1. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See.

This beautiful novel explores uplifting and heartbreaking moments of motherhood and sisterhood in nineteenth century China, with struggles and topics still relatable today.

2. The Light Between Oceans by M. L. Stedman.

This sweeping novel is set in Australia at an isolated lighthouse run by a childless couple. When a boat washes onshore carrying a dead man and a living baby, the couple adopt the baby only to discover, years later, their choice has unwittingly broken a distant mother’s heart.

3. The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennet.

This fascinating story about twin sisters, one born black, and one born white, set during the 1950’s in the Deep South weaves together multiple strands and generations of this family and poignantly explores how the choices the twin sisters made effected their offspring for years to come.

4. The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan.

I watched the movie to this beautiful and emotional book with my mum and sisters and it is truly a poignant tale! In 1949, four women migrate from China to San Francisco and soon begin to gather to celebrate their traditions and culture. As their stories unfold, their lives and the lives of their children are forever changed.

5. Women in Sunlight by Frances Mayes.

From the author of the gorgeous Under the Tuscan Sun memoirs comes Women in Sunlight. Frances Mayes watches from her terrazzo as the three American women carry their luggage into the stone villa down the hill. Who are they, and what brings them to this Tuscan village so far from home? An expat herself and with her own unfinished story, she can’t help but question: will they find what they came for?

6. Mama’s Boy by Dustin Lance Black.

Dustin Lance Black wrote the Oscar-winning screenplay for Milk and helped overturn California’s anti-gay marriage Proposition 8, but as an LGBTQ activist he has unlikely origins–a conservative Mormon household outside San Antonio, Texas. There he was raised by a single mother who, as a survivor of childhood polio, endured brutal surgeries as well as braces and crutches for life. Despite the abuse and violence of two questionably devised Mormon marriages, she imbued Lance with her inner strength and irrepressible optimism. This book is the perfect book to give on Mother’s Day if your mum loves heart aching stories that pave the way for strength.

7. Song of a Captive Bird by Jasmin Darznik.

All through her childhood in Tehran, Forugh Farrokhzad is told that Persian daughters should be quiet and modest. She is taught only to obey, but she always finds ways to rebel–gossiping with her sister among the fragrant roses of her mother’s walled garden, venturing to the forbidden rooftop to roughhouse with her three brothers, writing poems to impress her strict, disapproving father, and sneaking out to flirt with a teenage paramour over café glacé. During the summer of 1950, Forugh’s passion for poetry takes flight–and tradition seeks to clip her wings.

8. There are Girls like Lions

This collection of thirty empowering and emotional poems are for the mothers, daughters, sisters, wives, and friends in our lives! Here womanhood is celebrated in all its dimensions.

9. Being a Woman: Overcoming by Michele Lee.

This lovely book is the first in the Becoming a Woman collection. The series is written and illustrated by a mother and daughter team, and beautifully illustrates a poetic journey that began with a memory of being told as a middle-school student to, “move to the back row, to hide your full figure.” Join the poet and illustrator as they transform limiting words and beliefs into a beautiful slim chapbook of carefully crafted poems and drawings, that you will return to again and again.

10. Woman: Splendor and Sorrow by Gabriela Marie Milton.

This gorgeous collection is alive themes of womanhood, depicting the broad strokes and finer details of love, identity, and femininity. With vibrant imagery and fresh ideas, Milton’s poetry and prose explore these topics with passion and sincerity. The language is stunning and the imagery beautiful.

11. 40 Poems at 40 by Ingrid Wilson.

This little collection is the perfect Mother’s Day gift if your mother enjoys poems of self-exploration and discovery! Each poem in this mini collection invites the reader to explore the poet’s discoveries and learn more about themselves.

12. Mr. Boddington’s Etiquette

The witty and eloquent Mr. Boddington offers dos and don’ts for polite society in this comprehensive and thoroughly amusing guide that provides modern advice with a traditional perspective. Covering everything from weddings to gift-giving moments, social events, hosting guests, and so much more, Mr. Boddington shares the basic etiquette one needs to know and presents it all in his signature style. Filled with charming illustrations from the beloved Mr. Boddington’s Studio, this jaunty handbook is just the thing to make manners less of a fuss!

13. The Sense of Style by Steven Pinker.

Why is so much writing so bad, and how can we make it better? Is the English language being corrupted by texting and social media? Do the kids today even care about good writing—and why should we care?

In this entertaining and eminently practical book, the cognitive scientist, dictionary consultant, and New York Times–bestselling author Steven Pinker rethinks the usage guide for the twenty-first century. Using examples of great and gruesome modern prose while avoiding the scolding tone and Spartan tastes of the classic manuals, he shows how the art of writing can be a form of pleasurable mastery and a fascinating intellectual topic in its own right. The Sense of Style is for writers of all kinds, and for readers who are interested in letters and literature and are curious about the ways in which the sciences of mind can illuminate how language works at its best.

14. My Shanghai by Betty Liu.

Experience the sublime beauty and flavor of one of the oldest and most delicious cuisines on earth: the food of Shanghai, China’s most exciting city, in this evocative, colorful gastronomic tour that features 100 recipes, stories, and more than 150 spectacular color photographs. This cookbook is part cookbook, part travelogue, and is one of the best books to give on Mother’s Day to the foodie mom!

16. Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat by Samin Nosrat

Here is a book perfect for the mom who wants to reinvent her knowledge of cooking! With charming narrative, illustrated walkthroughs, and a lighthearted approach to kitchen science, Samin demystifies the four elements of good cooking for everyone. Refer to the canon of 100 essential recipes–and dozens of variations–to put the lessons into practice and make bright, balanced vinaigrettes, perfectly caramelized roast vegetables, tender braised meats, and light, flaky pastry doughs.

17. Middle Eastern Sweets by Salma Hage.

Whether you start your day with something sweet, finish it with something sweet, or make sure sweets are within reach all day long, you’ll find serious inspiration in the pages of Salma Hage’s latest cookbook for home cooks. This book is perfect for the sweet-loving mom who wants to try something new!