“We should always make time for the things we like. If we don’t, we might forget how to be happy.”
There is something irreplaceable about a group of stubborn misfits who wind up risking everything for one another. While romance gives us swoon-worthy connections and thrillers keep us on tenterhooks, the found family trope provides the deepest emotional payoff in fiction. It strikes a chord because it reminds us that kinship isn’t always about bloodlines; often, it’s about choice. Whether it’s a ragtag crew navigating deep space, a band of thieves pulling off an impossible heist, or eccentric housemates sharing a cosy magical home, the magic lies in watching strangers transform into an unbreakable unit. You come for the plot, but you stay because these characters feel like home. If you’re craving stories packed with fierce loyalty, sharp banter, and heart-wrenching emotional stakes, you’ve come to the right place. Here are the absolute best found family books to add to your reading list.
The House In The Cerulean Sea – T.J. Klune
Where else could we start a list of the best found family books than with T.J. Klune’s beloved bestseller, The House in the Cerulean Sea? As a Case Worker for the Department in Charge of Magical Youth, Linus Baker spends his days overseeing the well-being of children in government-sanctioned orphanages. He is given a curious and highly classified assignment: travel to Marsyas Island Orphanage, where six dangerous children reside. Linus must set aside his fears and determine whether or not they’re likely to bring about the end of days.
But the children aren’t the only secret the island keeps. Their caretaker is the charming Arthur Parnassus, who will do anything to keep his wards safe. As Arthur and Linus grow closer, long-held secrets are exposed, and Linus must make a choice: destroy a home, or watch the world burn.
Check Out The Best Books Like The House In The Cerulean Sea
The Long Way To A Small, Angry Planet – Becky Chambers
Rosemary Harper doesn’t expect much when she joins the crew of the ageing Wayfarer. While the patched-up ship has seen better days, it offers her the chance to explore the far-off corners of the galaxy. An introspective young woman who has learned to keep to herself, she’s never met anyone remotely like this ship’s diverse crew.
Life aboard the Wayfarer is chaotic and crazy. It’s also about to get extremely dangerous when the crew is offered the job of a lifetime. In the far reaches of deep space, the tiny Wayfarer crew will confront a host of unexpected mishaps and thrilling adventures that force them to depend on each other. To survive, Rosemary’s got to learn how to rely on this assortment of oddballs – an experience that teaches her about love and trust, and that having a family isn’t necessarily the worst thing in the universe.
The Guernsey Literary And Potato Peel Pie Society – Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows
January, 1946: London is emerging from the shadow of the Second World War, and writer Juliet Ashton is looking for her next book subject. Who could imagine that she would find it in a letter from a man she never met, a native of the island of Guernsey, who has come across her name written inside a book by Charles Lamb. As Juliet and her new correspondent exchange letters, Juliet is pulled into the world of this man and his friends – and what a wonderfully eccentric world it is.
Julie begins a remarkable correspondence with all the society’s members, learning about their island, their taste in books, and the impact the recent German occupation has had on their lives. Captivated by their stories, she sets sail for Guernesy, and what she finds promises to change her forever.
Raybearer – Jordan Ifueko
Tarisai has always longed for the warmth of a family. She was raised in isolation by a mysterious, often absent mother known only as The Lady. The Lady sends her to the capital of the global empire of Aritsar to compete with other children to be chosen as one of the Crown Prince’s Council of 11. If she’s picked, she’ll be joined with the other Council members through the Ray, a bond deeper than blood.
That closeness is irresistible to Tarisai, who has always wanted to belong somewhere. But The Lady has other ideas, including a magical wish that Tarisai is compelled to obey: Kill the Crown Prince once she gains his trust. Tarisai won’t stand by and become someone’s pawn – but is she strong enough to choose a different path fo herself?
Six Of Crows – Leigh Bardugo
Ketterdam is a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price – and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered the opportunity at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can’t pull it off alone.
Six dangerous outcasts. One impossible heist. Kaz’s crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction – if they don’t kill each other first.
Check Out The Best Books Like Six Of Crows
Legends & Lattes – Travis Baldree
After a lifetime of bounties and bloodshed, Viv is hanging up her sword for the last time. The battle-weary orc aims to start fresh, opening the first-ever coffee shop in the city of Thune. But old and new rivals stand in the way of success – not to mention the fact that no one has the faintest idea of what coffee actually is.
If Viv wants to put the blade behind her and make her plans a reality, she won’t be able to go it alone. But the true rewards of the uncharted path are the travellers you meet along the way. And whether drawn together by ancient magic, flaky pastry, or a freshly-brewed cup, they may become partners, family, and something deeper than she could ever have imagined in this cosy fantasy found family novel.
