Reader discussion: Mother

Public reader discussion about Mother in the WeRead Catalog by Maksim Gorky.

Just finished The Mother Tongue: English and how it got that way by Bill Bryson

By DustyValley

Really interesting book, but I definitely had to go at it in chunks. Some parts were way easier to breeze through than others, but I ended up enjoying the whole thing. Since it came out in 1990, I can’t help wondering what he’d say about how language has changed with the digital age, and what the internet has done to the way we communicate now. The way he keeps it light and kinda witty is what made a topic that sounds like it could be pretty dry actually feel interesting. Curious what other people thought, and if there are similar books you’d recommend.

The Surrogate - Freida McFadden

By ash_crown880

I’ve been on a Freida McFadden binge lately. Are these the best books ever? Probably not, but they’re super easy and fun to fly through, so I get the hype. I just finished *The Surrogate*, though, and I’m kinda spiraling because something felt like it was just casually thrown in at the very end and nobody seems to mention it in the reviews. When the stepmom shows up with the blanket at Abby’s house, she talks about Monica like there’s been “no change,” but then she’s like “except…” and then she never actually says what she means. So what was that supposed to imply?? At first I thought maybe she was hinting that Monica died, but why wouldn’t she just say that outright? Am I missing something?

I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy is well worth the hype

By aquacricket2001

This took me almost a year to finally start, but I honestly don’t regret any of it. It’s such a messed up, enraging story about abuse from parents and the Hollywood side too. I was born in 2000, so iCarly was basically my whole childhood, and seeing what Jennette’s life was like after it—both as Sam and then after everything—was really heartbreaking. I’m not totally sure how she’s doing now, but I really hope she keeps writing, because I’ll definitely be reading.

"Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents" - An incredibly impactful self-help book for those that grew up emotionally neglected

By FABLEAPRON9

I’m 35 and I’ve dealt with depression and anxiety basically my whole life, and I’ve also been an alcoholic. I grew up in a house where you were always kind of on edge, like if you said or did the wrong thing you’d get rejected or yelled at. It took me a long time, like most of my teen years, to realize that wasn’t normal. For about the next ten years I just kept drinking and using, mostly trying to get away from my family and stay with friends. I never really felt like I had a real “home,” or even understood what family was supposed to mean. And honestly I didn’t really know what a healthy relationship felt like, romantic or otherwise, even though I’ve had plenty of relationships and friends over the years. I didn’t start working on my mental health until I was 30. I quit alcohol at 34. Then at 35 is when I really started digging into my life and my emotions and how I relate to people, and what I want going forward. Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents has been one of the first self-help books that actually clicked for me. The only other one that really helped as much was Allen Carr’s Way to Control Alcohol, which saved my life. I picked this one up because I wanted something to help me make sense of my anxiety and my relationship problems, and to use that to get better as a person. This book gave me a lot of that. It helped me track down some of the root stuff behind a bunch of my internal struggles and understand where it came from and how it’s still affecting me. It felt really eye-opening. I went in trying to stay open-minded, and I’ve been thinking about it as I read, and I honestly feel less anxious in relationships and I communicate better than I used to. I’m not going to dump a bunch of quotes here, but one part really stuck with me. I related to the idea that when you grow up with a parent who isn’t consistent, it messes with your sense of safety and keeps you on edge. And it can make you think their mood changes are somehow your fault because they’re basically your “emotional compass” for your worth. That’s been a deep feeling for me forever. Like the second my partner seems upset, or if a friend doesn’t respond, my brain goes straight to “something’s going wrong” and it’s like everything’s collapsing. Reading this made me feel way less alone, and it also made me realize there actually is something you can do about that worry. There’s a lot in here that hit me hard, in a good way, and it’s made me pause and reflect. The exercises are helpful, and the stories and suggestions have genuinely improved how I’ve been feeling since I started reading. Self-help books aren’t for everyone though—you have to actually be willing to look at yourself, be honest, and put in the work. But if you struggle with anxiety or depression, especially with relationships, I think this one is really incredible. I’d absolutely recommend it.

