Books worth gifting

Psst. It's almost Mother's Day. Consider this your reminder.

As a busy momma and writer, I don't really know how I've managed to read books lately, but, goodness, I've devoured some good ones. And there are some deals on them, making them excellent gifts to stock up on or give away right now. If you needed some Mother's Day {or Teacher Appreciation} gifts, these may do the job and would be immediately available if you were buying for someone with a Kindle.

Really, it's hard to go wrong on giving a book you've loved because you're sharing a message you appreciated with someone that matters to you. And aren't some of the best gifts those things the receiver won't go spend money on for themselves.

Mommas always need a reason to sit down and take a break, so with that in mind, I recommend these funny, encouraging words for four different authors. I picked a favorite quote from each, but those words are just tiny snapshots to the bigger stories told.

"Sparkly Green Earrings" by Melaine Shankle :: You'll laugh. You'll cry. You'll want to call your friend. AND IT'S FREE RIGHT NOW for your Kindle {UPDATED on 5/9/13 ... it's no longer free, but $8.54 isn't bad!}. But, hey. If you'd rather pay for the old-fashioned bound copy, it's totally worth the $11.07.

"Because raising a child is a fleeting moment in time that sometimes gets swallowed up in the daily routine of car pools and soccer practice and Can I get away with serving tacos for dinner again tonight? And yet it’s quite possibly the most important thing we’ll ever do. It’s the daily balance of treasuring the moments even as we wish some of them away. It’s treading water in a sea of imperfections. It’s a delicate dance of guilt and joy."

"Bittersweet" by Shauna Niequist :: I know, I know. She's since written another book. And there was her first book. But this is the one I had, and it's the one I can speak to. Her others are now on my list. Yes, I liked this one that much. {It's $10.67 for the Kindle version and $12.79 for a hardback copy.}

"The big story really is actually being told through our little stories, and by sharing our lives, not just our sermons, we’re telling God’s story in as reverent and divine ways as it has ever been told. God’s story was told in Hebrew and Greek, and I believe that it’s also being told in whispers and paintings and blogs and around dinner tables all over the world. ... My life is not a story about me. And your life’s not a story about you. My life is a story about who God is and what he does in a human heart. My story is about the people on my street, the things I read, the way we raise our child, the things I’ve done and the things that have been done to me. A story is never about one person. It has a full cast of characters, connected by blood or love or jealousy."

"No More Perfect Moms" by Jill Savage :: I'm like a broken record, but, seriously, every mom should read this. AND IT'S JUST $1.99 for your Kindle right now. The paperback {$7.45} is worth it too, if you prefer.

"Control is really a mirage. The only control you and I can really have it self-control, and the Bible says that is a fruit of the Spirit. In other words, we can’t have self-control on our own; it comes from letting God be the real leader of our lives and the manager of our hearts."

"Start" by Jon Acuff :: Talk about motivation. This book will jump start all those ideas you have in your head. {I reviewed it here.} It's a new release, but the hardback is just $12.99 and the Kindle version is $9.99.

"We want to plan the road to awesome. We want to talk about our ten-year visions. We want to detail every step before we take a single one. To make sure there’s no room for mistakes or failure. But when we do that, when we squeeze our lives and purposes that tightly, we eliminate any room for surprises. We don’t have time for them. They don’t fit within our plan. They don’t have any runway in our day to land on. We scowl when people interrupt what we’re doing at work, grumble when neighbors want to talk at the mailbox, and curse momentary distractions to a day we’ve planned. The road to awesome, though, is defined by the surprises. It’s not a block in a downtown city laid out long ago by methodical city planners. It’s a rambling dirt road with twists and turns that offers something new at every corner. Let’s leave room on our maps for some surprises."

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This post contains Amazon affiliate links, which don't change the price but generate a little financial support for my blog. And the deals I've mentioned were current when I hit publish. I can't promise how long they'll last. I updated the post to enter it in a contest about the best Mother's Day present for less than $25. Really, who can go wrong with books?!

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