Here are 100 books that The Rebellious Sister fans have personally recommended if you like The Rebellious Sister. Book DNA is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of Pepper & Boo: A Cat Surprise!

Jen de Oliveira Author Of Reggie: Kid Penguin

From my list on comics starring cute and funny animals.

Why am I passionate about this?

Before I was an author-illustrator, I was an elementary school teacher for many years. One of my favorite things about teaching was reading to students and helping them find books they love. Seeing kids connect with books motivated me to write and illustrate books; the character Reggie is very much inspired by my young students! Humorous books with lots of pictures often get kids hooked on reading, which is why I’ve selected funny graphic novels for this list. There’s no shortage of great comics for kids, so I chose books I also would have loved as a kid–silly and sweet, starring animal characters with real, kid-like feelings.

Jen's book list on comics starring cute and funny animals

Jen de Oliveira Why Jen loves this book

As a cat person (who also loves dogs), I was chuckling throughout this silly short story. The uncluttered panels make the book easy to read, and the simple dialogue and adorable characters make it fun to read. I was cheering for Boo, a nervous blue-colored dog, the entire time. (Don’t tell my cats!)

By Charise Mericle Harper ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Pepper & Boo as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 6, 7, 8, and 9.

What is this book about?

Charise Mericle Harper (Crafty Cat, Just Grace, Fashion Kitty) delivers another hilarious and charming early graphic novel series starring Pepper and Boo, two darling dogs, and their suspicious housemate, the cat.

Meet Pepper and Boo. They are two dogs who do not know much about cats. (Who does?) They wonder why the cat sleeps so much (in their beds!), licks itself so much, what the cat is thinking, and what makes the cat happy.

Luckily, the cat can explain. The cat knows a lot about being a cat. They know a cat will sleep anywhere (a box, a keyboard, a…


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Book cover of Aggressor

Aggressor by FX Holden,

It is April 1st, 2038. Day 60 of China's blockade of the rebel island of Taiwan.

The US government has agreed to provide Taiwan with a weapons system so advanced that it can disrupt the balance of power in the region. But what pilot would be crazy enough to run…

Book cover of The Atlantis Syndrome

Kenneth L. Feder Author Of Frauds, Myths, and Mysteries: Science and Pseudoscience in Archaeology

From my list on frauds, myths, and claims about human antiquity.

Why am I passionate about this?

My fascination with the ancient past began when I was four years old and wanted to be a dinosaur, specifically a Tyrannosaurus rex. When it became clear that this option was not open to me, I decided instead to become an archaeologist. Archaeologists don’t study dinosaurs, but instead investigate human antiquity. When I began my 40+ years of teaching archaeology, I asked students what topics they wanted covered in class. Invariably they expressed an interest in things like ancient astronauts, Atlantis, Stonehenge, and pyramids. This led me to a career-long study of strange claims about the human past, it provided the raw material for multiple books on the subject.

Kenneth's book list on frauds, myths, and claims about human antiquity

Kenneth L. Feder Why Kenneth loves this book

Whenever I encounter people who interrogate me concerning my archaeological skepticism that the “Lost Continent of Atlantis,” as described by Greek philosopher Plato in about 360 BC, was a real place or even one loosely based on an actual historical event, I invariably direct them to Paul Jordan’s thorough and definitive book. “But didn’t Plato say that Atlantis was real?” they ask. Nope. “But don’t ancient civilizations share so much in common they must have derived their cultures from a single source, Atlantis?” Nope. “But didn’t Plato base his discussion of Atlantis on the catastrophic destruction of the Minoan civilization?” Nope. Why all my “nopes?” Read Jordan’s authoritative book to find out. He is a terrific researcher and a damn good writer.

By Paul Jordan ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Atlantis Syndrome as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

This work unravels the whole Atlantis mythology, starting with the first reference to it in the works of Plato in about 360BC. It follows the evolution of the idea through classical times and the Middle Ages, and shows how the modern approach to the story was pioneered by an Italian poet in 1530.


Book cover of Phaedrus

Peter Cave Author Of Humanism: A Beginner's Guide

From my list on grappling with what it is to be human.

Why am I passionate about this?

Who knows why, but I have always been enticed by absurdities, paradoxes, incongruities — I use them in my talks, articles, and books — of everyday lives, our humanity, and mysteries of our ‘going on.’ Reflections on being human can be triggered by humour such as Cambridge’s Beyond the Fringe and New York’s sitcom Seinfeld — within which I wallow — as well as by lengthy philosophical works and novels. My work draws on bafflements: for example, shampoo instructions “Lather, rinse, repeat” (making shampoo-ing infinite?); Barmaid to Peter Cook, “Bitter?”, reply being “Just tired”— and Samuel Beckett’s “I can’t go on. I’ll go on.” Yes, I go on.

