35 of the Best Self-Care Books for Moms to Read in 2024

We are always in survival mode these days. Whether you are a working mom or a stay-at-home mom, there is so much to get done and keep track of. We feel like we have to be on top of everything. Moms tend to be the CEO of the household. This can really make us feel burnt out. Taking time out for self-care is so important. Make it part of your routine. Reading is one of my favorite self-care tips for busy moms, especially reading some great self-care books for moms.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn commission from qualifying purchases. This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you. Please read full disclosure for more information.

Reading? Who has time for that?

When I was nearing the end of my pregnancy with my first daughter I bought a bunch of books to read over my maternity leave. I figured that since I was going to have six months off from work I would have so much free time to read. Right? Wrong!

I would stare at my pile of books but always be afraid to pick one up. I figured that as soon as I started reading my daughter would wake up or need to be fed, so I just didn’t pick up a book. Instead I spent the time scrolling through social media, or watching some mindless TV, waiting for my daughter to need me. Meanwhile, I could have gotten some great reading done!

Finally I started to set small goals to myself. I’d try to read a few pages. If my daughter woke up and needed me at least I read a few pages. Most of the time I was able to read more than that, and I was finally able to get back to my love of reading. I suggest you do that too. Start small. Tell yourself you’ll just read a chapter or a certain number of pages, and you will likely end up reading more. Reading is self-care. It’s also a great component of morning routines for moms.

Best Self-Care Books for Moms

One topic I really enjoy reading about is motherhood, real honest motherhood. Moms talking about the good and the bad parts, or giving advice about how to manage motherhood better. Some of the books I’m recommending are books I’ve read already, and others I’ll be adding to my to-read list! These books are also great resources for moms. Here is my recommendation for 35 of the best self-care books for moms in no particular order.

1. The Magic of Motherhood: The Good Stuff, the Hard Stuff, and Everything In Between by Ashlee Gadd

The Magic of Motherhood is a collection of very honest stories about motherhood. Some topics include friendship, identity, and miscarriage. I absolutely loved this book. I related to many of the stories. When I was reading this book I felt like I was sitting around a big table with my friends sharing our mom stories.

2. Breathe Mama, Breathe: 5-Minute Mindfulness for Busy Moms by Shonda Moralis

In Breathe Mama, Breathe, psychotherapist Shonda Moralis gives loads of five minute mindfulness breaks to sprinkle throughout your day. This is another book that I really enjoyed. One of my favorite tips is when drinking your first cup of coffee in the morning really pay attention. Feel the hot mug in your hands, take a sip, and feel the warmth of the coffee as it goes down your throat. I try to incorporate a lot of the mindfulness tips in my day.

3. Busy Toddler’s Guide to Actual Parenting: From Their First “No” to Their First Day of School (and Everything in Between) by Susie Allison

I love everything about “Busy Toddler!” She is one of my favorite people to follow on instagram. I did her “Playing Preschool” program with my older daughter during the pandemic and I’m currently doing her “Summer Camp at Home” program with that same daughter. She also has a great potty training program which I used with my oldest. When I saw that she wrote a book I had to read it. In Busy Toddler’s Guide to Actual Parenting, Susie Allison gives incredibly useful and effective advice for parenting one year olds and up. She shares real moments from raising her three kids which makes her very relatable.

4. Wake Up to the Joy of You: 52 Meditations and Practices for a Calmer, Happier Life by Agapi Stassinopoulos

In Wake Up to the Joy of You, Agapi Stassinopoulos, gives a year’s worth of meditation and mindfulness activities to help focus on self-care. This is the kind of book that you can pick up year after year when you need to reinforce your meditation practice.

5. The Invisible Woman: When Only God Sees – A Special Story for Mothers by Nicole Johnson

It is very easy to feel invisible as a mother. You are taking care of everyone and have the mental load of being CEO of the household on top of it. So much of what we do isn’t really seen. In The Invisible Woman, Nicole Johnson shows the importance of faith, and how leaning on our faith can help pull us through our difficulties.

6. TILT – 7 Solutions To Be A Guilt-Free Working Mom by Marci Fair

In Tilt, Marci Fair shares her insights and tips to help overcome the challenges of being a working mom. I loved this book so much. It is a great book not just for working moms, but for any mom who feels like she has so much on her plate and is pulled in so many different directions. I want to reread this book as my daughters get older since there are great tips for parents of toddlers through high school age.

7. Stretched Too Thin: How Working Moms Can Lose the Guilt, Work Smarter, and Thrive by Jessica N. Turner

In Stretched Too Thin, Jessica Turner teaches parents how to work and parent without guilt, and set work boundaries and realistic life goals. I really enjoyed this book. It was like meeting with the therapist that we probably all need! I think it would be a great read for stay-at-home moms too. It has really good advice about balancing everything and making time for what is important.

8. Girl Wash Your Face: Stop Believing the Lies About Who You Are So You Can Become Who You Were Meant To Be by Rachel Hollis

In Girl Wash Your Face, Rachel Hollis talks about the twenty lies we have told ourselves so many times that hold us back, and she gives strategies on how to move past them. This was another great book. It was exactly the kind of book I needed to read at the time, and it felt like a girlfriend was giving me advice. I could relate to the majority of the lies that we tell ourselves.

