It’s nearly that time of year again when we vow to do something special for our beloved mums, procrastinate about it for ages, and then buy her a box of chocolates from a supermarket: yep. It’s Mother’s Day (On the 30^th of March. That’s THE THIRTIETH OF MARCH). So if you’re looking for something slightly more unusual than the second least-expensive bottle of wine at the corner shop, we’ve unearthed these two gems from our back catalogue.

Angelika Schrobsdorff’s You Are Not Like Other Mothers (Europa Editions, £12.99) is perhaps not the most traditional mother’s day present you’ll hear about in the next few weeks, but it is the most interesting. An epic tale of an unconventional woman and her life in 20^th century Europe, the novel covers many events in the continent’s history, as well as recounting an uplifting personal story. Perhaps the perfect present for the literary mum who’s impossible to buy for!

Our second choice is Albert Cohen’s Book of My Mother(Archipelago, £10.99), a tribute written as a reaction to her death. But instead of mourning, Cohen vowed to write about the memories and happiness they had shared together. What emerges is a touching collection of fragments that amount not only to a personal testament, but a celebration of the love of every mother.

And if you’ve got a more, shall we say, irreverent, relationship with your dear old mum, then how about My Mother She Killed Me, My Father He Ate Me, edited by Kate Bernheimer (Penguin USA, £12.99), a series of updated fairy tales…

Whatever you choose to get for your mum this year, make sure they feel special. Then maybe you’ll get away with corner shop flowers next year, eh?