Peter's book list on grappling with what it is to be human

Peter Cave Why Peter loves this book

I frequently return to Plato and his portrayal of Socrates. The Phaedrus intrigues me. It is a difficult work for piecing together, yet with fascinating thoughts, taking us from rhetoric to erotic love to the search for Beauty, Truth, the Good.  What it is to be human continues to baffle me — not least because we often do have a sense of 'going beyond' the mystical. Yes — I do write as an atheist.  

By Plato ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Phaedrus as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Phaedrus is widely recognized as one of Plato's most profound and beautiful works. It takes the form of a dialogue between Socrates and Phaedrus and its ostensible subject is love, especially homoerotic love. This new translation is accompanied by an introduction, further reading, and full notes on the text and translation that discuss the structure of the dialogue and elucidate issues that might puzzle the modern reader.


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Book cover of Trusting Her Duke

Trusting Her Duke by Arietta Richmond,

A Duke with rigid opinions, a Lady whose beliefs conflict with his, a long disputed parcel of land, a conniving neighbour, a desperate collaboration, a failure of trust, a love found despite it all.

Alexander Cavendish, Duke of Ravensworth, returned from war to find that his father and brother had…

Book cover of The Lost Art of Resurrection: Initiation, secret chambers and the quest for the Otherworld

Karen Martin Author Of The Bringer of Happiness

From my list on writing about death, religion, and spirituality.

Why am I passionate about this?

Our history is spoken through the voice of the conqueror – notably white male. My work seeks to balance our narratives through insight from women’s perspectives. I support my creative writing with extensive research in history, archeology, and myths, and include in situ interpretations of the relevant landscape. There are many truths to be told, not simply one ordained story and I wish to shine the light on stories that have been hidden and/or silenced. The themed series title, Women Unveiled, pertains to this.

Karen's book list on writing about death, religion, and spirituality

Karen Martin Why Karen loves this book

I chose this book for its interesting exploration of spiritual resurrections that were common throughout ancient civilizations including the Egyptians, Phoenicians, Greek, Persian, and Indians. Silva says these mystical rituals lead initiates (including Plato and Socrates) onto a path of self-empowerment and spiritual awakening. Silva includes the gnostic teachings practiced by the Cathars, who claimed the literal resurrection of Jesus was a lie, and were persecuted by the Church to suppress such gospel teachings by Mary Magdalene and Phillip.

By Freddy Silva ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Lost Art of Resurrection as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

“Those who say they will die first and then rise are in error,” states the once banned Gospel of Philip. For centuries, every esoteric and Gnostic sect was aware that the literal interpretation of the resurrection of Christ promoted by the Church was a fraud. And with good reason: thousands of years before Jesus, initiates from Egypt and China to Celtic Britain and North America practiced a mystical ritual, and its adepts — from Zoroaster to Plato —regarded the experience as the pinnacle of spiritual development: a life-altering awakening that disclosed insights into the nature of reality and the self.…


Book cover of Why Plato Wrote

Melissa Lane Author Of Of Rule and Office

From my list on accessible and thought-provoking books about Plato.

Why am I passionate about this?

I love to read (full stop). And especially, I love to read Plato in English and in Greek, by myself and with others. I studied Plato for my doctorate in Philosophy at the University of Cambridge (in England) because in his dialogues, one finds all the dimensions of philosophy coming together. Why does thinking about how to live lead not only to ethics and political philosophy, but also epistemology (what we can know), aesthetics (what is beautiful), and metaphysics (what is the nature of reality)? Having read Plato with third graders, graduate students, business leaders, and retirees, I find that people of all kinds respond to his works. 

Melissa's book list on accessible and thought-provoking books about Plato

Melissa Lane Why Melissa loves this book

This book blows the cobwebs off Plato. It shows him to have been a force in remaking the terms of the Athenian political imagination and public life.

Allen tracks how images and words that Plato crafted made their way into the public speeches through which Athenians pursued personal vendettas and debated public policy. This book proves that Plato was no ivory tower philosopher. On the contrary: “Plato wrote unacknowledged legislation” and was “the western world’s first think-tank activist and message man”.

I love how relevant this book makes Plato. 

By Danielle S. Allen ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Why Plato Wrote as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Why Plato Wrote argues that Plato was not only the world's first systematic political philosopher, but also the western world's first think-tank activist and message man. Shows that Plato wrote to change Athenian society and thereby transform Athenian politics Offers accessible discussions of Plato's philosophy of language and political theory Selected by Choice as an Outstanding Academic Title for 2011


Book cover of Emile: Or On Education

James Bernard Murphy Author Of Your Whole Life: Beyond Childhood and Adulthood

From my list on live wisely in relation to your childhood and age.

Why am I passionate about this?

