinished story, she can’t help but question: will they find what they came for?
6. Mama’s Boy by Dustin Lance Black.
Dustin Lance Black wrote the Oscar-winning screenplay for Milk and helped overturn California’s anti-gay marriage Proposition 8, but as an LGBTQ activist he has unlikely origins–a conservative Mormon household outside San Antonio, Texas. There he was raised by a single mother who, as a survivor of childhood polio, endured brutal surgeries as well as braces and crutches for life. Despite the abuse and violence of two questionably devised Mormon marriages, she imbued Lance with her inner strength and irrepressible optimism. This book is the perfect book to give on Mother’s Day if your mum loves heart aching stories that pave the way for strength.
7. Song of a Captive Bird by Jasmin Darznik.
All through her childhood in Tehran, Forugh Farrokhzad is told that Persian daughters should be quiet and modest. She is taught only to obey, but she always finds ways to rebel–gossiping with her sister among the fragrant roses of her mother’s walled garden, venturing to the forbidden rooftop to roughhouse with her three brothers, writing poems to impress her strict, disapproving father, and sneaking out to flirt with a teenage paramour over café glacé. During the summer of 1950, Forugh’s passion for poetry takes flight–and tradition seeks to clip her wings.
Best Books to Give on Mother’s Day to the Poetry Loving Mom
Here are four inspiring poetry collections to give to your poetry-loving mom!
8. There are Girls like Lions
This collection of thirty empowering and emotional poems are for the mothers, daughters, sisters, wives, and friends in our lives! Here womanhood is celebrated in all its dimensions.
9. Being a Woman: Overcoming by Michele Lee.
This lovely book is the first in the Becoming a Woman collection. The series is written and illustrated by a mother and daughter team, and beautifully illustrates a poetic journey that began with a memory of being told as a middle-school student to, “move to the back row, to hide your full figure.” Join the poet and illustrator as they transform limiting words and beliefs into a beautiful slim chapbook of carefully crafted poems and drawings, that you will return to again and again.
10. Woman: Splendor and Sorrow by Gabriela Marie Milton.
This gorgeous collection is alive themes of womanhood, depicting the broad strokes and finer details of love, identity, and femininity. With vibrant imagery and fresh ideas, Milton’s poetry and prose explore these topics with passion and sincerity. The language is stunning and the imagery beautiful.
11. 40 Poems at 40 by Ingrid Wilson.
This little collection is the perfect Mother’s Day gift if your mother enjoys poems of self-exploration and discovery! Each poem in this mini collection invites the reader to explore the poet’s discoveries and learn more about themselves.
Best Funny and Informative Books to Give on Mother’s Day
Here are two informative and light-hearted books, perfect for the mother who enjoys learning while she reads!
12. Mr. Boddington’s Etiquette
The witty and eloquent Mr. Boddington offers dos and don’ts for polite society in this comprehensive and thoroughly amusing guide that provides modern advice with a traditional perspective. Covering everything from weddings to gift-giving moments, social events, hosting guests, and so much more, Mr. Boddington shares the basic etiquette one needs to know and presents it all in his signature style. Filled with charming illustrations from the beloved Mr. Boddington’s Studio, this jaunty handbook is just the thing to make manners less of a fuss!
13. The Sense of Style by Steven Pinker.
Why is so much writing so bad, and how can we make it better? Is the English language being corrupted by texting and social media? Do the kids today even care about good writing—and why should we care?
In this entertaining and eminently practical book, the cognitive scientist, dictionary consultant, and New York Times–bestselling author Steven Pinker rethinks the usage guide for the twenty-first century. Using examples of great and gruesome modern prose while avoiding the scolding tone and Spartan tastes of the classic manuals, he shows how the art of writing can be a form of pleasurable mastery and a fascinating intellectual topic in its own right. The Sense of Style is for writers of all kinds, and for readers who are interested in letters and literature and are curious about the ways in which the sciences of mind can illuminate how language works at its best.
