The best audiobooks to give and hear this Mother's Day

Both deeply insightful and optimistically buoyant, Shelby Van Pelt’s debut novel feels as warm to listen to as being hugged by more than eight arms at once. From distant mothers to lost sons, Remarkably Bright Creatures revolves around absence, as its humans (all performed with charm by Marin Ireland) take solace in the routines that keep the Sowell Bay Aquarium afloat. But it’s Marcellus (voiced by Michael Urie, who makes his triumphant return to narrating an octopus’s perspective) who connects the dots in their stories with his tentacled limbs and advanced intelligence to unravel a profound lesson about the ways love so often hides in plain sight.

There’s an African proverb that says “It takes a village to raise a child.” In DeVon Franklin’s case, though, it takes a “village of love.” In It Takes a Woman, his inventive new memoir, the Hollywood producer and bestselling author offers a heartfelt introduction to the women who raised him. Listeners get to hear as his mother and five living great-aunts recall how the women heeded the call to help raise him and his two brothers after his father’s untimely passing. This is a story of hope, faith, and resilience, which honors the sacrifices of a remarkable village of Black women.

Author, activist, and life coach Beth Berry is on a mission to liberate mothers from the incessant demands and contradictory messages that mothers receive in the current culture. Rather than being overwhelmed, inadequate, and unable to have it all, Berry argues that we as individual moms are enough, and it's the system that is floundering and failing to support us. If that sounds familiar, Berry's persuasive storytelling and lighthearted, frank delivery provide a fresh perspective and actionable advice for reclaiming wholeness, worthiness, and day-to-day satisfaction as a mother—and we think that's pretty revolutionary.

Moms need sparkle, and Ali Wong delivers. Dear Girls, written as a series of letters to her daughters, is filled with the comedian's trademark humor, wisdom, and brutal—yet hilarious—honesty. The letters are every bit as sharp and funny as Wong's Netflix specials, but they're also surprisingly moving and enlightening. There's actually some great (and gross) advice for expecting parents in here, so while the seasoned moms will be laughing knowingly, parents-to-be might be in for an education as well.

In this dystopian novel, having a bad day is enough to make a mother bad. Jessamine Chan's chilling debut novel offers a unique perspective on the judgement of single mothers. Frida has a bad day, and leaves her infant at home alone. After being turned in by her neighbor, Frida is sent to a rehabilitation school for bad mothers, where she must work in order to get her children back. Making strong observations about racial inequities, gender assumptions, and the many roles mothers play. The School for Good Mothers is a thought-provoking listen that takes a deep dive into the impossibly high standards that mothers are held to.

Is anyone ever totally ready to become a mother? Author Meaghan O’Connell certainly wasn’t when she got pregnant shortly after she got engaged. In And Now We Have Everything, O’Connell documents this unexpected turn in her life in the hopes of helping other women struggling with the emotional and existential impact of motherhood, especially when it is unplanned. The author herself narrates this audiobook with honesty and humor.

The road to motherhood is difficult for so many. From the mourning of miscarriages to the promise of IVF and surrogacy, countless couples have struggled with conceiving a child. For families who might be having fertility difficulties, the Audible Original podcast Maculate Conception offers commiseration, understanding, and hope. Chronicling the ups-and-downs of couple Abbe Meryl and Isaac Feder in real time, each episode sheds a little light on this common struggle, reassuring other struggling couples that they are not alone.

Like most of the audiobooks on this list, Operating Instructions is the perfect listen for moms of all kinds—new moms, single moms, and really any mom who could use a little bit of support. With openness, thoughtfulness, and, yes, humor (because how can anyone get through motherhood without a bit of humor?), Anne Lamott shares her experiences being a single mother during the first year of her son’s life.

Celeste Ng's bestselling novel Little Fires Everywhere looks at motherhood through the lens of various women—adoptive mothers, biological mothers, mothers who are married with multiple children, and mothers suffering from the loss of a child. One of the two central characters is a single mother, Mia Warren, an artist who is trying to juggle the stresses of raising a teenage daughter while also struggling with her mysterious past. If you’re looking for a novel that really explores all the nuances and difficulties of motherhood, this is it.

Shonda Rhimes is a familiar name to most as the creator of beloved television shows, including Grey’s Anatomy and Bridgerton. But she deserves just as much recognition as an author. In Year of Yes, Rhimes talks about motherhood, specifically being a single mother, and also covers a wide range of topics—nurturing creativity, intersectional feminism, and more. Because while mothers care about motherhood, they’re also fully realized women with a wide range of concerns and interests. Of course, Rhimes narrates her own memoir with the enthusiasm and encouragement listeners would expect from an audiobook that's about saying yes to every opportunity.

Stressed out and in need of a laugh? Check out Brackish Waters, a riotous Audible Original that follows stressed-out mom Kate who hopes for salvation (both for a stalled career and failing marriage) in the form of an all-expenses-paid trip for the whole family to the Seaview at Sandpiper Bay. There’s only one problem—the luxurious resort isn’t what it seems, and Kate and her family are awarded a vacation from hell. Furious and frustrated, Kate sets out to write the most epic takedown of a Yelp review ever—and the ride along the way is made all the more hilarious with the star power of the ever-talented Christina Applegate at the mic.

When her three-year-old declares she should have been born a girl instead of a boy, Marlo Mack agrees to raise her child as she wishes. Inspired by the acclaimed podcast of the same name, How to Be a Girl is the author’s story of motherhood in transition. As much her daughter’s story as it is her own, Mack's heartfelt memoir is the perfect listen for every mother seeking to better understand and strengthen the bond with her daughter.

