Sisters! Bonded by Love and Laughter

by Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop, Marcia Stewart (Editor), Teri Rizvi (Editor)

The Definitive, Humorous Guide on Sisterhood

No one has your back like your sister. And no one can make you laugh as hard. Explore this humorous, nobody-else-could-ever-understand, special world in Sisters! Bonded by Love and Laughter, featuring 21 hilarious (and true) stories by the winners of Nickie’s Prize for Humor Writing from the Erma Bombeck Writers’ Workshop, plus dozens of funny contributions—from New York Times bestselling authors, Saturday Night Live legends, humor writers, podcasters, and other creatives.

Enjoy comical sister stories of illicit ear-piercing and cigarette procuring, sisterly advice (gone seriously awry, at times), the power of big sisters (for better or worse), and sharing that shoulder to cry on during life’s most crushing moments.

If your sister is “your person,” then Sisters! is for you—and her—and for friends in your life who are just like sisters, and share that special bond of love and laughter.

Proceeds from Sisters! will benefit the University of Dayton’s Erma Bombeck Writers’ Workshop Endowment Fund.

Editorial Reviews

“With Alan Zweibel, Adriana Trigiani, Laraine Newman, and Stella Parton (to name a few), this is an amazing celebration of the special bond, the love, the laughter, the inimitable closeness of sisters, and a tribute to the love, laughter, and closeness of family that Erma Bombeck so brilliantly inhabited. Like sisters themselves, Sisters! Bonded by Love and Laughter is a gift.” — AMY EPHRON, bestselling author

“This smart and funny collection captures the essence of sisterhood perfectly—that your sister can be your best friend and your worst enemy on the same day, maybe even in the same hour. A tribute to the complexity and the simplicity of being sisters.” — LIAN DOLAN, creator of the Satellite Sisters podcast and author of The Sweeney Sisters

“If you have a sister or know a sister, you will love this very funny, totally charming, and deeply heartwarming book.” — JULIE KLAM, New York Times bestselling author of The Almost Legendary Morris Sisters

“I love this book. There’s nothing funnier or more powerful than sisterhood, and this nails it all!” — AMY SOLOMON, editor, Notes from the Bathroom Line: Humor, Art, and Low-Grade Panic from 150 of the Funniest Women in Comedy

About the Book Contributors

Co-editor Marcia Stewart is a 30-year publishing veteran who spent most of her career acquiring, editing, and writing business and legal books for the publisher, Nolo. She co-founded Nickie's Prize for Humor Writing with the Erma Bombeck Writers’ Workshop.

Co-editor Teri Rizvi is the founder and director of the Erma Bombeck Writers’ Workshop at the University of Dayton. She’s the author of One Heart with Courage: Essays and Stories (Braughler Books, 2021).

Illustrator Drue Wagner is an Austin-based graphic designer. Drue got her start at the design firm, Pentagram, in Austin, then spent over ten years at various publications in New York, including GQ, Bon Appétit and the Wall Street Journal.

Feature essay and interview authors include: Nancy Berk; Andy Bombeck; the late Erma Bombeck; Matt Bombeck; Kelly Corrigan; Lian Dolan; Marisa Donnelly; Caitlin Drulis; Chloe Drulis; Annabelle Gurwitch; Jenny Lawson; Wendy Liebman; Westina Matthews; Laraine Newman; Stella Parton; Peggy Rowe; Gretchen Rubin; Carol Saline; Erika W. Smith; the late Nickie Stewart; Rich Stim; Deborah Tannen; Adriana Trigiani; Marion Winik; and Alan Zweibel.

And the Nickie’s Prize winning essays were written by: Diana Aydin, Theresa Boedeker, Kim Bonner, Patricia Wynn Brown, Karen Bucci, Sharon DeVellis, Mandy Fernandez, Mary Kay Fleming, Lee Gaitan, Jase Graves, Caroline Herschbach, Mary Beth Hoerner, Heidi Horner, Jackie Hostetler, Stacey Langheim, Robb Lightfoot, Colleen Markley, Laurie Stone, Irene Tassy, Jesseca Timmons, and Jillian Van Hefty.

281 pages, Paperback

Published October 15, 2021

Reviews

[Chantal (atozbookaholic) de Rocquigny · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book reminded me of the "Chicken Soup" books. I liked the short stories and how it was organized by sections. It's a quick, easy read. I would categorize it has a "fluff" book. It's a book you can easy squeeze quickly between 2 reads and doesn't take much concentration to read it. I'm not sure if I was expecting more and that's why I only found it to be a 3-star read. I finished it and felt "meh" about the read.

