Aaack! What To Read After Fifty Things That Aren’t My Fault

Just in time for Mother's Day, Cathy Guisewhite, who wrote the "Cathy" comic strip for over 30 years, does what she's always wanted to do and gives us a book of essays. Fifty Things That Aren't My Fault chronicles being part of the sandwich generation. Whether reflecting on being part of the first generation of Third Wave feminists; being a single, then divorced, mother; or the stubborn, good humor of her parents, Guisewhite lays bare the insecurities we generally keep stuffed in the back of our lingerie drawers as well as the joys of being part of a family. With short entries and delightful illustrations throughout, this is a good pick for Mom and yourself. Need more ideas on books by and about mothers? Read on...

Ilene Beckerman writes touchingly, yet humorously about shepherding three daughters down the aisle in Mother of the Bride. This could have been smarmy, but Beckerman is scrupulously honest about the journey from ring to reception and how it does not always compare favorably to childbirth.  

Julia Sweeney, Saturday Night Live alum and writer of one-woman shows, decided to adopt as a single person and write a memoir. The result is If It's Not One Thing, It's your Mother. Whether processing the death of a sibling, the you-are-there high school reunion, or venting her hatred of Escalade-like strollers, Sweeney manages both humor and heart.

Maggie Griffin, the inadvertent star of Kathy Griffin: My Life On The D-List, has written a book about raising Kathy and her siblings in Tip It! If you were wondering how the younger Griffin got to be so funny (and outspoken), it might be genetic. With tips on everything from living out of your purse to getting the last bit of wine out of the box, Maggie calls it like she sees it.

For those of us with moms unable to keep their advice to themselves (that would be most of us), Patricia Marx has collected her mother's zingers in Why Don't You Write My Eulogy Now So I Can Correct It? New Yorker staff cartoonist (and author of the excellent Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant?) Roz Chast illustrates a book that proves that motherly advice, however wrong, is universal.

Have more books by and about mothers? Tell us in the comments.