9. Fair Play: A Game-Changing Solution for When You Have Too Much to Do (and More Life to Live) by Eve Rodsky

I’ve really struggled with the mental load of being a mother, all the things that I do that aren’t really seen. In Fair Play, Eve Rodsky describes the system that she developed to split up domestic responsibilities. All responsibilities involve conception, planning, and execution. Moms tend to do a lot of the conception and planning, even for the responsibilities that we don’t execute, which makes the mental load overwhelming. My husband and I both read this book and are following the fair play method, which has helped a lot with relieving some of my mental load. I definitely still struggle, but life is a lot more manageable.

10. The Empowered Mama: How to Reclaim Your Time and Yourself While Raising a Happy, Healthy Family by Lisa Druxman

In The Empowered Mama, Lisa Druxman has put together a workbook full of various tools to help moms reconnect with themselves during the journey of motherhood.

11. The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts by Gary Chapman

We all communicate and show love differently. In The 5 Love Languages, Gary Chapman shares his approach for showing and receiving love that will help us continue to stay in love with our partners.

12. Cat and Nat’s Mom Truths: Embarrassing Stories and Brutally Honest Advice on the Extremely Real Struggle of Motherhood by Catherine Belknap and Natalie Telfer

Best friends Catherine Belknap and Natalie Telfer share their real and honest stories about pregnancy, the toddler years, and beyond in Mom Truths. They share what you think you need versus what you actually did need in those exhausting days of being a new mom.

13. The 10 Habits of Happy Mothers: Reclaiming Our Passion, Purpose, and Sanity by Meg Meeker, M.D.

Meg Meeker shares that the ten issues that mothers struggle with are friendship, simplicity, love, value, faith, solitude, money, fear, hope, and purpose. I’ve definitely struggled with a lot of those issues! In The 10 Habits of Happy Mothers, Dr. Meeker gives action plans for addressing those issues and living more fulfilled lives.

14. The 5 Love Languages of Children: The Secret to Loving Children Effectively by Gary Chapman and Ross Campbell

Just like we communicate and show love differently than our partners, we also communicate and show love differently than our children. In The 5 Love Languages of Children, Gary Chapman and Ross Campbell give useful advice for discovering and speaking our child’s love language and using those languages to help our child learn best.

15. Hello Beautiful: Break Free from the Chains of Regret, Self Doubt and Comparison, and Discover the Freedom, Power and Beauty of Being the Real You by Keryl Pesce

In Hello Beautiful, Keryl Pesce shows us how to deal with our inner critic. We should not fight against it, and instead, she helps us develop a relationship with our inner critic and help it work for us.

16. No More Perfect Moms: Learn to Love Your Real Life by Jill Savage

Jill Savage lets us know that we are not alone. All moms struggle. We don’t meet our standards and then we feel insecure about not meeting them. In No More Perfect Moms, Jill helps us have more realistic expectations and give grace and love to ourselves and our families.

17. Girl, Stop Apologizing: A Shame-Free Plan for Embracing and Achieving Your Goals by Rachel Hollis

In Girl, Stop Apologizing, Rachel Hollis challenges us to stop talking ourselves out of our dreams, urges us to let go of the many excuses we make for ourselves, and helps us grow, become more confident, and believe in ourselves. I loved Girl, Wash Your Face so I plan to read this book too!

18. Mom Babble: The Messy Truth About Motherhood by Mary Katherine Backstrom

Mary Katherine Backstrom gives those of us in the difficult, exhausting days of motherhood some hope, humor, and inspiration in Mom Babble. This book is a collection of very real, and honest essays.

19. Enough About the Baby: A Brutally Honest Guide to Surviving the First Year of Motherhood by Becky Vieira

I wish this book was around when my girls were at the newborn age! It’s rare that people talk about the difficult days of having a newborn. In Enough About the Baby, Becky Vieira gives extremely useful advice for mothers on what to expect after pregnancy and how to deal with the challenges of having a newborn. I follow Becky on instagram and she is always so honest and relatable!

20. Self-Care Self-Love For Overwhelmed Moms: 17 Truths to Silence Guilt, Discover Your True Identity, Build Healthier Relationships and Believe You Are More Than Enough by Marissa Leinart

As moms, we put everyone else before ourselves. However, taking care of ourselves first makes us better moms. In Self-Care Self-Love For Overwhelmed Moms, Marissa Leinart shares the seventeen truths that will transform our mindset on self-care and self-love. Every chapter includes affirmations and journaling too. I cannot wait to read this book!

21. More Than A Mom: Finding Purpose In The Everyday Monotony Without Losing Yourself Or Your Sanity by Ashley Carbonatto

In More Than a Mom, Ashley Carbonatto shares her stories and honest reflection for how to survive motherhood. She is the sister who, with her honesty and humor, can guide us along on the hard path of being a mother.

