Unfortunately, the family we are born into isn't always a family we can love or be loved by. I think that's why books about found families are so very popular. Found families are families of choice, they consist of the people you choose to surround yourself with. Sometimes this is a family you marry into, others it's a family of friends and people who support each other. Here are some of my favorite ebooks featuring found/chosen/created families.
This is the oldest book on the list and it is part of the fantastic Discworld series by Terry Pratchett. If you are not familiar with the Discworld series, it actually contains six or so series of related characters and settings. Men at Arms is part of the City Watch series which follows those trying to police the city of Ankh-Morpork. The City Watch is far from a respected institution and as such, those who end up working there are not always looking to work hard. In this book, several people join from very different walks of life and though tensions are high at first, these characters find themselves at home with their fellows in a way they've never experienced before. This book and the whole series are a great reads.
The Long Way to A Small, Angry Planet
This is a book I read very recently and deals with someone sort of escaping their life at home and stumbling into a spaceship crew that has built a family whose members are not only very different, but in some cases, alien races. Rosemary spends much of the book hiding who she is, fearing that if the crew knew the truth of her family, they would reject her. As the book progresses, Rosemary finds that her new family is far more understanding than she initially expected.
This is an incredibly cute young adult graphic novel series that follows a group of girls at a summer camp (that seems to last forever?) and their perpetually overcautious camp counselor. These girls come from all kinds of backgrounds and are very different people and yet somehow become each others best family. This one is an example of people creating a found family while still loving and participating in their blood families, too.
This is another recent read that's very popular. It's about a man that thinks he is comfortable in his life. He has a job that he believes he is doing well and is doing well in the world. He has a cat and that's really all the personal connection he needs. Then his job sends him on a highly classified and very important job and while on that job, his mind is opened to new possibilities. Sure, he may be comfortable, but is he happy?
