5 Books To Read If You’re Absolutely Obsessed With “This Is Us”

If you haven’t been watching NBC’s This Is Us, you need to start. Like, right now.

It’s honest, it’s imaginative, it’s devastating, and it’s inspiring. It’s an incredibly insightful look at how one family–and the many people who have touched their lives–has grown and evolved over the years. (Also, Jack and Rebecca are the perfect couple and anyone who doesn’t ship them is certifiably insane.)

So while you’re waiting for Season 2 to be released (and struggling to hold back tears of deprivation), pick up a book that will give you all the same feels as your favorite new show. Check out the list now:

 

1. The Nearness of You by Amanda Ward

Just like This Is Us, Ward’s novel explores what it means to be a family–the doubts, secrets, heartbreak, and, above all, the joy. The Nearness of You is about a couple who, despite previously having chosen not to have children, decide to have a baby via a surrogate. For Dorrie, their chosen surrogate, it seems like the opportunity she’s been waiting for to finally go to college. But then Dorrie makes a decision that changes everything…

Source: Amazon

Source: Amazon

2. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

This book is intense–when I finished it, I couldn’t speak for a solid ten minutes. This memoir delves deep into Walls’ astonishing childhood, into her highly dysfunctional yet incredibly vibrant and loving family life.

Source: Amazon

Source: Amazon

3. My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult

You might have already seen the movie, but I promise you, My Sister’s Keeper is worth the time it’ll take you to read it. The characters in it have suffered some absolutely unimaginable things, but their love for each other–especially the sisters’ bond–is what makes this book so heartbreakingly beautiful.

Source: Amazon

Source: Amazon

4. Into The Wilderness by David Ebenbach

Into The Wilderness is a collection of short stories that explores just what it means to be–or even try to be–a parent. Ebenbach covers it all, from a divorced father eager to connect with his kids to a lesbian couple trying to decide if their child needs a man in his life, from a couple struggling with infertility to a new mother struggling to fight through the first few demanding weeks of parenthood.

Source: Amazon

Source: Amazon

5. Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech

If you’re looking for something just a little less intense, but still beautifully written and an amazing exploration of family, then read Walk Two Moons. Or any of Creech’s novels, really. They’re all perfect.

Source: Amazon

Source: Amazon

What’s your favorite This Is Us-inspired novel? Share your thoughts below!

YouTube Channel: A2Z TV Trailers

 

Featured image via Albany Student Press