Mom, mummy, mamam, mother, mum—it doesn't matter how it’s spelled or pronounced, the role remains the same. Being a mom is equal parts invigorating and intense, exhilarating and exhausting, divine and difficult. Every now and then, a mom needs to hear that she isn't alone in this wacky world, which is where the magic of a good audiobook comes in. What are the best books for moms? This list covers a lot of ground, but you can rest assured that all of the titles featured here make perfect gifts for new moms and great-grandmas alike.
Sea of Tranquility is a dazzling sci-fi novel from the imagination of bestselling writer Emily St. John Mandel. A British exile taking refuge on the West Coast of Canada in the early 1900s; a bestselling author on a book tour across multiple galaxies; a resident of a moon colony 300 years in the future; and a friendless young woman—this group of fascinating characters wouldn't find each other under normal circumstances. But transcending space and time, a time traveller struggling to resist the temptation to change the course of history will ultimately be the link that brings them all together. This listen is a stunning example of master science fiction storytelling and human connection that will leave you spellbound.
In this top-trending dystopian novel, having a terrible day is enough to make a mother bad. Jessamine Chan's chilling debut novel offers a unique perspective on the judgement of single mothers. After being turned in by her neighbour for leaving her infant home alone on a particularly challenging day, Frida gets sent to a rehabilitation school for bad mothers, where she must work to get her children back. While there, she makes startling observations about racial inequities, gender assumptions and the many roles mothers play. The School for Good Mothers is a thought-provoking listen that takes a deep dive into the impossibly high standards that mothers are held to.
From beloved superstar and master storyteller Dolly Parton and bestselling writer James Patterson comes a fascinating thriller about a young singer-songwriter determined to do what it takes to survive. Run, Rose, Run follows the young artist's rise to stardom as she sings about the harrowing past she is trying to outrun. Nashville may be where Rose has chosen to cement her destiny as a country music star, but it is also where everything she has tried to flee may catch up with her. A great gift for music and crime thriller fans alike, this audiobook is filled with glittering danger that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end.
In this groundbreaking self-help audiobook from nutrition expert and medical doctor Amy Shah, you will learn how to beat burnout and increase your energy once and for all. Whether you are a busy working mom or feel over-stressed and over-exhausted, this audiobook explores the integrative methods that helped Amy Shah transform her life from constant fatigue to one full of energy. By implementing the trifecta of improving gut health, hormones and the immune system, pairing it with proven methods to manage stress and implementing powerful herbs into your regimen, in only two weeks, you will also be on your way to reclaiming your joy, energy and power.
Former First Lady Michelle Obama shares an intimate and powerful look at her inspiring life story. From her childhood in the South Side of Chicago to her time as a successful executive balancing work and motherhood to becoming the first African American First Lady, Michelle Obama's life story is as compelling as it is deeply personal. Narrated by Michelle Obama herself, listeners will hear about her struggles, triumphs and the life-altering experiences that made her a beloved household name. Full of mesmerizing storytelling, Becoming is a New York Times bestselling memoir and a regular on many prestigious book lists that has inspired an Emmy-winning Netflix documentary.
This novel is a riveting psychological thriller about a group of mothers whose lives become connected when one of their infants disappears. A group of new moms whose babies were all born in the same month and call themselves the May Mothers meet up twice a week for some much-needed adult time and a change of routine. On one such outing on a hot summer night, something goes terrifyingly wrong, forever altering their lives. What ensues will keep you on the edge of your seat as secrets are exposed, marriages tested, and friendships destroyed. This is one audiobook you won't be able to pause.
The First Forty Days aims to bring back the art of nourishing and supporting new mothers in the critical first weeks of postpartum. Heng Ou has written a beautiful guidebook inspired by her postpartum experience with zuo yuezi. Zuo yuezi is a set period of "confinement" after childbirth when a woman is lovingly cared for, and her only focus is healing and creating a bond with her new baby. This audiobook is a great gift idea for new mothers. It offers friendly and encouraging advice on arranging a support system in this crucial time, navigating relationship challenges and honouring the beauty and significance of birth. Also included is a PDF document containing a selection of healing and replenishing soups, meals and snacks, and calming and lactation-boosting teas ideal for the nourishment and support needed by a new mother.