Illuminae – Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff
This morning, Kady thought breaking up with Ezra was the hardest thing she’d have to do. This afternoon, her planet was invaded. The year is 2527, and two rival mega-corporations are at war over a planet that’s little more than a speck at the edge of the universe. Now with enemy fire raining down on them, Kady and Ezra are forced to evacuate with a hostile warship in hot pursuit.
But their problems are just getting started. A plague has broken out and is mutating with terrifying results; the fleet’s AI may actually be their enemy; and nobody in charge will say what’s really going on. As Kady hacks into a web of data to find the truth, it’s clear the only person who can help her is the ex-boyfriend she swore she would never speak to again.
Every Heart A Doorway – Seanan McGuire
Children have always disappeared under the right conditions; slipping through the shadows under a bed or at the back of a wardrobe, tumbling down rabbit holes and into old wells, and emerging somewhere else. But magical lands have little need for used-up miracle children.
Nancy tumbled once, but now she’s back. The things she’s experienced… they change a person. The children under Miss West’s care understand all too well. And each of them is seeking a way back to their own fantasy world. But Nancy’s arrival marks a change at the Home. There’s a darkness just around the corner, and when tragedy strikes, it’s up to Nancy and her newfound schoolmates to get to the heart of the matter.
The Secret History – Donna Tartt
Under the influence of their charismatic classics professor, a group of clever, eccentric misfits at an elite New England college discover a way of thinking and living that is a world away from the humdrum existence of their contemporaries. But when they go beyond the boundaries of normal mortality, they slip gradually from obsession to corruption and betrayal, and at last – inexorably – into evil.
Told from the perspective of newcomer Richard Papen, The Secret History is the ultimate found fantasy book for anyone looking for a more sinister, suspenseful spin on the trope.
Check Out Our The Secret History Book Review
One Last Stop – Casey McQuiston
For cynical twenty-three-year-old August, moving to New York City is supposed to prove her right: that things like magic and cinematic love stories don’t exist. But then, there’s this gorgeous girl on the train. Jane. Dazzling, charming, mysterious, impossible Jane. Jane, who shows up to save August’s day when she needed it most.
August’s subway crush becomes the highlight of her day, but pretty soon, she discovers there’s one big problem: Jane doesn’t just look like an old-school punk rocker. She’s literally displaced in time from the 1970s, and August is going to need to use everything she tried to leave in her own past to help her. Casey McQuiston’s One Last Stop is a magical, big-hearted romance where the impossible becomes possible as August does everything in her power to save the girl lost in time.
A Man Called Ove – Fredrik Backman
Meet Ove. He’s a curmudgeon, the sort of man who points at people he dislikes as if they were burglars caught outside his bedroom window. He has staunch principles, strict routines, and a short fuse. People call him the bitter neighbour from hell, but must Ove be bitter just because he doesn’t walk around with a smile plastered on his face all the time?
Behind this cranky exterior is a story and a sadness. So when one November morning a chatty young couple with two chatty young daughters move in next door and accidentally flatten Ove’s mailbox, it is the lead-in to a comical and heartwarming tale of unkempt cats, unexpected friendships, and the ancient art of backing up a U-Haul. All of which change one cranky old man and a local residents’ association to their very foundations.
Check Out The Best Books Like A Man Called Ove
Gideon The Ninth – Tamsyn Muir
Brought up by unfriendly, ossifying nuns, ancient retainers, and countless skeletons, Gideon is ready to abandon a life of servitude and an afterlife as a reanimated corpse. She packs up her sword, her shoes, and her dirty magazines, and prepares to launch her daring escape. But her childhood nemesis won’t set her free without a service.
Harrowhark Nonagesimus, Reverend Daughter of the Ninth House and bone witch extraordinaire, has been summoned into action. The Emperor has invited the heirs to each of his loyal Houses to a deadly trial of wits and skill. If Harrowhark succeeds, she will become an immortal, all-powerful servant of the Resurrection, but no necromancer can ascend without their cavalier. Without Gideon’s sword, Harrow will fail, and the Ninth House will die.
Carry On – Rainbow Rowell
Simon Snow is the worst Chosen One who’s ever been chosen. That’s what his roommate, Baz, says. And Baz may be an evil vampire, but he’s probably right. Half the time, Simon can’t even make his wand work, and the other half, he starts something on fire. His mentor’s avoiding him, his girlfriend broke up with him, and there’s a magic-eating monster running around wearing Simon’s face.
Baz would be having a field day with all this if he were here – it’s their last year at Watford School of Magicks, and Simon’s infuriating nemesis didn’t even bother to show up. Carry On is a ghost story, a found family book, a love tale, and a mystery. It has just as much kissing and talking as you would expect from a Rainbow Rowell novel, but far, far more monsters.
Check Out Our Guide On Why We Love Found Family Stories On Our Sister Site, What We Writing
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
