Great Books for the Busy Mom (to read now)
Can you have a minute?! Well if you are able to get more than a few minutes here are recently published books that will not only entertain literary mamas but also remind them that they are not alone in all the complexities of modern motherhood. Here are a few of our favorites:
Psst…check out The Best Kids Books to Read During Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
The Baby on the Fire Escape, Creativity, Motherhood, and the Mind-Baby Problem, By Julie Phillips
Award-winning biographer Julie Phillips discusses the struggles of famous twentieth century artists and writers — who were also moms. From Susan Sontag to Angela Carter, these moms worked in studios, kitchens, cars, beds, desks, and with a baby carrier beside them. Despite their varied situations, they all faced criticism and guilt for their artistic pursuits.
Send Me into the Woods Alone: Essays on Motherhood, By Erin Pepler
This essay collection explores the joys, struggles and complexities of motherhood — from giving birth to “stealing” your newborn from the hospital, to lying to kids about the tooth fairy and mastering the subtle art of beating children at board games. It also examines online mom culture and all the expectations placed on mothers today.
I’ll Show Myself Out: Essays on Midlife and Motherhood, by Jessi Klein
One of the funniest women working today, TV writer/producer Jessi Klein hilariously explores the cultural myths around motherhood. From the perspective of middle age, she writes about modern motherhood’s ironies and humiliations in interconnected essays like “Listening to Beyoncé in the Parking Lot of Party City,” “Your Husband Will Remarry Five Minutes After You Die,” “Eulogy for My Feet” and “An Open Love Letter to Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent.”
Knocked Down, By Aileen Weintraub
The author, a free spirit from Brooklyn, marries her boyfriend and suddenly finds herself pregnant in rural New York. Then her doctor condemns her to five months of bed rest. Her funny memoir chronicles the roller-coaster ride she experiences during this time — including the collapse of her husband’s upstate farmhouse and possibly her marriage. Her difficult journey toward motherhood challenges her desire to stay in a life that she never knew she wanted.
