Or distract you, if that’s what you’re looking for.
So you’re a new grandparent. Isn’t it exciting? Isn’t it also extremely overwhelming and exhausting? Luckily, just like the days of early parenthood, the days of early grandparenthood will fly by, and before you know it you’ll be a pro at this taking-care-of-kids thing all over again.
Of course, there are countless ways to be helpful as a grandparent — and most of them involve babysitting. This means hours spent busier than you’ve been in years, followed by a long hour of idleness while your sweet grandbaby is sleeping and you don’t have a clue how to entertain yourself without expending an ounce more energy.
Sounds like a perfect opportunity to read. While you can use this time to catch up on the latest John Grisham, if you’re a brand new grandparent, you might find yourself feeling too distracted by all the new ways of parenting to dive into some convoluted heist or centuries-long saga. If you’ve got unanswered questions, might we recommend some educational reading during naptime or whenever you prefer to read? From the ultimate (and highly compelling) educational resources to the can’t-put-down novel of your naptime dreams, here’s a shortlist of the best books for grandparents to read.
Walking on Eggshells: Navigating the Delicate Relationship Between Adult Children and Parents
When you’re a newcomer to the grandparenting game, you might be focusing your time and effort on establishing a loving relationship with your new grandchild — but you should keep an eye on your adult child, too, before they blow a gasket because you didn’t remember the screen time rules. Walking on Eggshells, by Jane Isay, is the ultimate how-to book for any grandparent trying to figure out the rules of engagement in this brave new world where their kid has a kid, too.
Nanaville: Adventures in Grandparenting
When you’re learning a new skill, it’s natural to want to study beneath the tutelage of the best of the best — and in the caretaking metaverse, Anna Quindlen is unparalleled. This Pulitzer Prize-winning writer and bestselling author has, for decades now, written hugely popular musings on motherhood, modernity, and family life. In 2020, she released her instant bestseller, Nanaville: Adventures in Grandparenting. This book, like all of Quindlen’s work, offers a wry, bighearted perspective on the things that matter most. And it’s full of pearls of wisdom, so get your dog-earing finger ready.
Luck of the Draw: My Story of the Air War in Europe
Looking for something gripping and historical? Then check out Luck of the Draw: My Story of the Air War in Europe. The author, Frank Murphy, originally self-published this story in 2001, sharing the shocking details of his life story as one of the few survivors of the 100th Bombardment Group; he also survived imprisonment at a German POW war camp. Murphy died a few years after he first self-published this book for his family — but amazingly, his life story has reached a much wider audience in recent years thanks to his granddaughter, which is why we felt it deserved a spot on this list. CNN journalist Chloe Melas republished Luck of the Draw and wrote a new forward for the book. Thanks to her efforts, he’s also the inspiration for one of the characters in Tom Hanks and Steve Spielberg’s Masters of the Air, an Apple TV+ series. This new edition is now a New York Times bestseller, illustrating the power of a strong bond between grandfather and grandchild.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
So you finished Luck of the Draw, and you’re heading back to bounce the kiddo on your knee next weekend. This time, you want to read something light. Something, dare we say, flirty? Look no further than The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, by Taylor Jenkins Reid. This iconic novel has it all: old-timey Hollywood vibes, more than one juicy love story, and a gripping narrative voice. It’s a story of one older woman’s reflection on the great twists and turns of her fabulous, larger-than-life life — oh, and it’s also technically a mystery novel, too. Two birds, one stone. This book doesn’t technically have anything to do with being a grandparent, but it is about looking back on a storied life, just as a grandparent might as they bond with their grandkids.
Nobody Will Tell You This But Me
Ready for the big leagues? Then it’s time to order Nobody Will Tell You This But Me, a genre-bending memoir that was written by TV writer Bess Kalb in the voice of her grandmother, Bobbi. Over many years, Kalb saved every single voicemail her grandmother ever sent her — and when her grandmother died, she set about reconstructing her life into a single narrative story, so that her grandmother could speak to her family forever. Yes, this memoir will make you cry. But it will also make you laugh, think, and marvel at the multi-generational stories that weave together in this mind-blowing work of (technically nonfiction) art. This is the kind of book that makes you remember why humans tell stories to begin with.
