Books Every Mom (and Woman) Should Read
Books Every Mom (and Woman) Should Read
By: Brittany Shields
Happy Mother’s Day!
We tend to focus this day on celebrating the women who have children of their own and often forget that women, no matter what their family looks like, nurture, teach, and mother those around them.
They offer invaluable insights, encouragement, and love.
But we can only pour out what we put in. And all nurturing and teaching of sinful and selfish people (of which we all are) is tiresome and hard.
Here are some books that I’ve found to be encouraging, challenging, uplifting, and good reminders of the good work God has placed before us, as women, and how we can step into those opportunities with humility, wisdom, and boldness.
There are many books out there that are applicable to both men and women— browse my site to find them— and we would benefit from reading more than just ‘for women’ books. Growing in Christ is not meant to be isolated in genders.
But there is something different about reading a book written for women, specifically, by women who have been there and there is much to be gleaned from these pages.
I think you’ll find at least most of them very relatable.
So, to all the women out there, thank you for loving and serving your people and for investing in those around you. May these books build you up to continue your hard work!
When Strivings Cease by Ruth Chou Simons
“Could it be that we are so worn and desperate for ways to better ourselves because we’ve missed the power, inherent in the grace of God, that eradicates self-improvement altogether?”
In a world obsessed with self-fulfillment and comparisons, being a mother and a woman can easily become an exhausting quest to measure up to some arbitrary or cultural standard.
Ruth talks about all the things we strive for, what the consequences of that are, and how grace fulfills everything we need.
Real freedom comes from surrendering not striving.
Mama Bear Apologetics by Hillary Morgan Ferrer
“On the following pages, you will gain wisdom to help you listen well to your children— to discern their thoughts and questions, and then guide them in thinking critically and biblically about the postmodern culture they face.”
I think everyone should read this, not just moms. It’s a fantastic book to help us answer the hard questions our kids have and to recognize when ideas from a variety of ‘isms’ (like moral relativism, emotionalism, marxism, feminism, naturalism, etc) are influencing our children.
This is an easy to understand book that will help you provide reasons and evidence for the beliefs you have and to help raise children who are critical thinkers and able to recognize truth from lie.
Such an important and relevant book. Just buy it already.
Gospel-Centered Motherhood by Stefanie Boyles, Daily Grace Co.
“In God’s economy, when His people empty themselves for His sake, they are filled with His presence which leads to purpose, joy, and satisfaction.”
A short and encouraging book for mothers that covers so many important topics like: the calling of motherhood, Bible reading, discipleship, dying to ourselves, guarding our marriages, mom guilt, perseverance, prayer, words, emotions, and more.
Humble Moms: How the Work of Christ Sustains the Work of Motherhood by Kristen Wetherell
“We are moms who love our children and know the privilege of our high calling, but see its demands, along with our struggles and shortcomings, and know, without a doubt, how much we need encouragement and help along the way.”
“Greatness is not about puffing ourselves up, but laying ourselves down. It is not only about what we’re doing, but why and how we’re doing it. It is the humble posture of the heart.”
Kristen has written this relatable and convicting book to remind us in all seasons and contexts of motherhood that at the core, we have a heart and hand disconnect. We may display servants’ hands but not with servants’ hearts. By studying Christ we can connect the two and serve our people with humility just like him.
You Who?: Why You Matter and How to Deal with It
AND
Loving the Little Years: Motherhood in the Trenches by Rachel Jankovic
"If you are looking for a book that will gently pet your bangs and soothe your worried brow, telling you how beautiful you are, this is not it."
If you want a solid and refreshing take that turns the theology of Girl, Wash Your Face, on its head, you’ve come to the right place. Though she tells us hard truths, like ‘We are not enough,’ ‘We need to die to ourselves,’ ‘God doesn’t love the selves we often strive to create,’ and others, in You Who? Rachel reminds us of our true identity and how there is freedom in obedience and devotion to the One who created us! This is one of my favorite and most recommended books.
Loving the Little Years is a short book that made me feel both validated and anxious. Anxious because the ‘striving’ and ‘comparison’ part of me felt like I wanted to replicate her parenting. But when read rightly, we can be validated in our struggles and encouraged by her helpful advice on how she raises her children to be first and foremost, followers of Christ.
It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way: Finding Unexpected Strength When Disappointments Leave You Shattered by Lysa Terkeurst
"Sometimes to get your life back, you have to face the death of what you thought your life would look like."
One thing women are good at is controlling things. We manage a lot in our homes and often also in workplaces. But kids are unpredictable. Life is unpredictable. It’s not always what we want. Maybe we don’t have the family we thought we would. Things often feel out of control.
We can be disappointed by a lot of things. We experience a lot of pain. But our pain is not wasted. Lysa transparently shares her story of how this truth both wrecked and restored her life
Radical Womanhood: Feminist Faith in a Feminist World by Carolyn McCulley
“I wrote this book for my thirty-year-old self, the woman who needed to understand why much of what she had been taught in college and read in the media led to a dead end, and why the Bible inspired joy and peace.”
The cover of this book isn’t very exciting but it’s a really good book.
