The Seasonal Reading Challenge discussion

If you are having trouble finding related authors, here is a list of some possibilities (I am adding all the suggestions received so far, including from the By Blood or Marriage thread):

Henry Brooks Adams son-in-law to Ellen H. Sturgis
Kingsley Amis father to Martin Amis
Isaac Asimov husband to Janet Jeppson Asimov
Paul Auster husband to Siri Hustvedt

Greg Bear son-in-law to Poul Anderson
Aurora Bernardez wife to Julio Cortazar
John Bevere husband to Lisa Bevere
Joseph Boyden husband to Amanda Boyden
Marion Zimmer Bradley mother to David R. Bradley
Marion Zimmer Bradley sister to Paul Edwin Zimmer
Suzanne Brockman wife to Ed Gaffney
Anne Bronte sister to Charlotte Bronte
Charlotte Bronte sister to Emily Bronte
Emily Bronte sister to Anne Bronte

Geraldine Brooks wife to Tony Horwitz
Joshua Samuel Brown brother to Eve Brown-Waite
Robert Browning husband to Elizabeth Barrett Browning
William S, Jr. Buckley father to Christopher Buckley
Emma Bull Wife to Will Shetterly
James Burke father to Alafair Burke
William S. Burroughs father to William S. Burroughs, Jr.
A.S. Byatt sister to Margaret Drabble

Barbara Cartland stepgrandmother to exwife of Prince Charles
Michael Chabon husband to Ayelet Waldman
Ellery Channing son-in-law to Margaret Fuller
Mary Higgins Clark mother to Carol Higgins Clark
Bill Clinton husband to Hilary Rodham Clinton
Pat Conroy husband to Cassandra King
James Fenimore Cooper great grandfather to Paul Fenimore Cooper
Clive Cussler father to Dirk Cussler

Roald Dahl father to Sophie Dahl
Richard Henry Dana, Jr. father-in-law to daughter of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Richard Henry Dana, Jr. cousins to Ellery Channing
Charles Darwin grandfather to Gwen Raverat
Charles Dickens Father-in-law to brother of Wilkie Collins
Charles Dickens grandfather to Monica Dickens
Joan Didion wife to John Gregory Dunne

John Dryden cousin to Jonathan Swift
Daphne du Maurier granddaughter to George du Maurier
Daphne du Maurier sister to Angela du Maurier
George du Maurier grandson to Mary Ann Clarke (who wrote her memoirs of being mistress to Frederick, Duke of York)
Alexandre Dumas, Pere father to Alexandre Dumas, fils
John Gregory Dunne brother to Dominick Dunne

Dave Eggers husband to Vendela Vida
David Eisenhower brother to Susan Eisenhower
Nora Ephron sister to Delia Ephron
Nora Ephron sister to Amy Ephron
Nora Ephron sister to Hallie Ephron
Nora Ephron wife (1) to Dan Greenburg
Nora Ephron wife (2) to Carl Bernstien

F. Scott Fitzgerald husband to Zelda Fitzgerald
Johnathan Safran Foer husband to Nicole Krauss
Michael J. Fox brother-in-law to Michael Pollan
Paula Fox mother to Linda Carroll
Antonia Fraser wife of Harold Pinter
Antonia Fraser mother to Flora Fraser
Antonia Fraser daughter of Francis Pakenham and Elizabeth Longford
Antonia Fraser sister to Rachel Billington, Thomas Pakenham, Judith Kazantis
George MacDonald Fraser father to Caro Fraser
Michael Frayn husband to Claire Tomalin

Margaret Gibson wife to David McKain
Elizabeth Gilbert Sister to Catherine Gilbert Murdock
Glen David Gold husband to Alice Sebold
Dan Greenberg husband (2) to J.C. Greenberg (children's books)

Barbara Hambly wife to George Alec Effinger
Robert Harris brother-in-law to Nick Hornby
Nathaniel Hawthorne father to Julian Hawthorne
Nathaniel Hawthorne father-in-law to George Parsons Lathrop
Joseph Heller father to Ted Heller
Ernest Hemingway is: Jeff Lindsay (author of the Dexter series) is married to Hilary Hemingway (also a writer), daughter of Leicester Hemingway (also a writer), brother of Ernest Hemingway. So, Lindsay is E. Hemingway's nephew through marriage.
Ernest Hemingway father to Jack Hemingway
Ernest Hemingway grandfather to Lorian Hemingway
Ernest Hemingway grandfather to John Hemingway
Ernest Hemingway ex-father-in-law to Valerie Hemingway
Ernest Hemingway husband to Martha Gellhorn (Ernest's third wife)
Ernest Hemingway husband to Mary Welsh Hemingway (Ernest's fourth wife)
Frank Herbert father to Brian Herbert
Grace Livingston Hill mother to Ruth Livingston Hill