[Stacey Horvath · Rating 5 out of 5]

HAPPY NATIONAL SIBLINGS DAY!! In honor of National Sibling Day I wanted to do a post about a wonderful book called Sisters! Bonded by Love and Laughter

✨ Book Review ✨

📖: Sisters! Bonded by Love and Laughter
✍🏻: By Erma Bombeck Writers’ Workshop
Edited by Marcia Stewart and Teri Rizvi

Synopsis:

No one has your back like your sister. And no one can make you laugh as hard. Explore this humorous, nobody-else-could-ever-understand, special world in Sisters! Bonded by Love and Laughter, featuring 21 hilarious (and true) stories by the winners of Nickie's Prize for Humor Writing from the Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop, plus dozens of funny contributions-from New York Times bestselling authors, Saturday Night Live legends, humor writers, podcasters, and other creatives.

Enjoy comical sister stories of illicit ear-piercing and cigarette procuring, sisterly advice (gone seriously awry, at times), the power of big sisters (for better or worse), and sharing that shoulder to cry on during life's most crushing moments.

If your sister is "your person," then Sisters! is for you-and her-and for friends in your life who are just like sisters, and share that special bond of love and laughter.

Fun Fact:

According to the Guinness World Records, a Russian woman in the 1700s gave birth to 16 sets of twins, plus 7 sets of triplets and 4 sets of quadruplets - a total of 69 children.

Thoughts: 💭

This book is filled with sweet stories of love, laughter, friendship and family. Sisters! Is a book for anyone who has a sister or a close friend you consider a sister.

Even though I don’t have a sister I could totally relate. There’s so many funny stories I LOL to. 😂 There are great stories, funny stories and some that tugged at my heart. It was hard to narrow my favorites down but here are a few.

The Babushka Sisters
By Karen Bucci

A wonderful story about loose change, game nights and sisters.


Wisdom and Teeth
by Jessica Timmons

A cute story about twins getting their wisdom teeth taken out and the lengthens you go to help your sister when she’s scared.


Making Franny Laugh
By Alan Zweibel

A beautiful story of a brothers love for his younger sister.

The Revenge of Miss Fancy Pants
By Nickie Stewart


Such a cute story about sisters, Halloween candy and a book. 😂🤣😆

I hope you’ll take the time to check out this book of sweet, funny, heartwarming stories about sisters and the people who love them.

[Colleen Markley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have the great honor of being one of the winners of Nickie's Prize, and a contributing author for this book. I also have the great privilege of being a reader - and am excited to share my 5-star review!

“Sisters! Bonded by Love and Laughter” offers an entertaining variety of tales about sisterhood (whether that sisterhood may be by birth or by choice). It’s also a book of magic… I was reading page 121 where the incredibly talented book designer and illustrator Drue Wagner concluded her listicle with: “Tell your sister how much she rules…right now. She will be picking up the phone to call you already” – AND MY SISTER CALLED ME before I turned the page. The other magic this book creates is reminding me how very much I love my sister, Karen (obviously named before memes). I laughed at every story from these talented writers and got such a kick out of seeing what others were sharing about their families and friends. The bonds of sisterhood are fierce and funny. A perfect book for when you need a little pick-me-up. And really, who doesn't need a little lift?! (Your sister just called me – she wants you to buy her this book). 

Colleen Markley, author of “Unflappably Calm, Occasionally Furious, Ready and Willing to Hide the Bodies” (page 27, “Sisters! Bonded by Love and Laughter”).
www.ColleenMarkley.com

[Mindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sisters! Bonded by Love and Laughter was a true joy to read. Many of the essays were funny, but a couple of them were so touching, they left me unexpectedly teary-eyed. I appreciated the wide range of perspectives, from sisterly capers, soul sisters, twin sisters, and even the male perspective on sisters. Of the dozens of essays and interviews, 21 of them were winners of a humor-writing contest, while the others were from Saturday Night Live alums, screenwriters, comedians, and even a former First Daughter. The book is peppered with fun Q&As, trivia, quotes, song lyrics, poems, and darling illustrations. Sisters! was published by the University of Dayton's Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop, so it was fitting that a couple of the pieces were written by Erma herself (as reprints), as well as a recent interview of her sons about their sister. If you are a sister, know a sister, or have a sisterly relationship with someone, this is the perfect gift to celebrate that unbreakable bond.

[Christina Getrost · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful collection of essays and short pieces featuring stories about sisters, grouped in sections with titles such as "Sisterly Pecking Order," "Twin Sisters (Double the Fun and the Clothes)," "Men and the Sisters in their Lives," and even "Sisters of the Heart," about lifelong girlfriends who are as close as sisters. There are also fun quotes about sisters and excerpts of online essays about sisters from nationally known writers like Adriana Trigiani and Deborah Tannen, and lists of famous sisters, etc. It is a compilation of works that won Nickie's Prize for Humor Writing through the Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop at the University of Dayton, and with that extra connection I just had to give an autographed copy to my sister, who has taught 15 years at UD. There is also a column by the late Erma Bombeck, an interview with her two sons about their older sister, and a nice book club guide in the back includes questions, snack and gift ideas, and even a list of songs about sisters. I really enjoyed reading it, but I suggest it be read in small sittings, because it gets slightly repetitive to read it all at once. There are plenty of funny moments, as well as heartwarming ones.

