Gifting Books for Mother’s Day

Deciding on a Mother’s Day gift can be difficult, but books make great gifts no matter who you are buying for. There are so many different genres and subject matters – there is something for everyone. Here are some suggestions. 

For the mom who enjoys thrills:

Woman on Fire by Lisa Barr – After fledgling reporter Jules Roth talks her way into a job with Chicago’s preeminent investigative reporter, he assigns her to a top-secret story, locating “Woman on Fire,” a valuable painting purloined by the Nazis during World War II. But Jules doesn’t have much time because the man she is helping find the painting is dying. As Jules gets drawn into the dangerous and seductive art world of the uber-wealthy, she uncovers secrets and betrayals while becoming intrigued with the mesmerizing painting at the center of the drama. Filled with a plethora of twists and turns combined with a stellar plot and an intriguing cast of characters, this thriller is a page turner.

For the mom who enjoys Broadway shows and/or The Gilmore Girls:

The Third Gilmore Girl by Kelly Bishop –Bishop’s amazing career has been defined by numerous achievements, from originating a role in the Broadway cast of A Chorus Line and winning a Tony for that role to her standout performance as Jennifer Grey’s mother in Dirty Dancing to her memorable role as matriarch Emily in the Gilmore Girls. In this memoir, she reflects on her career and the roles that cemented her legacy while she also shares life lessons and stories from the world of show business and her interesting life. Bishop is honest, funny, and so entertaining, and her story is a fascinating one.

For the mom who likes to learn about other places and time periods:

Homecoming by Kate Morton – In a small South Australian town, a delivery driver discovers a dead body on Christmas Eve, 1959, on the grounds of a magnificent mansion. An investigation ensues surrounding the shocking and mysterious death. Six decades later, Jess is called back to Australia because her grandmother Nora is ill. While staying at Nora’s house, Jess stumbles across a book called the Turner Family Tragedy of Christmas Eve, 1959, that chronicles the police investigation into a long-ago murder. When she delves into the book, she is stunned to discover that her family may have a connection to the decades-old killing. Morton’s prose is stunning, and the book within a book creates a compelling read. 

For the mom who likes nostalgia:

Let’s Call Her Barbie by Renee Rosen – When Ruth Handler pitches to her board of directors her idea for a doll unlike any the country has seen, she is met with skepticism, but she is undeterred. Unlike the other dolls on the market in 1956 that only allow girls to pretend to be mothers, this new doll looks like a grown women with a fabulous wardrobe and lots of career options. This is the story of how Barbie became iconic and how a strong woman who believed in herself and her dream made it happen. Barbie and her story are having a moment, and this book contributes while explaining her legacy and popularity.

For the mom who likes books about older protagonists:

Iona Iverson’s Rules for Commuting by Clare Pooley – Iona Iverson rides the train to and from work every day, seeing the same people, none of whom ever speak to one another until the day when one of them chokes on food and is saved by another rider. This incident makes Iona realize that she wants to learn more about her fellow riders, and she begins to develop relationships with them, inserting herself into their issues and helping solve their problems. Infused with heart and humor, this book demonstrates the importance of community and the ability of relationships to change people’s lives, while also serving as a reminder that people should not be judged by their appearance. 

For the mom who loves nonfiction:

The Siege: A Six-Day Hostage Crisis and the Daring Special-Forces Operation That Shocked the World by Ben Macintyre – In the spring of 1980, six heavily-armed gunman forced themselves into the Iranian embassy in London, taking 26 hostages, as the American hostage crisis in Iran stretched into its seventh month. While the crisis in Iran is well-known, this increasingly tense standoff in London had been lost to history for most people even though it lasted six days and threatened at any moment to result in a high death toll. Determine to remedy that, Macintyre wrote this detailed account of the London hostage crisis, including how this siege brought the Special Air Service (SAS) to the forefront and how the British forces handled the crisis. 

