Friday Mood Recs: Messy Family Dramas

17 books that will make you extra thankful for your own family

We’re swiftly approaching the holiday season and you know what that means: lots of family time. Family time is the best, but it can also mean a little (or perhaps a lot) of drama and stress. In honor of the season, today I’m sharing some messy family dramas featuring family conglomerates that I can’t stop thinking about .

Narrowing down my list proved difficult because this is a subgenre I can’t get enough of as a reader. To help, I really focused on books where you get to know the entire family in depth rather than books with a single well-developed protagonist set against the backdrop of a complicated family. I also leaned into the word “messy,” which—to me—rules out anything completely devastating. So while these novels are complicated, dramatic, and emotional, I’ve tried my best to avoid books that will make you weep. I hope these will be a nice parallel or respite to your holiday season!