Best Cookbooks to Give on Mother’s Day
Here are four cookbooks that every foodie will treasure! From learning how to cook a new cuisine to approaching the art of cooking in a new way to revolutionizing desserts, there is a book for every foodie mom.
14. My Shanghai by Betty Liu.
Experience the sublime beauty and flavor of one of the oldest and most delicious cuisines on earth: the food of Shanghai, China’s most exciting city, in this evocative, colorful gastronomic tour that features 100 recipes, stories, and more than 150 spectacular color photographs. This cookbook is part cookbook, part travelogue, and is one of the best books to give on Mother’s Day to the foodie mom!
15. Wild Sweetness: Recipes Inspired by Nature by Thalia Ho.
In Wild Sweetness, Thalia Ho captures the essence of the wild, and re-imagines it on the plate. She guides us through a tale of six distinct seasons and the flavors inspired by them: of bright, herbaceous new life in spring, to the aromatic florals that follow, of bursting summer berries, over-ripe fruit, warmth and spice in fall, then ending with winter and its smolder.
16. Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat by Samin Nosrat
Here is a book perfect for the mom who wants to reinvent her knowledge of cooking! With charming narrative, illustrated walkthroughs, and a lighthearted approach to kitchen science, Samin demystifies the four elements of good cooking for everyone. Refer to the canon of 100 essential recipes–and dozens of variations–to put the lessons into practice and make bright, balanced vinaigrettes, perfectly caramelized roast vegetables, tender braised meats, and light, flaky pastry doughs.
17. Middle Eastern Sweets by Salma Hage.
Whether you start your day with something sweet, finish it with something sweet, or make sure sweets are within reach all day long, you’ll find serious inspiration in the pages of Salma Hage’s latest cookbook for home cooks. This book is perfect for the sweet-loving mom who wants to try something new!
These seasonal gift guides for writers are quickly becoming a regular thing. I absolutely loved compiling this list of the best books to give for Mother’s Day! The bright covers and pretty fonts pay tribute to this collection of seventeen stories. I hope you found the perfect last-minute gift for your mum, or discovered spring reads for yourself!
Do you love to give and receive books? What book connected most with you? Tell me below!
Isa A
I really liked the plot of 3 5 and 7 books. And adding cook books was an excellent idea. Will have to Google their reviews further to skim through even more but I liked the one from samin. Great idea and picks on the whole. Xx
Isa A. Blogger
Basic With Life
What a beautifully selected collection of books 📚 especially your ‘Best Funny and Informative Books to Give on Mother’s Day‘ section. Thank you for sharing.
traveladdictedunicorn
I love how you have divided the list into different sections to make it easier to browse. Haven’t read any of the suggested reads but have heard that The Light Between Oceans is good. My mom doesn’t read so I am mostly looking for myself lol.
Jaya Avendel
Yay! It is a perfect reading list guide too.
Chip
Some interesting suggestions here, Jaya. My wife and I will comb over these – and hopefully pick a few to read. Thank you for the synopsis. It is always interesting to see what other people are reading!
haoyando
Thank you for your suggestion. I bought “Mr. Boddington’s Etiquette” from amazon and I will see how it goes. I have a feeling that I will enjoy this book.
Jacqui Murray
What a nice collection! I’ve read a few, am intrigued by others.
I apologize for not checking out your posts. I kept looking at the wrong spot on the homepage. Now, I’ll find them!
Lauren
These are some lovely ideas for gift ideas for Mother’s Day. We have already had ours in the UK. Thank you for sharing these book recommendations.