For the mom who likes compelling stories:

Bearer of Bad News by Elisabeth Dini – After learning that her fiancé has been cheating on her, Lucy decides she needs a change of scenery. She accepts a job as a bearer of bad news and is catapulted into a world of betrayal and greed involving 80-year-old secrets, stolen jewels, and a World War II-era mystery. The book headed in a different direction and contained more depth (and humor) than I expected, and Dini weaves in timely themes of heartbreak, resilience, and what we owe each other as humans. 

For the mom who likes music:

Songs in Ursa Major by Emma Brodie – This beautifully written debut tells a fictionalized, loosely based version of the relationship between James Taylor and Joni Mitchell in the late 1960s. Brodie’s tale follows Jane Quinn, a talented singer, as she rockets to stardom, encounters extreme sexism in the music industry, battles with wanting to stay true to herself and her music, whether to choose love or a career, the stigma of mental illness, and more. Brodie brings the music of the era to life, and Songs in Ursa Major is truly stunning.

For the foodie mom and/or the mom who loves memoirs:

Be Ready When the Luck Happens by Ina Garten – The iconic Ina Garten is known for making everything look easy, but in Be Ready When the Luck Happens, she relays how her success has been the result of hard work, timely choices, and a singular focus on the little details. She tells her story in this engaging memoir that describes her decades of challenges, adventures, and unanticipated career moves. While this is a great fit for foodies and fans of Garten, anyone who loves a good memoir will devour Be Ready When the Luck Happens. 

For the mom who is missing her mom:

Everything Beautiful in Its Time: Seasons of Love and Loss by Jenna Bush Hager – Hager’s heartwarming and emotional collection of essays honors her beloved grandparents, President George and First Lady Barbara Bush and her mother’s mother, Jenna Welch, who died within 13 months of each other. Hager uses various formats, including letters to her grandparents, sharing stories that she wishes she could tell them personally; one standout is the letter Jenna wrote on her 37th birthday to Barbara Bush where she recounts the stark absence of Barbara at the family’s summer home in Maine. 

For the mom who likes historical fiction:

The Mountains Sing by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai – Beautifully and lyrically written, Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai’s English debut follows multiple generations of the Tran family against the backdrop of Vietnam’s heartrending 20th-century history. From the rise of the Communist government in North Vietnam to the years of conflict during the war itself, The Mountains Sing highlights the impact and cost of the events that led up to the Vietnam War from the Vietnamese people’s perspective while interweaving in the language and traditions of their culture. The Mountains Sing is not only a glimpse into Vietnam, but is also a cautionary tale about the impact of a decades-long conflict on the people living through it. 

A GIFT SHE’LL LOVE The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern by Lynda Cohen Loigman is a great fit for someone who likes stories with some depth as well as humor. (Photo: Cindy Burnett)

For the mom who loves feel-good stories with some depth:

The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern by Lynda Cohen Loigman – This touching tale is set in two time periods, 1920s Brooklyn and 1980s Florida, and is a story of first love, loss, family, memories, forgiveness, and the possibility of rekindling old flames. As her 80th birthday approaches, newly retired pharmacist Augusta Stern is unsure what to do next. When she moves from Brooklyn, New York to Rallentando Springs – an active senior community in southern Florida – she is surprised to learn that Irving Rivkin, the man who broke her heart decades earlier, lives in the same senior community. The authentic characters are skillfully created, the prose is lyrical and entertaining, humor is woven throughout the story, and there is a touch of magical realism. 

For a mom who likes all the drama:

The Favorites by Layne Fargo – Set in the cutthroat world of competitive ice dancing, The Favorites is unputdownable. Kat and Heath take the world by storm with their scandals, torrid romance, and dramatic skating on their way to the Olympics, but then it all falls apart in a very public way. Alternating between snippets of interviews for a 10th anniversary documentary about the duo and their own accounting of what happened, this is an excellent and immersive read, especially for those who are drawn to epic love stories and lots of drama.

Editor’s note: Book reviewer Cindy Burnett also writes our weekly Page Turners column. She hosts an award-winning book podcast entitled Thoughts from a Page Podcast www.thoughtsfromapage.com, runs the Instagram account @thoughtsfrompage, and regularly speaks to groups about books.