Best Books for Mother's Day 2015

Dear BookBrowsers,

Breakfast in bed with burnt toast. Go ahead, you've earned it. Besides, there are some Mother's Day traditions you simply must not break. But this year, maybe it's time to start a new one: how about giving yourself, or the favorite mom in your life, a day filled with reading? We've selected 10 choice picks from recently published books that will deliver a perfect Mother's Day this May 10 for the reader mom in your life. And if that mom is you, there's no better time like the present to place this list in strategic locations around the house for the crowd to notice. Ample hints can't hurt either. Happy Mother's Day!

Mimi Malloy, At Last! by Julia MacDonnell Paperback Mar 2015. 288 pages. Published by Picador What is a family without baggage? Mimi Malloy's large Irish Catholic brood is certainly no exception. As Mimi, a mother of six grown daughters, is dealt a troubling turn of life events, she goes on to prove that it will take more than a glancing blow to get her down. Heartwarming without being cliched is difficult to pull off but MacDonnell largely delivers. Recommended for sisters as well. More details and reviews about this book

A Garden of Marvels: How We Discovered that Flowers Have Sex, Leaves Eat Air, and Other Secrets of Plants by Ruth Kassinger Paperback Mar 2015. 416 pages. Published by William Morrow Think your kids are the only ones who can text you when they need something? Think again! What if your backyard tree were to do the same thing? Yes, you heard that right. Determined to not let the lack of a green thumb get her down Ruth Kassinger digs deep (and dirty) into the many intriguing aspects of the botanical world. Plant this one for every mother, gardener or not. More details and reviews about this book

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr Hardcover May, 2014 544 pages. Published by Scribner You have had your fill of novels set in World War II, you say. Even if said novel has as its protagonists, an irrepressible girl who might be blind but who will light the way for many, and a young German whose life path will intertwine with the girl in simply astounding ways. What if this same novel were picked as BookBrowse's Favorite for 2014? And did I mention it recently won the Pulitzer? More details and reviews about this book

Three Many Cooks: One Mom, Two Daughters: Their Shared Stories of Food, Faith & Family by Pam Anderson, Maggy Keet & Sharon Damelio Hardcover Apr 2015. 336 pages. Published by Ballantine Books Top off Mother's Day brunch with this delicious dessert. A variety platter of treats are in store as popular chef Pam Anderson and her daughters dish on the joys of life. Sometimes irreverent, sometimes reflective, always honest, this collection illustrates three women's individual and shared search for a faith that confirms what they know to be true: The divine is often found hovering not over an altar but around the stove and kitchen table. So hop on a bar stool at the kitchen island and join them to commiserate, laugh, and, of course, eat! More details and reviews about this book

The Fortune Hunter by Daisy Goodwin Paperback April 2015. 480 pages. Published by St. Martin's Press She was the Princess Diana of nineteenth-century Europe. And much like Audrey Hepburn's princess in Roman Holiday, Sisi was not one for following royal conventions. This fun novel pulls apart the drapes and sheds light on the private lives of public persona, lessons that have meaning for contemporary society as well. A passion for riding is one of the many surprising elements thrown in to this engaging novel. More details and reviews about this book

The Love Object: Selected Stories by Edna O'Brien Hardcover May 5, 2015. 544 pages. Published by Little Brown & Company Just like a fine truffle in a delicious box of chocolates, every short story in Edna O'Brien's collection is worth savoring and equally satisfying. The "doyenne of Irish literature" delivers a cumulative portrait of the country in this brilliant set of stories which explore class, love, nostalgia and other weighty topics through O'Brien's expert touch. Gift to moms who love to dip in and out of a perfect presentation of bon mots. More details and reviews about this book

Where'd You Go, Bernadette: A Novel by Maria Semple Paperback Apr 2013. 352 pages. Published by Little Brown & Company Bernadette Fox had grand ambitions of becoming an architect. While motherhood might not necessarily have thwarted them, they certainly made her reevaluate. Why be merely Mom when you can be a world-class architect, the experts say. Well, you don't know Bernadette. This mother-daughter caper became an instant classic, capturing a portrait of today's hyper-anxious, iPhone-tapping Mom. Bernadette is a spunky specimen. You'll love her for it. More details and reviews about this book

Find the Good: Unexpected Life Lessons From a Small-Town Obituary Writer by Heather Lende Hardcover Apr 2015. 176 pages. Published by Algonquin Books Heather Lende finds the meaning of life in what many might consider an improbable place: death. If there's one thing being an obit writer has taught her, it's that every life has value and it's a great idea to find the good in every situation. It certainly makes the pursuit of happiness a much easier endeavor. A feel-good volume that is sure to please many a mom and maybe even earn you some extra brownie points. More details and reviews about this book

Unforgettable: A Son, a Mother, and the Lessons of a Lifetime by Scott Simon Hardcover Mar 2015. 256 pages. Published by Flatiron Books The popular NPR Weekend Edition host pens a memorable ode to his single mother who lived a rich and colorful life borrowed right from the show-stopping scenes of Mad Men. Based on Simon's heartfelt tweets from his mom's hospital bed as she lay dying, this memoir is a priceless celebration of the mother-child bond and the memories that sustain us through heartache and loss. More details and reviews about this book

Daughters of the Samurai: A Journey from East to West and Back by Janice P. Nimura Hardcover May 4, 2015. 336 pages. Published by W.W. Norton & Company. Cross-cultural synergies and lasting bonds across continents lend an added layer of wistfulness to this account of Japanese girls who were sent to the United States to learn western ways and share lessons to be incorporated into their native country. Based on letters between the "daughters" and their host families back in the United States, this moving account is proof that the definition of family is what you make it out to be. More details and reviews about this book