Top Ten Tuesday: My Favorite Books Featuring Siblings

Happy National Siblings Day! There’s no relationship quite like the ones we have with our siblings. No one knows you better–both your faults and your superpowers–like the people who’ve known you for all of your existence. In the broad scope of human history, from the first siblings mentioned in the Bible (Cane and Abel) to the siblings dominating pop culture (the Kardashians…can’t believe I even mentioned them in a blog post), the drama and conflict and intensity of these relationships is played out over and over again. That’s why we as artists can’t avoid examining the nuances of sibling relationships in literature, either.

Here’s my list of top 10 favorite books featuring siblings, including a shameless plug:

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott: my grandmother had this book on her bookshelf when I was young, and it always captivated me. Later on, she left her collection of Little Women dolls to me, so we obviously hold this novel in high esteem in our family. I have one sister, whom I adore, so sister books hold a special place in my heart, as well. This novel will be a keeper for always.
Legends of the Fall by Jim Harrison: an epic tale of war, sibling rivalry, passionate love and betrayal among three brothers and their father, made more famous (in my opinion) by the film adaptation starring Brad Pitt, Anthony Hopkins, Aidan Quinn, Henry Thomas and Julia Ormond.
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen: it’s almost impossible to write a post about siblings and not include the Bennet sisters. This literary classic also maintains residency on my keeper shelf, and possesses one of the best opening lines in all of literature: “It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.”
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd: not at all a light read, yet so beautifully written. Kidd is a phenomenal storyteller and her characters come alive on the pages. This is a book that I thought about long after I finished it.
Sweet Valley High Series by Francine Pascal and ghostwriting friends: in short, I wanted to be Elizabeth Wakefield when I was a tweenager. Todd, Lila, Bruce, Jessica and the whole gang captivated my attention and I read the whole series all the way to the end. Much to my mother’s dismay, I’m sure. Jessica and Elizabeth kicked off my life-long obsession with twins in novels, because I write about twins all the time in my own work.
The Brothers K by David James Duncan: siblings, baseball, love, complicated relationships, politics, the Pacific Northwest…this novel includes many of the elements I’m fond of seeing in a plot. I love Duncan’s writing style and his efforts to create a sort-of modern day version of The Brothers Karamazov is quite clever.
Things I Never Told You by Beth Vogt: this is releasing May 8, and having read an advance copy, I can tell you that you don’t want to miss this one. It’s the first book in Vogt’s new series featuring the Thatcher Sisters. Talk about complex sibling relationships–my goodness, Beth dives deep and it is so worth it. The characters and their struggles are authentic, gritty, and ultimately tell a compelling story of redemption.
The Christiansen Family Series by Susan May Warren: one of my forever favorites, I was in love with the fictional community of Deep Haven, Minnesota from the first page of Take a Chance on Me, and I was so sad when I finished book 6. The Christiansens are another fictional family that I found to be both flawed and authentic, yet compelling and engaging. Thankfully, Susan May Warren continues to write epic inspirational romance with a whole new cast of characters. I highly recommend her Montana Fire and Montana Rescue series, as well.
Falling for You by Becky Wade: another upcoming release that I was fortunate to read over the weekend. I always tell myself I’m going to take my time with Becky’s novels because it will be almost a year before she releases another, so I need to savor the experience. Ha! Willow and Corbin’s story swept me up and although I managed to stretch it out over three days, by Sunday night I couldn’t stop reading. Very enjoyable! I laughed, I cried, and cheered for these fictional friends. Becky writes about siblings often in her novels, yet there’s something especially enjoyable about her current series, The Bradford Sisters.
And now for the shameless plug…I write about siblings quite often in my novels. As I’ve already shared, my obsession with twins began with Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield and never went away. I have friends with twins, relatives with twins, and it’s well-known that readers love stories with twins. Aidan and Liam, the fictional toddler twins in my upcoming release The Firefighter’s Twins, are two of the reasons why I was able to sell this story to Harlequin. While the story is about Shay and Natalie, these adorable little fellas work hard to steal the show. I hope you enjoy reading this novel. If you haven’t already, you can pre-order here.