In partnership with The Dial Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House
Getting lost in a novel on a rainy afternoon, learning something new from an engrossing work of nonfiction, seeing ourselves reflected in someone else’s life story: Reading is both a pleasure and a privilege. And for many people, it’s our mothers who are responsible for some of our earliest and longest-lasting memories connected to books.
This Mother’s Day, consider giving the special women in your life — from aunts to friends to mom herself — the gift of a good book. We’ve put together a list of recommendations with something to suit every reader, from bestselling novels to a guide to creating the ultimate cheese plates, a love letter to female friendships, and more.
Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano
Oprah’s 100th Book Club pick, Hello Beautiful follows a young man who experienced tragedy and isolation growing up but finds connection and peace through his friendship with four sisters. The novel, which has sold over 1 million copies to date, chronicles what happens when the protagonist’s past threatens not only the life he’s built, but also the bonds within the family he’s come to love — it’s an “exquisite homage to Louisa May Alcott’s timeless classic, Little Women.”
First Love: Essays on Friendship by Lilly Dancyger
Author and editor Lilly Dancyger delves into the powerful bonds that female friendships — which she considers as complex and powerful as romantic relationships — offer. Using a different one of her own relationships as the basis for each essay, she explores the many ways in which women create space for each other. The book is available for pre-order today and ships May 7.
Instructions for Traveling West: Poems by Joy Sullivan
Poet Joy Sullivan’s debut collection (now a national bestseller!) is a vivid, expansive, and semi-autobiographical examination of the unknown: the things that happen when we delve into uncharted personal territory. Perfect for anyone “flinging themselves into fresh starts,” the poetry grapples with loss and love, longing and belonging.
That Cheese Plate Wants to Party: Festive Boards, Spreads, and Recipes with the Cheese by Numbers Method by Marissa Mullen
If the title alone weren’t enticing enough, this fun guide to creating incredible cheese plates not only features 40 recipes, but also includes delicious drink pairings, floral arrangement tips, tablescape ideas, playlists, and even cheesy party games. It encompasses the idea that a party is a state of mind and that communal meals are a means of connecting with one another.
On Our Best Behavior: The Seven Deadly Sins and the Price Women Pay to Be Good by Elise Loehnen
It’s a common theme for many women: We give ourselves a pat on the back for resisting dessert, applaud our self-control for holding our tongue when we’ve been wronged, and go through life putting others’ needs ahead of our own. But where does this idea of being on our best behavior come from? Journalist Elise Loehnen traces back the cultural norm to an ancient source — the seven deadly sins — and shares what she’s learned about breaking free.
The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club by Helen Simonson
“An absolute joy of a book, warm and romantic,” per Ann Napolitano (whom you’ll spot at the top of our list), this smart and hilarious historical fiction follows Constance Haverhill’s coming-of-age during World War I-era England. It’s a comedy of manners that simultaneously paints a picture of a changing nation. Available for pre-order now, it ships May 7.
Untamed by Glennon Doyle
From the woman who coined the eternally inspiring mantra (and podcast) “We can do hard things,” this 2020 memoir is set to become a TV drama starring Sarah Paulson, and we couldn’t be more excited. The book traces activist-author Glennon Doyle’s journey to finding herself, her power, and the love of her life after decades spent battling addictions, cultural conditioning, and other people’s expectations.
Redwood Court by DéLana R.A. Dameron
A Reese’s Book Club pick, Redwood Court proves that award-winning poet DéLana R.A. Dameron is equally talented at delivering powerful, visceral prose. The novel is named for the cul-de-sac in a Black working-class suburb of Columbia, South Carolina, and follows the baby of the family, Mika Tabor, as she listens to and learns from her loved ones, taking in their struggles and their triumphs. It’s a “celebration of extraordinary, ordinary people striving to achieve their own American dreams.”
How to Baby: A No-Advice-Given Guide to Motherhood, With Drawings by Liana Finck
Liana Finck, acclaimed New Yorker cartoonist and author, “chronicles the absurdities, frustrations, and soaring joys of new parenthood” in this whip smart graphic memoir. With more than 100 never-before-seen illustrations and cartoons, combined with comic essays and profound observations, How to Baby is “a baby book, a resource, and an emotional balm for our time.”
Done and Dusted: A Rebel Blue Ranch Novel by Lyla Sage
At the center of this “sizzling” romance that went viral on TikTok (the first book in a national bestselling series) is Clementine “Emmy” Ryder. Everything was going right for her: She’d graduated college and established a career riding horses. But when an accident leaves her unable to pursue her passion on the saddle, she returns to her hometown and into the path of bad boy Luke Brooks, who happens to be her older brother’s best friend — and can’t get Emmy off his mind.
Signs: The Secret Language of the Universe by Laura Lynne Jackson
Renowned psychic medium Laura Lynne Jackson has a gift: the ability to communicate with loved ones who have passed and convey their messages to others. But her gift is not unique — that’s the message behind her latest book, which seeks to open readers’ minds to their own capacity to experience the mystical by helping them understand and speak the “secret language of the universe.”
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