Henry James brother to William James
Henry James brother to Alice James
Iris Johansen mother to Roy Johansen
Kaylie Jones daughter to James Jones
Erica Jong daughter-in-law to Howard Fast
Erica Jong mother to Molly Jong-Fast
Faye Kellerman wife to Jonathan Kellerman
Faye Kellerman mother to Jesse Kellerman

John F. Kennedy Uncle to Maria Shriver
John F. Kennedy husband to Jacqueline Kennedy
John F. Kennedy father to Caroline Kennedy
Stephen King father to Owen King
Stephen King father to Joe Hill
Rudyard Kipling nephew to grandmother of Angela Thirkell

Mercedes Lackey wife to Larry Dixon
John Le Carre father to Nick Harkaway
Tim LaHaye husband to Beverly LaHaye
Ursula Le Guin daughter of Theodora Kroeber
Ursula Le Guin daughter of Alfred Kroeber
Ursula Le Guin stepsister to Karl Kroeber
Karl Kroeber father to Paul Kroeber
Jim Lehrer husband to Kate Lehrer
Jeff Lindsay is E. Hemingway's nephew through marriage (See Ernest Hemingway entry.)
Richard Lockridge husband to Hildegarde Dolson

Anne McCaffrey mother to Todd McCaffrey
Mary McCarthy wife to Edmund Wilson
Frank McCourt brother to Malachy McCourt
George MacDonald father to Greville MacDonald
George MacDonald father to Ronald MacDonald
Philip MacDonald son to Ronald MacDonald
Philip MacDonald grandson to George
(Philip MacDonald also used the pen names Oliver Fleming, Anthony Lawless, Martin Porlock, and W. J. Stuart)

Robin McKinley wife to Peter Dickinson
Arthur Miller father to Rebecca Miller
Rebecca Miller daughter-in-law to Cecil Day-Lewis
Jessica Mitford wife to Nephew-by marriage to Winston Churchill
Nancy Mitford sister to Jessica Mitford
Michael Moorcock husband to Hilary Bailey
Iris Murdoch wife to John Bayler

Sara Nelson sister to Liza Nelson
Jennifer Niven daughter to Penelope Niven
Frances Osborne great granddaughter to cousin of Vita Sackville-West
Rosamund Pilcher mother to Robin Pilcher
Sylvia Plath wife to Ted Hughes
Mike Resnick father to Laura Resnick
Anne Rice mother to Christopher Rice
Anne Rice wife to Stan Rice (poet)
Mordecai Richler father to Emma Richler
Dante Gabriel Rossetti brother to Christina Rossetti

Carl Sagan father to Nick Sagan
John Paul Sartre cousin to Albert Schweitzer
David Sedaris brother to Amy Sedaris
Michael Shaara father to Jeff Shaara
Mary Ann Shaffer Aunt to Annie Barrows
David Sheff father to Nic Sheff
Sidney Sheldon father to Mary Sheldon
Percy Bysshe Shelley husband to Mary Shelley
Porter Shreve husband to Bich Minh Nguyen
Alexander Solzhenitsyn stepfather-in-law to Sabrina Solzhenitsyn
Danielle Steel wife to Tom Perkins
John Steinbeck father to Thomas Steinbeck and John Steinbeck IV
Bram Stoker great grand-uncle to Dacre Stoker

Alfred Lord Tennyson brother to Frederick Tennyson
Nancy Thayer mother to Samantha Wilde
Bodie & Brock Thoene parents to Luke & Jake Thoene
J.R.R. Tolkien father to Christopher Tolkien
Gemma Townley sister to Madeleine Wickham (aka Sophie Kinsella)
Frances Trollope mother to Anthony Trollope
Joanna Trollope distant relation (unspecified) to Anthony Trollpe
Joan D. Vinge wife to Vernor Vinge

Alice Walker mother to Rebecca Walker
Auberon Waugh father to Alexander Waugh
Evelyn Waugh father to Auberon Waugh
Laura Ingalls Wilder mother to Rose Wilder Lane
Mary Wollstonecraft mother to Mary Shelley
Mary Wollstonecraft wife to William Godwin
Virginia Woolf Stepsister to Granddaughter of William Thackery
Virginia Woolf wife to Leonard Woolf
Virginia Woolf daughter to Leslie Stephen

Alice Walker has a daughter! You just made my day. :-)

Also for mystery buffs there are Mary Higgins-Clarke and her daughter Carol Higgins-clarke.

