Portrait of a Mother Reader - Jenna, UK

Reading habits, rhythms and book recommendations of Mother Readers the world over

and

Mar 29, 2024

I'm Jenna and I live with my husband and 3 kids by the sea near Cardiff in the UK. My daughter is 9, my middle son is 6 and my youngest son is 1. I’m a Coach for Mums and I also host The Inspiring Mums Podcast.. I write over on The Motherhood Connection on Substack which is all about how mums can make positive changes in their lives and treat themselves with more self-compassion. I also share the ups and downs of life as a mum of three and how I fit in my writing and coaching work alongside being a stay at home mum.

I’ve always adored reading myself and I love reading with my kids too. I try to pass on my love of reading to them, but I’m not sure they are as into books as I was at their age. But then, back when I was growing up, it was a different time with less distractions and more time to be bored.

My 9 year old really enjoys graphic novels like Dog Man by Dav Pilkey, Cat Kid and The Investigators, although I’m trying to get her into reading more chapter books but haven’t succeeded yet. She also loves reading Horrible Histories books and has built up quite a collection of those.

My 6 year old has recently got into Dog Man too and I’m reading him the Treehouse books by Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton - they got us through a hard week of medical appointments and an unexpected hospital stay this week. They are really funny books so I love reading those for light relief.

My 1 year old loves books - especially books with pictures of trucks, diggers and emergency vehicles in them. He loves reading out and about too, in the buggy and in the car seat. I love it when he chooses a book from his little bookshelf in the lounge then sits in my lap pointing to all of the pictures - safe to say I’m an expert in the names of construction vehicles now!

I’d love to have more chunks of time to read with my kids. I’m getting a bit more time now that my youngest is getting a bit older, but I would like more time to read with my eldest especially. She got really interested in women’s football when the Women’s Football World Cup was on, and we got lots of books from the library - I actually found it fascinating too learning about the history of women’s football and it sparked a conversation around feminism and equal rights between us.

A mum I spoke to recently said she’s really slowed down her weekends and she spends time reading aloud to her kids, and that sounds lovely to me. I'd love to incorporate that more into our days.

Who inspired you to become the reader you are today?

My Dad always loved reading so I definitely got my love of books from him. He was a Hotel Manager and was constantly working so he rarely got time to sit down and read, but I always remember he had lots of books in the boot of the car, so when he used to take my mum out shopping, he’d stay in the car and read - his quiet time!

My mum and my brother were the complete opposite, they never read books.

Ever since I can remember I've just always loved losing myself in a story, it’s the ultimate form of relaxation and escapism for me. It always calms me down and soothes me. I used to love going to my local library as a child too.

Who are your favourite authors?

Growing up, I remember my absolute favourite book was Children Just Like Me by Anabel Kindersley which was a book that interviewed children in different parts of the world and asked them about what they loved and what their daily life was like. I used to read it over and over again. I actually got it for my kids too but they weren’t as enthusiastic as me about the book!

I also loved The Babysitters Club series, Sweet Valley High and all of the Point Horror and Point Romance books. I can't really remember early childhood books, I don’t think my parents read to me much, not that I can remember anyway!

Now, I’d say my favourite author is

Marian Keyes

. I loved her books 20 years ago, and her most recent book Again, Rachel was just perfect, a sequel to Rachel’s Holiday.

I also love Tia Williams, Abby Jimenez, Laura Jane Williams, Ruth Jones and Sally Rooney.

I've recently discovered Christina Lauren and Elle Kennedy too. Basically, a mix of female, British, fiction authors and female, American, romance authors.

Who do you discuss books with?

I'm not in a book club, and don't really discuss books with anyone, apart from if I see someone online who recommends a book then I comment on that or if they are looking for book recommendations. I would love to talk about books more though!

What are you currently reading?

I’ve got 3 books that I’ve just started:

The Deal by Elle Kennedy
The Breakup Tour by Emily Wibberley & Austin Siegemund-Broka
Raising a Happier Mother by Anna Mathur

I love having multiple books on the go and dipping in and out of different books that I'm reading. I'm not the kind of person who has to finish one book before I read another - I like the variety and I’m easily distracted!

What’s in your TBR pile?

I have a ridiculous amount of books in my Kindle, it will be a miracle if I ever get through them all! But I love having different books to go back to.

Currently in my TBR pile are:

Exes and O's by Amy Lea
My Name is Maame by Jessica George
The Book of Beginnings by Sally Page
Rest Is Resistance by
Tricia Hersey
The Success Myth by
Emma Gannon
The Way of the Fearless Writer by
Beth Kempton

What have you read so far this year that you would recommend?

Gosh so many! I’ve read some great romance books so far this year like:

The Best Book Boyfriend by
Holly June Smith
The Graham Effect by Elle Kennedy
Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez
A Love Song for Ricki Wilde by Tia Williams
The True Love Experiment by Christina Lauren
Do Your Worst by
Rosie Danan

Fiction wise, I really enjoyed:

The Rachel Incident by Caroline O'Donoghue
The Keeper of Stories by Sally Page

What are your favourite genres?

I mainly read romance books, but also enjoy personal development books too.

What were your favourite books you read in 2023?

My top three books were:

Love Untold by Ruth Jones
Again, Rachel by
Marian Keyes
All My Wild Mothers by Victoria Bennett

I also loved:

The Neighbour Favour by
Kristina Forest
Honey and Spice by
Bolu Babalola
London with Love by Sarra Manning

What are you most looking forward to reading in 2024?

I’m looking forward to reading more Elle Kennedy and Christina Lauren books, as these are two authors I’ve recently discovered. The new book from Tia Williams, A Love Song for Ricki Wilde has just come out, and that was one of my most anticipated books - it didn’t disappoint.

