100 books like Life as a mother

By Chantelle Lambert,

Here are 100 books that Life as a mother fans have personally recommended if you like Life as a mother. Shepherd is a community of 11,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of Parenting With Depression Made Easier: how to defeat depression and mental illness with power, love and family.

Dawn Thomas-Cameron Author Of The Path to Perfection: Parenting without a roadmap: tales from a (non) perfect parent

From my list on honest, real life, emotion evoking parents.

Why am I passionate about this?

I started this book in 2007. It was a compilation of stories from my experience as a parent; there was no structure to it at all. When my second husband passed in 2017, an ad appeared in Facebook for Author Academy Elite (AAE). I knew it was my late husband giving me that one final push to get the book done. As a (non) perfect parent of three children, I felt my experience could benefit others as I am continuing my journey along my Path to Perfection. As a person who has struggled with depression for her entire life, I can honestly say that parenting is hard. We are all doing the best we can with what we have. And that’s why I think you’ll enjoy these books!

Dawn's book list on honest, real life, emotion evoking parents

Dawn Thomas-Cameron Why did Dawn love this book?

This book, again, tackles mental health issues. And yes, I cried reading it. It defines depression and explains the different types of mental illness. In the second chapter, it debunks 10 myths around depression. The author encourages you to address your mental illness and gives you various methods to do so.


By Evan Richards,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Parenting With Depression Made Easier as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

If you are a parent with depression, anxiety or mental illness please seek out help before it’s too late.

Parenting With Depression: Made Easier is for parents with depression or mental illness, written and advised by parents with depression and mental illness. In this book I give you vital information, tips and skills gained from my experiences as a dad as well as other mothers and fathers and licensed therapists. I take a loving warm approach, like you are my own family, and translate this information into a language that is easier for you to understand. This is the self-help…


Book cover of The Smiling Mask: Truths about Postpartum Depression and Parenthood

Dawn Thomas-Cameron Author Of The Path to Perfection: Parenting without a roadmap: tales from a (non) perfect parent

From my list on honest, real life, emotion evoking parents.

Why am I passionate about this?

I started this book in 2007. It was a compilation of stories from my experience as a parent; there was no structure to it at all. When my second husband passed in 2017, an ad appeared in Facebook for Author Academy Elite (AAE). I knew it was my late husband giving me that one final push to get the book done. As a (non) perfect parent of three children, I felt my experience could benefit others as I am continuing my journey along my Path to Perfection. As a person who has struggled with depression for her entire life, I can honestly say that parenting is hard. We are all doing the best we can with what we have. And that’s why I think you’ll enjoy these books!

Dawn's book list on honest, real life, emotion evoking parents

Dawn Thomas-Cameron Why did Dawn love this book?

This book focused on three stories from women who experienced postpartum depression in varying degrees. Through the stories, it raises awareness about various degrees of postpartum depression and the spectrum of symptoms. The stories are raw and emotional.  And yes, I cried through many parts of the story.

The title refers to how we try to hide from the realities of parenting by wearing smiling masks even when we are depressed. A must-read for ANY parent – any gender, any experience level.

By Carla Joan O'Reilly, Peggy Collins, Tania Bird , Elita Paterson

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Smiling Mask as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Truths about Postpartum Depression and Parenthood


Book cover of Diapers to Dorms: Raising Kids You Actually Like, Who Others Like, and Who Like Themselves

Dawn Thomas-Cameron Author Of The Path to Perfection: Parenting without a roadmap: tales from a (non) perfect parent

From my list on honest, real life, emotion evoking parents.

Why am I passionate about this?

I started this book in 2007. It was a compilation of stories from my experience as a parent; there was no structure to it at all. When my second husband passed in 2017, an ad appeared in Facebook for Author Academy Elite (AAE). I knew it was my late husband giving me that one final push to get the book done. As a (non) perfect parent of three children, I felt my experience could benefit others as I am continuing my journey along my Path to Perfection. As a person who has struggled with depression for her entire life, I can honestly say that parenting is hard. We are all doing the best we can with what we have. And that’s why I think you’ll enjoy these books!

Dawn's book list on honest, real life, emotion evoking parents

Dawn Thomas-Cameron Why did Dawn love this book?

This unique book is from a father's perspective, which you don't see very much these days. The lessons in this book are told through humorous stories, which we can all relate to. It tackles topics like building your confidence as a parent, recognizing the fact your children are different and identifying what’s important during each stage of a child’s life. The book is more of a “how-to” manual. It is rooted in Christianity.

