We have updated our Privacy Policy Please take a moment to review it. By continuing to use this site, you agree to the terms of our updated Privacy Policy.

Our Pick of the Best Bookish Gifts for Mother’s Day.

With Mother’s Day just around the corner (31st March, in case you’ve forgotten!) we’ve pulled together the perfect list of bookish gifts for the lovely ladies in your life. From inspirational advice from our beloved Katie Piper to a laugh-out-loud lesson in ‘the rules of parenting’ in The Mummy Diaries, there’s a little something for all the mums on your list! Here’s what to buy this Mother’s Day…

Things I’d Tell My Child by Katie Piper and Diane Piper

We rooted for her on Strictly last year, we feel inspired every time she’s on our TVs, and now we weep when we hear all about the things Katie Piper will tell her children…

From the moment I knew my first baby was a girl I started to plan, hope and dream. I couldn’t wait to experience that special bond, but I wondered how I’d feel about being a working mum, how I’d hold on to the person I am. I also knew that the world has changed so much since I was growing up. What advice, values and role models would help give my daughter the confidence and strength to cope with all that might come her way – and to give her an open mind and warm heart?

This is my journey in motherhood: my experiences, hopes and fears – with my mum’s stories of raising me, a parenting expert’s advice and empowering exercises – to guide you from those first wobbly moments to being a happy, healthy mum and raising children who aren’t afraid to be themselves – and to go for the life they want. 

The Lemon Tree Hotel by Rosanna Ley

A story about love, family secrets, and a little piece of heaven…

In the beautiful village of Vernazza, the Mazzone family have transformed an old convent overlooking the glamorous Italian Riviera into the elegant Lemon Tree Hotel. For Chiara, her daughter Elene and her granddaughter Isabella, the running of their hotel is the driving force in their lives.

One day, two unexpected guests check in. The first, Dante, is a face from Chiara’s past, but what exactly happened between them all those years ago, Elene wonders. Meanwhile, Isabella is preoccupied with the second guest, a mysterious young man who seems to know a lot about the history of the old convent and the people who live there. Isabella is determined to find out his true intentions and discover the secret past of the Lemon Tree Hotel.

the key

The Key by Kathryn Hughes

A hidden note. A lost love. A second chance…

‘A wonderful, enthralling story; one that I didn’t want to end’ Lesley Pearse

‘A heartbreakingly powerful read’ The Sun

From the #1 bestselling author of The Letter, Kathryn Hughes, comes The Key, an unforgettable story of a heartbreaking secret that will stay with you for ever.

1956

It’s Ellen Crosby’s first day as a student nurse at Ambergate Hospital. When she meets a young woman admitted by her father, little does Ellen know that a choice she will make is to change both their lives for ever…

2006

Sarah is drawn to the now abandoned Ambergate. Whilst exploring the old corridors she discovers a suitcase belonging to a female patient who entered Ambergate fifty years earlier. The shocking contents, untouched for half a century, will lead Sarah to unravel a forgotten story of tragedy and lost love, and the chance to make an old wrong right . . .

The Hideaway

The Hideaway by Sheila O’Flanagan

The breathtaking novel from Sunday Times bestselling Sheila O’Flanagan, author of THE MISSING WIFE and WHAT HAPPENED THAT NIGHT. Perfect for readers of Catherine Alliott and Marian Keyes.

What would you do if you discovered you were living a lie?

When a shocking news report shatters Juno Ryan’s world, she suddenly finds herself without the man she loves – and with no way of getting the answers she needs.

Juno flees to the enchanting Villa Naranja in Spain. The blue skies and orange groves – along with Pep, the local winemaker’s handsome son – begin to soothe her broken heart. But just when she begins to feel whole again, another bombshell drops.

Juno might have run away from her secrets, but the past isn’t finished with her…

M for Mammy By Eleanor O’Reilly

‘M is for Mammy. It’s also for Marvellous! What a wonderful story – in turns heart-breaking, heartwarming, and hilarious. Granny Mae-Anne is a FABULOUS creation.’ – Ruth Hogan

A heart-warming debut about love and language and the power of a family to heal itself

M for Mammy is a gloriously funny, bittersweet debut novel, reminiscent of the work of Roddy Doyle. It follows the fortunes of the Augustt family as they struggle to cope when Annette, the mother, suffers a stroke and is sent away to Dublin for rehabilitation.

Inimitable matriarch Granny Mae-Anne is enlisted to help and sweeps in with her cleaning products and her pictures of the pope. She doesn’t have much time for her feckless son in law Kevin, but would do anything for her grandchildren, Jacob who is five and has been diagnosed with autism, and Jenny, ten, who is besotted with books and stories and knows more about what is going on than anyone gives her credit for. Everyone is worried about how Jacob is coping, but no one seems to notice Jenny spinning off the rails. Will Mae-Anne be able to hold everything together until Annette comes home? Can they ever be a proper family again, when so much has changed?

The Mummy Lessons by Helen Wallen

Parenting: The Rules

1) Try to sleep when the baby sleeps (SO NEVER. EVER. UNTIL YOU ARE AN EMPTY WINE-SOAKED HUSK AND FALL DOWN DEAD IN THE BABY AISLE AT TESCO.)

2) Eat when the baby sleeps (SEE POINT ABOVE.)

3) Remember to take time to pause and cherish these special days (HAHAHA . . .  YOU’RE KIDDING, RIGHT?)

After a tough pregnancy, Emily is determined to tackle motherhood like a pro. But she quickly learns that Insta-Perfect-Parenting (and sleep) is hard to come by, no matter how much money you spend in Mothercare.

Irritatingly, her friend Molly seems to be breezing it. But with a business venture as well as a baby, is she taking on too much?

Liz looks as though she might have it all worked out. But when a tragedy derails her relationship, she has some serious decisions to make. From rhyme time to wine time, THE MUMMY LESSONS follows a year of highs and lows for Emily, Molly and Liz as they learn the hardest lesson of all: that life doesn’t always follow the rules . . .