Currently reading Jennette McCurdy's memoir "I'm Glad My Mom Died". I was expecting it to be interesting - I'm blown away.

By FolioBean74

I went into this book with the usual “celebrity memoir that’s probably more interesting than average” expectations since everyone’s been hyping it up, but wow—what I’m actually getting is way more than I thought it would be. I’m not even gonna rehash the whole plot/subject since it’s already been talked to death in the news and online, and you basically know what you’re signing up for. I just wanted to say what else she’s doing with it. Her writing voice is really clear right away, and it’s kind of wild learning that she always wanted to write and that it was the one thing she felt like she could control. Like, she even wrote whole screenplays just for herself and showed them to her mom (yeah, the irony in the title is there and you all get it). This totally shifted how I think about iCarly, and I honestly don’t know if I can ever watch it again and enjoy it the same way. And it also made me look at child stardom in Hollywood differently overall. The stuff she describes about what happened to her when she was younger is so much worse than what I had in my head, to the point where it’s honestly shocking how naïve/underdeveloped she was even by the time she was 18. There were moments where I actually wanted to stop reading because it was just uncomfortable, but I couldn’t—there was something about it that kept pulling me in. I ended up flying through half the book in a few hours. I know it’s already sold out everywhere, but if you’re a 90s/00s Nickelodeon person, I’d really, really recommend grabbing it if you can (or getting the e-book). She’s working on a novel too, and I can tell as I read this that I’m definitely gonna check that out. One more thing: I have way more respect for Miranda Cosgrove now than I did before, and the chapters about how their friendship started are especially interesting when you compare it to how they come across in iCarly—like a weird real-life role swap.

Tupolev ANT-20 Maxim Gorky [5000 x 3509]

By jar-moon

I laughed at the Waldo.

Lighthearted read for moms in their 30s book club

By LenaInTucson

We’re hoping to find something light and feel-good that’s kind of empowering, where you can just sink into the story. A female lead would be great. Also, ideally nothing about cheating/affairs, alcoholism, or suicide. Big fans of Emily Henry, so something in that vibe would be awesome.

Suggest me a book to buy for my mother

By IlocanoShelf1985

My mom’s been reading a ton these last couple years, and for Christmas I’m trying to put together a little book bundle for her that she’ll actually like. She told me lately she’s really been into historical fiction, so I suggested The Heart’s Invisible Furies because I loved it... but she did not care for it at all and didn’t finish it. (Might’ve been all the gay sex, I honestly don’t know.) Anyway, here’s her Goodreads list of 5-star reads. I’d really appreciate any recs off this list! Kate Jacobs - The Friday Night Knitting Club Maria Semple - Where’d You Go, Bernadette Louise Penny - How the Light Gets In, Glass Houses, All the Devils Are Here, A World of Curiosities Taylor Jenkins Reid - The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Carrie Soto is Back JoJo Moyes - Still Me, The Giver of Stars, Someone Else’s Shoes Delia Owens - Where the Crawdads Sing Ann Pratchett - The Dutch House Lori Nelson Spielman - The Star-Crossed Sisters of Tuscany Frances Itani - The Company We Keep Alka Joshi - The Secret Keeper of Jaipur, The Perfumist of Paris Gabrielle Zevin - Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow Abby Jimenez - Part of Your World Bonnie Garmus - Lessons in Chemistry Lily Chu - The Stand-In Jennifer Close - Marrying the Ketchups Emily Henry - Funny Story Kristin Hannah - The Women Janet Skeslian Charles - Miss Morgan’s Book Brigade

A book for my mom

By scenepink43

My mom (41) keeps asking me to send her a book. She doesn’t really read a lot normally, but she’s been bored lately, so she told me to pick something for her. I’m worried she probably won’t enjoy most of what I usually read, so I could use some help figuring out what to get. She only has a couple rules: it has to be under 400 pages and available in paperback. And she wants either a mystery or a fantasy. If anyone has good suggestions, I’d really appreciate it.

I Am Mother

By gracewire

Has anyone watched I Am Mother on Netflix? I’m curious what you all thought—what did you like and what didn’t really work for you?

