Brothers & Sisters

Whether marked by protective tenderness or tense rivalry, sibling bonds are like none other. This thematic collection offers insights into the unique dynamics of brothers and sisters.

Sister of My Heart

by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

Publication year 1999

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Friendship, Love, Grief, Femininity, Gender Identity, Family, Mothers, Siblings, Self Discovery, Social Class, Colonialism, Immigration

Tags Historical Fiction, Indian Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Asian Literature

In the novel Sister of My Heart, the Indian-born American author and poet Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni explores issues of family, womanhood, and diasporic experience, constantly affirming and exploring the redemptive power of storytelling. Divakaruni’s first collection of stories, Arranged Marriage, won an American Book Award, a PEN Josephine Miles Award, and a Bay Area Book Reviewers Award. Her novel The Mistress of Spices was released as a film of the same name in 2005. Sister of My Heart was made into a television series... Read Sister of My Heart Summary

Sisters

by Raina Telgemeier

Publication year 2014

Genre Graphic Memoir , Nonfiction

Themes Family, Conflict, Fear, Hate & Anger, Loneliness, Memory, Nostalgia, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Fathers, Mothers, Siblings, Daughters & Sons, Animals, Art, Order & Chaos

Tags Realistic Fiction, Humor, Coming of Age, Children`s Literature, Modern Classic Fiction

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Slade House

by David Mitchell

Publication year 2015

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Death, The Past, Siblings, Power & Greed

Tags Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Fantasy

Published in 2015, Slade House is a literary fantasy horror novel by British author David Mitchell. The book is a companion piece to Mitchell’s previous novel, The Bone Clocks (2014), which features an invisible war between immortal beings known generally as Atemporals. Mitchell wrote the first chapter of Slade House as a writing experiment on Twitter, limiting himself to the social media platform’s 140-character limit to render the protagonist’s thoughts. The novel, which spans around... Read Slade House Summary

Slob

by Ellen Potter

Publication year 2009

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Apathy, Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Forgiveness, Grief, Hate & Anger, Loneliness, Memory, Regret, Revenge, Shame & Pride, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed, Trust & Doubt, Safety & Danger, Justice, Science & Technology, Equality, Truth & Lies, Wins & Losses, Appearance & Reality, Food, Gender Identity, Mental Health, Family, Siblings, Friendship, Mothers, Teamwork, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Self Discovery, Community, Education

Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Humor, Children`s Literature, Coming of Age, Bullying, Grief & Death, Trauma & Abuse

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Solo

by Mary Rand Hess, Kwame Alexander

Publication year 2017

Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction

Themes Family, Apathy, Conflict, Perseverance, Forgiveness, Grief, Gratitude, Hate & Anger, Joy, Guilt, Memory, Shame & Pride, Coming of Age, Daughters & Sons, Fathers, Mothers, Siblings, Art, Music, Trust & Doubt, Fame, Love, Death, Self Discovery, Social Class, Community, Colonialism, Appearance & Reality

Tags Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age, Prose, Free Verse, Addiction & Substance Abuse, Music, Modern Classic Fiction

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Sometimes a Great Notion

by Ken Kesey

Publication year 1964

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Place, Siblings, Masculinity

Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Dramatic Literature, Realistic Fiction, Business & Economics, Social Class, Relationships, Science & Nature, American Literature, The Beat Generation, US History, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction

Sometimes a Great Notion (1964) is American author Ken Kesey’s second novel. The plot revolves around the Stampers, a family of independent loggers who choose to continue working in opposition to a logging union’s dispute with company leadership. The novel uses an experimental structure, switching between first-person and omniscient narrators and telling the story from the perspectives of multiple characters.Kesey and his counterculture group, the “Merry Pranksters,” were the precursors to the hippies of the... Read Sometimes a Great Notion Summary

Sparring Partners

by John Grisham

Publication year 2022

Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction

Themes Wins & Losses, Power & Greed, Justice, Siblings, Teamwork, Social Class, Politics & Government

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Realistic Fiction, Crime & Law, Incarceration, Social Justice, Finance

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Starship Troopers

by Robert A. Heinlein

Publication year 1959

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Siblings, Space

Tags Science Fiction, Military & War, Fantasy, Classic Fiction

One of the most controversial works of speculative fiction, Robert A. Heinlein’s Starship Troopers tells of a war between Earth and two alien species, as seen through the eyes of a young soldier. First published in 1959, the book became an early sci-fi bestseller and won a Hugo award. The e-book version of the 2018 Ace Premium edition is the basis for this guide.Plot SummaryHundreds of years in the future, Juan “Johnnie” Rico goes against... Read Starship Troopers Summary