Let’s face it—motherhood is messy, chaotic, and often far from picture-perfect. While some moms seem to have it all together (shoutout to the Pinterest queens and PTO pros), the rest of us are just out here trying to keep everyone alive, moderately clean, and occasionally fed something other than chicken nuggets.
If you’re like me—the mom who sometimes hides in the bathroom for five minutes of peace or considers dry shampoo a lifestyle—these books are your new best friends. They’re relatable, funny, raw, and packed with the kind of wisdom that feels like a warm hug and a good laugh rolled into one.
Because let’s be real: perfection is overrated, and being a “good enough” mom is already pretty extraordinary. So grab one of these books, pour yourself a cup of coffee (or wine, no judgment here), and remember—you’re doing amazing.
The reality of Motherhood
I work full-time, so no, I don’t make every field trip or volunteer in the school library. I’m not the president of the parent’s club and in fact, I’ve never even attended a meeting. I could probably struggle through a halfway decent birthday cake but I prefer to shell out the extra cash for professional cakes that don’t look like they were decorated by a Tyrannosaurus Rex on his first day of cooking class. Let’s face it, when I attempt a pinterest project, it is always a pinterest fail.
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These books are amazing resources for those of us who didn’t just magically become “perfect moms” when our littles came out of the womb! So put the kids to bed, grab that glass of wine, and cozy up with a book that understands you and will have you laughing!
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The Best Books for Moms – No Matter the Stage of Motherhood
1. Cat and Nat’s Mom Truths: Embarrassing Stories & Brutally Honest Advice on the Extremely Real Struggle of Motherhood
If you know who Catherine Belknap and Natalie Telfer are, you likely agree that they are quite a hilarious duo for mothers everywhere to relate to. After building an enormous online community, including millions of social media followers, they have taken to paper and created this book! Read all of the hilarious and incredibly true stories of motherhood that you don’t see plastered on that “perfect” mom’s facebook page!
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2. Where the Wild Moms Are by Katie Blackburn
You’ve read Where the Wild Things Are, right? Well then, you are just going to be absolutely smitten with this hilarious new version by Katie Blackburn. Follow an over-tired mom through her journey to finding the place Where the Wild Moms Are. She has found her tribe, and they crown her Queen. This is a must read!
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3. #IMomSoHard by Kristin Hensley & Jen Smedley
Similar to Cat and Nat, these moms are a hilarious duo who know exactly what it means to “momsohard”. This book is kind of like having a sleepover with your best momfriends. All of the laughter, war-stories about diaper explosions, discussions about kegels (who the fu*% DOES those things?!) and straight up reality about things like PPD and mean moms. Grab a glass of wine and get ready for a great time with your two new best friends!
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4. Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis
Rachel Hollis has become known widely for her ability to be honest, EVEN on the internet! In a world of perfection, it’s important to find people who showcase their reality, while still teaching us how to improve our own lives. This book explores the lies and misconceptions that we often tell ourselves, which prevent us from living our best life and doing all we came here to conquer.
5. Girl, Stop Apologizing
After the immense love Rachel received from her first book (above) she realized the need for women to understand that they are allowed to be who they are and live to their full potential. This book details how women across the globe can come into their own and be the person they truly are, instead of just wife, mom, employee, etc. This book will give you the courage and confidence to stand up and shoot for the stars, no matter what might be holding you back! Never apologize for who you are.
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6. Moms Who Drink and Swear by Nicole Knepper
I am going to simply share with you a portion of the text on the back of this fine piece of literature, as the moment I read it, I knew this book was written for me. “ATTENTION all potty-mouthed, cheap-wine-drinking mothers: Prepare to meet your match. Any bad thought you’ve had about your kids, Nicole Knepper(author) has had worse. Much worse. It’s not that she doesn’t love her kids. It’s that she understands what a mind-f*?% it can be to try to civilize those wild little beasts.” Sign me up, this is my kind of read!
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7. Sh*tty Mom by Karen Moline, Mary Ann Zoellner, Alicia Ybarbo, & Laurie Kilmartin
The ultimate parenting guide that you never knew you needed in your life. Sure, those “What to Expect When Expecting” type books are great at first, but come on. Let’s address the real scenarios of raising these kids. Like what to do when they wake you up at 5:00 A.M. Every. Single. Saturday and you are desperate for sleep. This audiobook will give you serious “Yaaaaaas” moments throughout!
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8. Confessions of a Domestic Failure by Bunmi Laditan
A novel that will have you nodding your head in agreement ALL through the chapters. This heartwarming story follows a career woman named Ashley who becomes a stay-at-home mom and is desperately trying to find her place in the world of SAHM-Life. She gets the chance to participate in a mommy boot camp and trust me when I say, hilarity ensues! For those of us who have made or are making that transition, we can relate to how hard it is to go from working woman to having a boss that wears diapers!
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9. Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg
In case you aren’t already aware, Sheryl Sandberg is the COO of Facebook and 8th on Fortune’s list of the 50 most powerful women in business. She’s an incredible icon for women everywhere who are balancing all the things! This book provides incredible advice, motivation, and inspiration for working women (and women in general) on how to assert themselves and follow their dreams, in a male-dominated world of business.
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10. The Balance Project by Susie Orman Schnall
If you LOVE good novel to curl up with you are going to go crazy for this one. Featured in Buzzfeed, Huffington Post, and many more, this is a novel about the loyalty and choices that all women are faced with. The story follows an assistant named Lucy who works for a high-powered woman named Katherine who “has it all” in life. Throughout the story Katherine’s life begins to crumble and Lucy is left to contain the mess. This throws Lucy’s life into just as much of an imbalance and she’s forced to make all of the hard decisions regarding loyalty.
11. I Know How She Does It by Laura Vanderkam
The absolutely genius guide to effectively using your time to the best of your ability! We can’t add more hours to the day but we can definitely do better about placing the right tasks into each of those hours to be successful. Learn how some of the most successful women balance families and careers effectively in this great read by a time-management expert.
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The Best Books for Moms – Honorable Mentions
1. Be That Mom by Tina O’Connor
Such a good book for those moms who just can’t figure out how to juggle it all! If you’re like me, it seems impossible to keep a clean house, healthy meals cooked, happy children, AND stay sane! This inspirational guide will give you all of the motivation and tips you need to balance life and have time to enjoy it!
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2. F*ck This S*it Show: A Gratitude Journal by Crazy Tired Beetches
Definitely the perfect gift for any new, newly stressed, or extremely overwhelmed momma friend! You’re guaranteed to laugh while going through the prompts in this journal and will feel a million times better after a bit of light journaling (with wine of course!). Prompts such as “A**hole for the day:” are sure to get you laughing while reflecting on the intricate complexities of life in general!
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3. The Pie Life by Samantha Ettus
The perfect book for the working mom! While it’s certainly a bit less “humorous” than the other suggestions, this book is definitely packed with awesome advice. Learn to perfectly balance every facet of life, from motherhood to career to wife, to achieve peaceful success in all areas!
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4. I Just Want to Pee Alone – By Various Mom Bloggers
This must-read breath of fresh air is an incredibly funny and warm collection of essays about all things motherhood. As you can tell by the title, this book is perfect for those of us who just need a break. Just a minute to laugh and realize we aren’t the only ones with these crazy motherhood moments!
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