22. You Are a F*cking Awesome Mom by Leslie Anne Bruce

This is a great book for new moms. In You Are a F*cking Awesome Mom, Leslie Anne Bruce offers lessons to new mothers on how to get through the early days when your head feels like it is spinning and you do not know which way is up, and emerge stronger than ever.

23. Good Moms Have Scary Thoughts: A Healing Guide to the Secret Fears of New Mothers by Karen Kleiman

In Good Moms Have Scary Thoughts, Karen Kleiman gives guidance and exercises to help new moms validate and share their feelings, and start to feel better. I had many intrusive thoughts after giving birth, which made me feel so alone. This book helps us realize that many new moms think and feel the same way.

24. Create Anyway: The Joy of Pursuing Creativity in the Margins of Motherhood by Ashlee Gadd

It is hard to find time to pursue your creative dreams as a mom. There are so many other tasks that need to get done. In Create Anyway, Ashlee Gadd helps us see that it is essential to have creative hobbies as a mom. Creativity could be writing, drawing, painting, photography, baking, etc. I am sure there is some kind of creative activity that you enjoy. I know when I get my creative juices flowing, I feel better about myself, and when I feel better about myself I am a better mom.

25. More Than a Mom: How Prioritizing Your Wellness Helps You (and Your Family) Thrive by Kari Kampakis

In More Than a Mom, Kari Kampakis teaches us that we need to take care of ourselves in order to help our families thrive. Kari gives us a practical framework for meeting our needs.

26. Didn’t See That Coming: Putting Life Back Together When Your World Falls Apart by Rachel Hollis

In Didn’t See That Coming, Rachel Hollis helps us take those really difficult experiences we have to go through, whether that is fear, grief, loss, or betrayal, and learn from them. She shows us that these moments help us grow.

27. The Fringe Hours: Making Time for You by Jessica N. Turner

I have had many days where at the end of the day as I’m lying in bed I realize that I did so much for other people but I did not do anything for myself. In The Fringe Hours, Jessica N. Turner urges moms to take blocks of time in the day to practice self-care.

28. Find Your Unicorn Space: Reclaim Your Creative Life in a Too-Busy World by Eve Rodsky

Eve Rodsky calls the time where we focus on our creative interests our “unicorn space”. In Find Your Unicorn Space, she guides us to rediscover our creative interests and to reclaim the time that we need to share those interests. I really enjoyed Eve’s other book, Fair Play, so I definitely plan to read this one!

29. Dying To Be A Good Mother: How I Dropped the Guilt and Took Control of My Parenting and My Life by Heather Chauvin

In Dying To Be A Good Mother, Heather Chauvin takes us through her journey of being a working mother of three to being diagnosed with stage 4 cancer and teaches us how to put ourselves first and find the happiness that we need to survive.

30. How to Stop Losing Your Sh*t with Your Kids: A Practical Guide to Becoming a Calmer, Happier Parent by Carla Naumburg

Carla Naumburg guides us on how to be a calmer and happier parent in How to Stop Losing Your Sh*t With Your Kids. I’ve had plenty of mommy meltdowns so I plan to read this book.

31. Motherwhelmed: Challenging Norms, Untangling Truths, and Restoring Our Worth to the World by Beth Berry

In Motherwhelmed, Beth Berry uses compassion and honesty to explore the difficulties of modern motherhood. We are told many motherhood myths and when we cannot keep up we think that we are bad mothers. We are not bad mothers, we are just mothering in a culture that unfortunately, is not able to support us.

32. How to be a Happier Parent: Raising a Family, Having a Life, and Loving (Almost) Every Minute by KJ Dell’Antonia

KJ Dell’Antonia helps us find happiness in our daily lives in How to Be a Happier Parent. She focuses on nine problems that tend to bring parents the most stress.

33. Mommy Burnout: How to Reclaim Your Life and Raise Healthier Children in the Process by Dr. Sheryl G. Ziegler

Mommy Burnout is a handbook for today’s moms. Dr. Sheryl G. Ziegler has many years of experience working with families. That experience helped her devise a program to help moms combat “mommy burnout”.

34. Mama, You Are Enough: How to Create Calm, Joy, and Confidence Within the Chaos of Motherhood by Dr. Claire Nicogossian

In Mama, You Are Enough, Dr. Claire Nicogossian teaches us about shadow emotions. Shadow emotions show up as sadness, anger, fear, embarrassment, disgust, or a combination. Dr. Nicogossian shares tips and strategies to help moms in all stages of motherhood feel more joy, peace, and fulfillment in their lives.

35. To Have and to Hold: Motherhood, Marriage, and the Modern Dilemma by Molly Millwood PhD

Molly Millwood explores the complexities of new motherhood and how it affects partners in To Have and to Hold. She helps moms get back their identities, overcome guilt, and repair relationships.

Happy Reading!

Reading about motherhood and books about generational trauma makes me feel less alone. It is comforting to know that there are other moms out there with similar feelings and experiences as me. Get nice and comfortable in your cozy mom reading nook and enjoy these books!