Here are 10 motherhood books that are sure to make you a better mama and check out the HUGE book list of 54 books for motherhood, marriage, parenting, homeschooling, homemaking and so much more here.
Readers are leaders, and leaders are readers.
It is life-giving to continue to have new knowledge flow within us as mamas, and then we can take that information, apply it, and share it within our circle of influence.
I can’t say enough about reading and taking those ideas and allowing it to shape our family.
I want to share the ten books that have impacted me most as a mom. Some of the books I chose are ones I read years ago, and some are newer reads. They’ve all impacted my motherhood.
Here are 10 Must-Have Motherhood Books that Will Make You a Better Mama. I expand on each of these books below!
- The Whole and Healthy Family by Jodi Mockabee
- Balanced and Barefoot by Angela J. Hanscom
- The Power of Christian Contentment by Andrew M. Davis
- Cozy Minimalist Home by Myquillyn Smith
- Mothering by the Book by Jennifer Pepito
- Eve in Exile: The Restoration of Femininity by Rebekah Merkle
- Side by Side by Edward Welch
- Let Me Be a Woman by Elisabeth Elliot
- Atomic Habits by James Clear
- Treasuring God in Our Traditions by Noel Piper
My Greatest Takeaways from Each Book
I want to make it easy for you to decide which book is the best fit for you in this season, so I’m going to share my favorite parts about each book!
The Whole and Healthy Family by Jodi Mockabee
I’m such a fan of Jodi Mockabee. Her kids are older than mine and she’s been a homeschooling mom for a long time. You don’t have to be a homeschool mom to read this, though! She shares a lot of practical wisdom in The Whole and Healthy Family.
Balanced and Barefoot by Angela J. Hanscom
Balanced and Barefoot has really transformed the way I interact with my kids. Angela Hanscom is an occupational therapist and her whole idea is that we are smothering our kids with supervision. A lot of our children’s development happens when they’re just allowed to play.
“Play is the work of childhood” -Unknown
The Power of Christian Contentment by Andrew M Davis
I cannot say enough about The Power of Christian Contentment. It’s sooo good. One of the things I notice in my kids is complaining, which drives me bananas, but they often see it from me.
One of the anecdotes for complaining is gratitude. He talks about how deep contentment is one of the greatest treasures we can ever possess.
Cozy Minimalist Home by Myquillyn Smith
As a mother, creating a home and an environment for my family and the people I love is very important. I don’t consider myself to be a good decorator, but Cozy Minimalist has taught me it doesn’t have to be difficult, and I don’t have to complete it all at once; if I’m going to improve a space, I can do just enough in this season.
I love how she takes a minimal approach, not a sterile minimalism but a cozy minimalism. I also really love her clear system for decorating any room.
Mothering by the Book by Jennifer Pepito
I adore Jennifer Pepito. She is the author of a homeschool curriculum I love to use.
Mothering by the Book reads like a memoir of her mothering. She talks a lot about fear in motherhood, wanting control, and how to navigate those feelings. She focuses on the power of reading books aloud to children.
Eve in Exile by Rebekah Merkle
I have worn Eve and Exile out! Merkle discusses the restoration of femininity and how it’s been attacked. She dives into the history of how feminism has crept into our culture, even Christian culture, and discusses what the Bible says about being a woman.
This book has made motherhood different for me in a lot of ways–one, not buying into the lies of feminism.
Side by Side by Edward Welch
Side by Side really enforced the idea that we need relationships; we are both needy and needed, and that’s ok.
Walking side by side with someone else is one of the most rewarding things that we can do. If we’re flying solo, we’re really missing out on the way things are meant to be.
Let me Be a Woman by Elisabeth Elliot
I’m obsessed with Elisabeth Elliot- she’s one of my favorite “gone to be the Lord” mentors. She wrote Let Me Be a Woman to her daughter when she was engaged to her future husband. The words from this simple and short book, helped me to see that being a woman is a beautiful thing, and I need to embrace it.
Atomic Habits by James Clear
I’ve read Atomic Habits many times and I know it will be a bestseller for years to come. It’s called atomic because it’s all about how small changes add up to big results. Our habits are the tiny makeup of who we really are!
If you have heard the hype about Atomic Habits for a long time and not read it, this is your sign to take the plunge!
Treasuring God in Our Traditions by Noel Piper
Treasuring God in Our Traditions is written by John Piper’s wife Noel Piper. She discusses certain holidays and what she did to anchor Christ in her home’s traditions.
If you didn’t come from a Christian household, this is a great tool because it teaches you how to add Christ to all of your home’s celebrations.
Honorable Mentions
Women of the Word by Jen Wilkin
Women of the Word finally made studying my Bible make sense and feel accessible. Her simple method of truly studying the Bible is not just for women.
In fact my husband is walking through this book with his men’s group and they just crossed out the W-O in women to make the title Men of the Word haha.
Get Out of Your Head by Jennie Allen
The Bible talks a lot about taking our thoughts captive and Jennie Allen helps point us to that truth.
Her stories in Get Out of Your Head are powerful, but also the illustrations in the book helped the truths of the power of the mind sink in more. Consider getting a physical copy of this book instead of listening to it.
What Learning as a Mama Does for Our Children
Don’t forget, more is caught than taught, so don’t underestimate your own learning as a mom.
“No written word nor spoken plea
Can teach our youth what they should be.
Nor all the books on all the shelves.
It’s what the teachers are themselves.”
John Wooden
Who we are is what’s going to impact our kids the most. We can buy all these books and follow all these theories but unless we are changing it’s not going to change our children.
The greatest book to help you become a better mama is God’s word. If you would like to read more about how to spend more time in scripture as a busy mama, make sure you check out my post!
HUGE Book List for All the Different Parts of Being a Woman
Check out this Ultimate Book List of 54 books in categories like marriage, faith, parenting, homeschooling, homemaking, and cooking.
I have read all of these books and benefitted from the wisdom and direction they offer!
Check Out This YouTube Video Where I Share About Books for Motherhood