Book Club with my Mother in Law? Help!

By AcarusBrisk

I honestly love my MIL so much. She’s dealing with a rough situation—basically got handed the responsibility of being a caregiver for both sets of her aging parents, plus caring for her husband too. It’s kind of putting her in a midlife crisis, especially since there’s a lot of dementia around her. She keeps worrying she’ll end up developing it, and she wants to keep her mind active, so when I told her we could do a little book club, she got really excited. The problem is, she can’t suspend disbelief at all. Like zero. She’s super sweet, but she has to protect her heart with what she watches/reads, and she can’t handle dark, gloomy stuff. Her comfort shows are stuff like I Love Lucy and The Brady Bunch, and she sticks to clean (often Christian) comedies. Meanwhile, my own reading is more fantasy, true crime, and post-apocalyptic stuff… so I’m totally stuck on what to recommend that would actually work for her. Any ideas for books that are basically all “nice” and comforting—sugar only, no spice?

Suggest a book for me to read with my mom

By sungonal

Trying to pick something for book club that my mom, sister, and I can all get into based on what we usually like. Mom is super into Jane Austen and pretty much all period stuff, especially if it has some feminist vibes. We just read *Most Ardently* (the queer YA take on *Pride and Prejudice*) together and she loved it. I also like romance, but I’m not quite as into the classics as she is—I’ve only really connected with *Northanger Abbey*. Still, she’s great at classics and I’m the one who struggles more. She also loves fantasy. Her faves are Anne McCaffrey and Mercedes Lackey, and she’ll totally binge fantasy romance, but for book club I’d rather steer clear of anything super spicy. My sister and I both like fantasy too, but we’re more into the newer stuff—things like *The Locked Tomb*, *Raybearer*, and *This Is How You Lose the Time War* are shared reads for us. I’m honestly more into sci-fi overall. We all also enjoy queer books, and my mom’s open to that too, but it doesn’t have to be the main focus.

"My mother was a famous feminist writer known for her candour and wit. But she was also a fantasist who couldn’t be bothered to spend time raising me"

By YellowCricket1993

Wow, this was a really long read, but it wasn’t just the basic intro stuff—it went way deeper than I expected. Also, the whole personal-question thing really hit home. People would ask me stuff like they already knew me, and I’d be thinking… how would they know that unless someone was filling them in? I never really knew what they were aware of, which is kind of weird. It made me pretty good at talking to people, but at the same time it made me worry about myself a little too—like maybe I was just messed up. And I honestly didn’t care about privacy, because I felt like I didn’t really have any. I just kept assuming everyone knew everything about everyone.

I am Looking for a Good Book or Series for Mother and Son Bonding

By steadyMarten1977

Hey everyone, I’m trying to find a really good book or series for some mother/son bonding time. I’m 26 and I read a lot of different kinds of books, but my mom (54) doesn’t really read that much and usually sticks to Nicholas Sparks and Mitch Albom. If anyone has any suggestions that might work for both of us, I’d really appreciate it.

Just finished “the house of my mother” by Shari Franke (former 8 passengers member) and there is a conversation that needs to be held.

By solarDrift

“The House of My Mother: A Daughter’s Quest for Freedom” by Shari Franke is honestly a super raw and different kind of read. She talks about being basically dragged into her mom’s 8 Passengers YouTube channel along with her siblings, and how the whole thing was filmed and shared with millions of people. You can feel how trapped she was, from the start of the channel all the way up to her mom’s arrest—like every win, every breakdown, everything. It also makes you wonder what the actual rules should be with “mommy blogging.” Like, can a parent really use a kid for money and fame? Is it okay to post an underage child like that? And who even should be getting the earnings? It really feels like there should be tighter regulations, because the child can’t consent to any of it. The writing is strong, and you can see the damage social media and whatever religious stuff was going on did to her. I will say it feels a little harsh that she wrote it so soon—this case is still so fresh, and while reading I couldn’t stop noticing this idea that she still doesn’t feel truly free yet. She still ties parts of what happened to God, and it’s clear she hasn’t fully stepped away in every sense. I do feel for her a lot, and I hope she can heal and find some peace, but the book doesn’t feel finished or “resolved.” You can tell she’s getting detatched from her mom, and even that the dad enabled things makes it feel like the wounds are still right there. If you’re curious about how this kind of mommy blogging can mess with a kid’s life, it’s definitely worth reading—I just couldn’t say the ending felt satisfying. I was hoping for more reflection on how many people played a role, but I get that the trauma is insanely complicated, so it’s hard to judge. Basically… it really does make me think there should be rules about posting a whole life online when the person involved is too young to consent.

