My favorite books with the found family motif

Why am I passionate about this?

I was a Navy Brat for most of my childhood, moving from place to place every couple of years. It was hard, but my mom somehow always created a community around us of people that I could almost call my aunts and uncles. As an adult, I’ve also found people that I love like family, and created my own little group with my own people. It’s something that I write about in every single book I pen and I’m sure it will continue because I love when people find their people. It’s my favorite. 


I wrote...

A Bane in the Neck

By Ember Mae,

Book cover of A Bane in the Neck

What is my book about?

This book is the first in a ten-book, cozy mystery series chronicling the various cases Roni and her dog—Doodle—stumble upon. In this particular story, Roni is the prime suspect of her almost sister-in-law’s death. Hijinx and mayhem of the deadly sort abound as Roni and her group of newfound friends work to solve the case, prove her innocence, and catch the real killer. 

The book, like the rest of the series, is a short, light, fun read with characters that will become your friends. Think Gilmore Girls vibes plus a pup with a compunction for finding dead bodies. 

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of Nice Girls Don't Date Dead Men

Ember Mae Why did I love this book?

So, this was one of the first ‘adult’ books I read as a younger twenty-something, and it had me laughing out loud all the time.

Jane is hilarious, down to earth, and a great character. The book is the first book in a series of four books that document Jane’s growth into a ‘grown-up’. Not only was the humor spot on (Molly Harper’s humor is usually spot on for me), but the narrator brought all the characters to life in such a way that I was dying to get back to the story anytime we had to stop listening (I was buddy reading with my mom and sister for the first read through).

I’ve read this book over a dozen times, and I really think it’s because as Jane goes through the transformation from human to vampire, she builds her own family around her that accepts her, loves her, and frankly will go to some extreme lengths to keep her safe.

I am a glutton for found family, and Molly Harper does it extremely well. 

By Molly Harper,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Nice Girls Don't Date Dead Men as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?


Following Nice Girls Don’t Have Fangs, the second in a hilarious, smart, sexy romantic series about an out-of-work librarian who is turned into a vampire.

With her best friend Zeb’s Titanic-themed wedding looming ahead, new vampire Jane Jameson struggles to develop her budding relationship with her enigmatic sire, Gabriel. It seems unfair that she’s expected to master undead dating while dealing with a groom heading for a nuptial nervous breakdown, his hostile werewolf in-laws, and the ugliest bridesmaid dress in the history of marriage.

Meanwhile, the passing of Jane’s future step-grandpa puts Grandma Ruthie back on the market. Her new…


Book cover of Tart of Darkness

Ember Mae Why did I love this book?

This book is a really great, cozy mystery with a little bit of a twist.

Dani, the main character and amateur sleuth, inherits this house from her grandmother’s best friend, and conveniently enough, there is a fully licensed commercial kitchen inside the husk of what the woman was trying to make a B&B. Dani takes on a group of college students as borders while she gets her new food service business up and going, and the first catering job Dani’s company gets, her client dies.

I really enjoyed this book for a number of reasons. I thought the uniqueness of her business was sweet, and I absolutely adored the found family that Dani and the college students created for themselves. I think it was a really well-done aspect of the story. 

By Denise Swanson,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Tart of Darkness as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

First book in the Chef-To-Go Series from New York Times bestselling author Denise Swanson, featuring a delightful cast of small-town characters and a deliciously mysterious murder!

Have a killer craving for cozies? Check out this new series:

Perfect for Fans of Joanne Fluke and Kate Carlisle For readers of culinary cozy mysteries and college town cozy mysteries

Right when Dani thinks she's hit a dead-end in her career, she unexpectedly inherits an enormous empty mansion in a quaint college town. This gives her the perfect opportunity to pursue her true passion—cooking! So Dani opens Chef-to-Go, preparing delicious, ready-made meals for…


Book cover of Second Hand Curses

Ember Mae Why did I love this book?

This book is every fairytale and classic story turned on its head.

