Book List for Moms

With the kids going back to school, they’re probably receiving book lists from their teachers. What about you, though? While you may have been too busy to sit down and relax with a good book over the summer, now that the kids are in school, you may have more time to devote to reading. Whether you prefer to lose yourself in a great work of fiction, or to use your time learning new skills or exploring new ideas, here are some books for you to check out the next time you find yourself in a library or bookstore:

• Room: A Novel, by Emma Donoghue. Every parent’s worst fear is explored in this fictional account of a young woman who was kidnapped as a teen and forced to live in her captor’s backyard shed for years. The story is told by her five-year-old son, Jack. The events in the novel unfold into a heart-pounding climax, then you’re allowed to catch your breath during the second part, when Jack and his Ma have to acclimate to life outside of their Room.
• A Thousand Splendid Suns, by Khaled Hosseini. What happens on the other side of the world, in the country of Afghanistan, is largely a mystery to most of us. Though we’ve heard words like “Taliban” and “jihad” bandied about over the past decade, the truth of the matter is that the majority of us don’t know much about the daily life in this war-torn country. Khaled Hossieni brings us the story of two women, Mariam and Laila, and their unexpected friendship as they navigate life as Afghan women.
• The Four-Hour Workweek, by Timothy Ferriss. Whether you’re a stay-at-home mom or a work-out-of-the-home mom, The Four-Hour Workweek can give you a lot of ideas for realizing your dream of starting your own business. The topics in the book range from outsourcing various parts of your life to overseas workers, to traveling the world with your family. In short, it’s a book that can open your eyes to some out-of-the-box possibilities of small business ownership, even if they’re not applicable to your current situation.
• Yoga for Your Brain: A Zentangle Workout, by Sandy Steen Bartholemew. Having recently learned about Zentangle, a type of doodling, I was mesmerized by this book. So many doodle designs are featured, for you to copy or modify. Sure, doodling might not be the most productive way to spend time, but we all do it, so we might as well do it well! It’s a relaxing way to waste a bit of time, and you don’t need to be a great artist to do it.

This is a motley medley of books, so maybe one or more of them will appeal to you. Have you read anything great? What’s on your must-read list for fall, now that the evenings will be longer and the kids are in school and going to bed earlier? Share your favorites with other Shopaholic Mommy readers!