York City apartment is burgled, and at that time, all of her tenuous physical links to her past and family her pivotal childhood encounters with nature, and for me the book really shone when she included her family's

Letters from family and friends get him through multiple winters--until an unexpected visitor changes of war, but also significant attention to unspoken bonds, deep and unorthodox friendships, makeshift families The family farm in Nebraska has been foreclosed upon, his mother is gone, and his father has recently

Lostetter's standalone science fiction is a story about robots, a ragtag space crew, friends like family

courtesy of Flatiron Books and NetGalley. 02 Blush by Jamie Brenner Jamie Brenner's Blush centers around a family the respected grandfather of North Fork wineries on Long Island, and most members of the Hollander family plans for the business and for their individual futures; and basic, intensely complicated interpersonal family

In his second novel, Young Mungo, Douglas Stuart offers the story of a working-class Glasgow family and

But things quickly take a turn as pirates and other dangers threaten the friends-like-family on the Wayfarer Her father has a prominent position in the government, and the family has plenty of love and laughter the military soldiers she's always known turn against those in charge, the men stop protecting her family help enact a bloody massacre that sweeps up much of the current government administration and their families loved Williams's immersive story so much, I was in for all of Our Woman in Moscow's elements: Russia, family

The two had eloped just months after meeting, which led to Jacob's being disowned by his wealthy family

Archie begins wondering about unexplained aspects of his own family history, and when he and his aunts she even ships out, and her parents reject her potential to be a war hero worthy of a photo on the family's

for my full review of This Time Tomorrow. 04 Lucy by the Sea by Elizabeth Strout In Lucy by the Sea, familiar Her father has a prominent position in the government, and the family has plenty of love and laughter the military soldiers she's always known turn against those in charge, the men stop protecting her family help enact a bloody massacre that sweeps up much of the current government administration and their families

irresistible, and I loved the ways in which they adjust, adapt, grieve, press on, and form a makeshift family Coker is fresh out of jail and ready to jump back into the action, masterminding moves to increase her family's Bono explores his faith, family, loyalty, musical inspirations, and important activism efforts.

Ursa, Jo, Gabe, Tabby, the ornithology storyline, the makeshift family, and the (maybe slightly too easy Kevin Wilson provides some heartbreaking disappointment about family members' emotional limitations and loyalty, and he allows characters to craft chosen relationships into a beloved pod that functions like family

check out Starling House. 06 The Great Transition by Nick Fuller Googins Emi, Kristina, and Larch are a family When a long-term secret is revealed and Emi's safety is endangered, the family must decide whether they

Now he's on a quest for revenge for the brutal, senseless murder of his sister and her family.

But disaster strikes, and Jax finds herself trying to unravel the twisted, complicated history of her family McMahon's modern-day ghost story leads the reader into the family's pivotal 1929 decisions, when Jax student and musician and had lots of friends and was their parents’ favorite, Grandma’s favorite, and family

I've loved, here tackles a novel of the plague and a story loosely based on Shakespeare's marriage and family climb toward a societal calamity (in the form of the plague) and personal tragedy (in the form of the family's The details of the time, household life, and gender, vocation, and familial power structures are wonderful

Green River Killer) lived, and where Charles Manson was imprisoned for five years before starting his Family

gangsters, and journalists in this story, which is both a gritty thriller and also a story of loyalties and families

In American Wife, Sittenfeld takes a few facts from Laura Bush's life and the Bush family history and Sittenfeld has a fascinating way of turning situations that feel familiar on their heads and illuminating

Kevin Wilson provides some heartbreaking disappointment about family members' emotional limitations and rejoiced when his characters crafted their chosen relationships into a satisfying pod that functioned like family

teenagers drinking in 1985, a car accident, a young doctor Ben Wilf, who comes upon the wreck and whose family Time passes, and a young family moves onto Division Street. answer questions that have been frequently posed to her, along the way sharing more of the story of her family

a timely, potent issue: the power in conflicting opinions on politics and religion between friends, family

Alice's career as a photographer really began the summer she spent with her grandmother Nan at family appealingly imperfect main character making missteps and forging a path forward while adjusting to romantic, family

. 03 The Unwinding of the Miracle by Julie Yip This book is Yip-Williams's powerful farewell to her family This book serves as her powerful farewell to her family but also holds meaning for anyone considering determined rise to stardom, her religious faith, her reliance on and love for her friends, her deep familial

the bombing and danger in wartime London to the English countryside, where they lived with a rural family

Grodstein is also the author of Our Short History, The Explanation for Everything, and A Friend of the Family

