“As if he were reading her thoughts, Klaus put a hand on Violet’s shoulder, and she smiled at him. Klaus had known for all his twelve years that his older sister found a hand on her shoulder comforting- as long as the hand was attached to an arm, of course.”

~ The Austere Academy, by Lemony Snicket

Hello, friends! Thank you for joining me today. I checked the weather this morning and it’s supposed to be slightly overcast but dry and cool, which is the absolute best weather for picking apples! Want to grab a barrel, climb a ladder, and pick a bushel or two while we talk about books?

Wonderful! Be careful climbing that ladder, now. It’s sturdy, but heights always make me a little nervous! Thankfully these trees aren’t too very tall. Where was I? Oh yes, I wanted to tell you about five of my favorite books about siblings! As the oldest of nine siblings myself I have many, many experiences with them. The bond between siblings is so powerful, and makes a great addition to any story!

First, one of my favorite childrens’ books — Five Children and It, by E. Nesbit. I found it at a garage sale when I was about twelve years old and instantly loved the magical, whimsical, adventurous story. The “five children” of the title are five English siblings and the “it” is a cantankerous Psammead (or sand fairy) who can grant wishes — that only last until sunset. It’s very entertaining, and I only recently discovered that there are two sequels, The Phoenix and the Carpet and The Story of the Amulet. I ordered both as soon as I heard of them, and I’ve been reading the former aloud to my daughter — though since she is only fifteen months old, I think I’m enjoying it more than she is!

Oops, that apple I didn’t quite make it into the barrel — oh well. I’ll just pick it up later. There are so many of them! We are going to fill up our bushels in no time! And don’t they look crisp and delicious? There’s nothing like a really good, sweet apple.

Next is another childrens’ series, more recent this time. It is A Series of Unfortunate Events, by Lemony Snicket. I know that’s actually thirteen books, not one, but I couldn’t really single one out! I discovered the series a few years ago, but even as an adult I absolutely love them. To be quite honest I’ve only gotten around to reading the first four, but I intend to read the rest very soon (as I need to boost my reading count for the year and they are pretty quick reads!). I have, however, seen the Netflix show (not nearly as good as the books) so I know the storyline of the last two-thirds of the series. The humorous tale of the woes and misfortunes of three talented and charming siblings after the death of their parents — sounds strange, no? The charm comes through Lemony Snicket’s writing. There is so much sarcasm and wit and just plain delightful nonsense in his narration style. And I do love how loyal and loving the siblings are towards each other in the midst of everything falling apart and going terribly around them!

Okay, I see that most of us have our barrels almost full already! And I see that the sun is coming out from behind the clouds — what do you say we finish filling the bushels and then sit in the shade of the trees for awhile and dig in? Great! Let’s pick the last few!

Third on my list is not as prominently about siblings, but a pair of siblings is still an important part of the story. It too is a young adult book (I think all of the books I’m talking about today are either for children or young adults) — Divergent, by Veronica Roth. I saw the movie and read the book when the YA dystopia craze was in full swing a few years ago, and I must say it’s my favorite out of the books I’ve read in that genre. It is very engaging and thought-provoking, and family and faith are values that are woven throughout under the surface of the struggles and twists and turns of the plot. Tris and her brother are not together for most of the book — they take different paths towards the beginning and the difference in values that is exposed brings tension between them. I won’t give spoilers as to how things go later — but suffice it to say their relationship is not over because of this, and nor is its vitality to the story. I still haven’t read the third book in the trilogy, but it is near the top of my to-read list!

There, I don’t think that my bushel can hold one more apple! I’m going to climb down now… just a few more steps… there we go! Time to settle up against this tree and take a bite. Mmmmm! Oh my goodness, these are so good. What do you think? Mine is so crisp and juicy! I’m so glad we decided to do this today!

Next I have yet another series for you, though I’m just going to talk about the first book, as not every story in the series features siblings. You’re probably familiar with this one — it’s The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, the first book in The Chronicles of Narnia, by C. S. Lewis. As I mentioned in my post on historical nonfiction, I am a longtime admirer of Lewis, and Narnia was my first exposure to his work. I am actually rereading this one right now, and I don’t even know how many times I have read it. The story of Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy and their magical and deeply meaningful journey to Narnia — Aslan — the setting and other characters — and most of all the compelling and beautiful picture of Christ and His sacrifice — I love it all so much. I can’t wait to read this series to my daughter one day — though for this one I want to wait until she is old enough to understand it!

Oh dear — I thought it wasn’t supposed to rain today! Did you feel those drops? Quick — let’s grab our bushels and hurry back to the cabin! Ooh, this is heavy, but not too heavy for me to carry over there. Do you all have yours? Great! Let’s hurry, the drops are already coming faster!

Last, I hope you won’t mind again me mentioning another one of my own books — or rather, another series. This time it’s The Firmament Series, my YA science-fiction series. I am actually working on getting the sixth book out this month, Lord willing! But in the first, the main character Andi Lloyd discovers her long-lost brother, and from then on the books explore their growing relationship and bond. Even though they didn’t grow up together and never even met until they were both young adults, that special connection is still there, and it’s one of my favorite parts of the books. Siblings tend to feature prominently in most of my books — Never, which I mentioned in my post about mysteries, is about brothers. There’s just something so strong and special about the relationship between siblings, so naturally, it’s a powerful story element to include!

Phew, we got inside without getting too very soaked! And with so many apples! I think I’m going to enjoy biting into another one of these while curled up with a good book — want to join me for a reading party? It’s the best kind? Nothing like the companionable silence of friends — or perhaps siblings — reading together on a rainy, autumn day.

Be sure to visit all the other Five Fall Favorites posts up today, and come back tomorrow for another category!

Also be sure to enter our giveaway — my book Implant is just one of many great prizes included!

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