I experienced being a parent as a return to my own childhood. As much as I enjoyed teaching my children, I loved learning from them as well. That got me thinking about how one might recapture the joys and insights of childhood. As a philosopher interested in education, I have long wondered whether we leave childhood behind or somehow carry it with us into old age. I discovered that several important philosophers, such as Aristotle, Augustine, and Rousseau have keen insights about the relation of childhood to adulthood. And the biblical Jesus seems to have been the first person to suggest that adults can learn from children. 

James' book list on live wisely in relation to your childhood and age

James Bernard Murphy Why James loves this book

“Never rush childhood but let it ripen in the child”: Jean-Jacques Rousseau was the first philosopher to see children as more than adults-in-training. As someone who loved revisiting childhood as a parent, I simply adored this celebration of the world of a child.

In this philosophical novel, Rousseau is tutor to Emile from infancy to adulthood, and we watch Emile discover the world without any use of schools or books: “I hate books!” says the world-famous author. Purely through experiential learning, Emile matures, falls in love with Sophie, and becomes a model citizen. Rousseau pioneers the idea of learning through natural consequences: if Emile breaks the window in his room, he gets to enjoy a cold room. 

By Jean-Jacques Rousseau , Allan Bloom (translator) ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Emile as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Alan Bloom's new translation of Emile , Rousseau's masterpiece on the education and training of the young, is the first in more than seventy years. In it, Bloom, whose magnificent translation of Plato's Republic has been universally hailed as a virtual rediscovery of that timeless text, again brings together the translator's gift for journeying between two languages and cultures and the philosopher's perception of the true meaning and significance of the issues being examined in the work. The result is a clear, readable, and highly engrossing text that at the same time offers a wholly new sense of the importance…


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Book cover of The Duke's Christmas Redemption

The Duke's Christmas Redemption by Arietta Richmond,

A Duke who has rejected love, a Lady who dreams of a love match, an arranged marriage, a house full of secrets, a most unneighborly neighbor, a plot to destroy reputations, an unexpected love that redeems it all.

Lady Charlotte Wyndham, given in an arranged marriage to a man she…

Book cover of Plato

Melissa Lane Author Of Of Rule and Office

From my list on accessible and thought-provoking books about Plato.

Why am I passionate about this?

I love to read (full stop). And especially, I love to read Plato in English and in Greek, by myself and with others. I studied Plato for my doctorate in Philosophy at the University of Cambridge (in England) because in his dialogues, one finds all the dimensions of philosophy coming together. Why does thinking about how to live lead not only to ethics and political philosophy, but also epistemology (what we can know), aesthetics (what is beautiful), and metaphysics (what is the nature of reality)? Having read Plato with third graders, graduate students, business leaders, and retirees, I find that people of all kinds respond to his works. 

Melissa's book list on accessible and thought-provoking books about Plato

Melissa Lane Why Melissa loves this book

Who would have expected a chapter on money in a book on Plato?

This book persuaded me that the effects of money on souls and societies alike were central to Plato’s ideas. Money distracts from deeper values. It produces false equivalences. It enslaves our reasoning power to the aim of mere accumulation. At a social level, it drives imperialism and war, as Plato saw that it did in ancient Athens.

While there is so much in this book, I find myself going back to this chapter again and again, and finding new insights about Plato’s world and ours each time. 

By Malcolm Schofield ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Plato as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The Founders of Modern Political and Social Thought series presents critical examinations of the work of major political philosophers and social theorists, assessing both their initial contribution and their continuing relevance to politics and society. Each volume provides a clear, accessible, historically informed account of a thinker's work, focusing on a reassessment of the central ideas and arguments. The series encourages scholars and students to link their study of classic texts to current debates in political philosophy and social theory.

In this authoritative general account of Plato's political thought, a leading scholar of ancient Greek philosophy explores its key themes:…


Book cover of Phaedo

Gordon Barnes Author Of How Do You Know? A Dialogue

From my list on philosophy written as engaging dialogues.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am Associate Professor of Philosophy at the State University of New York at Brockport. I have been teaching and writing philosophy for over 20 years. I have published articles in professional journals on a wide range of subjects, from epistemology to philosophy of religion and political philosophy. I think that philosophy, at its best, is a good conversation, in which people give reasons for their views, and listen to others give reasons for theirs. That’s the best way for human beings to think about philosophical questions. That’s why I love philosophical dialogues—they do philosophy in a way that embodies what philosophy is, at its very best.

Gordon's book list on philosophy written as engaging dialogues

Gordon Barnes Why Gordon loves this book

The philosopher Alfred North Whitehead once said that all of Western philosophy is a footnote to Plato. That might be an exaggeration, but not by much. One of the greatest features of Plato’s philosophy is that he wrote almost entirely in the form of dialogues. His writings modeled the idea that philosophy is an ongoing conversation between different points of view. They also modeled the idea that philosophy is an exchange of reasons, in pursuit of the truth. Plato wrote many great dialogues, every one of them worth reading, but the Phaedo is my favorite. In this dialogue, Plato comes out of the closet as, well, a Platonist, and whether you agree or disagree, it’s a wild ride.  

