Small Press: 11 Books With Big Sister Energy
*Slams bedroom door*
Older sisters are a slippery bunch to characterize. They’re bossy. Protective (of their wardrobes, mostly). Fearless. And more opinionated than my mother’s bridge group. They’re queens but would never be caught dead in a hideous crown that likely needs a deep clean after their little sister stole it.
Recently, “big sister energy” has amassed over 11 million views on TikTok, making it one of the trendiest topics of late summer. And of course, right? ‘Tis the season to crack open a fresh notebook, fling eye daggers at your best frenemy/colleague/sibling, and branch out into unassuming, but fully badass hobbies that no one saw coming. Have big sisters low-key been the main character this entire time? Me thinks yes.
As the younger of two daughters, I’ve had a lifelong front row seat to the inner workings of big sister stuff. I’m basically an expert. Here, a reading list that captures that ephemeral big sister energy and more to boot.
Big Sister Energy Books
“Severance” - Ling Ma
“White Teeth” - Zadie Smith
“The Little Friend” - Donna Tartt
“Bastard Out of Carolina” - Dorothy Allison
“Also a Poet: Frank O’Hara, My Father, and Me” - Ada Calhoun
“A Room of One’s Own” - Virginia Woolf
“The Hunger Games” - Suzanne Collins
“The Dutch House” - Ann Patchett
“Bright Young Women” - Jessica Knoll
“Little Fires Everywhere” - Celeste Ng
“Salvage the Bones” - Jesmyn Ward