Whether loving or dysfunctional, we here at the Cityline Book Club love stories that feature interesting families — just like the Weird family in our current pick, Andrew Kaufman’s Born Weird! The Weird family is definitely one of the strangest families we’ve encountered in a book recently, and we know that they’ll stay in our minds long after we finish the book! If reading Born Weird has inspired you to check out more books about interesting families, dive into these 5 fantastic family-centric reads:

Frank McCourt, Angela’s Ashes: In this memoir, Irish-American author Frank McCourt shares a variety of anecdotes from his childhood and early adulthood in both New York City and Ireland. He also details his family’s struggle with poverty, his father’s drinking problem, and his mother’s determination to keep the family strong through it all. McCourt lays bare his family’s issues and tragedies and his writing weaves a story as rich as fiction.

Katrina Onstad, Everybody Has Everything: Can everyone be a parent? Ana and James’ family suddenly grows from 2 to 3 when they become legal guardians of a 2 1/2-year-old boy after a car crash leaves their friend dead and his wife in a coma. This novel explores what it’s like to be thrust into parenthood, and it’s fascinating to see this unusual family develop and grow together.

Jessica Grant, Come Thou Tortoise: Essentially a story about finding your sense of belonging and the importance of family, this novel also features an eccentric protagonist, an uncle who holds untold family secrets (and has one strangely long arm), and…a talking tortoise. It’s as endearing as it is strange.

Alison Bechdel, Fun Home: This memoir, told through a deftly drawn graphic novel, tells the story of young Bechdel and her complex relationship with her father: a funeral home director, English teacher, distant parent, and closeted homosexual. Through both her words and her drawings, Bechdel gives the reader great insight into her complicated family relationships, including how she ultimately connects with her father over a shared love of books.

Louisa May Alcott, Little Women: This classic coming-of-age tale about the four March sisters is a beloved story about family, domesticity, and love. If you haven’t read this story since you were a little woman or man yourself, it’s well worth a re-read as an adult.

Do you have a favourite book that focuses on an interesting family? Tell us about it in the comments below!