July: Reading Sibling Stories

3 recent fiction titles + 1 memoir with sibling relationships at the heart

Dear Readers,

Have you noticed that summer book releases tend to be centered on family relationships, when they’re not about romance? Makes sense to me. My ideal of summer involves days full of family togetherness if not much else. While the ideal does not always match reality, it just feels right to read about families in the summer.

When I looked at my most anticipated books of summer, I realized a common theme of siblings as the main characters. And since reading Pulitzer-winner Liliana’s Invincible Summer last month, I’ve been thinking alot about the complexity and depth of these relationships. The dynamics of being part of a group of peers none of the members had any choice in forming—and the ways what happens to a sibling shapes one’s own view of what’s possible in life—provide rich material to explore conflict, character, and feelings.

It’s already July 7 so I’m keeping this month’s themed list to just four titles. Which of them looks most intriguing to you? If you’ve already rea…