By Plato , G.M.A. Grube (translator) ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Phaedo as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A first rate translation at a reasonable price. --Michael Rohr, Rutgers University


Book cover of Philosophy in the Tragic Age of the Greeks

Barry Sandywell Author Of Logological Investigations, Volume 1: Reflexivity and the Crisis of Western Reason

From my list on the beginnings of European theorizing.

Why am I passionate about this?

I'm currently an Honorary Fellow in Social Theory at the University of York, U.K. For more than five decades I've been working to promote more reflexive perspectives in philosophy, sociology, social theory, and sociological research. I've written and edited many books in the field of social theory with particular emphasis on questions of culture and on work in the field of visual culture. Recently these have included Interpreting Visual Culture (with Ian Heywood), The Handbook of Visual Culture, and an edited multi-volume textbook of international scholars to be published by Bloomsbury, The Bloomsbury Encyclopedia of Visual Culture. My own position can be found in my Dictionary of Visual Discourse: A Dialectical Lexicon of Terms.

Barry's book list on the beginnings of European theorizing

Barry Sandywell Why Barry loves this book

This early study of the young Nietzsche is probably the most personal choice as it returns me to an earlier self who first encountered Nietzsche as an undergraduate in the 1960s. In one sense this was my first introduction to what later became known as `Continental Philosophy’. But more than this, it demonstrated that there were fundamental issues and problems that were simply evaded and occluded by the standard histories of philosophy and European culture. The passion to return to the ancient world as a way of understanding the modern world has remain with me to the present. Nietzsche’s reflections on tragedy and `the tragic age’ struck me as a vital source of radical questions and pointed toward problems that remain with me to the present day: the Indo-European language roots of the first thinkers, the seminal role of Homer and Homeric poetry within the problematics of thought, the rejection…

By Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche , Marianne Cowan (translator) ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Philosophy in the Tragic Age of the Greeks as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

For Nietzsche, the Age of Greek Tragedy was indeed a tragic age. He saw in it the rise and climax of values so dear to him that their subsequent drop into catastrophe (in the person of Socrates - Plato) was clearly foreshadowed as though these were events taking place in the theater. And so in this work, unpublished in his own day but written at the same time that his The Birth of Tragedy had so outraged the German professorate as to imperil his own academic career, his most deeply felt task was one of education. He wanted to present…


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Book cover of Old Man Country

Old Man Country by Thomas R. Cole,

This book follows the journey of a writer in search of wisdom as he narrates encounters with 12 distinguished American men over 80, including Paul Volcker, the former head of the Federal Reserve, and Denton Cooley, the world’s most famous heart surgeon.

In these and other intimate conversations, the book…

Book cover of Socrates and the Socratic Philosophies: Selected Papers from Socratica IV

Nicholas D. Smith Author Of Socrates on Self-Improvement: Knowledge, Virtue, and Happiness

From my list on Socrates as he is depicted by authors other than Plato.

Why am I passionate about this?

In Plato’s Sophist, the main speaker (not Socrates in this case!) mocks those he calls “late-learners," I fall decidedly into that category. When I first read the works of Plato, I was lured into a lifelong attempt to understand and explain the figure of Socrates as he appears in Plato’s dialogues. Lately I have been reading materials by ancient Socratic sources other than Plato and have been wrestling with the uneasy recognition that this “father of Western philosophy” was not seen in the same way even by those who knew him personally. Who was Socrates??? Once upon a time, I thought I knew…

Nicholas' book list on Socrates as he is depicted by authors other than Plato

Nicholas D. Smith Why Nicholas loves this book

It really helps to read collections like this to get the broadest possible view of a historical figure who refuses to come into focus.

There is just enough work on Plato in this collection to allow me to remind myself of the comparisons possible in this very diverse literature and to see so clearly how the very idea of Socrates resonates in so many cultures and languages. Why did someone who wrote nothing inspire so many others to write about him? 

By Claudia Marsico (editor) ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Socrates and the Socratic Philosophies as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

How to face the Socratic riddle? This book offers some clues to address the problem of Socrates and the Socratic philosophies from different perspectives that include the problem of Socrates and the Socratic environment, Plato's Socrates, the Socratic lines, with special attention to Antisthenes, the Megarics, the Cyrenaics, Xenophon and Aeschines, and the Socratic reception in important ancient authors.


Book cover of Pepper & Boo: A Cat Surprise!
Book cover of The Atlantis Syndrome
Book cover of Phaedrus

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Interested in Plato, cats, and myth?

Plato 81 books
Cats 215 books
Myth 100 books