by Casey McQuiston

Drama. Sexy politics. Enemies to lovers. This bestseller by Casey McQuiston is a perfect romance for the mom who’s inexplicably and personally invested in Lady Di. We follow Henry, the prince of Wales, and Alex, whose mother happens to be the president, as they fall crown over heels for each other. It’s fun, light, and fluffy — a 10/10 choice for any mom just looking to relax at the end of a long day.

by Francesca Royster

Some of the strongest mothers have never given birth. This is true of Francesca Royster and her wife, Annie, who adopt and raise their daughter in Chicago’s North Side. In this striking memoir, Royster chronicles her own childhood of growing up in the South Side and her experiences with race, powerful matriarchs, and the fluidity of family. At the heart of this complex story is something simple: claiming joy that society never meant to give you.

by Grant Ginder

Where do mothers belong? That’s right: in the Senate. Nancy Harriman is well on her way to winning the election when her grown daughter, Greta, decides to risk it all by joining extremist protesters in Paris. Nancy and her son, Nick, race across the ocean to find Greta before the campaign — and not to mention the family — is ruined. Light, funny, and sometimes cleverly absurd, Let’s Not Do That Again asks how far a mother will go for her family. 

by Cherríe Moraga

This moving, lyrical memoir from legendary Chicana lesbian writer Cherríe Moraga will stay with you forever. Relatable to all who have experienced the wonder and terror of pregnancy and grippingly insightful for all who haven’t, Waiting in the Wings celebrates queer family-making in a pre-marriage equality era with brilliance and heart. As Moraga writes, “my queerness has never added up exactly into neat categories of sex, gender, and sexuality; and yet it has shaped who I am every step of the way, including throughout nearly three decades of mothering.”

by Alexis Hall

This one is for every mom out there who was devastated when the Duke left Bridgerton and who knows that Jamie from Outlander is misunderstood. This swoon-worthy romance follows Viola Carroll, a trans heroine who reinvents herself after her presumed death at the Battle of Waterloo. Though she’s happy to give away her wealth and title, there’s one part of her past she yearns to keep: the Duke of Gracewood. 

by Lori Duron

Based on her popular blog of the same name, Lori Duron writes compassionately about her two sons: Chase, who loves sports and legos, and C.J., who loves sparkly skirts and Lady Gaga. Charting a parent’s journey with unwavering courage and optimism, this witty memoir provides a wise, warm model for raising a child who might be seen as “different.” Whether C.J. grows up to identify as gender-nonconforming, gender variant, queer, trans, or none of the above, Lori and her family empower C.J. to be the child that he is: absolutely fabulous.

by Steven Rowley

A stunning poolside (or bathtub) read about life after loss, The Guncle is hilarious and heartwarming proof that we can make a home anywhere if we’re surrounded by the right people. When Patrick’s sister-in-law passes away, he finds himself suddenly raising nine-year-old Maisie and six-year-old Grant. Set against the vibrant backdrop of Palm Springs, Rowley’s novel mixes humor and poignancy in this tale of how familial love never truly ends.