This New York Times Best Seller and Oprah's Book Club pick brings listeners back into the world of the beloved character Olive Kitteridge. Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Elizabeth Strout transports listeners back to Crosby, Maine, where the eternally grumpy and wry retired teacher Olive Kitteridge struggles to understand herself and those who come into her life. Whether it is a teen struggling with grief, a secret crush confession, a hilariously inconvenient birth or a lawyer grappling with an unwanted inheritance, Olive's profoundly moving and, at times, startling thoughts will leave their mark on all who listen. Olive, Again is a beautiful listen ideal for quiet moments and moving reflection.
A difficult yet inspiring listen, Feeding My Mother follows Alberta's own Jann Arden as she struggles to come to terms with becoming a parent to her own mom. Jann's mom suffers from Alzheimer's disease, and the degradation caused by the disease meant the musical voice behind Insensitive, Could I Be Your Girl and other hits found herself mothering her own mother, upending the typical mother-daughter dynamic.
Arden takes control of the narration herself, putting in a fantastic performance throughout what is clearly an emotionally daunting experience. What follows is a memoir of sorts, a life-changing process that Arden details in a style that is simultaneously heartbreaking and heartwarming. Daughters aren't supposed to feed their mothers, after all.
Feeding My Mother is a great book and an even better audiobook, as Jann Arden shepherds the listener on a most difficult journey. An absolute must-listen for anyone going through a similar situation, Feeding My Mother manages to transcend its main focus and develop into a deep take on the mother-daughter relationship.
From one end of the spectrum to the other. The debut work from Ottawa's Laurie Gelman is a joyous listen, detailing the trials and tribulations of Jen Dixon, a Kansas mother of three who is far from ordinary. Despite the occasionally madcap details of Jen's life, Class Mom is a gorgeously down-to-earth listen that eschews improbability in favour of all too real motherly situations.
More so than anything else, Class Mom is a downright hilarious book. Gelman is a marvellous storyteller and a fantastic narrator, filling the ups and downs of Jen Dixon's life with a magnificent charisma and an ear for a cadence that you just can't teach. If you're looking for a Mother's Day gift that will have moms doubling over in laughter, Class Mom should be top of the list.
A favourite of book clubs around the world and a must-listen for new moms worried that the world might be caving in on them, Class Mom is the sort of audiobook that becomes a best friend before the first chapter is done. Laurie Gelman's debut novel is very much fiction, but there is plenty of real-life waiting in these words.
One of the standout debut novels of 2020 excels in the audiobook format here, in the shape of Halifax, Nova Scotia's Francesca Ekwuyasi's stunning Butter Honey Pig Bread. Narrated by Amaka Umeh (the first Black woman to play the role of Hamlet on stage, no less), Butter Honey Pig Bread is a thriller that spans generations and continents, an audiobook where the consequences of decisions made as a mother come to light.
The dynamic between twin sisters and their mother lies at the very heart of Butter Honey Pig Bread, and the universality of that relationship makes Ekwuyasi's first-time novel a must-read turned must-listen. Trauma, guilt and fear are the palpable emotions that dominate the story, although the importance of approaching and overcoming all three is the real anchor of Butter Honey Pig Bread.
Amaka Umeh is a revelation as a narrator, seamlessly moving from accent to accent as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Thanks to her immense talents, one of 2020's best books has transcended to new heights. If you want an incredible mix of curious storytelling and elite-level narration, Butter Honey Pig Bread is the audiobook for you.
No matter how prepared you think you might be, there are few experiences and changes on the planet like becoming a mom for the first time. It is life-changing, to say the least, a titanic shift that changes the way moms view themselves and the world around them. Add in the whole “having to look after a brand new and incredibly vulnerable human baby” part of it all, and you've got yourself a mountainous task.
