As you might imagine, Mother’s Day was on the mind of many reviewers this weekend. Which seems about right. A belated happy Mother’s Day to all mothers. And just a general happy day to everyone reading out there.

• In the spirit of Mother’s Day, the cover of the Sunday Review features two books about motherhood. As you might suspect, if we’re talking motherhood books there are bound to be references to Frenchmotherhood. Judith Warner writes in her review, “Just as everyone was getting ready to throw out the Baby Bjorns and start practicing detachment parenting à la française comes a new book, from the esteemed philosopher Elisabeth Badinter, warning that French motherhood isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.” Published in Europe in 2010 (where it was a #1 best seller), The Conflict: How Modern Motherhood Undermines the Status of Women argues that French parents are growing too enamored with “naturalness,” which tethers mothers to their babies, stealing away all but motherhood. Warner isn’t sure she agrees with Badinter– but on the other book in the review, The New Feminist Agenda: Defining the Next Revolution for Women, Work, and Family by Madeleine Kunin (a former Clinton administration ambassador to Switzerland who served as the first woman governor of Vermont),she feels quite differently. “Kunin’s is not a book of literary value, like Badinter’s. The writing is unremarkable, and there are no big, interesting philosophical ideas. Yet whereas Badin­ter’s argument is beautiful and essentially wrong, Kunin — Pollyanna-ish faith in the family-friendly nature of female politicians aside — is almost unimpeachably right, as she diagnoses what we in Ameri­ca need, why we’ve never gotten it, and how we may have some hope of achieving change in the future.”

• Anne Enright is a favorite around these parts, so I started getting nervous as I read the opening of Judith Newman’s review of Enright’s new book, Making Babies: Stumbling into Motherhood. Newman tells us that “writing well about children is tough. You know why? They’re not that interesting. What is interesting is that despite the mind-numbing boredom that constitutes 95 percent of child rearing, we continue to have them.” Uh oh. Luckily, I read on: “To write well in the mother-child arena, a person must understand that the essential condition of motherhood isn’t pleasure or wonderment or even terror — although there’s plenty of that. The essential condition is absurdity. Samuel Beckett could have come up with a great book on babies. Anne Enright has.”

• Jeanette Winterson reviews John Irving’s newest novel In One Person, which she tells us is “a story about memory. Inevitably it is also a story about desire, the most unsettling of our memories. And it is a story about reading yourself through the stories of others.” The novel is narrated by Billy Dean, who is thirteen and fatherless when we first meet him. Winterson tells us, “Desire and its unsettlements of the soul are as central to John Irving’s work as lost fathers.” Billy is bisexual, which creates desires and unsettlements in his life, and Winterson summarizes the effect as follows: “Desire is democratic; we fall for the wrong people, across age, class, color, gender. Desire is difficult; it messes things up. Desire is defiant; our desires square off against our assumptions, our morality, our conscience and our notion of who we are. There is no doubt that Irving thinks this is a good thing. He is not simplistic, though, not ever. He understands that we don’t always act on or act out our desires. Sometimes we just suffer in silence. Yet he also realizes that the shock to our self-knowledge, or our lack of it, remains the same either way.”

  Ed. Note: Last week, John Irving posted about his new book on Omnivoracious.

Books… They’re thoughtful, relatively inexpensive, and easy to wrap. With Mother’s Day fast approaching, I’ve gotten a few requests for Mother’s Day book recommendations. Since then I’ve been compiling a Mother’s Day book list in my head.

It’s by no means an exhaustive list, but here are my suggestions. Hopefully, one of two will stand out to you. If not, maybe the list will spark ideas of your own. I’ve tried to break the books down into categories for easy reference. Feel free to write suggestions on Facebook or in the comments section below.

Books for the contemporary literature reader–

A Visit From the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize a couple years ago, your mother is sure to thank you for being so thoughtful.

Runner up: Bel Canto by Ann Patchett. A South American country, a glamorous group of partiers, a kidnapping. This book made Ann Patchett a household name.

For the romantic reader-

The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. Yes, it’s a science fiction book about time travel. But it’s also one of the most romantic books that you (or your mother) will read in a lifetime.

Runner up: One Day by David Nicholls. Like The Time Traveler’s Wife, this book was made into a well-publicized movie. Like The Time Traveler’s Wife, the book is much better than the film.

