If you like: sisters.
For our last list, a tribute to the highs and lows of sisterhood:
After Dark by Haruki Murakami: Annie recommending another Murakami book? Surprise, surprise. Eri is the pretty sister and Mari is the quiet sister. The novel takes place over one night, when Mari decides she’s going to stay out until dawn. Not in a “let’s party” kind of way, but more of a “sit in Denny’s reading a book and walking around” kind of way. Meanwhile, Eri is stuck in a mysterious sleep. Are the people of the night and Eri's condition related? -- AK (Save on Goodreads)
Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister by Gregory Maguire: Iris loves her sister and knows that someday she’ll be responsible for keeping her safe in a world that is not kind to women or the disabled. While Iris is fascinated with painting, her mother teaches her the ways a woman can survive through manipulation and marriage. That’s how the two sisters gain a third one, the beautiful and opaque Clara, who their mother sees as a threat. -- AK (Save on Goodreads)
Heroine Complex by Sarah Kuhn: Heroine Complex is perfect for anyone looking for a fun romp. Evie, the main character, is trying to cover up her superpowers while acting as the assistant to the #1 Superhero in San Francisco. Her secret gets difficult to keep as she battles with evil villains, a sucky love life, and her tempestuous teenage sister, Bea. Evie’s relationship with Bea is as hilarious as it is frustrating, and develops in really fun ways over the course of the trilogy. -- MK (Save on Goodreads)
How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents by Julia Alvarez: There are four sisters in this book, and it’s told between their alternating perspectives in reverse-chronological order. As crazy as that sounds, Alvarez makes it all seem effortless with phenomenal writing. It’s a story about immigration, tradition, trauma, and culture, but mostly, it’s a story about the way family threads all of those things together. -- MK (Save on Goodreads)
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith: Cassandra narrates the goings on of her quirky family in journals. Of interest is her older sister, Rose, who is determined to escape poverty, but she doesn’t have many options beyond marrying well. -- AK (Save on Goodreads)
The Invisible Circus by Jennifer Egan: Before Egan gained notoriety for A Visit from the Goon Squad, she had this tightly written novel about a young woman who goes on a journey to discover the bigger world, following the trail of her beloved, dazzling older sister who met a bad end. It’s not only about a younger sister gaining new insight into her older sister, but it’s a fascinating examination of the generation gap between the ‘60s and ‘70s. -- AK (Save on Goodreads)
Jacob Have I Loved by Katherine Paterson: OK, one story about sisters who do not get along. It’s not that Caroline is a bad person, and in a perfect world, she and Sara Louise might have been close. But they live in a world where pretty, weak Caroline is given preferential treatment and good things are always sent her way while Sara Louise struggles to carve out a piece that’s all her own. In the end, she has to realize it’s not sister against sister, it’s Sara Louise against herself. -- AK (Save on Goodreads)
Kira-Kira by Cynthia Kadohata: I tried really hard to keep my choices for The Sister List from making it The Sad Sister List, but this one slipped through. This story is all about Japanese-American sisters reminding each other of the lovely, glittering parts of the world, even when their lives feel anything but. It takes place in the 1950s, won the Newbery Award in 2005, and still makes me feel like crying when I think about it in 2018. -- MK (Save on Goodreads)
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han: I’ll say it. I liked the movie more than the book. I feel like the movie was better at driving home the most important point: Oldest sisters are always right. But really, a good story about how sisters make your life crazy but also make it better. -- AK (Save on Goodreads)
The Two Princesses of Bamarre by Gail Carson Levine: As always, Gail Carson Levine writes books that feel as classic and whimsical as fairy tales. This one features sisters Addie and Meryl. They have seemingly opposite personalities but deeply care for each other. When Meryl gets sick with the Gray Death, Addie sets out to find a cure, and is forced to be the brave, strong person she thought only Meryl was. There’s magic, an annoying dragon, and an epic journey that shows the transformative power of sisterly love. -- MK (Save on Goodreads)
Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell: Molly and Cynthia are very different, but they become family when Molly’s serious dad marries Cynthia’s flighty mom. The marriage isn’t destined for calm waters, but the two girls manage to become friends. Charming, lovable Cynthia has some secrets, though, and Molly gets pulled into the rumor mill which can make or break a woman in the early 1800s. -- AK (Save on Goodreads)
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