[Laura Vultaggio · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an amazing collection of essays, quotes, lists, and interviews about the joys of being and having a sister. I love the fact that it includes burgeoning writers and established writers as well as excerpts and interviews with famous women like Amy Schumer and Dolly Parton about their sister relationships.

The essays were so varied that I found myself laughing, crying, and having every emotion in between. As the oldest of three girls myself, I especially connected with Erika W. Smith’s essay “In Praise of Bossy Big Sisters” which referenced underrated big sisters in some of my favorite childhood books.

I was lucky enough to hang out with my two little sisters last night and I will definitely be gifting each of them their own copy to enjoy. If you are a sister or have a sister, you definitely need to check this one out!

I am so very grateful to the Erma Bombeck Writer’s Workshop for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Lauren Kirchmyer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I do not have a sister, but always wondered what it would be like to have one. This book - a collection of stories, poems, quotes and more about sisterhood - gave me a glance into what having a sister is truly like.

As I read, I realized I am lucky enough to have a sister. A sister is not always someone connected to you by blood, but someone who is there for you through thick and thin. Someone who supports you. Someone who is there for you when you need to laugh or cry.

This was a good book and quick read. I didn't love it, I didn't hate it, but it was enjoyable. I think sisters of any kind would enjoy this read.

[Amanda Bicknese · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a kid, I loved Chicken Soup for the Soul books and this book gifted me with some nostalgia of them. Filled with so many stories that are heartwarming, genuine, humorous, and lovely, this book brought me a lot of joy. There were lots of times I smiled and could totally relate to the stories, even with my dearest friends I grew up with (practically my sisters). Actually, two of my best friends I grew up with are twins so the chapter with stories about twins (and even some fun facts!) was slightly relatable, and funny too! Just like the title indicates, this book is filled with love and laughter. I highly recommend it as a gift for your sister or best friends who are basically sisters.

[Jaslyn Reinsel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m an only child, so my experience with the sibling dynamic is limited to my in-laws and friends’ families I observed growing up. I always desired siblings, so I really enjoyed this book from the @ermabombeckwritersworkshop about the bond between sisters. Made up of short stories, excerpts from media, and essays, it was a beautiful depiction of the bond forged when God ties your hearts together as family. I laughed, I could have cried, and I smiled with fondness as each woman shared heartfelt stories about the love between sisters. Definitely a great gift for the sister(s) in your life! 💕

[Margie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sisters in any way you can think of are celebrated with this wonderful collection of essays from the Erma Bombeck Writers Workshop. This collection is truly a labor of love, the predominant emotion throughout the book. True, there is some strife in any relationship but most sisters manage to find a way through it. Sisters by birth, sisters of the heart, twins, all are included in this book. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and am so very glad I learned about it. I haven't had this much fun in quite awhile!

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book about the bond between sisters both by birth and by circumstance. There is a wide variety of stories, but almost all share their stories with love and lots of laughter. All were heart-tugging, and many were hilarious. I enjoyed every one of them. Hard to put down, but the format made it easy to pick up at any time and get drawn right in, one story after another. If you have sisters, or wish you had sisters, this book is a winner.

[Devons book corner · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had many wonderful stories about laughter, love, family and friendships. For the most part, these stories made me laugh, but there were a few that were very heart felt and had me a little misty eyed. If you have a sister, cousin, best friend or someone that's like a sister in your life, you will love this book.

[Deirdre K]

A gift from the publisher, I so enjoyed this compilation with essays from some of my favorites like Kelly Corrigan (on not having any sisters) and Gretchen Rubin.

[Kelly {SpaceOnTheBookcase] · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this collection of short essays. Whether you are a sister, have a sister or have someone in your life who feels like a sister, you will find yourself within the pages. From humor to serious and light to deep, this collection was the perfect balance to keep me turning page after page.

[Allie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lot of the short stories I’ve read are so heartwarming. Some them had me laughing out loud🤣 Chapter 7 was my favorite: Men and the Sisters in Their Lives. I think a lot of it had to do with the fact that I am freakishly close to my little brother. I have the great privilege of being able to celebrate this day with love and happiness. But I know that’s not the case for everyone. If you’re in that position, I’m your big sister now. Go drink some water💧A huge thank you to @ermabombeckwritersworkshop via @sabrina_dax_pr for this complimentary book! Available today!