Books
Reading recommendations and bookish thoughts from Kate Baer
Kate Baer was an avid reader who often wove book recommendations into her posts on motherhood, marriage, and faith. The Books section collected her favorite reads — titles that shaped her thinking, made her laugh, or helped her survive the early years of parenting.
From parenting guides to memoirs and fiction, these were the books she returned to and recommended to readers again and again.
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Operating Instructions
A raw and hilarious journal of the author's first year as a single mother. Kate often cited Lamott's honesty about the messiness of new parenthood as a touchstone for her own writing.
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Bringing Up Bébé
An American journalist's look at French parenting wisdom. Kate appreciated its contrarian take on sleep training, feeding, and the myth of the self-sacrificing mother.
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Bread and Wine
A collection of essays about food, friendship, and gathering around the table. Kate connected with Niequist's blend of recipes and spiritual reflection.
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Simplicity Parenting
A guide to reducing clutter, schedules, and sensory overload in children's lives. This book informed Kate's thinking behind her "Top Ten Toys of All Time" post and her broader parenting philosophy.
Kate's full book recommendations once lived at kbaer.com/books. For more of her writing, browse the homepage archives or visit the About page.