All Adults Here, by Emma Straub.

A warm, funny, and keenly perceptive novel about the life cycle of one family–as the kids become parents, grandchildren become teenagers, and a matriarch confronts the legacy of her mistakes. 

My takeaway when I read this back in 2020: there is no such thing as perfect parenting. One off-hand comment you make can screw up your children forever. And you don’t even realize it.

All The Ways We Lied, by Aida Zilelian.

I loved the exposure to Armenian family dynamics and food and culture (the cover art is a beautiful depiction of this), and the complicated relationships that make up a family. I loved the juxtaposition of the relationship between the children and their biological father versus their step-father (blood isn’t always thicker than water, metaphorically speaking). I also loved how each of the characters had to work through their issues, or chose not to. The mother’s relationship with each of her daughters revolves around very toxic traits, and it was interesting to read how each daughter was affected differently by their relationship with their mother.

Mercury, by Amy Jo Burns.

This is one of my favorite reads this year. This books follows Marley, a newcomer in a small town, and her relationship with three brothers who have a family-owned roofing business. She’s “the one that got away” to one brother, wife to another, and a stand-in mother to the third. There’s also a bit of suspense and drama with a discovery in a church attic.

The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell, by Robert Dugoni

I could tell the writing in this book was extraordinary from the opening lines. I love books that are not high drama, just a re-telling of a life in a great way, and that’s exactly what this book is, although from a very unique situation (someone born with red eyes). I loved that the small, ordinary moments in our life are what can ultimately make for an extraordinary life.

Reality could be painful to acknowledge, but there came a point when we all realized we weren’t going to walk on the moon, star in a Hollywood movie, or be president of the United States. We’d be who we were, and we could either come to grips with this fact and like the person we’d become, or live with regret and disappointment.

Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club, by J. Ryan Stradal.

Mariel inherited the Lakeside Supper Club from her grandmother, and has been working tirelessly to keep it afloat in a small town in Minnesota. There are complicated family dynamics between Mariel and her mother, and with some recent developments, Mariel has to decide what matters most.

The Candid Life of Meena Dave, by Namrata Patel.

Meena is a photojournalist who has made it a point to avoid settling down and forming long-term relationships. She unexpectedly inherits an apartment in Boston, and discovers family ties she didn’t know existed. Meena starts to explore whether settling down is something she can do, and what she’s willing to give up in order to do so.

The Good Left Undone, by Adriana Trigiani.

Matelda, the Cabrelli family’s matriarch, has always been brusque and opinionated. Now, as she faces the end of her life, she is determined to share a long-held secret with her family about her own mother’s great love story: with her childhood friend, Silvio, and with dashing Scottish sea captain John Lawrie McVicars, the father Matelda never knew. . . .

It takes place in Italy and Scotland, and I just love exploring foreign countries through books. I think the stories of past and present were woven together really nicely, and one of the final scenes had me crying sad tears, in such a good way.

Last House, by Jessica Shattuck.

Although this was a two-mug read for me, I enjoyed the historical perspective and a bit of the political intrigue. I also enjoyed seeing the family perspective behind the men that made these big political back end deals in the ’70s (?).

Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe, by Heather Webber. This book is set in the small town of Wicklow, Alabama. Sweet tea, porch sitting, fried chicken, outdoor movie nights, small town gossip, sprinkled with a little magical realism. A granddaughter returns to settle her grandmother’s estate, which includes a diner. The book explores the complicated relationships between the mother, daughter, and grandmother.

The Fortunes of Jaded Women, by Carolyn Huynh. I LOVED this book! Part of the appeal for me was that it takes place in Orange County, CA, and although I live in a different part of Orange County, many of the places referenced were known or at least familiar to me. I thought the cultural insights were brilliant (I had a Vietnamese best friend in high school and reading some cultural references definitely made me nostalgic for that friendship!), and the humor with which the author explores the complicated relationships between the sisters and their daughters was so entertaining.

