This year, I’ve been on the hunt for Mother’s Day gift books, because even the mom who has everything can always use an inspiring, uplifting, sentimental, or just thoughtful new book.

Consider that a Mother’s Day gift book can be for any mom who loves reading of course, but you can also find the perfect gift book for moms who love really, anything at all. So I put together some of my favorite t inspiring, empowering, beautiful gift book ideas that have made it on my own Amazon wishlist recently.

Whether you’re looking for a Mother’s Day gift book for a devoted reader or a casual coffee book collector, a lover of poetry or a lover of inspiring biographies, we’ve got you covered.

And may I suggest: Any of them pair well with some kid-free time and a hot bath.

8 Mother’s Day gift book ideas for all kinds of moms, stepmoms, and grandmas

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I’ve been an avid follow of Morgan Harper Nichols and her beautiful and uplifting Instagram account for several years now, and I love that her inspiring art and poetry is also available in book form, in All Along You Were Blooming: A Collection of Poetry from Morgan Harper Nichols. Her illustrated messages often stop me mid-scroll with their wisdom and timeliness, and I imagine any mom, whoever she is and however long she’s been celebrating Mother’s Day, will find this to be a truly thoughtful gift.

I love Viola Davis’s memoir, Finding Me, which came out right before Mother’s Day in 2022. The memoir traces her path from a girl in a working-class family in South Carolina to her career as one of the most celebrated actors of her time. Finding Me is a great pick for any mom who loves an inspiring story.

We’ve covered so many kids’ anthologies of incredible, trailblazing women, so I was thrilled to discover A Glorious Freedom: Older Women Leading Extraordinary Lives, which is firmly geared toward adults. Plus, it’s illustrated by Lisa Congdon, another artist we’ve covered for years, and whose Instagram account is a constant source of inspiration. This book centers on women like Vera Wang, Katherine Johnson, and Julia Child, all of whom achieved their biggest dreams in the latter half of life.

If you haven’t noticed, we’re big fans of Dolly Parton here at CMP. Just like everybody else in the country. For a Mother’s Day book that a whole lot of moms will love, definitely check out Dolly Parton Songteller: My Life in Lyrics, a collection of her bestselling song lyrics paired with some amazing throwback Dolly photographs.

I was so rapt when I listened to author Eve Rodsky’s conversation with Kristen and Liz on Spawned that I immediately went out and ordered her game-changing debut book about division of labor in the home, Find Your Unicorn Space. In this follow-up to Fair Play, Eve offers women something radical: the permission to carve out “unicorn space” to pursue a creative practice they love for its own sake. I can think of a whole lot of moms who would appreciate feeling seen with a gift like this one.

If you’d like a gift book for a mom who loves The Crown or avidly follows all the William, Kate, Megan, and Harry news, she’ll love HRH: So Many Thoughts on Royal Style , by Elizabeth Holmes. This book is a thoughtful compilation of amazing photography, plus commentary, on Queen Elizabeth, Princess Diana, Megan, and Kate.

For a Mother’s Day gift book for the mom whose fave shopping destination is The Container Store, and who already owns every book from Marie Kondo, definitely check out The Home Edit Life from Joanna Teplin and Clea Shearer. If she’s already binged all the seasons of The Home Edit on Netflix, I think she’ll love having even more inspiration. Just be sure she’s the kind of mom who finds organization projects soothing and not just another to-do; in other words, don’t give her this book then ask her to organize your closets!

If you’d like a Mother’s Day gift book just for a new or expecting mom, check out Arrival Stories: Women Who Share Their Experience of Becoming Mothers. This collection of intimate essays collected by moms Amy Schumer and Christy Turlington Burns features stories from women of all backgrounds, each speaking to the equally universal and unique experience of becoming a mom — complete with some much-needed Amy Schumer laughs.