Help! Need suggestions for my mom's book club

By MoonPorch

My mom’s in a book club and she’s kinda annoyed with it. The whole point was supposed to be “mix it up,” try new stuff, and get everyone’s horizons broader, but somehow they keep landing on the same thing—thrillers and the same authors, like Colleen Hoover. I’m trying to help her break out of the cycle, so I want to find some sci-fi/fantasy that’s more approachable. She told me they want books that are pretty easy, not super challenging, and under 300 pages. I don’t really have anything that matches that on my shelf, except maybe The Hobbit. Any suggestions for short, easy, entry-level fantasy? These are mostly middle-aged/retired women from the Midwest, so I’d love anything that’s either our world with a little magic or a totally new universe.

Mother Howl, Craig Clevenger

By window_verse

I marked spoilers since I’m hoping we can get into it pretty deeply, and I’m probably going to end up giving stuff away. Overall I really liked the book. I did a mix of reading and listening, and I can honestly say the audiobook holds up too—it’s really well done. I wasn’t sure what to think about Icarus—was he just completely unhinged, or is there more going on with him being a fallen angel? I did love the scenes with him, though, and all the weird made-up words. Lyle annoyed me so much. I get why he keeps testing the limits, but after 20 years, I’m not sure why he wouldn’t have landed a better job by then. I’m also still up in the air about Sera. And then the ending… I don’t know, it didn’t really work for me. It just felt kind of flat, like it got cut off too soon. What did you all think?

Mother-Son Book Club

By windowOrange

My son and I have been doing this since he was in elementary school—we read the same books and talk about them, from stuff like Harry Potter to things such as Pendragon, Eragon, etc. He’s 22 now and he’s an Army officer stationed way out from home (like 4,500 miles). We’ve kept the tradition going by using the same Amazon account, and honestly it’s one of the best ways we stay connected with the distance and time zones. We mostly seem to like the same kind of books, but I’m looking for more ideas—either more of what we usually read or something a little different. In the last year or so we’ve gotten through: - The full Ender’s Game series (12 books?) - The Expanse series - Old Man’s War - Kingkiller Chronicles - His Dark Materials - All the Brandon Sanderson Cosmere books So yeah, we lean sci-fi and fantasy. I’d love to know what to try next, or even a different genre to dip into. For example, I really liked The Pillars of the Earth trilogy, and he hasn’t read it—I'm not ready to jump back into it yet, but I’d be up for other historical fiction picks. Also, for some reason we both really prefer series. Maybe because we read fast and like having the next one coming. Wheel of Time feels like the obvious answer, and we might do that, but what else would you recommend? Thanks!

Forgotten Gem: You'll Like My Mother by Naomi Hintze

By inkStodgily

This one is a pretty creepy psychological suspense thriller—was even an Edgar nominee back in 1970. It’s about a pregnant widow who’s invited to stay with her mother-in-law, the one she never even met before her husband died. The place is gorgeous but out in the middle of nowhere, and she’s basically met with this cold, uncomfortable vibe. She doesn’t really have anywhere else to go since she’s got a baby coming, so she stays, and it just keeps getting worse until it feels like a full-on nightmare. It’s convincing and really unsettling, and the ending actually feels satisfying. Also, the movie version is pretty good too with Patty Duke.

Books similar to The House of My Mother by Shari Franke?

By QuietFrog301

Just finished her book and also Jeanette McCurdy’s—now I’m looking for more stuff like that. Anything that really touches on trauma, daughters, and moms would be great. Not sure where to look, but I’d love recommendations.