Peace Out, Mom

By Ashly Moore Sheldon • May 01, 2026

Mother’s Day is coming up soon! That means it’s time to start planning for a perfect day, whether for your mom, yourself, or both! To all the book-loving mommas out there, we hope you get just what you want this year—good books and more reading time!

We’ve got some ideas for how busy moms can get more reading time. And if you’re on the hunt for the perfect book for the mama in your life, we’ll share our suggested titles for all kinds of moms.

Maximizing mom-ME-time

If you’re like most moms, it can be hard to find time for yourself. Between work, community, and the needs of our households, our me-time tends to fall by the wayside. When we do get a moment to ourselves, we may find it difficult to pick up a book, especially if it is something that takes a lot of heavy concentration. But reading is an essential part of our well-being. It’s been shown to lower stress, improve empathy, and sharpen our minds, all of which are important for hard core momming. Plus, reading before bed can improve our sleep, which is huge.

On Mother’s Day, make your demands for a nice, long uninterrupted chunk of reading time. But don’t stop there! Here are some of our tips for getting more reading on all the days.

Take a book with you everywhere. Whether picking kids up from activities, waiting in lines, or commuting on public transit, have a book on hand that you can read during those in-between times.

Implement designated reading times. Have a weekly family reading dinner. Read for twenty minutes before going to sleep at night. Take ten-minute reading breaks at work. Whatever works for you, make it a habit and stick with it. You won’t be sorry!

Join the ThriftBooks Reading Challenge. This year ThriftBooks set a collective challenge with our community to read 500 billion pages together. Learn more and join the challenge.

Track your reads. You can use ThriftBooks.com to set goals and record your reads. Write reviews to help other readers find books and also to document your own experience.

Find a reading community. Join a book club to meet other readers and talk books! You can find online reading groups online through a variety of sites including Book Love Hub™, our Facebook group for ThriftBooks readers, Bookclubs, Goodreads Groups, and the Silent Book Club. To find an in-person group, you can check on Meetup or ask about groups at your local library.

Start small and read for fun. Now might not be the time to challenge yourself with serious literature or lengthy tomes. Choose books that are easy to get into. Think short story collections, slim entertaining volumes, or high-engagement pop fiction like thrillers or rom-coms. Pick the types of books that are most fun for you to read. Here are a few of our recommendations that fit the bill.

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• Sandwich by Catherine Newman—a moving, hilarious story of a family summer vacation full of secrets, lunch, and learning to let go.
• Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows by Balli Kaur Jaswal—a lively, sexy, and thought-provoking story about community, friendship, and women’s lives at all ages.
• Run for the Hills by Kevin Wilson—an unexpected road trip across America brings a family together, in this raucous and moving novel from the bestselling author of Nothing to See Here.
• Exit Zero by Marie-Helene Bertino—twelve delightfully strange, haunting stories from the acclaimed, oracular author of Beautyland (another of our favorites).
• Atmosphere: A Love Story by Taylor Jenkins Reid—a romantic and thrilling novel set against the backdrop of the 1980s space shuttle program.
• Heart the Lover by Lily King—a magnificent and intimate novel of desire, friendship, and the lasting impact of first love.

Book recommendations for any kind of moms

If you’re looking for recommendations for your mom (or yourself!), here are some of our recent faves for all kinds of moms.

For the literary mom:

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• The Correspondent by Virginia Evans—an intimate novel about the transformative power of the written word and the beauty of slowing down to reconnect with the people we love. And here’s the Deluxe Edition.
• More Than Enough by Anna Quindlen—a woman confronts the surprising results of an ancestry test and begins to question the meaning of family and friendship in this wise, tender novel teeming with life.
• Theo of Golden by Allen Levi—an unforgettable novel about the power of generosity, the importance of connection, and the quiet miracles that happen when we choose kindness and wonder.

