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Mom definitely preferred the youngest of my brothers, I think because he was least like her physically, much more like my Dad. She was pretty depressed her whole life, and exhausted by having so many kids, and he was a goody goody, who was pretty unselfish and tried to do the right thing at all times. This turned out to be a huge burden for him, her expectations. She really disliked and distrusted my other brother, and I thought me too, for the longest time. I didn't find out she actually liked me as a kid till I was way grown up, I was shocked that she said I was the most fun kid, and always had interesting to say. I don't remember her ever being happy (until she had Alzheimer's and we got her on prozac for a few years) so that was a big shock. She was a paranoid person, and used to snoop and search our things all the time. I loved and had a lot of sympathy for her, but I never wanted to be anything like her.
My father preferred younger kids, so each was his favorite until the next came along. He had a difficult relationship with my oldest brother, who was mentally ill and bisexual. Being the youngest, I stayed his favorite. He taught me to read and write at an early age, was very enthusiastic about that and my wit and intelligence as well, 
and encouraged me to be very self sufficient and to trust myself. He saved my life, being such a solid person in a very tumultuous environment. He made me who I am more than anyone else.
I found out later (early twenties, when my Dad was dying) that my brothers were very resentful, and angry that my Dad spent little time with them. But we still stayed close, until they married crazy women and that kind of fucked up things. My and one brother would chide the middle one for being such a Momma's boy, and getting all the breaks, but I don't think I cared much. My brothers were just very different, and their relationship always was tenuous. Mom was clingy enough and too dependent on me anyway, I kind of wished she ignored me more. When my mother died, everyone drifted off and I don't really see them anymore, but it maybe that we lost the only thing we still had in common, as well as money issues w/ SIL.
A lot of you Boomers may remember when Dick would whine to Tommy, "Mom always liked you best."
My mom would say, "Here's a picture of my smart, beautiful and obedient daughter" and whip out a picture of our beautiful collie dog.
Yes, the DOG.
I guess the 2 girls weren't obedient. I never figured out what we were disobedient about, unless we were expected to be a complete doormat. She would say things like, "You misconstrue everything I say." I wasn't a psychologist so I didn't figure that out.
That really bugged me that the dog was her favorite.
Mom always liked the dog best.