I absolutely love the way the author weaves apparently unrelated adventures into an epic tale by the end. It also has a very strong found family feel to it. They’re mercenaries with rules, and they will fight you if you come after one of their own.

It’s amazing, and if you like audiobooks, I highly recommend listening to it; the voice actors are amazing.   

By Drew Hayes,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Second Hand Curses as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

When your fairy godmother threatens to enslave you with a curse - when a malevolent piper solves your rat problem but steals your children - when you seek revenge on the prince who turned you into a frog - who can you turn to in your hour of need? The band of scoundrels known far and wide as the Bastard Champions - the swashbuckling trio who travel a world of legend, seeking adventure and righting wrongs - as long as there's enough gold to be earned. They are Jack, the seemingly unkillable leader whose ever-present grin belies a dark past;…


Book cover of Thirteenth Child

Ember Mae Why did I love this book?

This is a book that has stuck with me for over five years now.

The book is the first in the Frontier Magic Trilogy, and it’s fantastic. I loved the world-building, the twist on how magic worked and was taught. I also loved how her biological family thought she was a jinx, but her teachers and friends really believed in her and her magic.

Amanda Ronconi reads the books, too, so I highly recommend listening if you are into audiobooks. 

By Patricia C. Wrede,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Thirteenth Child as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 12, 13, 14, and 15.

What is this book about?

Eff was born a thirteenth child. Her twin brother, Lan, is the seventh son of a seventh son. This means he's supposed to possess amazing talent - and she's supposed to bring only bad things to her family and her town. Undeterred, her family moves to the frontier, where her father will be a professor of magic at a school perilously close to the magical divide that separates settlers from the beasts of the wild. With wit and wonder, Patricia Wrede creates an alternative history of westward expansion that will delight fans of both J. K. Rowling and Laura Ingalls…


Book cover of The Wizards of Once: Twice Magic

Ember Mae Why did I love this book?

While this book is a middle-grade fantasy, I love it so much.

Two enemy clans working together to save their world from a threat bigger than either of them is great, but when you also make it so that each representative is an outcast, well, it’s that much better. Not only do these kids work together, facing fear and prejudices head-on, but they become their own family, and it’s oh-so magical.

I again recommend the audiobook, as it’s narrated by the great David Tennant (Barty Crouch Jr., Tenth Doctor on Doctor Who, and Crowley on Good Omens), so it is fantastic. 

By Cressida Cowell,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Wizards of Once as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 8, 9, 10, and 11.

What is this book about?

The No.1 bestselling series from current Waterstones Children's Laureate and author of How To Train Your Dragon, Cressida Cowell. Enter a land of wizards, warriors, mythical creatures and powerful Magic in an exciting fantasy adventure.

Witches are creating havoc in the Wildwoods and danger lurks behind every tree trunk.

Wish is in possession of a powerful, Magic Spelling Book; Xar has a dangerous Witchstain on his hand. Together they can save the Wildwoods from the curse of the Witches but they are separated by the highest wall imaginable, and time is running out ...

It was unlikely that these heroes…


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The Truth About Unringing Phones

By Lara Lillibridge,

Book cover of The Truth About Unringing Phones

Lara Lillibridge

New book alert!

What is my book about?

When Lara was four years old, her father moved from Rochester, New York, to Anchorage, Alaska, a distance of over 4,000 miles. She spent her childhood chasing after him, flying a quarter of the way around the world to tug at the hem of his jacket.

Now that he is in his eighties, she contemplates her obligation to an absentee father. The Truth About Unringing Phones is an exploration of responsibility and culpability told in experimental and fragmented essays.

The Truth About Unringing Phones

By Lara Lillibridge,

What is this book about?

When Lara was four years old, her father moved from Rochester, New York, to Anchorage, Alaska, a distance of over 4,000 miles. She spent her childhood chasing after him, flying a quarter of the way around the world to tug at the hem of his jacket. Now that he is in his eighties, she contemplates her obligation to an absentee father.




The Truth About Unringing Phones: Essays on Yearning is an exploration of responsibility and culpability told in experimental and fragmented essays.


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