The Cartographers, by Peng Shepherd. As the title indicates, the book is about a map. A very rare map. This one may not be SUPER focused on family, but the flashbacks are definitely about found family, and the current timeline is about discovering family ties. There’s a bit of mystery and intrigue in this one, so not what I would consider a standard family drama, but I still had to include it!

A Wild and Heavenly Place, by Robin Oliveira. This book starts in Scotland in the late 1800s, and then the initial establishment of Seattle. I haven’t been to Seattle yet, but it was so interesting to picture what a city of that size started out like. I really enjoyed all the characters, seeing the immigrant beginnings of a city, and reading about some beautiful settings. The story follows a brother and sister along their journey to Seattle, and the brother’s pursuit of the woman he loves.

Crow Talk, by Eileen Garvin. The cover alone is enough to fall in love with, but the story was beautiful as well. This story is about one main character, but also the profound impact that family can have on oneself, and not always positive. There’s a beautiful relationship that develops as well between the main character, a baby crow, and mute five-year old boy. I would love to spend a summer in this cabin in the Pacific Northwest.

The Summer Place, by Jennifer Weiner: this family-centered drama takes place during the summer in Cape Cod. This was a three mugger for me last summer. The Summer Place follows a family along a few days leading up to a wedding taking place at the family beach house. I have a terrible memory, so I’m not 100% sure, but I THINK this is the book where the house is sentient in the beginning and the end – and it’s a really sweet touch for the opening and closing of the story.

The Paper Palace, by Miranda Cowley Heller: this one has some common plot lines as The Summer Place, as they both deal with infidelity and both are set in Cape Cod. But The Paper Palace actually has a bunk house. ON. A. LAKE. I still think of the ending of this book often.

Last Summer at the Lakehouse, by Heather Dixon. After the death of their father, three sisters and their mother head to the family lake house, where they make a shocking discovery about their father. There were so many great quotes in this book about family life, dynamics, and the messiness of life. I felt that it was authentic and real, even if I though it went a little slow at times.

The Berry Pickers, by Amanda Peters. This books starts with the disappearance of a 5-year old indigenous girl in Maine, and how that affected the entire family. Although it doesn’t talk about it in detail, the book briefly addresses indigenous family separations that occurred in the 60’s. But it does deeply explore family ties and discovering who we really are and where we come from.

The Dutch House, by Ann Patchett. Although I didn’t love it as much as I expected to, it was still a good read based on a torn family. I loved reading about the relationship between the brother and the sister, and the house that seemed to have a gravitational pull on them. This book explores the very complicated relationship between a mother and the children she abandoned at a very young age.

The Most Fun We Ever Had, by Claire Lombardo. As mentioned in a previous post: this one was a long read, but a good read. The book explores the relationship between a husband and wife, and their four grown daughters. It makes me think about whether I can raise my boys without saying or doing something that will have a long-term and negative impact on their lives; maybe it’s unavoidable to some extent? It’s also a good reminder that we’re not perfect, but we can still be good people. I’m currently reading Same As It Ever Was by the same author, and seems to have many of the same deep family relationship vibes.

This is Where I Leave You, by Jonathan Tropper. The main character’s father dies, and he has to sit shiva with his extremely dysfunctional family, all soon after he walks in on his wife cheating on him with his asshole boss.  Among other things.  Most of the time I’m not a fan of story lines where the main character gets shit on over and over and over again, but in this case, I enjoyed reading about his at-times-comical and at-times-tragic life events.  I wasn’t a huge fan of the ending, and although it was sometimes so outside of reality, I really enjoyed reading it.  

Tom Lake, by Ann Patchett. This book is set on an orchard in Northern Michigan, and follows a family as they spend their COVID lockdown together. I really loved the quiet drama of this book, and exploring deep family ties and relationships.

Sandwich, by Catherine Newman. I have not read this one yet, but it is HIGH on my list. It’s about that in-between time where you’re sandwiched between half-grown kids, and aging parents. I know this is stage of life that is around the corner for us, so I’m very intrigued to read it and hopefully gain some insight before we get there.