The Books I'm Reading Now I'm coming off another little Bossy break, courtesy of a great family trip

loved Williams's immersive story so much, I was in for all of Our Woman in Moscow's elements: Russia, family Without airing out all of the family's dirty laundry, let's just say that this time Tess has really taken So Tess's family decides to send her to a nunnery. But Tess has other plans. Sunny Shelton shapes an oral history of two music idols, tracing their family lives, youthful experiences

She refused to admit she had any problems, despite how destructive those problems were to our entire family I wasn't familiar with McCurdy when I began listening to her memoir, I'm Glad My Mom Died, although I

cover style says "light fiction" to me, but this book addresses deeper issues--of what it means to be a family

Wilson is also the author of Baby, You're Gonna Be Mine, The Family Fang, Perfect Little World, and Tunneling

joy and reflection, an irresistible young protagonist, and a wonderful array of friends who are like family loved Williams's immersive story so much, I was in for all of Our Woman in Moscow's elements: Russia, family World War II-set novel is a love letter to books, to looking out for others, to forming friends-like-family Viv to glamorous Harrod's, settle Grace in a dusty old bookshop, shakes their makeshift household and family The Humans is about mathematics, aliens, and shape shifters, but at its heart it's about a hurting family

Blackwater Falls by Ausma Zehanat Khan In the Colorado town of Blackwater Falls, girls from immigrant families

Duchess is a thirteen-year-old girl trying to keep her family together. with Walk and Vincent, and when Vincent reappears, the tenuous peace and calm Duchess and her steady family But both of the longtime family friends are used to disappointment and both are used to relying on themselves appealingly strong young women split by time (and, secondarily, complex male characters the women love as family Rooney In Rooney's novel Normal People, Marianne, a solitary young woman in a cold, neglectful, abusive family

Racism. 06 Hidden Valley Road by Robert Kolker ​ Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family is the true story of a family with twelve children, six of whom are ultimately diagnosed with schizophrenia The family descends into chaos; there is secret abuse, and there is always the dark, disturbing force mental illness were made possible because of the genetic material from and the cooperation of the Glavin family

Then Iris spies a storefront familiar from one of her mother's old photos, a gelato store...where she discovers that they use her exact family recipe.

to have cold feet, and the upcoming wedding is causing multiple layers of mayhem within the extended family

servants, heirs, gangsters, and journalists in this story, described as "equal parts crime thriller and family

herself entangled in a dangerous ocean quest to rescue a young woman, while fighting to keep her own family connections, and to the joy and satisfaction in a settled life surrounded by loyal friends and found family

Asuka's relationship with her mother was strained before her departure, and her family had suffered earlier

depth and lots to consider; a wonderfully offbeat feminist Western; a captivating multigenerational family Duchess is a thirteen-year-old girl trying to keep her family together. with Walk and Vincent, and when Vincent reappears, the tenuous peace and calm Duchess and her steady family Alyan provides a multigenerational story with plenty of secrets, messy interpersonal family interactions are brought together by tragedy and build their life together upon secrets, and the second during the family's

But when Frank's brother shoots a dog going after the family's sheep, the gunshot sets into motion events tragedy and often make a mess of things, loyalty and steadfastness overcome all and allow a makeshift family

In The Frederick Sisters Are Living the Dream, Jeannie Zusy offers a messy, heartwarming family story

Over time their eldest boys begin to fracture the family with unrelenting violence, destruction, and of her idea of a perfect family. The family descends into chaos; there is secret abuse, and there is always the dark, disturbing force The scientific community studying schizophrenia locks onto the family; with the help of the brothers The family's vast amount of genetic material--from both those affected by and those free from mental

dangerous risks, and a web of lies that may get them both killed; and Jennifer McMahon's dive into a family's But disaster strikes, and Jax finds herself trying to unravel the twisted, complicated history of her family McMahon's modern-day ghost story delves back into the family's goings-on in 1929, when Jax and Lexie's

cruelties of those who have struggled to America, imagining their salvation; and explores the binds of family

Now William has uncovered a family secret that shakes him, and he asks Lucy to travel with him to investigate

independent even as she is irritatingly, deeply reliant upon the kindness and care she receives from family Bono explores his faith, family, loyalty, musical inspirations, and important activism efforts. Through Bell's voice we also learn what has shaped the other women of the family: we hear rich stories

But she seems destined to be continually pushed around and taken advantage of--by her family, her boss

involves mistaken identities, betrayals, secrets and lies, fierce loyalty between friends who are like family

She lives in a town where she's never felt like she belongs, within a family where she doesn't feel that Life After Life, Atkinson focuses on the character of Ursula, her relationships with members of her family offers (reluctant) romance, best friendships, dance lessons, glimpses into the future, a reimagined family sweet, fun to read (well, to listen to as an audiobook, which I did), and it focused on quirky friends, family