For the mom who digs historical fiction:

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• Isola by Allegra Goodman—this epic novel, inspired by the real life of a sixteenth-century heroine, tells the story of a young woman marooned on a hardscrabble island with her lover.
• Almost Life by Kiran Millwood Hargrave—two young women meet in Paris one sultry summer in a decades-spanning tour de force about the enduring power of young love and the poignant heartbreak of missed chances.
• Kin by Tayari Jones—from the bestselling author of An American Marriage, this sparkling novel tells the story of two lifelong friends brought together by tragedy after many years apart.

For the rom-com mom:

• Mistakes Were Made by Lucy Score—the bestselling author of Things We Never Got Over invites you back to Story Lake for a swoon-worthy new small town romantic comedy.
• The Night We Met by Abby Jimenez—from the author of Say You’ll Remember Me, this compelling novel revels in laughter, friendship, and the messy choices life can throw our way.
• Star Shipped by Cat Sebastian—a witty, emotional, and deliciously slow burn enemies-to-lovers romance between two costars on a popular sci-fi television series.

For the mom who likes history:

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• This Land Is Your Land: A Road Trip through U.S. History by Beverly Gage—a Pulitzer Prize-winning author and acclaimed historian takes the ultimate road trip into the American past.
• The Three Mothers: How the Mothers of Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and James Baldwin Shaped a Nation by Anna Malaika Tubbs—much has been written about their sons. But virtually nothing has been said about the extraordinary women who raised them: Berdis Baldwin, Alberta King, and Louise Little.
• The Illegals: Russia’s Most Audacious Spies and Their Century-Long Mission to Infiltrate the West by Shaun Walker—for fans of The Americans, this definitive history offers a revelatory examination of how Russia’s top secret spy program shaped both Russia and the West.

For adrenaline-junkie mom:

• Judge Stone by James Patterson and Viola Davis—get first-class courtroom drama, small-town excitement, and strong characters all wrapped in a moral dilemma from an Oscar-winning actress and America’s favorite storyteller.
• The Impossible Thing by Belinda Bauer—a sweeping tale of obsession, greed, ambition, and a crime that has remained unsolved for a hundred years.
• Casualties of Truth by Lauren Francis-Sharma—a riveting literary novel with the sharp edges of a thriller about the abuses of history and the costs of revenge, set between Washington, D.C., and Johannesburg, South Africa.

For fantasy loving mom:

• Starside by Alex Aster—Starside is the realm of magic and immortals where swords wield magic and power is not inherited—but claimed. Everyone has their reasons for entering, but Aris has only one: vengeance.
• Burn the Sea by Mona Tawari—this lush historical fantasy reimagines the Portuguese attacks on South India in the 1500s and the fierce real-life queen at the center of the story.
• Lady Tremaine by Rachel Hochhauser—Bridgerton meets Circe in this script-flipping retelling of Cinderella. It’s a battle cry for a mother’s love and a celebration of women who make their own fortunes.

For chef mom:

• Good Things by Samin Nosrat—from the author of Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat—and one of America’s most beloved chefs—comes this collection of 125 soul-nourishing recipes that bring joy and a sense of communion.
• Be Ready When the Luck Happens by Ina Garten—in her long-awaited memoir, the Barefoot Contessa shares her personal story with readers hungry for a seat at her table.
• Not That Fancy: Simple Lessons on Living, Loving, Eating, and Dusting Off Your Boots by Reba McEntire—a country music legend takes you behind the scenes and shares the stories, recipes, and Oklahoma-style truths that guide her life.

For the nature-loving mom:

• The Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan—a gorgeous and witty exploration of birding and nature written and illustrated by the author of The Joy Luck Club.
• Raising Hare by Chloe Dalton—a fascinating meditation on freedom, trust, loss, and our relationship with the natural world, explored through the story of one woman’s unlikely friendship with a wild hare.
• A Walk in the Park: The True Story of a Spectacular Misadventure in the Grand Canyon by Kevin Fedarko—a rollicking and poignant account of an epic 750-mile odyssey, on foot, through the heart of the Grand Canyon.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the hard-working, hard-loving mommas out there. Here’s hoping you get some time on Mother’s Day (and beyond) to read, dream, and take care of you.

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