That special day for all the moms we love is coming up. Yes, Mother’s Day!
I know you are trying to figure out something special to get your mom.
There are a lot of gift ideas out there, so you are sure to find something your mom will love.
You could get a book or a gift certificate from a bookstore. It is a solid, long-lasting gift.
My Thoughts on Books for Mother’s Day
I love to read, so as a mom myself I know I would love a good book from one or both of my kids. Hey, you two if you are reading this, guess what your problem is solved!!
When I was thinking about this post, I thought about a few of the great books I have read in the past few months that I would recommend.
So here goes…..
For the mom who loves a sweet story or a love story:
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
This is a sweet story about a girl who feels unwanted and out of place. Her mother walks out on the family and Kya is haunted by the memory of her mother leaving. Her father is a drunk and does not take care of her. All her siblings leave the home, one by one leaving Kya to fend for herself.
Kya is known as the marsh girl and when a murder in the community takes place everyone automatically suspects she had something to do with it.
The author uses beautiful descriptions, and you are easily pulled into the story.
The book has mixed reviews, so it will be one of those books the reader will have to decide for themselves if it is a good read. For me personally, it was a good read.
The Art of Inheriting Secrets by Barbara O’Neal
I had to have something to read right after Christmas and I was surfing Amazon one night and found this one. I added it to my library and started reading right away.
I read it in less than two days if that tells you anything. I could not put it down.
The author pulls you into the life of Olivia Shaw quickly. Olivia’s mother has just died, and she finds out her mother left her a huge estate (and a title) in England that Olivia had never known about.
Rosemere, the estate is in disrepair and Olivia must decide if she wants to stay or go. Luckily for her she is a food editor, and she can work remotely.
So, she decides to stay and explore her opportunities.
Oliva begins to make friends around the community including Samir Malakar, a young roof thatcher.
As their friendship develops Olivia begins to find things out about Samir, including the fact that is a well-known novelist.
They are smitten with each other but must get over the fact that Olivia is several years older than Samir.
I loved this book and hated when I was done with it.
I plan to read more books by this author.
The Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
This book has been around for a while. It was Fredrik Backman’s first novel, and it became a book loved by many.
I read this book with my book club several years ago and plan to read it again one day. It is just that sweet.
Ove is a lonely, unhappy man. His wife passed away and he has never gotten over the loss. Everyone in town knows him as a cranky old man.
Neighbors move in next door to Ove and the adventure begins.
The neighbors begin to try and get to know Ove. They are chatty and insistent. It takes time and patience, but they become friends, somewhat, but it was not easy.
Ove begins to have a little sweet spot for the two little girls, but he is not going to let it on to anyone.
Ove goes through some changes and begins to come out of his shell a little toward the end.
The book is sad at the end, but you can really see the transformation that Ove goes through.
This book has mixed reviews. You or your mom will just have to be the judge.
Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers
This was a sweet love story based on the biblical figures of Hosea and his wife, Gomer.
Michael Hosea is a devoted man of God who feels that God has pointed him to the woman he is going to marry.
Angel is a prostitute in the town where Michael goes to stock up for his farm.
Michael sets out to win Angel’s affections, but it is taxing.
Angel begins to come around, but her feelings of worthlessness and fear take over and she runs.
Michael is determined and finally wins Angel’s heart. But she runs again.
Michael continues to show Angel his love and share the love of his heavenly father with her.
This is a beautifully, developed story and has a good ending.
I just love those feel-good stories. It is sure to please.
For the Mom Who Loves to Laugh:
The Empty Nesters by Carolyn Brown
I began to read this book and was quickly sucked into the lives of four women, Diana, Carmen, and Joanie, who are all Army wives and who find themselves as new “empty nesters” when their daughters all decide to join the Army and leave for basic training on the same day.
Becoming an empty nester is hard enough but Carmen gets served with divorce papers at the same time.
Diana has already been through a divorce and knows what Carmen is going through. She vows to see her through it.
Joanie and her husband are still together but she worries the same thing could happen to her.
Tootsie, an older lady across the street in their neighborhood whom they have all been friends with for several years has just lost her husband.