When Meaghan O'Connell got pregnant in her early twenties, she soon realized that the parenting book she required simply hadn't been written yet. What followed was And Now We Have Everything, a book that is hilarious and heartwarming at every turn, with plenty of existential confusion and crises along the way. Being a first-time mom is just about as far from easy as it gets, but Meaghan O'Connell's bestseller is here to help out as much as possible.
O'Connell narrates the audiobook version with charisma in spades, elevating a good book into a great audiobook in her own style. Her account of life as a new mom is just about as brutally honest as it gets but such an approach is utterly vital in the circumstances, as O'Connell lifts the lid on everything from giving birth to struggling to come to terms with a postpartum body.
Let's round out the list with a bit of expert advice that moms can often forget in the chaos of motherhood. Breathing—you know, that thing that keeps us alive—remains as important as a mother as beforehand. Finding time to breathe can seem nigh on impossible for moms, but Shonda Moralis is here to provide solace and serenity in equal measure. Breathe Mama Breathe is the result, a collection of short mindfulness techniques for even the busiest of moms.
As a women's mindful empowerment mentor, Moralis knows what she is talking about, and New York-based actor and longtime Audible narrator Amanda Ronconi confidently relays the author’s techniques. Ronconi narrates Shonda's collection of meditative sessions with all the tranquillity that such a task demands, ensuring calm and clear-thinking amidst the chaos of life as a mother.
Breathe Mama Breathe is undoubtedly more useful for new moms with young kids than it is for moms with teenagers, but the lessons waiting within are of huge value for everyone, even dads. Breathe Mama Breathe excels as a Mother's Day gift for first-time and new moms who might find themselves a little overwhelmed during those first few years.
First things first, Motherstruck might just be the best title of any listen on this list. Now that we've got that important fact out the way, what a joy it is to dive deep into this gem by Jamaica-born Staceyann Chin. In it, Chin decides that enough is enough on the heartbreak front, changing her focus from finding love to something altogether more demanding: motherhood.
This is a difficult enough quest as it is, but it becomes twice as hard if you happen to be a single Black lesbian who has gained a certain amount of notoriety as a political firebrand. It all adds up to a tremendous concoction that is a riotous listen, as Chin bounces from one incident to another.
Chin herself takes on the narrating role for this heart-wrenching tale of a woman seeking a mother's love—although in this case, the mother in question is the seeker. Needless to say, this short Audible Original more than stands out from the crowd. In a world of stories for and about moms, Motherstruck takes a different approach and is all the better for it.
There can't be many more plaudits left for Little Fires Everywhere to capture, right? Celeste Ng's 2017 book has swept all before it, winning accolades everywhere from Amazon to Barnes and Noble to The New York Times and Goodreads and dominating best-seller lists across the world in the process. This audio edition brings the famous story to new life, as narrator Jennifer Lim adds a new layer to an already beloved tale.
Little Fires Everywhere focuses on two families brought together through their children, although there is a lot more to the plot and the story than the simplicity of its premise. Hulu’s television adaptation of the book has brought it to the attention of a whole new audience, proving that Ng's storytelling appeals to listeners and readers of all types.
The intertwining lives of the Richardsons and the Warrens make for an unpausable listen, accentuated throughout by Lim's expert narration. The performance deserves special attention here, as Lim lifts this listen to astounding new heights. These fires won't be going out any time soon.
There can be times when life as a mom seems to be a procession of saying “no”' to things, be it friends, family or even those unhealthy dessert-for-dinner requests of those darling children. In many ways, saying “no” can become a habit that is hard to break, further enhancing the fear that all new moms have about their individual existences grinding to a halt.
For an entire year, Shonda Rhimes decided that she was going to say “yes” to things. By saying “yes” instead of “no,” the mother of three (three mainstream US television shows and three children alike) was dragged out of her comfort zone into a world of opportunity, excitement and new experiences. That little word has the ability to change life as much as its antonym can restrict it.
Rhimes narrates this title with the style and pomp that one expects from the icon, imbuing her year with excitement and trepidation in equal measure. Year of Yes proves once more that the struggles of parenthood know nothing of celebrity and status, caring only for the day-to-day relentlessness of being a mother.
