5 Books For Mum When She Wants To Get Away From It All

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When you’ve read ‘The Gruffalo’ one hundred times and you’re about to chuck ‘Each Peach Pear Plum’ out the window, lock yourself in the loo and have a flick through one of these brilliant reads for grown-ups. And, we promise – not a poisonous wart or a purple prickle between them!

(We’ve included links to buy the books – they are mostly Amazon. They’re just to help you find the book – they’re not sponsored or affiliated, we don’t get any cash so feel free to buy your book wherever you like! In fact, why not post in the Mummy’s Gin Fund buy & sell group and see if you can get a second hand copy?)

The Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunnant

What can a girl do if she is talented, spirited and clever—and happens to have been born into 15th-century Florence? A rich tapestry of characters, events and places, meticulously researched and written with the skill of a true story-teller—even better than Philippa Gregory in my opinion. Historical fiction for rebel girls, 100% un-putdownable. Buy it here.

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie

Masterfully plotted and brilliantly written Poirot with the most audacious twist ever. Perfect for whodunnit fans. Buy it here.

YOLO Juliet by William Shakespeare + Brett Wright

You know the story (even if you flunked reading the original – which is okay, many of us did). This take – in texts and emoji – puts the 21st century into the bard. It is hilarious, a much quicker read than the original, and the story still packs a punch (bl**dy Shakespeare!). Buy it here.

My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell

When I was small, my mother used to read this book out loud for us; or, to be correct, she made attempts, which usually ended in her helplessly giggling and us desperately wanting to know what was so funny. If you have kids (of any age) and/or animals (of any kind), read it. Durrell transports you to sunny Corfu in the company of a pack of animals and a totally bonkers family: childhood as he saw it. Buy it here.

A Summer to Remember by Mary Balogh

Hands up if you have never read a romance novel. Well, then this is the one to start with. If, on the other hand, you have read (and liked?) romance novels, you will love this one. Nobody does Regency romance like Balogh, and A Summer to Remember might actually be her finest. Buy it here.

Our ‘5 Books’ Series:

Reading. We all know how important it is to do with our kids, but knowing where to start can be near impossible. Trying to make sense of all of the series and graphic novels and young readers and confident readers and picture books and board books and bath book and flap books… It can be enough to get you reaching for the TV remote instead. Luckily, some MGF mums (and even an honorary MGF son!) have been hard at work compiling lists of recommendations to take you through from the very early days, when books are glorified teethers, right up to when your kids are old enough to walk into a shop and choose for themselves.

Oh – and – whisper it – we’ve even snuck in some adult lists too. For those many hours you have to enjoy reading. Right? Well. Next time you have 10 minutes, at least you won’t have to spend it deciding what to read.

Find them all here: https://www.mummysginfund.co.uk/category/blog/5-books/