Lauren – bournemouthgirl x
Artist/Poet_JayMoraShihadeh
Excellent! I see you have Mamoul cookies on the recipes post. My Tateh made awesome walnut mamoul, it was my favorite cookie growing up. ✨😊
Jaya Avendel
Delicious!
readandreviewit1
Fab suggestions! I love how much variety there is here, there’s truly something for everyone. We’ve already had Mother’s Day over here but I’m always on the look out for potential gift ideas and I think my mum would really love Wild Sweetness, she’s been doing a lot of cooking recently and it looks like her sort of thing! Thank you so much for sharing x
Jenny in Neverland
Some great suggestions! I find cookbooks are always great gifts for those who love cooking! x
Sue Berk Koch
I’ve only read two of the titles on your list! (Joy Luck Club and Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat.) I recommend both. My mom may enjoy the obvious heartbreak of The Light Between the Oceans but I’m going to check out Mr. Boddington’s Etiquette for myself! Thanks for compiling a great list of books in different genres!
Jaya Avendel
It is my pleasure! I am delighted you found a couple of books to check out.
Ingrid
Some great ideas here Jaya!
Lisa's Notebook
We celebrate Mother’s Day in March in the UK but I’d never say no to another gift 🙂 I love how you’ve broken them down into sections and as a mum myself I very much like the sound of the Middle Eastern Sweets cookbook!
Jaya Avendel
That cookbook does indeed look deliciously inclined, Lisa!
ellegracedeveson
I love that you’ve shared such a wide variety of different books lovely, I’ll defiantly be taking a deeper look into them and see if there’s any my mum would like. It’s been Mother’s Day here in the UK but I do still love buying my mum little pressies throughout the year so these could be one of them. Thank you so much for sharing with us Xo
Elle – ellegracedeveson.com
Unwanted Life
Unfortunately it’s a bit late, or extremely early, depending on your perspective, to get a Mother’s Day gift for my mum. The UK celebrates it in March.
Although you seem to have made a great choice of books, unless they’re religious, my mum wouldn’t read them
Jaya Avendel
I try to stay away from books that take strong stances on public matters, as I figure if people want to read arguments, they are best suited to buy an appropriate read themselves! 😃
Jodie | That Happy Reader
I loved that you’ve shared a wide variety of books Jaya! I have read several of these (and agree about their worthiness) and will be looking at several of your other suggestions to add to my reading list. Thanks for sharing!
Her Digital Coffee
What a great list Jaya! I love the variety here, there’s something for everyone! I’d like to add a few of these to my own list haha. Thanks for sharing!
Keep Calm & Drink Coffee
Thank you so much for these interesting tips: it would be difficult for me to choose one!
Maybe it can be a way to celebrate all the time long 😉
Michele Lee
Jaya, I was thoroughly engrossed in reading the book summaries, then surprised to see my first Being a Woman Collection on your list. Thank you so much! Very generous of you to add mine, Ingrid’s, and Gabriela’s – a true supporter you are. An incredible list you put together! Numbers 7 and 13 stood out to me. I should send this list to my daughter. 😁 📚💝
Jaya Avendel
I am delighted you enjoyed this list, Michele, and only too delighted to share the books by fellow poets I most enjoy. Thank you for sharing the books you connected with most with me!
Michele Lee
A wonderful post. Thank you, Jaya! Speaking books… do you know of any contemporary coming-of-age stories you can recommend?
Jaya Avendel
The coming-of-age books that come immediately to my mind are, as follows:
The Silence of Bonaventure Arrow by Rita Leganski
Orphan Train by Christina Kline
Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate
I am Malala by Malala
The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak
I do not exactly what you are interested in, but I particularly enjoyed the top book, and I Am Malala!
Michele Lee
Thank you so much, Jaya! I will look at these. The book I wrote is a coming-of-age story and I need to read/research comparable titles for a book proposal. I have two titles, but they aren’t exactly what I am looking for. Thanks again!
Lamittan Minsah
This is an amazing and wonderful compilation of different categories and topics, best suited for a mother’s reading and general anyone’s regard. I love ’em. 💗
Jaya Avendel
Thank you, Lamittan!
K.M. Allan
Great choices! Thanks for sharing, Jaya.
Infinite Living
You are so amazing with compiling and sharing this list of wonderful books!!
Cindy Georgakas
what an amazing compilation of books with lots of choices Jaya! 💖💖