Katie wrote: "Alice Walker has a daughter! You just made my day. :-)"

She only has one or two books out, I think, but go for it.

Woohoo! I never would have found the Charles Dickens/Wilkie Collins connection. Perfect, since I am reading Little Dorrit for the real-life bookclub & have The Moonstone patiently waiting on the shelf.

Martin Amis and Kingsley Amis are father and son

Frank Herbert and Brian Herbert (father/son).
J.R.R. Tolkien and Christopher Tolkien (father/son).

Amanda wrote: "Virginia Woolf wasn't actually Thackery's granddaughter- she was half sister to Thackery's granddaughter. Woolf's father's first wife was Thackery's daughter. She died, and then he married Woolf's ..."

Amanda , you are right. It still counts.

I'm a little sad, I read the Marys (Wollstonecraft and Shelley) for last season's challenge, but maybe I'll do Thackeray and Woolf or the Brontes.

Liz wrote: "Woohoo! I never would have found the Charles Dickens/Wilkie Collins connection. Perfect, since I am reading Little Dorrit for the real-life bookclub & have The Moonstone patiently waiting on the ..."

I also have The Moonstone on my shelf and reading for challenges kept it out of reach until now - Yea! I did work Woman in White into the summer challenge and loved it, so am looking forward to this one. I've been reading quite a bit of Dickens this year, but I know I have a couple more waiting.

Thanks, Donna Jo

I also know that:

Gemma Townley and Madeleine Wickham (aka Sophie Kinsella) (sisters)

Michael J. Fox and Michael Pollan (brothers-in-law)
Joseph Boyden and Amanda Boyden (husband/wife)

I knew if I turned you guys loose you'd come up with tons of people I never thought of. Keep up the good work!

Melissa wrote: "I also know that:

Gemma Townley and Madeleine Wickham (aka Sophie Kinsella) (sisters)"

REALLY? Oooh....

Isaac Asimov and Janet Jeppson Asimov (married)

Isaac and Janet collaborated on some books (The Norby series) and Janet wrote some of her own books under her maiden name of Janet O Jeppson.

I ran across one of their collaborative books at the library today so I did a bit more poking around on Wikipedia. This might help the Sci-fi fans out there.

Donna Jo, that is an amazing list on any one of a number of levels. Where did you get it? Did you compile it yourself or find it on the web? Clive Cussler named his son "Dirk", never would have guessed that (sarcastic snicker). Who ever knew Sartre and Schweitzer were cousins?!
Thanks, I didn't even think of step relations, or some of those other more distant connections. I must admit I grinned at this one "Barbara Cartland, stepgrandmother to ex-wife of Prince Charles", took a minute to arrive at Princess Diana ;). Great list, thanks!

Thanks, Cindy. I started compiled the list in mid July when I was sure I'd be doing this task. I thought it would be a case of clicking a couple buttons--ha,ha. Mostly, it was sheer luck finding these guys. Sometimes the info was on the back flap of book jackets. The most fun was the rather twisty ones, like Barbara Cartland.
As you can see by others' comments, I missed a lot of them. I'll compile the lot of them by the end of the Challenge, but I'm not sure exactly what I'll do with them.

This list is fantastic. I love finding new connections like this.

Stephen King's wife, Tabitha King has also written several books.

A.S. Byatt and Margaret Drabble are sisters.

Liz wrote: "A.S. Byatt and Margaret Drabble are sisters."

Well, that certainly explains a thing or two.

Just stumbled upon a strange, twisty relationship to add to the list:

Jeff Lindsay (author of the Dexter series) is married to Hilary Hemingway (also a writer), daughter of Leicester Hemingway (also a writer), brother of Ernest Hemingway. So, Lindsay is E. Hemingway's nephew through marriage.

While I'm at it, here are some other Hemingway writers:
- Jack Hemingway (Ernest's son)
- Lorian Hemingway (Ernest's granddaughter)
- John Hemingway (Ernest's grandson)
- Valerie Hemingway (Ernest's ex-daughter-in-law)
- Martha Gellhorn (Ernest's third wife)
- Mary Welsh Hemingway (Ernest's fourth wife)

What a complicated family tree!