I’m also looking forward to the new Abby Jimenez book and saw a new

Libby Page

book The Lifeline is out soon too and that looks really good.

Do you read books more than once?

If I really love them I do, I've read Normal People by Sally Rooney a few times and Seven Days in June by Tia Williams a few times. But usually I’ll just read them once.

What have been your most treasured read alouds and why?

When my eldest was little, she used to like me reading this book Knight Time to her - a sweet little book all about how knights and dragons became friends. I read it so often to her that I could recite it off by heart!

Giraffes Can’t Dance was also a favourite of my daughter's for a while - I love the message of that book… “we all can dance when we find music that we love.”

All of my kids have loved the Spot books by Eric Hill, so we have a collection of those.

Another favourite is You Choose by Pippa Goodhart and Nick Sharratt. It’s full of colourful and fun illustrations all about choosing where you’d live, what you’d do for work, what you’d do for fun and lots of other things too. All of my kids love this book, and they never get fed up of it no matter how many times we read it.

My youngest loves books - he likes to read in the car and in his buggy, I always have a book handy. He likes books with real life pictures of trucks, diggers and emergency vehicles in them, as well as sound books too.

What do you use as bookmarks?

I usually just turn the corner of the page, I can never find a bookmark when I need one! I mostly read on my Kindle though.

What books have shaped the person and mother you have become?

When my eldest two kids were little, I really struggled with my mental health as a mum. I remember reading The Self-Care Revolution by

Suzy Reading

and it changed my view of self-care forever. It redefined what self-care was to me and showed me why it was so important as a mum. That book also showed me that I could do tiny moments of self-care and they would have an impact on my wellbeing. That book helped me personally to build up a self-care habit, and it set me on the path of becoming a Coach for Mums.

I also love Anna Mathur’s books - she’s a Psychotherapist that specialises in motherhood. Her book Mind Over Mother really helped me understand my post-natal anxiety better and give myself more self-compassion.

My Dad passed away unexpectedly in October 2019 and It's OK That You're Not OK by Megan Devine really helped me understand my grief better. One of my main takeaways from this book was that society doesn't know how to deal with grief, we don't know what to say to a grieving person. When what grieving people need are people to sit with them in their grief and witness it. To encourage them to talk about the memories of their loved lost one. I'd encourage anyone who is grieving or supporting someone who is grieving to read this book.

Code Red by Lisa Lister was a life-changing book for me and I recommend it to so many women. Before I read this book, I had no clue about my menstrual cycle and how different phases of my cycle would mean that my mood and energy levels would be different too. It made me more able to understand why I felt a certain way during different phases of my cycle and how I could harness the power from each stage too, and that meant I could be kinder to myself.

What is your favourite book of all time ever?

I can’t choose one! I’d say my top four books are:

Again, Rachel by
Marian Keyes
Seven Days in June by Tia Williams
Love Untold by Ruth Jones
Normal People by Sally Rooney

When do you read and for how long do you read for each day?

I usually read before bed every night. If I'm at home, I read a few pages here and there while my kids are occupied. I can read a book in a day if I love it, I basically inhale it!

Do you read everyday or only on certain days of the week?

I read every day.

Do you read multiple books or one at a time?

Always multiple books. I love the variety of having lots of different books to dip in and out of.

Do you read consistently or does your reading rhythm ebb and flow?

I read every day and it’s the only thing that I consistently do, where I don’t have to consciously plan or try to do, because I just enjoy it.

Where do you love to read?

I love to read in bed, that’s my absolute favourite, lying down and reading before I go to sleep. Or if my youngest is napping, I’ll lie down and read, a moment of peace and calm in amongst the chaos of the day.

I like reading curled up on the sofa with a cuppa too, I always have a book next to me so I can just pick it up when my kids are occupied and playing. I like to read on a car journey too. I remember when I was younger and I used to take about 6 books with me in the car, so I wouldn’t get bored!

I love to read with my kids before bed, and cuddled up on the sofa together if we read in the daytime.

Where do you store your book collection?

I have a small bookshelf which has mostly my collection of personal development and coaching books. I have my latest fiction books in a pile by the side of my bed. My kids have a large bookcase in their room and my youngest has a bookcase in the lounge with all of his books. We do have books just randomly dotted around the house too that don’t make it to a shelf!

Where do you source books from?

I mainly read books on my Kindle or I get books from my local library too. I like looking at the bookshelves in charity shops too. I’ve got some real bargains lately - one of my local charity shops does children’s books for 25p, I can’t resist stocking up when I’m there. I always get loads of books from the library for the kids too, we always leave with a very heavy bag! I always forget to ask my local library to reserve books for me, but I do like never knowing what you are going to find in the library - I get so happy when I find a book I’ve been after for ages!

Where do you get book recommendations from?

I get a lot of book recommendations on my Kindle, or on Goodreads too. Or on social media and in magazines too.

What formats do you read in?

I mostly read on my Kindle, I don’t know what I’d do without it! I read paperback or hardback too, those will be library books or books from the charity shop. I do have audiobooks but I struggle with them - I start listening to them, then my mind wanders so I miss half of the story!

How do you keep track of what you have read?

I add books I’ve read to Goodreads or I check back and look at my Kindle library. I’m really tempted to start a book journal though!

How do you keep track of what you want to read?

I usually download samples of books I’d like to read on my Kindle to see what they are like first. If it’s an author I love, I know that their new book is coming out so I have that in the back of my mind anyway. I also have a list of ‘want to read’ on Goodreads too.

Why do you read?

It completely relaxes me and I love losing myself in a story. I read every day anyway but especially when I’m going through tough times. I find that reading stories with a happy ever after is so soothing. Reading is my most consistent form of self-care - it’s nostalgic, peaceful and comforting all at once.