In honor of Mother's Day, I thought I'd suggest some fun Mom-lit books, with a focus on books that are entertaining and light, while insightful - nothing too heavy or depressing. More the kind of books that will have you laughing while at the same time nodding at the relatable nuggets of wisdom.
Class Mom *and* You've Been Volunteered by Laurie Gilman - These books are so much fun, laugh out loud funny and so relatable. Class Mom introduces us to Jen Dixon, mother of two much older kids and a kindergartener. She is the class mom for the kindergarten class, with her snarky emails to the class included, and also introduces us to the various other quirky people in the class and her family. You've Been Voluntold picks up the story of Jen's life several years later - she is now the class parent for her son's 3rd grade class, not to mention being basically volun-told to be the coordinator for a parent-student crossing guard initiative. Like the first book, it's just hilarious and relatable, with lots of laugh out loud moments and lines. Both book are not just a satire of PTA moms and crazy moms in general, but lots of stuff both relatable and funny about everything from parenthood to marriage to friendship to spin class. Highly recommend both books (definitely start with the first one) to anyone looking for a quick, light, super funny read. And I'm super-excited for the third book, coming in July!
The Overdue Life of Amy Byler by Kelly Harms - Another book I've recommended a lot over the past two years, this was a very cute book, basically chick lit for grownups. The main character of the title has been raising her kids alone since her husband left them a few years before; when he suddenly returns and wants to spend time with the kids, she reluctantly takes a week to go to NYC by herself and ends up embarking on a journey of self-discovery. A good mix of light and funny with real emotions and thoughts on parenting and divorce, and since the main character is a librarian, there are also lots of literary references that makes it a smart book as well.
I Don't Know How She Does It *and* How Hard Can It Be? by Allison Pearson - I Don't Know How She Does It is about working mom Kate, struggling to juggle her intense job, marriage, and parenting two young kids. It was an early entry in the mom-lit genre, published all the way back in 2001 - so long ago that I didn't have kids when I first read it so couldn't personally relate, but still loved it. In 2018, she wrote a a sequel, in which Kate is now nearing 50, and trying to claw her way back into the workforce while dealing with teenage kids, aging parents, and menopause. Once again, this book was a little ahead of where I am in life, while still being funny and relatable. There were lots of laugh out loud moments, as well as very poignant parts that brought a tear or two to my eye, and some really great lines that really resonated.
Other People's Houses by Abbi Waxman - A really enjoyable novel about four families who live on the same block, each with their own problems or secrets. There are just so many great lines about parenthood and marriage in this book - a bunch that made me laugh out loud, a few that made me tear up a little, and others that just had me exclaiming “so true” in my head. Abbi Waxman is one of my favorite writer's of contemporary women's fiction, and this one was one of my top ten favorite books of 2018.
Eliza Starts a Rumor by Jane L Rosen - This novel takes place in a fictional suburban town, where an online message board (and the rumor of the title) bring a number of characters - moms of babies and teenagers and even one dad - together in surprising ways. It’s written with a light touch but also touched on some deeper topics, and the characters really come to life. Personally, I also enjoyed that it seems to be set near to where I live (though our local message boards are much more boring), and that one of the main characters went to Wesleyan and then law school just like me. I will warn you, though, that while this one has funny moments, it definitely has some heavy elements as well, so definitely be prepared for that. But it is a really great and enjoyable book.
The Truth and Other Hidden Things by Lea Gelman - At the start of this fun and funny mom lit book, main character Bells is a 40 something NYC mom with two teenagers, when on the same day she finds out she’s accidentally pregnant with a third kid, and her professor husband didn’t get tenure and they have to move. They end up in Duchess County, and Bells ends up starting an anonymous blog making fun of the culture there and the moms who are just as competitive and catty as NYC moms, of course with unintended consequences, and there’s plenty of family drama as well. I've described this to people as if Class Mom and Eliza Starts a Rumor had a baby, it would be this book. Loved the characters, the humor, and the little insights into family life.
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