By Randy Pardue,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Diapers to Dorms as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

YOU NEED A PLAN BECAUSE THERE ARE NO DO-OVERS IN PARENTING!Let’s be honest, raising kids is hard. At any given stage of parenting, we find ourselves frustrated at not being confident about what we should be doing. We wonder if we are too hard or too soft on our toddler. We’re not sure we are teaching our grade schoolers everything they need to succeed, and we feel like we’re losing control of our high schooler. We ask ourselves questions like, “Am I good enough?” “Am I doing the right things?” “Do my kids love me?”We all intend to raise good…


Book cover of The 10-Minute Refresh for Moms: Less Stress, More Joy

Dawn Thomas-Cameron Author Of The Path to Perfection: Parenting without a roadmap: tales from a (non) perfect parent

From my list on honest, real life, emotion evoking parents.

Why am I passionate about this?

I started this book in 2007. It was a compilation of stories from my experience as a parent; there was no structure to it at all. When my second husband passed in 2017, an ad appeared in Facebook for Author Academy Elite (AAE). I knew it was my late husband giving me that one final push to get the book done. As a (non) perfect parent of three children, I felt my experience could benefit others as I am continuing my journey along my Path to Perfection. As a person who has struggled with depression for her entire life, I can honestly say that parenting is hard. We are all doing the best we can with what we have. And that’s why I think you’ll enjoy these books!

Dawn's book list on honest, real life, emotion evoking parents

Dawn Thomas-Cameron Why did Dawn love this book?

As a parent, we all struggle with self-care.  The book is relatable. Real-life stories highlight the struggles many moms go through. The author talks about how we put so much on ourselves as moms and yet we still feel unworthy.

With the help of this book, moms can evoke self-care for themselves - in as little as 10 minutes a day. There is a course you can take along with it if you want.

By Nichole B. Clark,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The 10-Minute Refresh for Moms as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Want to Jumpstart Your Mama Heart?

Many moms don’t want others to know the truth…

That they are struggling.

That being a mother is much harder than they anticipated.

That they don’t feel good enough and are forgetting who they are or what they like because every waking moment is spent taking care of everyone but themselves. 

It can be an overwhelming and underappreciated job...

Even if it's the best job title in the world. 

It is common for moms to have a million tabs open in their mind at all times and to therefore feel burned out and overwhelmed.…


Book cover of The Yellow Wallpaper

Jennifer Cody Epstein Author Of The Madwomen of Paris

From my list on badass madwomen.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve always been fascinated by books that explore the slow, painful unraveling of the human psyche. In part, I think because it’s something so many more of us either fear or experience (at least to some degree) than anyone really wants to admit—but it’s also just such rich material for literary unpacking. I also love books with strong, angry female protagonists who fight back against oppression in all of its forms, so books about pissed-off madwomen are a natural go-to for me. Extra points if they teach me something I didn’t know before-which is almost always the case with historical novels in this genre. 

Jennifer's book list on badass madwomen

Jennifer Cody Epstein Why did Jennifer love this book?

I love this book first and foremost because it is essentially the OG of madwomen narratives. Written in 1892, it is a super-creepy, sensory, trippy exploration of one woman’s sanity slowly being shredded by male medical “expertise”—in this case, a doctor’s prescription for postpartum depression: utter isolation in a bedroom with no intellectual stimulation... in order to alleviate postpartum depression (?!). Unsurprisingly, rather than “recovering,” the heroine drags readers down a terrifying rabbit hole of hallucination, self-destruction, and—ultimately—murder.

It’s a masterful, Hitchcockian deep dive into psychosis written over a half-century before Psycho. But it’s also an extremely satisfying example of feminist revenge-writing; Perkins not only drew on her own experience after suffering this “treatment” but sent a copy directly to her practitioner after its publication. Pow!

By Charlotte Perkins Gilman,

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked The Yellow Wallpaper as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The Yellow Wallpaper (original title: "The Yellow Wall-paper. A Story") is a 6,000-word short story by the American writer Charlotte Perkins Gilman, first published in January 1892 in The New England Magazine. It is regarded as an important early work of American feminist literature, illustrating attitudes in the 19th century toward women's health, both physical and mental.


Presented in the first person, the story is a collection of journal entries written by a woman whose physician husband (John) has rented an old mansion for the summer. Forgoing other rooms in the house, the couple moves into the upstairs nursery. As…


Book cover of Sad Dad: An Exploration of Postnatal Depression in Fathers

Mark Williams Author Of Fathers and Perinatal Mental Health: A Guide for Recognition, Treatment and Management

From my list on for new fathers about their mental health.

