Portrait of a Mother Reader - Laura, Australia

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

I’m Laura, unschooling mother of 3, doula, full time caravan dwelling traveller, substack writer and reader of many books.

Who inspired you to become the reader you are today?

I don’t know! Is Rory Gilmore an acceptable answer?! In all honestly I don’t remember being read to a lot as a child (sorry mum) but at school we had read aloud times and I remember really enjoying those. I have also just always, within my memory anyway, really loved stories and books. Homeschooling my children has really inspired me to be the reader I want to be. For learning myself, for exposing my children to a lot of different kinds of literature and to model that love of reading for them as well.

Who are your favourite authors?

Currently, I really love the work of Kristin Hannah, she’s an automatic read for me. I’ve also been devouring the work of Trent Dalton the past few months.

Who do you discuss books with?

Anyone that will talk books with me!  

In addition to literally anyone, I do have a book club chat group on instagram and we have a monthly zoom chat to talk books which brings me a lot of joy.

What are you currently reading?

Right now I am reading Ruthless Vows by Rebecca Ross on kindle, The Continuum Concept by Jean Liedloff in paperback form, I’m going through the ebook A Book of Days by

Patti Smith

and have just started Sand Talk by Tyson Yunkaporta on audio.

What’s in your TBR pile?

My TBR is insanely long. On goodreads right now I believe I have somewhere around 500 books on my to read list and that doesn’t even include all of the physical books, kindle books and audiobooks I have ready to go. I know, I have a problem. I definitely need a better system but I haven’t worked out exactly what just yet.

In the next couple of months I’m planning to read:

• The Women by Kristin Hannah

• The Fiery Cross (Outlander book 5) by Diana Gabaldon

• The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner

• Heir of Fire (Throne of Glass book 3) by Sarah J. Maas

• None of This is True by Lisa Jewell

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

I’ve started the reading year off quite well so far! I have been DNFing (not finishing) books more than I probably ever have before and it’s giving me the space and time to really focus in on stories that are drawing me in.

My favourite reads of the year so far are:

• Lola in the Mirror by Trent Dalton

• Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

• Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross

• A Place to Belong by Amber O’Neal Johnston

• The Handmaid’s Tale by

  Margaret Atwood

• Love Stories by Trent Dalton

• Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah

What are your favourite genres?

I love a mixture of fiction and non-fiction. I read a lot of romance, contemporary fiction, historical fiction and have recently gotten into fantasy!

What were your favourite books you read in 2023?

I wrote all about this in my “All the books I loved in 2023…” substack post:

All the books I loved in 2023…

But here is my top 10 reads of the year (in no particular order):

• The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

• The Seven Skins of Esther Wilding by Holly Ringland

• Crescent City: House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J Maas

• Crescent City: House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J Maas

• Indigo Ridge by Devney Perry

• Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

• The Myth of Normal by Gabor Maté

• The Yield by Tara June Winch

• Raising Our Children, Raising Ourselves by

  Naomi Aldort

• 2000 Miles Together by Ben Crawford

What are you most looking forward to reading in 2024?

I’m looking forward to completing the Outlander series. I like to have one bigger series that I’m working through at any given time. In 2022 through to the start of 2023 it was the Earth’s Children series by Jean M. Auel (definitely recommend if you haven’t visited it yet). And then I started Outlander in May 2023. I’m currently up to book 5 so will see how I go!

As for new releases The Women by Kristin Hannah has recently come out and I’m excited to get into it this month.

And a book being released later this year that I’m looking forward to getting my hands on is The Life Impossible by Matt Haig. I really loved The Midnight Library from him.

Do you read books more than once?

I don’t usually but there have been exceptions! There are some favourites I’ve read a few times over and I have a few books I’ve read a few times as comfort reads. These include The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins, the After series by

Anna Todd

(don’t judge, lockdown was a weird time okay?!) and Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery.

What have been your most treasured read alouds and why?

I have been reading aloud the Narnia Chronicles to my children the past few months and it’s been so special and nostalgic for me. There is so much magic in sharing stories with my children that I loved so much myself as a child!

I’ve also found some beautiful stories reading aloud to my kids that have now become favourites for all of us such as The Wild Folk by

Sylvia V. Linsteadt

and The Hedgewitch (and the sequel The Woodwitch) by

Skye McKenna

.

What do you use as bookmarks?

I either have a whole stack of bookmarks that I’ve picked up from bookshops and libraries or none at all. When I can’t find a bookmark (which is often) I might use a receipt, a little ripped up piece of paper and more often than I care to admit I’m guilty of dog-earing my books. 

