Okay, if you like Random Family, I think you'll also like American Dream: Three Women, Ten Kids, and a Nation's Drive to End Welfare, by Jason DeParle. I also recommend David Shipler's The Working Poor. Both of these are way WAY better than Nickeled & Dimed (Ehrenreidt).

For the narrative lover in you, even though it's nonfiction, I really recommend Cross-X (which I mention above).

For a fictional narrative, someone just reminded me of Small Island by Andrea Levy. You might really like that one.

If you like Drown, you *might* like How We Are Hungry, by Dave Eggers.

Nick Hornby warned me off The Dirt, lol. I probably wouldn't have picked it up anyway, but his remarks on it sealed its fate in my world, lol.