It’s fair. It’s honest. And as a woman, struggling with the push and pull of what I’m being told to be or do as a woman, everything she said resonated with me like compassionate words from a friend.
There are many books written on this topic that expound more on interpreting the biblical passages. What I feel is unique about this book is the attention to historical figures and context, the inclusion of personal stories, and discussion on some topics not typically broached in these types of books. Plus McCulley has a background in cultural feminism, herself.
In today’s world, this is a must-read.
Sis, Take a Breath: Encouragement for the Woman Who’s Trying to Live and Love Well (but Secretly Just Wants to Take a Nap) by Kirsten Watson
“God’s own breath animates our lives… Our need for truth is as deep as our need for oxygen.”
Kirsten Watson is mother of seven children and wife to Benjamin Watson, NFL player and author. She knows a little bit about chaos.
She reminds us that God is our oxygen, what we need to survive, and what will help us push through the hard ‘exhales’ of our lives.
Sharing anecdotes of her own life, she talks about things that deplete our oxygen and things that help us ‘breathe’ better.
Becoming a Woman Whose God is Enough by Cynthia Heald
I’ve read this one multiple times. It’s a great individual or group study.
Ask yourself- Is God enough for you?
When the days are long, when the diapers are many, when you can’t do what you want to do. When you have doubts and struggles and pains and just feel empty.
Is God enough for you?
This book reminds us of who God is. And when we know who God is, we remember why he is enough and why we can trust him with everything. It reminds us of the power, sovereignty, love, justice, truth, provision, and restoration that we find in our Lord, Creator and Sustainer of all things.
In His Image: 10 Ways God Calls Us to Reflect His Character by Jen Wilkin
I’ve got to include a Jen Wilkin book on this list!
‘What is God’s will for my life?’ you may ask.
The questions of what we should do, where we should go, etc are not meaningless and unimportant, but God’s will is that we are transformed in his image, bringing glory to his name, and when we are seeking to be more like Him, it’s not so much what we do and where we go as much as who we are when we’re doing it that.
No matter where we are in life and who we are caring for, if we are reflecting God’s character while we’re doing it, we are in a good place.
A(Typical) Woman: Free, Whole, and Called in Christ by Abigail Dodds
Chances are we all have different ideas of what it means to be a woman. Trying to define a 'typical' woman is a fool's errand. But the world and church alike try to tell us how to be 'true women.' What do we do when we hear conflicting answers? Abigail Dodds has written an extremely relevant and freeing book, rooted in God's truth, that shows how we can live as God created us to.
Whether you are single or married, a mother or desiring to be, working at an office or in your home, this book is for you. She covers pretty much all of the pressures we face as women to be a certain way, look a certain way, act or feel a certain way, and reminds us that God doesn't call us to be typical, he calls us to be faithful.
Eve in Exile: And the Restoration of Femininity by Rebekah Merkle
“If God designed women for a specific purpose, if there are fixed limits on the feminine nature, then surely it would follow that when we are living in accordance with those limits and purpose we will be in our sweet spot. That’s where we’ll shine. Where we’ll excel. And where we will find the most fulfillment. If your hackles are already going up at that, then it’s probably because you’re afraid that in the end, what God designed for you is unexciting, unfulfilling, demeaning, and generally dull.”
Rebekah Merkle is sister to Rachel Jankovic. Her tone is similar. She shares hard, countercultural, but solid biblical truths about what it means to be a woman and a mother.
This is a great book that elevates the importance of the home, affirms women who have not chosen careers, and reminds us how integral all women are to the Creation Mandate (subdue, fill, help, glorify) and its expansion— the Great Commission (spread the gospel to all the world).
(You may want to read my review on this one before reading)
Calm My Anxious Heart: A Woman’s Guide to Finding Contentment by Linda Dillow
I read this one before I started writing reviews, but this one to read many times as well.
Goodreads Summary: As women—whether single women, married women, moms, grandmothers—we worry a lot. We worry about our children, our friends, our careers, our families, our spouses—and the list goes on. We want to be content and trust God with our worries, but it’s a struggle to let go and free ourselves from the burden of anxiety.
If you’re tired of worrying about all the what-ifs in your life and want to experience the calm and contentment that the Bible promises, Calm My Anxious Heart is what you’ve been looking for. Filled with encouragement and practical help for overcoming anxiety, this book includes a ten-week Bible study to help you discover what the Bible says about anxiety and contentment and ways to apply it to your daily life.
Jesus Through the Eyes of Women by Rebecca McLaughlin
Is the Bible anti-women? How does it view women? This book dispels the lies and reveals how women were treated with love, respect, and dignity and God has a special heart for them.
Goodreads Summary: Jesus’s treatment of women was revolutionary. That’s why they flocked to him. Wherever he went, they sought him out. Women sat at his feet and tugged at his robes. They came to him for healing, for forgiveness, and for answers. So what did women see in this first-century Jewish rabbi and what can we learn as we look through their eyes today?
In Jesus through the Eyes of Women, Rebecca McLaughlin explores the life-changing accounts of women who met the Lord. By entering the stories of the named and unnamed women in the Gospels, this book gives readers a unique lens to see Jesus as these women did and marvel at how he loved them in return.
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