The Tales Pensieve

They introduced you the wonderful world of books.

In case you are the younger sibling, chances that you got into reading because your older sibling loved reading. My sister, in particular, introduced me to Enid Blyton and the classics. It was thanks to her I read Pride and Prejudice when I was 14, Gone with the Wind at 16.

You got into the same books at the same time. 

As I child, I did not read Harry Potter until I turned 12 (I got my copy when I was about 11. I was too fascinated by Roald Dalh’s The Witches, to get into Harry Potter). My sister read the book before me and couldn’t stop talking about it….then I joined the fandom and I became a crazier fan than she is. Years later, I introduced her to John Green, which brings us to the next point.

They steal your books.

Having a reader sibling also means, losing your prized possessions to them at times. I was enchanted by The Fault in Our Stars and my sister wanted to read it. The end result was, I was forced to leave my copy with her. And because I knew I would probably never see the book again, I gifted it to her.

You cannot speak book code with friends. 

Now because your sibling also read the same books as you, dubbing people with villain names, hero names and the like does not come in handy anymore. They know exactly what you’re talking about, and who you’re talking about.

You’re embarrassed because the latest book has some steamy scenes and now your older sibling knows you read them.

This is completely personal though, and you might not identify with this at all. But when I know my older sibling is reading a book that has particularly racy scenes, it makes me want to curl up on the floor. We are not the kind, I guess, who’re comfortable discussing characters’ sex lives.

You discuss theories and OTPs with them all the time. 

When the Harry Potter series was still being released book by book (yes, I belong to the generation that grew up with them), my sister and I would discuss theories about what would and could happen next. I always knew a Weasley would die. And as for OTPs (One True Pair), I was always partial to Ron and Hermione.

You never run out things to talk about. 

You literally never run out of things to talk about. It also helps to avoid awkward conversations.
“So, do you have a boyfriend yet?”
“Ha ha, I haven’t found my Augustus Waters.”
“Oh yes – that story was beautiful and heartbreaking…”
“Have you seen what John Green has been up to lately?”
And there you go. Conversation about a boyfriend (who might or might not exist) totally avoided.

You argue about which author/book is the best of all times.

But you get into heated arguments about which book is the best or which author is the best. And when you disagree with one another, sometimes things get a little too intense.

You depend on each other for reading recommendations. 

It could be the middle of the night, when you finally finish a book and have nothing to read. So you shoot the sibling a text for book suggestions and…voila! They text you back an entire list of books you should check out.

You comfort each other when faced with character deaths. 

Killing off Fred Weasley was the biggest blow that J K Rowling ever gave us, even if I knew one of them would die. Having a sibling who understood that pain, was one of the best things in the world. Moreover, I don’t think anyone other than the reader sibling would understand why you’re left traumatized by character deaths.

You also inherit all their books when they move out of the house! 

The best part is you inherit all their books when they finally move out of the house. Of course, they take a few with them. But now you can snoop through their bookshelves and even find the books they hid to stop you from getting their hands on them!

What else do you think are the pros and cons of having a reader sibling? Is there something I missed out on? Let me know in the comments below!