School's out, and it's time for you to put together your summer reading list alongside your kids. This year’s fiction lineup is delivering exactly what we want: sharp women, messy relationships, glamorous (and really un-glamorous) proble…
Summer is officially the season of “I just need a good book.” Beach chair, backyard hammock, poolside lounger—whatever your setup looks like, it’s incomplete without something you actually want to read. And while the kids are building th…
When it comes to holiday gift shopping, the coziest, dreamiest place to shop is a bookstore. Right? The good news is, if your wish right now is really to just be able to spend more time with your family and less time running around ticki…
Getting organized is great. Staying on top of everything? Even better. Back-to-school season is the real New Year for moms. It’s when the color-coded calendar comes out, the snack drawer gets labeled, and you try (again) to make mornings…
We should never forget how magical it feels to step inside a real bookstore. As parents know, Barnes & Noble is more than a bookstore, it really is a family-friendly destination full of cozy spaces, family events and author readings, a l…
As a big audiobook fan -- and supporter of indie booksellers -- I am excited to see the big promotion that Libro.fm i s offering this month to honor their 10th anniversary. If you sign up as a new member right now, you'll get 3 audiobook…
It’s officially Earth Month, which means it’s a great time to pick up some new books about climate and having conversations about preserving our planet for the next generation -- whether you're a hardcore environmentalist or just a compa…
Another year, another Good Reads Challenge goal , and I'm so happy to get the year started with the first novel by Cool Mom Picks' own co-founder Kristen Mei Chase, A Thousand Miles to Graceland . If you love to read tender, funny, and c…
To say that I'm thrilled to share that my debut novel, A Thousand Miles to Graceland , is now available for pre-order and hitting stands on January 24, 2023 is an understatement. I've been working on this story of fun, heartfelt mother-d…
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…
As one of three sisters, I was naturally excited to get my hands on Spectacular Sisters: Amazing Stories of Ssters from Around the World , by Aura Lewis. I've been having so much fun revisiting some of my favorite sister stories , while …
Not to brag, but here at CMP, we're kind of kids' books experts. We round up the best of the best lists every year, keep taps on the new releases , and share all kinds of YA book recommendations for parents . Which is why I was so happy …
This past December, I decided to stop drinking. While I've always had a complicated relationship with booze, I wouldn't consider myself an alcoholic. I've been drunk a handful of times in my life, and for the most part, just have a coupl…
I've always been a fan of graduation gift books . When my daughter graduated from high school five years ago, the headmaster gifted each graduating senior a book with a personal message inside -- Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemp…
So, how about 2021, parents? It's been a pretty rough year (which we know, understatement of the century), and well, let's just say, we could use a laugh . We could also use a few other things too (cough hugging friends cough), but for n…
The world is a little overwhelming these days (understatement of the year, right?) and sometimes we just need to kick back, chill out, and as a wise songwriter once sang, forget about life for a while. Oh, and laugh. More laughing please…
If you've been paying attention for the past four years -- and in particular the past week -- there's been a lot of dissection of phrases uttered by horrified, primarily white people in response to bigotry and racist violence. Phrases li…
I don't know about you, but I'm either needing to project my primal scream into Iceland or get a really good, belly-aching laugh in with a funny new summer novel. We're in the final stretch of summer at my house before school starts ( wh…
Next up in our Father's Day Gift Guide Pandemic Edition ™ , we're sharing Father's Day gifts that support indie bookstores. Because investing in our local brick-and-mortar bookshops now, means they'll still be around when it's safe to wa…
After speaking with Dr. Ken Ginbsburg on our Spawned Parenting Podcast , I went out and bought all his books, one of which I'm thrilled to share is the next pick for our Cool Mom Picks Virtual Book Club. I found his approach to parenting…
This go round, we're going to change things up a bit in the Cool Mom Picks Virtual Book Club , because I'm going to be talking about two selections that I know are relevant to so many parents these days. In light of the recent Climate St…
I'm super excited to share the next Cool Mom Picks Virtual Book Club selection that many awesome people in my life have raved about. And sure, it's not technically a parenting book, but who cares? If we're making positive changes in our …
I'm particularly thrilled to reveal the next selection in the Cool Mom Picks Virtual Book Club , because it's been a book that's been on my own must-read list too. For selection 8, I've chosen No More Mean Girls: The Secret to Raising St…
The passing of Toni Morrison today at the age of 88 is a serious gut punch to me. I think a lot of writers -- and readers -- are feeling it in a very personal way. I was first introduced to the Pulitzer Prize and Nobel Prize-winning auth…