Summer means a different kind of busy for my family and I. We travel more. Spend more time outside and barbecue a lot with friends. But it’s also a time to sit by the pool with a book or read something new while the kids play in the late summer evenings.
The kids always get a summer reading list, so I thought I would get together some of my favorite mom books to put together your summer reading list!
As moms we are BUSY. And tired. But we should be investing in our parenting skills and knowledge anyway. To be honest, I normally only read 5 books a year if I’m lucky. You might be the same way.
So here’s a short list of books for moms that are tried, need inspiration, practical advice, or straight to the point books worth their time. And oh yes, these books are worth your time to read and invest in. I’ve read all of them except the last one!
If you have other favorite parenting and mom summer reading, share in the comments!
As of May 26, I noticed there’s also a buy any Kindle book and get 35% back sale! I’m not sure how long that will list though.
There are Amazon affiliate links in this post. This means if you click on a link and buy something, I might receive a commission at no additional cost to you. I love that Amazon has a great return policy, lots of reviews, and easy delivery options!
The Best Books for Moms to Read
Best Books for New Moms
The Happiest Baby on the Block
Great to read while pregnant or before baby is three months old! Talks about the best ways to help calm a crying baby.
I’ve used the 5 S’s from this book for all three kids and they’ve made a huge difference in getting my babies to sleep! This book has also helped me better understand my baby!
Perfect read for new or expectant mommy’s.
French Kids Eat Everything: How Our Family Moved to France, Cured Picky Eating, Banned Snacking, and Discovered 10 Simple Rules for Raising Happy, Healthy Eaters
I read this book when I was pregnant with Little Two because at the time Little One was becoming a picky eater. The simple tips in this book made a HUGE difference on our eating habits in our home.
This book actually gave us actionable steps and mindsets to adopt to cure picky eating for our oldest and prevented picky eating for our youngest.
The biggest tip is to STOP snacking. Gasp.
If you have a picky eater in your home or if you’re expecting, this is a definite must-read from the beginning so you can establish effective eating habits early!
Best Books for All Moms to Read
Present Over Perfect: Leaving Behind Frantic for a Simpler, More Soulful Way of Living
If you haven’t read Shauna Niequist then you are missing out. She has a beautiful way with words that instantly connects you and transports you to her world.
This book is refreshing and a lighter read, but as the title says, it really is perfect for your soul.
For the exhausted mama or mom-to-be who longs for more on the day-to-day life, you’ll love this book as much as I did. It’s one of my favorite gifts for mom friends.
We all have seasons of busy, but we can’t sustain it forever. And it shouldn’t be the norm! One of the best gifts for a tired mom.
Desperate: Hope for the Mom that Needs to Breathe
If there was ONE book for tired, busy moms that I could recommend it would be this one. I’ve read this one THREE times already. That tells you something since I only read about 5-7 books a year. (I wish it was more… but just don’t have the time!)
I learn something new from this book every time and something speaks to me each time I read it. As with the Shauna Niequist books, this books refreshes your soul and focuses you on what’s important.
This is a perfect book for moms who want to reset before the school year and start the year off living joyfully in the present. Again one of the best gifts for a tired mom.
Decluttering Book Recommendation
The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing
I know there are a lot of articles out there about the Kon Mari style of decluttering, but it’s always great to go back to the source.
I read this book before Little Two was born. Of course, this meant while I was nesting I went through my ENTIRE wardrobe and all my clothes during nesting time the day before she was born.
I refolded all my clothes the way Kon Mari suggests, and I’ve actually KEPT it that way for three years now. I didn’t think I would.
Kon Mari recommends collecting ALL of your things in one place to see how much you have and then actually asking yourself if the item still brings you joy when you touch it. If not, toss it.
It sounds quirky, but I think you should read the whole book before you judge! There’s a little bit of decluttering and organizing help for everyone in here!
Child Development Book Recommendations
The Whole-Brain Child: 12 Revolutionary Strategies to Nurture Your Child’s Developing Mind
This book is a perfectly practical read for busy moms with kids that are slightly older than newborn. If you have children from toddler age to school age this book will be helpful for you.
There are lots of tips and tricks on how children’s brains develop and how to help the logical part of their brain develop and connect to the emotional part.
One of the tips we use all the time from this book is storytelling. If the kids continually bring up a “traumatic” event like getting hurt, we talk them through the whole story.
We talk about how, yes, they got hurt, but then mommy came. She checked the “owie” and we got a band-aid. And then everything was okay.
Tips like walking through stories over and over again help the children develop their more logical part of the brains and to connect the lower and upper parts of the brain to eventually overcome emotional outbursts and tantrums. It’s pretty much genius and a must-read book for moms.
The Way They Learn: How to Discover and Teach to Your Child’s Strengths
This book talks about different learning styles. Even if you’re not thinking about homeschooling, it’s great to understand how your kids learn and interact with the world.
The book is also fun to decipher your and your spouse’s learning styles. You might learn something new about your hubby too!
Again, this book is a little better for moms with older kids but it’s a great book to have in your toolkit for understanding how you and those around you learn best.
What’s on my mom reading list?
Grace Not Perfection: Embracing Simplicity, Celebrating Joy
I’ve had several mom friends recommend this book. It’s in my Amazon cart to read sometime this summer! If you read it before me, let me know what you think!
Several readers commented on the reviews that they enjoyed the worksheets offered in the book to write down ideas.
They mentioned this book is perfect for college students, young adults, and young moms! Unfortunately, since I just turned 30 this year, I only self-proclaim fall into the young moms category. Haha.
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