Amy Tan’s beautiful novel The Bonesetter's Daughter follows the story of a mother and daughter living in San Francisco. Ruth Young has always had a difficult relationship with her now-widowed mother, LuLing. But now that LuLing is getting older and her memories are beginning to fail her, she shares writings with her daughter that reveal secrets of her past in China—and perhaps also open a pathway to reconciliation and understanding for the pair.

A multigenerational tale of three remarkable women, Mikki Taylor’s exceptional Audible Original memoir Force of Beauty is the perfect listen for mothers and grandmothers alike. With a lovely cadence and a voice that's practically musical, Taylor traces the histories of her hometown and her family's roots, zeroing in on the stories of her grandmother, Bessie, and her mother, Modina. Whether Taylor is describing her grandparents' arrival in Newark, New Jersey, or the joyful atmosphere at her mother’s salon, every recollection is elevated by a feeling of love. Beyond the familial, Taylor draws compelling connections between beauty and a sense of belonging, community, and empowerment for mid-century Black women, examining the significance of hair salons during the civil rights movement.

Independent-minded moms are going to fall in love with chemist Elizabeth Zott. It’s the 1960s, and women, no matter how brilliant, are not welcome inside laboratories. So when Calvin Evans, a grumpy Nobel Prize–nominated genius, takes interest in (and shortly thereafter, falls in love with) Elizabeth’s exceptional mind, she learns what chemistry feels like outside the lab. A few years later, Elizabeth, now a single mother, hosts Supper at Six, a TV cooking show that explains the chemistry of baking alongside the recipes. Her audience grows, but the bigger she gets, the more unsettled certain interest groups become. After all, a cooking show centered on opening women’s minds to new possibilities doesn’t quite fit the status quo.

After having a child, navigating your relationship with your own parents (and those of your partner) can feel overwhelming. Paula Span, writer of the popular New York Times column The New Old Age, offers a reassuring guide for new moms and new grandmas alike in The Bubbe Diaries. From research regarding sleep and bonding to the tensions that might arise between a new mom and her mother-in-law, Span’s thoughtful reflections and sweet, hilarious recollections of her experiences with her own granddaughter are sure to offer hope and comfort.

In her affecting memoir What We Carry, Maya Shanbhag Lang delves into an unsettling truth at the core of many mother/daughter relationships. In childhood, we have certain ideas and narratives we tell ourselves about our mothers, and as we get older, those ideas become complicated. Or sometimes we realize our image of our mother was flat out wrong. Such was the case for Lang, who grew up idolizing her brilliant physician mother. But when her mother begins to struggle with Alzheimer’s, the stories she told her daughter about the past fall apart. And the startling truth comes to the surface.

For many mothers, adoption offers a wonderful opportunity to bond with a child. But for adopted children, the bond with their non-biological mother can be complicated. In Given Away, Korean adoptee Glenn Morey and his wife, Julie Morey, share their experiences interviewing 100 Korean adoptees from across the globe. With the rise of international adoption, thousands of children had their lives upended and reset in a completely different culture, leaving them to navigate both trauma and a search for their own identity. A story of survival, family, and strength, this Audible Original is one you won’t soon forget.

This cult classic gem is an in-house favorite at Audible, more for its unique hook and outsize charm than its celebrity provenance, though the latter certainly doesn't hurt. Written by Virginia Grohl, the mother of Dave Grohl—famed Nirvana and Foo Fighters band member, bestselling author, and all-around beloved guy—From Cradle to Stage shares hilarious stories and heartwarming anecdotes featuring mothers of rock icons, the icons themselves, and their perspectives on the unique relationship between mother and rocker. Interviewing such women as Verna Griffin, Dr. Dre's mother; Marianne Stipe, Michael Stipe of REM's mother; Janis Winehouse, Amy Winehouse's mother; Patsy Noah, Adam Levine's mother; Donna Haim, mother of the Haim sisters; Virginia Grohl's fascinating odyssey will appeal to mothers and rock fans everywhere.

Reminders of Him is the heartfelt story of a young mother, Kenna, who makes a tragic mistake which results in her losing rights to her daughter. She returns to the town where it all went wrong, in the hopes of being reunited with the daughter she's never known. But the locals know who Kenna is, and they aren't so ready to welcome her back. This story then becomes one of the amends Kenna will need to make on the path to getting her daughter back. Colleen Hoover packs an emotional punch that will have you grabbing your tissues.

Moms don’t cease to be moms when they lose a child, and Mother's Day can be an extremely difficult time for mothers who have experienced this pain. When celebrated writer Joan Didion’s life was shattered by the deaths of her husband and daughter, she wrote a new chapter. In this adaptation of her iconic memoir, Didion's story is transformed into a one-woman play performed by Tony Award winner Vanessa Redgrave, who originated the role on Broadway in 2007. Written with Didion’s trademark style of cool observation, The Year of Magical Thinking weaves back and forth in time, taking listeners on a poignant journey through heartbreak, grief, and resilience. It’s an unforgettable theatrical experience that resonates with anyone who has ever loved.

Abby Jimenez’s novels are always an emotional roller-coaster that leave fans joyful and begging for more, and here's betting your own mom will be no exception. Briana (from Part of Your World) is a take-no-nonsense ER doctor who’s dealing with the fallout of a failed marriage—and her rude new colleague. Jacob has just joined a hospital where he can’t do anything right, and now his cute fellow ER doctor hates him. Oh, and his ex-girlfriend is getting married to his brother. After Jacob apologizes to Briana for acting like a jerk, she agrees to help him out and accompany him to that dreaded wedding. What ensues is an enemy-to-fake-dating-to-lovers rom-com, brilliantly narrated by listener favorites Zachary Webber and Kyla Garcia.