Why am I passionate about this?

Mark Williams is a keynote speaker, author, and international campaigner. In 2004 he himself experienced depression and suffered in silence for years until he entered community mental health services. He founded International Fathers Mental Health Day and #Howareyoudad campaign to make sure all parents are having support for the whole family. In 2020 Mark published the report called "Fathers Reaching Out - Why Dads Matter" to explain the importance of paternal mental health which has far better outcomes for the whole family and the development of the child when we include fathers. Mark is also an ambassador for Mothers For Mothers Charity.

Mark's book list on for new fathers about their mental health

Mark Williams Why did Mark love this book?

The book includes a review of recent studies and research in this area, looking at the effects of postnatal depression on children and relationships, and an investigation into the reasons behind male postnatal depression, including the social and psychoanalytic factors which go some way to explaining why men experience this depression as well as women.

By Olivia Spencer,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Sad Dad as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

What happens to men when they become fathers? Why do some men get depressed, and how can we identify those who are? What does this mean for their children and their relationships? What can we do about it? Taking in many different perspectives, this book sheds light on the many aspects of postnatal depression in fathers - an unknown subject to many people. The book includes a review of recent studies and research in this area, looking at the effects of postnatal depression on children and relationships, and an investigation into the reasons behind male postnatal depression, including the social…


Book cover of Happy With Baby: Essential Relationship Advice When Partners Become Parents

Elly Taylor Author Of Becoming Us: The Couple's Guide to Parenthood

From my list on pregnancy and new parenthood for couples.

Why am I passionate about this?

Around 25 years ago, I thought my husband and I were ready for parenthood…until we got there. And as a relationship counselor, I was listening to countless stories of couples struggling through the rollercoaster ride of becoming a family too. So I wondered: can couples actually prepare for this? For years I waited for a book to recommend to my clients to guide them after our sessions ended and I ended up writing (an award-winning) one instead. This turned into training for professionals, and now expectant couples are doing Becoming Us courses at the hospitals where our three children were born. And, thankfully, there are more books to support new families too!

Elly's book list on pregnancy and new parenthood for couples

Elly Taylor Why did Elly love this book?

I love Catherine’s sense of humor. Even the contents page makes me laugh out loud! Catherine shares anecdotes from her own relationship with her husband Rick and examples from other couples that make this book really relatable and easy to digest. Happy With Baby provides concrete, real-world advice, lots of compassion, and inspiration for some specific topics not covered by other books including: overcoming a hard pregnancy, three questions to ask daily for better communication between partners, what to say when mom needs to take self-care and handling unwanted parenting advice that can sometimes create conflict between parents. There’s plenty of empathy in here and also some good laughs.

Best for: new parents and friends of new parents to recommend to them.

By Catherine O'Brien,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Happy With Baby as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Less sleep, stressful life changes, and even postpartum depression are things most new parents know are possible when baby comes home.

Sudden relationship and personal challenges might come as a big surprise though! Navigating life as a family can be harder than expected. Between unwanted parenting advice and no time for self-care, good communication with your partner can halt to a standstill. Your once-steady partner suddenly feels like part of the problem.

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Catherine O’Brien and her husband lay out the communication skills and relationship strategies that new moms and dads need during baby’s first year…


Book cover of DAD: Untold stories of Fatherhood, Love, Mental Health and Masculinity

Mark Williams Author Of Fathers and Perinatal Mental Health: A Guide for Recognition, Treatment and Management

From my list on for new fathers about their mental health.

Why am I passionate about this?

Mark Williams is a keynote speaker, author, and international campaigner. In 2004 he himself experienced depression and suffered in silence for years until he entered community mental health services. He founded International Fathers Mental Health Day and #Howareyoudad campaign to make sure all parents are having support for the whole family. In 2020 Mark published the report called "Fathers Reaching Out - Why Dads Matter" to explain the importance of paternal mental health which has far better outcomes for the whole family and the development of the child when we include fathers. Mark is also an ambassador for Mothers For Mothers Charity.

Mark's book list on for new fathers about their mental health

Mark Williams Why did Mark love this book?

DAD is a deeply moving and inspiring collection of stories that represent the diversity of modern fatherhood and seeks to start a conversation that challenges the traditions associated with masculinity.