Katie wrote: "Just stumbled upon a strange, twisty relationship to add to the list:

Jeff Lindsay (author of the Dexter series) is married to Hilary Hemingway (also a writer), daugh..."

Wow, Katie. This is great! I am just going to cut/paste this in my list now. Thanks.

Can I have Jonathan Kellerman and Jesse Kellerman please?

Fiona (Titch) wrote: "Can I have Jonathan Kellerman and Jesse Kellerman please?"

You sure can.

Donna Jo wrote: "Fiona (Titch) wrote: "Can I have Jonathan Kellerman and Jesse Kellerman please?"

You sure can."

Thanks, as I wanna read Silent Partner - Jonathan Kellerman & The Brutal Art - Jesse Kellerman

Ursula Le Guin daughter of Theodora Kroeber
Ursula Le Guin daughter of Alfred Kroeber

Ursula Le Guin daughter of Theodora Kroeber
Yeah! I had no idea they were related, and I have books by both on my TBR.

I didn't see it mentioned but Johnathan Safran Foer is married to Nicole Krauss.

George MacDonald and Greville MacDonald (father/son)
George MacDonald and Ronald MacDonald (father/son)
Philip MacDonald, son of Ronald, grandson of George.

Philip MacDonald also used the pen names Oliver Fleming, Anthony Lawless, Martin Porlock, and W. J. Stuart.

Donna Jo wrote: "As you can see by others' comments, I missed a lot of them. I'll compile the lot of them by the end of the Challenge, but I'm not sure exactly what I'll do with them..."

These relationships need to be on a site of their own - a sort of WOTD calendar of twisty (twisted?) literary relationships.

Janice wrote: "Donna Jo wrote: "As you can see by others' comments, I missed a lot of them. I'll compile the lot of them by the end of the Challenge, but I'm not sure exactly what I'll do with them..."

These r..."

I would like to put the list somewhere that people could find and use it. It would be interesting to really do something with it.

Donna Jo wrote: "Janice wrote: "Donna Jo wrote: "As you can see by others' comments, I missed a lot of them. I'll compile the lot of them by the end of the Challenge, but I'm not sure exactly what I'll do with them..."

Listology would be a great site to keep the list. Anyone could easily copy and clone the list. I keep a lot of book lists on this site. I'll post a link to my listology contents so you can get an idea if this would work.

Lisa's Listology Book Lists

Lisa wrote: "Donna Jo wrote: "Janice wrote: "Donna Jo wrote: "As you can see by others' comments, I missed a lot of them. I'll compile the lot of them by the end of the Challenge, but I'm not sure exactly what ..."

Thanks for the tip, Lisa. You've just given me another place to play on the net. (Like I don't already spend too much time here.) Anyway, I can see that this is a place worth investigating.

Donna Jo wrote: "Lisa wrote: "Donna Jo wrote: "Janice wrote: "Donna Jo wrote: "As you can see by others' comments, I missed a lot of them. I'll compile the lot of them by the end of the Challenge, but I'm not sure ..."

If any of my lists are of interest to you, then you can clone it and make adjustments to suit you. When I discovered this site, I spent A LOT of time copying lists and highlighting books I've read and ones I own. Some of the lists I created myself by combing the internet. It's one more addiction for me. Plus, I like being able to cross things off lists.

I have another blood related pair to offer:

Kaylie Jones and her father James Jones

Kaylie wrote "A Soldier's Daughter Never Cries" (among others) and James Jones wrote "From Here to Eternity", and "The Thin Red Line" (just to name two of the more recognizable titles).

Jennifer wrote: "I have another blood related pair to offer:

Kaylie Jones and her father James Jones

Kaylie wrote "A Soldier's Daughter Never Cries" (among others) and James Jones wrote "From Here to Eternity", a..."

Thanks, Jennifer. I've added the Joneses to the list.

Iris Johansen is Roy Johansen's mother. I read a book by Iris, but I was wondering if I could read one by the two of them for the other half of the task. I am looking at the book Storm Cycle by Iris Johansen and Roy Johansen. Thank you!

Rebecca wrote: "Iris Johansen is Roy Johansen's mother. I read a book by Iris, but I was wondering if I could read one by the two of them for the other half of the task. I am looking at the book [book:Storm Cycle|..."

Rebecca, I'm sorry but I am looking for separate books by the relatives. It looks like he has at least three by himself that would be eligible--The Answer Man, Beyond Belief, and Deadly Visions.
Thanks for the info about the authors--I'll add them to the list.

Not a problem- thanks for the help!!!!