If your mother loves a good mystery–

Before I Go to Sleep by S.J. Watson. A woman with a rare form of amnesia wakes up every morning and can’t remember who she is. Her husband tells her the same story every day, retelling the facts surrounding her life. Then one day she wakes up to find a note from herself: It is a warning not to trust her husband.

Runner up: Sister by Rosamund Lupton. An older sister is dead. The police think it’s suicide, but her younger sister cannot believe it’s true and returns to the scene of the crime to uncover the hidden story.

If your mother is fascinated by the lives of others–

The Paris Wife by Paula McLain. This book follows the life of Ernest Hemingway’s first wife while as he was building his career in the early Paris days. Readers loved it.

Runner up: Loving Frank by Nancy Horan. The “Frank” in question is architect Frank Lloyd Wright, and the subject of this novel is his secret lover, Mamah Borthwick Cheney.

For the mother who likes to laugh–

Bossypants by Tina Fey. Maybe you’ve heard of her. Hopefully, your mother has. She will make you both laugh.

Runner up: I Feel Bad About My Neck by Nora Ephron. Nora Ephron is growing older, but she sees no reason not to laugh about it.

For the mother who’s a hipster/hippie–

Just Kids by Patti Smith. Maybe your mother didn’t grow up exactly like Patti Smith did. But if she’s cool, she might want to read about it.

Runner up: A Natural Woman by Carol King. If Patti Smith running around New York with Robert Mapplethorpe and Co. is too much, she might have a soft place in her heart for Carol King.

For the foodie–

Blood, Bones & Butter by Gabrielle Hamilton. The mind behind the hot New York restaurant Prune took some sharp turns and dangerous corners before it turned into one of the best chef-writers ever to produce a book. This nonfiction account is the stuff of fiction.

Runner up: Garlic and Sapphires by Ruth Reichl. What’s it like to be one of the preeminent food critics around? Not easy. Often funny. Constantly interesting.

For the searcher–

Wild by Cheryl Strayed. The subtitle of this book is “from lost to found on the Pacific Crest Trail,” and it’s certainly a wild, entertaining story of redemption. This is a great book that’s very popular right now.

Runner up: Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. Maybe you’ve heard of this one. The question is, Will your mother like it? Could be. If not, order Wild for her. Each is the antidote for the other.

If your mother is an animal lover–

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen. A vet student, a circus star, and an elephant compose the triangle that has lifted the hearts of millions of Water for Elephants fans. Could it be the right gift for your mother?

Runner up: The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein. Ever wonder what your dog is thinking? Did you know it could make you laugh and cry? Read the book and learn why.

If your mom is a history buff–

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel. Yes, she’s got a new book coming out this week that furthers her exploration of Thomas Cromwell in Henry VIII England. But if your mom hasn’t read the book that started it all (and won a lot of awards), now’s her chance.

Runner up: Catherine the Great by Robert Massie. This biography was a huge favorite of readers at the end of last year. If your mother likes to read about famous characters, it could easily become one of her favorites as well.

If your mom likes southern literature from the 50s and 60s–

The Help by Kathryn Stockett. I wasn’t sure how to define this type of literature. While my description might be accurate, it’s not necessarily elegant. The point is that there is a type of literature out there like this that appeals to millions of readers. There’s a good chance your mother is one of them.

Runner up: The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. If your mother loved The Help, she’s probably going to love this novel, too.

For the fantasist–

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. Gabaldon has built legions of fans with her Outlander series. Part romance, part historical fiction, part fantasy, the books evoke the Scottish countryside of the 18th and 20th Centuries, following Claire Randall, who has a husband in one century and a lover in the other. If this sounds like a fantasy your mother might enjoy, by all means, buy it. Just don’t tell your father.

Runner up: Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke. This Napolean-era novel is more a comedy of manners than a straight fantasy, although it has been described as “Harry Potter for grownups.” If that sounds like something your mother would love, why not give her a little magic this Mother’s Day?

For the mother who loves Regency novels–

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. Darcy. Darcy. Darcy. Some people can’t get enough. When’s the last time your mother read this classic?

Runner up: Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. James. If your mother is already well-versed in Austen, P.D. James (who is also well-versed) has written a murder-mystery around her mannered world.

Finally, for the mother who will only read classics–

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. If all else fails, how about a classic she loved as a child?

Runner up: A Room with a View by E.M. Forster. If To Kill a Mockingbird doesn’t fit the bill, how about a classic she’ll love as an adult.

Happy Mother’s Day, and happy reading.