Welcome to my 2025 book recommendations page, which I update all year with new books in a range of topics related to childfree vs. parenthood decision-making. My latest fiction and nonfiction picks delve into topics as diverse as parenthood environmental considerations, adoption, parenting, childfree role models, and better communication.
Please note: I do not receive any incentives or commissions for recommending and linking to books. The links below are provided only for your convenience. Happy reading!
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Winter 2025 book picks
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The Good Mother Myth: Unlearning Our Bad Ideas About How to be a Good Mom
by Nancy Reddy
Macmillan Publishers, January 2025
As a new mother, poet and writing teacher, Nancy Reddy rebelled against the stereotype of the perfect mother. But then she went further, researching the origins of the impossible stereotype that mothers were expected to mold themselves into. She discovered that the stereotype was built based on flawed research studies done by white men in the mid-20th century. No wonder it oppresses modern mothers and doesn’t match their lives, strengths or needs.
Of the book, reviewer Sara Peterson wrote: “Generous, raw, and meticulously researched, The Good Mother Myth will validate you and set you free.” I agree—I think this is already a feminist parenting classic before the ink has dried!
Learn more about Nancy Reddy and order the book via her website, or via the publisher.
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Hopeful Pessimism
by Mara van der Lugt
Princeton University Press, January 2025
While pairing the words hope and pessimism may seem paradoxical, Mara van der Lugt makes a strong case for linking them together. A professor of philosophy at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, she has penned a gorgeously written, down-to-earth book about climate change that can help us get out of bed in the morning! Her philosophy of pessimism serves as a powerful source of moral and political commitment. She writes:
“Hopeful pessimism [is a tool that] can reassure those experiencing anger, grief, and sadness that this experience is not one to be ashamed of or to be avoided. On the contrary, that it can be a moral source, a spring of ethical activity and motivation.”
False optimism does not feel authentic to many climate activists. Hopeful pessimism, in contrast, acknowledges the darkness and invites courageous action and a more authentic form of hope.
You might remember the author’s name from her previous book that I reviewed last year, Begetting: What Does It Mean to Create a Child? (Princeton University Press, 2024). That book also focuses on climate change, but contemplates the ethics of childbearing.
Learn more about the author, or order either book via the publisher.
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Core Samples: A Climate Scientist’s Experiment in Politics and Motherhood
by Anna Farro Henderson
University of Minnesota Press, January 2025
With humor and irony, Henderson shows the exhilaration and chaos of motherhood, and sexism in the worlds of science and politics. Need enticement to open this one? Just look at these two chapter titles: “View from the Lactation Room at the White House,” and “How to Pee Standing Up: Rules for a Woman in Climate Science.”
You can order the book via the author’s website, or via Amazon, or via the publisher.
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I Was Told There’d Be a Village: Transforming Motherhood Through the Power of Connection
by Melissa Wirt
Hachette, print version available in early April 2025
This excerpt from the publisher’s description is an excellent summary of the author’s story:
“Melissa describes how she began making small changes leaving behind a damaging isolation mindset and developing an advantageous village mindset using personal anecdotes and stories for moms across the country.”
This book provides specific actionable steps to transform oppressive solitary parenting into a connected collective (even joyful) endeavor. Despite all of the social connections the author had developed, she ran into a crisis that left her isolated.
You can pre-order the book via the author’s website, or via the publisher.
What new 2025 or 2024 childfree vs parenthood decision books do you like?
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Have you read any of these new 2025 books on childfree or parenthood decision-making topics? Or is there a new book that you recommend about childfree living, fertility, pregnancy, surrogacy, adoption, parenthood, single parenting, LGBQTI+ parenting, or related topics? Let me know! Email me anytime via my online contact form.
You can also share your recommendations or ideas in our private Facebook group called “The Decision Café“—or on my Instagram page, which often features new article previews and special content.
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Finally, if you missed my 2024 new book picks or want a refresh, you can see 2024’s list here.
Thanks for subscribing and following, and let’s chat soon!
– Merle Bombardieri
