Mother’s Day is nearly here — May 13. If you’re still stumped on what to get mommy dearest, books can be a lovely and personable way to show your love and appreciation for the amazing woman in your life. Here are some recommendations. …

For our March/April issue, we featured author Jessie Knadler in our Hip Homemakers cover story. The story was about women who empower others through their blogs that recount first-hand experiences of all things domestic — from preserving and raising chickens to living off the grid altogether. It just so happened that as Breathe’s issue featuring Jessie was hitting newsstands, her memoir, “Rurally Screwed: My Life Off the Grid with the Cowboy I Love,” was hitting bookshelves too. Jessie’s memoir is based on her blog, Rurally Screwed, where she chronicles her Green Acres-esque lifestyle in Lexington County, Va., after leaving behind her fast-paced life in New York City.

The book starts with Jessie in the big city, talking about her relationship with her best girlfriends, as well as her frustrations with her magazine job and the creep she is dating. She leaves behind her full-time job to write a freelance piece about cowboys and rodeos in her home state of Montana. And while there, she has a very unexpected surprise: She meets Jake, a charming, tall and rugged cowboy. Jake takes “Jessie K,” as he affectionately calls her, by surprise with his chivalry, optimism and toothy grin. He is the breath of fresh air she needed on her short jaunt to Montana. They spend a few days getting to know each other, and sooner than she wants, Jessie is on a plane heading back to her life in NYC, away from this man she has fallen for.

The book chronicles Jessie’s relationship with Jake, from their long-distance relationship, his deployment to Iraq and homecoming, to their big move to rural Virginia and wedding. The core of the book is about Jessie’s life after marriage and her metamorphosis from Kundalini yoga party-girl to this new version of her self that she is slowly discovering through humbling physical labor and mingling with the country folk. Jessie embraces this idea of domesticity and the bucolic lifestyle by taking on her new role with enthusiasm. She starts canning and preserving, raising and gutting chickens, while also helping her husband build fences and dig trenches.

I found myself laughing out loud at her awkward encounters: standoffs with her ballsy rooster, run-ins with brash Walmart shoppers, Bible club blunders and extreme canning (bordering on hoarding). I also found myself feeling empathetic, understanding the heart-wrenching separation and frustrations that come with coupledom. When not laughing out loud, I also found myself misty-eyed or thinking, You tell him, sister!

The part of the book I connected with most was Jessie’s mission to find herself. Is she a homegirl from Montana? Is she the Miu Miu-wearing, yoga-doing Manhattan woman with a glamorous job in magazines? Or is she a motorcycle-riding, chicken-gutting, clog and sweat-pant wearing rural Virginian? While trying to find her new identity, Jessie is faced with conforming to her new surroundings, leaving behind the old self. She feels empty and lost, but in the end realizes she still is Jessie K., no matter where she is. …

As the weather warms and we anxiously begin to shed our layers of clothing, many of us also would like to shed some of the weight we might have gained during the colder months. It’s time to crack open some fresh cookbooks, break out the grill and patio furniture, and prepare for swimsuit season. Check …

If you have yet to join the hype that is The Hunger Games, do it … do it now. The first book in the trilogy by Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games was published in 2008, but has just recently gained extreme popularity with the release of the film. After obsessing over the book myself, thanks to fellow Breathe copy editor and contributor, Beth Waldman, and seeing the movie, I feel it is my duty to get you all engrossed with it as well.

The Hunger Games takes place in a nation known as Panem after the destruction of North America by some unknown apocalyptic event. Panem consists of a wealthy Capitol and 12 surrounding, poor districts under the Capitol’s hegemony. The book begins in District 12, which is located in the coal-rich region formerly known as Appalachia. As punishment for a previous rebellion against the Captiol in which a 13th district was destroyed, one boy and one girl between the ages of 12 and 18 from each district are selected by annual lottery to participate in the Hunger Games. In this event, the participants (called “tributes”) must fight in an outdoor arena controlled by the Capitol, until only one remains. The story follows Katniss Everdeen, a 16-year-old girl from District 12 who volunteers for the 74th annual Hunger Games in place of her younger sister.

There are countless twists, turns and dramatic events in this book that will constantly keep you wanting to flip the page for more. …

Looking for empowerment or inspiration? Head to Atlanta! Hay House Publishing presents its annual, international I Can Do It! conference to be held April 14 and 15 at the Georgia World Congress Center. Thousands will get the chance to hear such headliners as Dr. Wayne Dyer, Louise Hay, Marianne Williamson, Cheryl Richardson, Caroline Myss, Brian Weiss, Gregg Braden, Doreen Virtue and Robert Holden. I Can Do It! attendees can hear their favorite authors speak live in keynotes and workshops for one day, one evening or an entire weekend. After each session, attendees may purchase books, meet the authors who inspire them and request autographs. …

Spring is right around the corner. And as warm weather begins to replace the cold, we all feel some need to pack away the winter and do a little “spring cleaning.” The phrase can mean more than just tidying up though. Now is the perfect time to knock out DIY home projects big and small.

Looking for an escape from the frigid temps that await outdoors? My advice (assuming we don’t encounter another week of 60-degree weather in the near future): Slip into something cozy, grab a hot cup of coffee or tea and dive into a great book. Whether you’re looking for something deep and heavy or entertaining and light, the following suggestions are sure to help you beat the dull, winter blues by getting your mind thinking and your heart pumping.

Feb. 14 is right around the corner. Whether you plan on spending the holiday with your significant other, your children or yourself, books can help you get in the mood and spark creativity. They also make great gifts for loved ones young and old. Here, I’ve highlighted several different kinds of books — each celebrating …

In my last blog post, I highlighted several self-help books in an effort to assist women in sticking with their New Year’s resolutions. Motivational books, however, don’t always have to be filled with how-to’s or lists. Inspirational stories can focus on a particular person’s journey or they can teach you something new, make you want …

Barbara Kingsolver’s novel The Poisonwood Bible intertwines the narratives of a Baptist preacher’s wife and four daughters as they embark on a mission to the Belgain Congo in 1959. The storyline follows the political, religious and personal struggles that the Congo presents to these five drastically different women over three decades — from their attempt …