Including 20 powerful and defiant stories about postnatal depression, becoming a new dad during the pandemic, miscarriage, widowhood, stillbirth, co-parenting, childbirth trauma, work-life balance, new dads at work, shared parental leave, being a stay-at-home dad, gay fatherhood, and surrogacy, being a stepdad, black fatherhood, raising a child of dual heritage, being a single dad, faith, and fatherhood, raising a child with autism, gender stereotypes and more. Elliot Rae and MFF

By Elliott Rae,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked DAD as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

DAD is a deeply moving and inspiring collection of stories that represent the diversity of modern fatherhood and seeks to start a conversation that challenges the traditions associated with masculinity.

Including 20 powerful and defiant stories about postnatal depression, becoming a new dad during the pandemic, miscarriage, widowhood, stillbirth, co-parenting, childbirth trauma, work-life balance, new dads at work, shared parental leave, being a stay-at-home dad, gay fatherhood and surrogacy, being a stepdad, black fatherhood, raising a child of dual heritage, being a single dad, faith and fatherhood, raising a child with autism, gender stereotypes and more.

This is a ground-breaking…


Book cover of The Girl on the Platform

Samantha Lee Howe Author Of The House of Killers

From my list on exploring psychopathic behavior.

Why am I passionate about this?

I so love thrillers because they delve into that area of ourselves that can be ‘safely’ afraid and give you that adrenaline rush that nature taught us is fight or flight. Thrillers teach us lessons, too, about people and the psychology of the most dangerous ones in our society. Through reading into this genre, I learned a lot about life before I even lived it, and I learned to recognize the less wholesome traits that humanity can have. What’s fascinating to me most is exploring those dark sides of the human psyche in order to make comparisons on what is right or wrong with some people’s behavior. 

Samantha's book list on exploring psychopathic behavior

Samantha Lee Howe Why did Samantha love this book?

This is a psychological thriller with a difference. This story appears to be one thing and is, in fact, something else. Following the path of a struggling working mother with post-natal depression, we see the world through her paranoid eyes.

What I really enjoyed about this book is the unexpected twists and turns. Is she really imagining this, or did she see that little girl on the platform? It makes you question everything, including the motives of those surrounding the main character (always a good thing!). It is a masterpiece of misdirection and an unreliable narrator.

By Bryony Pearce,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Girl on the Platform as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A missing child. A single witness.

I am the girl on the platform.
When new mother Bridget catches her train home from London, she witnesses something terrible: a young girl is taken from the platform, right before her eyes.

No one knows where I am.
But no one is reported missing and with Bridget the only witness, she is written off as an attention seeker. Nobody believes her - not even her own husband.

Can you find me?
But Bridget knows what she saw, and becomes consumed with finding the little girl. Only she can save the child's life... but…


Book cover of Little Darlings

Katrina Monroe Author Of Graveyard of Lost Children

From my list on changeling lore.

Why am I passionate about this?

Most people don’t realize how deeply ingrained folklore is to our daily lives. Superstitious habits like tossing spilled salt over the shoulder seem silly now, but had grave implications a hundred or more years ago. I love books that draw lines between folklore and reality, that weave tales laced with superstition, especially through the lens of modern issues. Stories like these have always helped me to not only understand myself better, but the world around me. The things people do and say aren’t nearly as important as why. Folklore, like changeling stories, I’ve found, is the key to human understanding.

Katrina's book list on changeling lore

Katrina Monroe Why did Katrina love this book?

Little Darlings was the first book I’d read in a long time that made me feel seen.

When Lauren came home from the hospital after delivering twins only to find her life had not become as picture perfect as she was led to believe, I felt a keen connection. Told with visceral desperation, Lauren’s story is one we can all relate to—a story of self-doubt and a mad scramble for validation. 

By Melanie Golding,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Little Darlings as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

'Atmospheric and very creepy' The Guardian

'Goosebump-inducing...Unforgettable' Woman & Home

'Unforgettable...One suspects that the real sorceress here is Golding, whose writing has given a voice to every wronged mother' The New York Times

'Chilling story...stunning' Clare Mackintosh

'Taps into every woman's fear that she will not be believed' Mel McGrath, author of The Guilty Party

* * * *

THE TWINS ARE CRYING. THE TWINS ARE HUNGRY.
LAUREN IS CRYING. LAUREN IS EXHAUSTED.

Behind the hospital curtain, someone is waiting . . .

A terrifying encounter in the middle of the night leaves Lauren convinced someone is trying to steal…


5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in postpartum depression, mothers, and emotions?

Mothers 96 books
Emotions 164 books