Books
16 Books To Read With Your Brother
As the older bookworm sister to two younger brothers, I often read through my own books and had to raid my brothers’ bookshelves to find more reading material. And after reading my brothers’ books, I naturally would try to have a sort of Sibling Book Club where we discussed the plot (or, in the case of my youngest brother, discussed the scientific reasoning behind everything).
This didn’t always work, as my brothers had other things to do than talk about books on end with their sister (though what could be better than that, I ask you??). But sometimes, once in a blue moon, we would share a laugh or a joke or an insight about a book we had all read.
Some of my best sibling memories are related to books. My middle brother and I are both obsessed with Harry Potter (maybe too obsessed, according to our mom, who was once freaked out when she watched Sorcerer’s Stone with us and we quoted almost the entire movie verbatim). My youngest brother and I both have the same dry humor, and have laughed over books and essays that reflect this. And recently, when my youngest brother asked me for a list of books to read, I cried internally with joy and handed him a list that was probably long enough to be a novel itself.
Nothing says sibling bonding like reading together. Here are some of my favorite recommendations of books to read with your brother.
1. Diary Of A Wimpy Kid By Jeff Kinney
This is a book I always stole off my brother's shelf, because it is so funny. Anyone who's suffered through middle school will relate to Greg Heffley's story, and his relationship with his older brother Rodrick adds a hilarious sibling dynamic to the mix. The part about Shel Silverstein still makes me and my brother cry with laughter.
2. The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy By Douglas Adams
Another hilarious book, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a quirky classic perfect to read with your brother. It's weird and quotable and offbeat, and will probably lead to plenty of inside jokes.
3. The Lightning Thief By Rick Riordan
I feel like everyone's brother likes The Lightning Thief. The story of Percy Jackson, a son of Poseidon who attends Camp Half Blood for other children of Greek gods, is another great read I stole off my brother's shelf. It's part of a series, so you and your brother will have plenty of books to keep you reading.
4. The Call Of The Wild By Jack London
The story of Buck, a strong-willed St Bernard/Shepard mix who is sold as a sled dog, is a classic and a great book to read with your brother.
5. Ready Player One By Ernest Cline
I'm currently obsessed with this YA book about Wade Watts, a kid living in a future where everyone is constantly plugged into a virtual world called the OASIS. Wade embarks on a quest to find an Easter egg hidden in the OASIS by its creator. This adventure story, which is jam-packed with references to pop culture, is a great one to read with siblings. Then you can tell each other how much you loved it.
6. The Adventures Of Captain Underpants By Dav Pilkey
Sure, it's juvenile and gross and silly, but I still love Captain Underpants. This is probably the first book I stole from my brother's shelves, and I probably liked it even more than they did. But it really is filled with "laffs," so if you want to share some with your brother, pick up a copy today.
7. The Graveyard Book By Neil Gaiman
In this dark children's book, protagonist Nobody loses his family and is raised by the supernatural inhabitants of a graveyard. It's weird and fantastical and you and your brother will both be obsessed.
8. Peter And The Starcatchers By Dave Barry And Ridley Pearson
This Peter Pan retelling takes place in the years leading up to the story you know. My middle brother prefers listening to audiobooks rather than reading, and if your brother is the same, this is a really good one to "read" together because Jim Dale narrates the audiobook. You probably remember him as the narrator of the U.S. audiobook version of Harry Potter, and he's pretty amazing.
9. The Phantom Tollbooth By Norton Juster
Milo travels by tollbooth into the Lands Beyond in this offbeat classic. Quirky, exciting, and fantastical, The Phantom Tollbooth is one you and your brother will both enjoy.
10. The Catcher In The Rye By J.D. Salinger
In this classic coming of age story, Holden Caulfied navigates life after being expelled from prep school. It's wry and relatable, and Holden's relationship with his sister makes the book a great one to read with your sibling.
11. The Bad Beginning By Lemony Snicket
Three siblings endure the worst in this gothic — yet darkly funny — children's series. If you and your brother have a dry and macabre sense of humor, this is a great series to read together.
12. The Martian By Andy Weir
My brother loves space and survival stories, so this one kept him reading until the last page. A thriller about a man stranded on Mars, this book is a perfect siblings-reading-together book — plus you can watch the movie together once you've read it.
13. Life Of Pi By Yann Martel
As I said, my brother loves survival stories... and I love twist endings. Life of Pi combines both of those things, not to mention that it has many themes about family running throughout the book.
14. The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time By Mark Haddon
This is the story of highly logical fifteen-year-old Christopher and his quest to discover who killed his neighbor's dog Wellington. Both funny and touching, this book is the perfect pick to read with your brother.
15. The Three Musketeers By Alexandre Dumas
This swashbuckling classic about a young man training with three musketeers is a great adventure story to read with your brother. And it's long enough to ensure for plenty of bonding time.
16. Harry Potter And the Cursed Child By J.K. Rowling
Obviously, Harry Potter is the ultimate series to read with your brother — and when you've finished reading the first seven, pick up the anticipated script to the eighth story when it comes out on July 31st.
17. Whales On Stilts By M.T. Anderson
My brother and I are obsessed with this book, and I can honestly say that it made us laugh until we cried. Whales On Stilts is a bizarre story about a girl named Lily trying to save the world from... whales on stilts. It's a sort of parody of children's books from the '50s, as well as B movies. The footnotes are the best part — we still remember them years after reading the book for the first time.
Image: Instagram/westerosreader (1)
