4 Books Every Mom Should Read Plus 1 For Adoptive Mamas!

Motherhood has been an interesting journey for me. I’ll be honest, somewhere hidden in the deep recesses of my heart there was more pride than I could have possibly known. I was a fool. The more motherhood knowledge I gain, the more I realize my lack of knowledge.

I guess somehow I thought that since God gave me children, I would just know how to raise them. I would instinctively know what they needed and be able to meet that need. I’m not sure why I thought this. Although I also thought that I would be able to show up at my first appointment after my first baby having lost of the weight and then some. As you can tell, I was a fool. Losing that baby weight took months of diligence. Gaining a real understanding of Godly motherhood has taken years and I am only scratching the surface.

I am not an expert in motherhood. I am a mother in the trenches, trying to love well and apply the Gospel to my daily life with children. I fail miserably quite often (I actually wrote about my failure here too!) More and more God is using my failures to give me compassion for my own children. I believe He has used these books to teach me many Gospel lessons that affect my life as a mom and I honestly believe EVERY mom should read them!

The 4 Books Every Mom Should Read This Year!

1. Parenting by Paul Tripp

This is my absolute FAVORITE parenting book. In it, Paul Tripp lays out 14 Gospel principles that should apply to our parenting. He consistently reminds us that we are more like our children than unlike them and says that realizing that should give us compassion for our children and humble hearts.

He takes the focus off the specific behaviors a child may be exhibiting and puts it on the spiritual reasons behind these behaviors. In doing this he is not saying that we should ignore discipline or consequences. Instead he is calling us to remember that parenting has a far bigger goal than mere outward obedience.

More than once I was brought to tears reading this book and challenged to examine my own heart. Many times on difficult parenting days I open this book for a reminder of just how patient and kind Christ is to me and the encouragement to display that to my children.

I cannot recommend a book more highly for parenting and I honestly think every parent should read it!

2. The Life Giving Table by Sally Clarkson

This book is simple and refreshing. It is filled with practical suggestions to make your home and your table a beautiful place of connection with people. Mothers make thousands of meals over the years and these meals can often feel insignificant and purposeless. The Life-giving Table shows the beauty and significance of this ordinary, everyday place of connection.

This book has given me a renewed passion to make my table enjoyable for everyone included. It has given me creative ideas on how to reach out in love to both guests and family. I highly recommend every mother take the time to be refreshed by this little book.

For more about this book, check out my review of it here.

3. Made for More by Hannah Anderson
This book is not specifically written for mothers. It is written for women in general and is a book I recommend EVERY woman read. It is easy, as mothers, to find our identities in our children. But they should not bear that weight. They are not responsible to fulfill us. Our souls and their lives will feel much freer if we release this bondage from them.

We are not supposed to make our children into idols who are responsible for our happiness and, if we do, we will not find any lasting peace. We are made in the image of God. We are made to reflect back to Him His nature. We are made to show the world what He is like, in our fragile, simple, broken way.

This book has given me language to communicate and think through my own struggles with identity and I highly recommend every mother and every woman read it.

For more about this book, check out my review of it here.

4. Treasuring Christ When Your Hands Are Full by Gloria Furman

This little book is an excellent resource for the tired mom who aches to know and love Christ but whose heart feels burdened by the everyday.

The life of a mom often feels insignificant. It doesn’t matter how many times people tell you the work you do is important, when all you have accomplished in a day is a few loads of laundry and 300 diaper changes, it doesn’t feel very significant.

Gloria Furman shares the significance of these acts of service, not in a way to make you feel better temporarily, but in a way that truly exemplifies the glorious Gospel. These acts of service which no one notices are seen by God and He has a plan to transform you in the midst of it and use your work for His glory.

That is the hope I need as a mom and the hope I suspect you need as well.

PLUS 1 Book for EVERY Adoptive and Foster Parent

5. The Connected Child by Karen Purvis

This book is specifically for the mother who is parenting a child from a “hard place.” I am a pre-adoptive parent and have gained a tremendous amount of knowledge and insight from this little book. It has honestly been very helpful for parenting out biological children as well. Karen Purvis’ ideas are well grounded and extremely insightful.

I look forward to seeing how God uses these principles to extend healing in the lives of my future children.

Resources for the Labor of Motherhood

Motherhood is hard work! In fact, it is the hardest work I think most of us will ever do. But every other job has training. We go to college or trade school, attend weeks, months or even years of training before starting on our own, have professionals mentor and teach us the ropes. Why should we approach the most important work of our lives without these things?

Thankfully God has given insight in His Word. He has given Godly older women who have walked this road before us. He has placed His Holy Spirit inside us. And He has given us many blogs and books to glean from. There is training available. We do not need to feel alone and afraid. God has called us, as mothers, to a great task but there are also great ways to prepare for the task at hand!

These resources have been tremendously helpful in my mothering journey and I trust they will be in yours as well!

These are the 4 books I honestly believe EVERY mom should read. Over the coming years I am certain more will be added to this list but for now, please read these. Your soul will be refreshed, your mind renewed, and you will be able to face the uncertain, difficult days of motherhood with more joy.

Looking for other book recommendations? Check out this post for 6 Must Read Books for Christian Women!

What are some of your favorite books that have helped you as a mom?