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I really do love the holiday season. I definitely inherited this love from my mom—she always went all out for Christmas when I was a kid and it was a blast. She also helped instill my love for reading, too.
I’ve bought books for my mom for Christmas for years and she’s always so happy to get them. So, if you’re looking to buy your mom some books, it’s a great choice. Here are some of my book recommendation for moms. I’ve read it each one so I can confirm they’re worth it.
Coming-of-age
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens is one of the best books I’ve read this year. Set in coastal marshes of North Carolina, the story is part coming-of-age tale, a murder-mystery, romance with some courtroom drama mixed in. The story starts off in late 1969 and town heartthrob Chase Andrews is found dead. Locals immediately suspect Kya Clark, the so-called Marsh Girl, who was left to raise herself in the marshes of North Carolina when her family abandoned her at a young age. While Kya is dismissed as ‘marsh trash,’ in reality, she’s sensitive and intelligent. When two young men from town become intrigued by her, it changes all their lives forever. Click here to buy the book on Amazon.
Family saga
This one made me cry—it’s heartbreaking but it’s a beautiful story. Your mom will probably give you a big hug after this one. A Place for Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza is an emotional read about an American family struggling with tradition and culture. The story starts off at an Indian wedding. We meet the parents of the bride, Rafiq and Layla, who are very traditional and religious. Both came to the U.S. from India and have raised their children in Northern California. But they weren’t prepared for how different the two cultures are and the impact on their children. The children include Hadia: the headstrong, eldest daughter, whose marriage is a match of love and not tradition. Huda, the middle child, determined to follow in her sister’s footsteps. And their estranged son, Amar, who returns to the family fold for the first time in three years to take his place as brother of the bride. Click here to buy the book on Amazon.
Contemporary fiction
For a heartwarming story about family—both conventional and un-conventional, check out Limelight by Amy Poeppel. Allison Brinkley and her husband move their family from Dallas to New York City. While most people tend to live in cities during their twenties and then moves to the suburbs, they take the reverse approach. They go from big house to tiny apartment, the large highways of Dallas to the crowded streets of Manhattan. Just when it seems like the New York idea is a bust, a fateful fender bender changes everything. Click here to buy the book on Amazon.
Historical fiction
For a book that was inspired by her own family’s history, check out Next Year in Havana by Chanel Cleeton. The year is 1958 in Havana and the country is changing at a rapid pace due to political unrest. Elisa Perez is the sheltered daughter of a wealthy sugar baron. Her life takes a fateful turn when she begins a passionate affair with a revolutionary named Pablo. The other is told from Elisa’s granddaughter Marisol Ferrera who travels to Cuba in 2017 to fulfill Elisa’s wishes of having her ashes scattered in Cuba. When she comes to Havana, she experiences Cuba’s beauty and tense political climate. She also meets Luis with his own secrets. Click here to buy the book on Amazon.
One book that gained plenty of attention this year (thanks to a Netflix film) is The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows. The story centers around the protagonist Juliet Ashton as she searches for her next writing subject after the end of WWII. She finds it in a letter from a man she’s never met, a native of the island of Guernsey. As Juliet and her new correspondent exchange letters, Juliet is drawn into the world of this man and his friends. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society was born as a spur-of-the-moment alibi when its members were discovered breaking curfew by the Germans occupying their island. Captivated by their stories, she sets sail for Guernsey, and what she finds will change her forever. Click here to buy the book on Amazon.
If you need any more book recommendations, reach out to me! You can find me by email [email protected], on Instagram @bookclubchat and on Twitter @HCaliendo.
Happy holidays!