Tootsie has an RV. Tootsie begins to talk about her annual road trip to her cabin in Scrap, Texas and soon she talks the three Army wives into going with her for a month.
I enjoyed how the story developed with the friendship, Diana’s new love, and Joanie’s new life.
The book had some good laughs and came with a few tears as well.
The Barefoot Summer by Carolyn Brown
Can you imagine attending your husband’s funeral and finding out he had two other wives? That is exactly what happens to Kate Steele in this comical story.
Kate is burying her conman, swindling husband of fourteen years only to find out she is not the only one who is married to Conrad.
Kate decides to visit their cabin on the lake in Bootleg, Texas to decide whether she wants to keep it, but she has company.
Jamie and Amanda, the other two wives decide they will visit the cabin also. Then the fun begins.
This book had me laughing.
The three women become friends through their shared interest in finding out who Conrad really was.
Jamie has a daughter, who Kate dearly loves, and Amanda is pregnant.
The book is funny. I found it to be a good read and hard to put down.
The Family Journal by Carolyn Brown
Lily Anderson finds herself in a conundrum. Her two children have either broken the law or quickly growing up to do so.
She must make a drastic decision to move her children from their home in the big city to her childhood home in Comfort, Texas.
There is a catch.
Lily cannot evict Mack Cooper, who has been a faithful tenant, so she and the children move into the home and invade Mack’s life.
Shortly after moving into the home, Lily accidentally finds a journal in the back of her deceased mother’s bureau. She is curious about the journal she knew nothing about and begins to read it.
Lily and her daughter grow closer as they share the entries in the journal and her daughter decides to do a project for school using the journal.
Mack and Lily’s son grow a fondness for each other through their love of animals.
The story develops into a beautiful, funny tale of two children changing for the better and Lily and Mack falling in love.
The book was full of laughs and love.
For the Mom Who Loves Historical Fiction or a Good Mystery:
I would recommend any of the books by Anne Perry. She is my favorite.
I discovered her books by mistake several years ago and have read all the Thomas Pitt series and most of the Monk Series, both of which are set in Victorian England.
The author’s descriptions are so vivid I feel like I am there during that time period. She does not leave you guessing where you are or what time you are in.
I love how the author adds dimension to her novels.
Just when you think you have the mystery solved the author throws a twist and a turn in the story.
I cannot possibly describe all Anne Perry’s books.
You will have to read a few and let me know what you think.
For the Mom Who Loves a Good Inspirational or Spiritual Read:
Stop Calling Me Beautiful by Phylicia Masonheimer
This book was an eyeopener in some ways for me and I also related to her story on some levels.
She goes deep into her relationship with God and opens on with some very personal information only to share that no matter what we do, God still loves us and cares for us. He is there to forgive us and draw us closer to him.
The book was a good read for someone looking to grow their relationship with God.
Who Does He Say You Are by Colleen Mitchell
The author is a Catholic missionary and speaker. She shares a personal story of loss and hope.
She compares twelve women of the Bible and helps the reader identify with one or more to understand how God sees us.
I thought it was a good book.
Fueled by Fire by Staci Wallace
While reading this book I felt like I could do anything!
The author really brings out what it means to have the Holy Spirit FIRE in your life and helps you see that you are more than an over-comer.
Staci shared her story of determination and endurance.
This is a book to read if you are looking for something that will help you to ascertain what it is that God wants for your life.
The book was empowering. I could not put it down.
Transforming Your Thought Life by Sarah Geringer
Our minds are a battlefield. We are under attack every day by an invisible enemy. Our thoughts run rampant with negativity.
Sarah helps the reader to see how they can change their thoughts by meditating on God’s word and drawing closer to him.
Sarah helps to identify things that crop up in our thoughts to cause us to be distracted away from our creator.
She shares personal stories about obstacles she overcame in her life of which many I could identify with.
I was drawn into this book quickly by the author’s compassion and transparency.
When I was looking for a spiritual book to read, I stumbled upon this book and read the reviews.
The book had many five-star reviews, so I decided to read it and so glad I did.
I hope this helps you choose a great book for that special mom in your life. You won’t go wrong in choosing any of the books listed above. She will surely love any one of them because it was from YOU!
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