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

This is the hardest question of the bunch! I feel like books shift and change me from the inside out, sometimes without me even realising. Sometimes because they are excellent books with interesting ideas, or sometimes it’s the way they impact me and my own thoughts. 

I don’t know how to accurately represent what these books mean to me or why but here is a list of books that have impacted me and have inspired who I am today.

• Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

• Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering by Sarah J Buckley, MD

• Wise Woman Herbal for the Childbearing Year by Susun Weed

• Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

• Wild Feminine by Tami Lynn Kent

• Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

• The Call of the Wild and Free by Ainsley Arment

And I’m sure there are many more that I haven’t mentioned here!

What is your favourite book of all time ever?

I think I’d have to say Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery if I must pick just one!

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

I usually try to sneak in a chapter or 2 first thing in the morning. I listen to audiobooks during the day as I go for walks or do cleaning. I read aloud to my children at least once a day most days and I read again at night before I go to sleep. It’s become habit fitting my bookish moments into each day.

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

Reading is an important everyday occurrence for me. I feel weird on days where I don’t read now!

Do you read multiple books or one at a time?

I’m a multiple books at once kinda gal! I generally have a variety of books in a variety of different formats on the go at any one time. I usually have at least one audiobook, one kindle book and one physical book that I am reading concurrently. Sometimes two, a fiction and a non-fiction, in each format. And occasionally will read an ebook on my phone, however, this is my least favourite method of reading!

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

There is definitely an ebb and flow, as there is with life. It’s not usually that I don’t read at all but there’s definitely days and weeks where life is lifin’ and I’m not reading as much.

Where do you love to read?

I’m a bed reader. Bed is my safe space. My comfort zone and pretty much the most space I get to have to myself in this season of my life. Occasionally I’ll read in my chair outside and get some sunshine and fresh air but 9 times out of 10 I’m reading in bed (unless it’s an audiobook in which case it’s on walks, while I wash up or hang out washing or while I’m driving in the car). 

Where do you store your book collection?

Currently the majority of my book collection is in a storage shed in regional NSW as we travel full time. I do have a shelf in next to my bed which is stacked with my current or next reads. I also read a lot on kindle at the moment for the convenience!

Where do you source books from?

Physical books - little street libraries, caravan park book swaps, book fairs, op shops, independent bookstores and occasionally a department store.

Kindle books -  Amazon. I keep an eye on the deals each month.

Audiobooks - I’m trying to predominantly use Borrowbox (for free with library membership), but I also use audible and in the past have also tried out Everand (previously Scribd) and Kobo but in order to keep my book budget in check I’m trying to prioritise free and lower cost options.

Where do you get book recommendations from?

I really love the Currently Reading podcast, have gotten quite a few recommendations from there and have explored new books and genres I wouldn’t have otherwise tried from the recommendations on their show. Otherwise mostly recommendations from friends and occasionally I might save a title from an article I read, from instagram or on goodreads. I’m fairly open to book recommendations and am happy to try most books.

What formats do you read in?

As mentioned above I regularly read physical books (I prefer paperbacks), kindle and audiobooks. I also do e-books but much more sporadically as that’s not my preference but sometimes that’s the option that’s most easily available. 

How do you keep track of what you have read?

I’m currently using goodreads and StoryGraph to track my reads. I enjoy the social function of goodreads, I currently don’t have many friends on StoryGraph. I find the stats from StoryGraph so interesting. However I’m always open to new and better options for tracking. In the past I used instagram and before that I was tracking in a notebook. I have recently been eying off a specific reading journal so who knows maybe I’ll give that a go at some point!

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

Badly! I have an extremely long TBR on goodreads that I go through every now and then to get ideas on books to source, sometimes I’ll write myself a note at the start of each month of books I’m aiming to read (with varying levels of success) but otherwise I’m very much a mood reader. Picking up whatever takes my fancy at any given time.

Why do you read?

The short answer: Reading brings me joy!

The long answer: Reading has brought me a lot of joy! Reading has held me through some very difficult times in my life. Having the option to get lost in another world has been really helpful for me and my process of living and (trying to) be a conscious and intentional human and parent in this world. Reading constantly inspires me to be better, to do better, for myself and for others and the world at large. I see how my reading and love of books positively impacts my family and inspires my own children’s reading habits (and even my husbands as well). Reading expands my world in beautiful ways. Brings me a source of connection with others and with myself. Encourages me to think deeper, inspires me to see things from different perspectives and gives me a whole tonne of hope. I’m so grateful for this hobby in my life.

Substack:

This Wild Mama

Instagram: @this.wild.mama

Goodreads: Laura Shelley-Butler

Story Graph: This Wild Mama

Thank you for reading Laura’s Mother Reader Portrait.

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