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June
Miranda Beverly-Whittemore
As a young woman mourns her grandmother’s passing, she discovers she’s been named the sole heir of a fortune belonging to a legendary star, Jack Montgomery—so she digs into her family’s past to discover a summer of murder and intrigue. The timeless storytelling and alternating chapters with a Hollywood past make June the perfect cross-generational read.
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Northern Lights
Tim O'Brien
The debut novel from the author of The Things They Carried is a tale of two brothers who must put aside their bitterness toward one another as they fight to survive a Minnesota blizzard. Told with a unique narrative voice, Northern Lights is a compelling read, whether you like complex relationships or stories about the wilderness.
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My Life Next Door
Huntley Fitzpatrick
When Samantha falls for her next-door neighbor Jase Garrett, she must keep their relationship a secret from her disapproving, senator mother. My Life Next Door looks like a romance on the surface, but its core conflicts stem from the forces that threaten to pull families apart, and bring them back together.
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Smoke
Dan Vyleta
Written in mesmerizing, atmospheric prose, Smoke begins in a boarding school in an alternate historical England, where the wicked are revealed through the smoke that pours from their ears. Adventure, secrets, love, and familial conflict all collide in a story with plenty of appeal for readers of all ages and genres.
Family is the bedrock of most stories, even if we don’t always notice it. Whether a family is tight-knit, strained, or even metaphorical, those relationships make for powerful storytelling. And when you see your own family this summer, it’s not a bad idea to divert dysfunctional festivities with some of these spot-on family stories.
So, while your brother will only read it if it’s literary, and your Aunt Cheryl will only read it if there’s a love interest, we found seven family-centric books you can share with your parents, siblings, teenage nephew, hip grandmother—and pretty much anyone else you might bump into along the way.
Featured Image: Jose A. Bernat Bacete
