The Miss Read books are a delight about a teacher over in England about 50 years ago and what goes on in her village/s They are a "gentle read"
I think you can do a google on them. I think I have them all but haven't reread them in ages

The late actor David Niven's memoirs are wonderful--and often hilarious. The titles are The Moon's a Balloon and Bring on the Empty Horses.

Here's one of them on Amazon. If you scroll down, you'll find a hardcover (used, I'm sure, but still a good gift). I didn't search for the other.

I like the Small Miracles books by Yitta Halberstam and Judith Leventhal. They are a collection of short true stories about coincidences and synchronicity. Feel good stories and a few tear jerkers.

Thanks - I'll look into these.

Bill Bryson has great books. I enjoy reading them and my 95 year old mother does also.

Minnie, I have read all the Miss Read books and loved them! Very sweet, a little funny, and well-written English. They are fiction, but based on the author's teaching days.

I wonder if she would enjoy the "Cats in the Belfry" books, by Doreen Tovey. Very amusing books about a couple in England and the stories of their cats and donkeys and other pets. I don't know how available they are, but they are a riot if you can locate them.

One of my favorite books is The complete stories of Truman Capote~~it is his best short stories fiction but very good esp~~A Christmas Memory~~~

sjerin
You're the first person who has admitted reading the Miss Read books.
Susieque Mom might like "the Cat who" series. They have a lot of fun in them and the cat always plays a major role (no tears here)

Suds in Your Eye
This is copied from the link below but a good recap of these books I read them (and have them somewhere) abouttwenty years ago they were a riot and maybe Mom would get a kick out of them. Ieven have Mrs. Rasmussen's cookbook
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My all time favorite fictional character is Annie Feeley, one of the stars of the show in this Mary Lasswell book about San Francisco during the WWII era. Suds in Your Eye is one of a series about three ladies, two widows and a spinster, who, although they may be a tad chronologically challenged, never let ANYTHING get them down.

When I first read the books I was too young to enjoy them, not getting the jokes, not understanding the culture of war time America. (And reading them even today can be a great way to get a feel for how Americans were thinking and living during that time.) However, the older I have become, the more I have come to love Miss Tinkham, Mrs. Rasmussen and Mrs. Feeley. In fact I would like to grow up to BE Mrs. Feeley and live in a junkyard called Noah's Ark (two of everything in there don't you know) and have a wall made of beer cans and planted with ice plants all around my yard. The three ladies are intrepid, fearless, strong and able, but most of all they are happy with what they have. They make very little seem bountiful and then share it with everyone they meet.

Here is a link that might be useful: Books: Suds in Your Eye

These two are generally available in Borders/Barnes & Noble and might be to your mother's taste:

Dewey: Story of a Library Cat by Vicki Myron. Kitten turns up at a mid-west library. Cute and touching.

Dog Man by Martha Sherrill. This is about a Japanese man who loved nature and country life(yes there are wild places in Japan!), and raising Akita dogs. He was a young man at the close of WW2, and I found his "old fashioned" attitude to natural resources an interesting contrast with his obvious love and respect for nature. His story from youth to aged grandfather is entwined with remembering outstanding dogs.

These are great suggestions, everyone. I appreciate it! (nickel kg, I gave her Dewey last year and she loved it).

One of my all time favorite books is Men to Match My Mountains, a non fiction about the West in the 1800's. It is written by Irving Stone. It was published long ago but if you can find it, I really think your Mom would enjoy it.
I had an elderly friend who loved to read. I found a copy of the book at The Salvation Army and gave it to her. She ignored it for a long time because it was a used book but in the dead of winter, when she couldn't out to the library, she read it.
She loved it and told me she was sorry she hadn't read it sooner.

Oh my mom loves to read too! The Small Miracles book is one of at least 3 (SM II and SM of Love and Friendship). I just ordered my mom the Pioneer Woman book, but it won't be released until February. Mom likes the Guideposts books - often previous years can be found in used bookstores - very cheap. How about the Little House Series? Whane I was on Amazon looking for the Pioneer Lady book, there were several "real" pioneer lady stories there and the nice thing about Amazon is people rate them.

The Christmas Box by Richard Paul Evans is wonderful, but it is a tear-jerker at the end.

The Cup of Comfort books are wonderful. Very heartwarming short stories. Kind of like the Chicken Soup books but I think much better.

Here is a link that might be useful: Cup of Comfort books

I haven't read this, but it looks very good.

Here is a link that might be useful: 'Compassion for All Creatures' by Janice Gray Kolb