Top Ten Tuesday, as always, is hosted at my other blog — The Broke & the Bookish
This week’s topic: Ten Books About Friendship
I love me some romance but I absolutely love books dealing with all sorts of friendships at different stages! Friendship is a wonderful & (I think) necessary part of life and yet it can be such a complex thing at times and I just LOVE reading about it. So here’s 10 books that really deal with friendship in a variety of ways!
Since You’ve Been Gone by Morgan Matson: If you read this blog regularly, you know I can’t shut up about this one or Morgan Matson’s books in general but this has a great friendship plot in this one! New friends, old friends, stepping back and seeing who you are without your bff. It was just SO good.
Sweethearts by Sara Zarr: One of my favorite friendships ever. Cameron Quick <33 Love books about childhood friends! Loved how this explored the memories of those childhood friends after years of not being in each other’s lives and confronting the past plus how they’ve each changed in those years.
Maybe One Day by Melissa Kantor: This was such a hard book to read but really great friendship story dealing with two best friends and dealing with the heartbreaking news that one of them has leukemia and how they support each other through that.
How To Say Goodbye In Robot by Natalie Standiford: I LOVED this unusual and absolutely unique story of friendship. Just loved it!
Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein: One of my all time faves. The friendship in this story is just beautiful.
The Darlings Are Forever by Melisa Kantor: This is a bit of a “younger” YA novel but I loved this story about 4 best friends who have always gone to school learning how to juggle their friendship when they all end up in different schools.
Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler: Oh this book. A story about two best friends dealing with the grief of the one’s brother — who the other has a secret about. LOVED.
Open Road Summer by Emery Lord: There’s friendship and romance in this one but I really did love the friendship aspect of this book. I loved the fact that the main character’s best friend is big celebrity but it’s not a story about jealousy and dealing with that…but just of this awesome friendship that is so strong and supportive.
Nantucket Blue by Leila Howland: This also was part romance but it was a really, really raw book about a friendship that is severed because of a death in the family of one of the girl’s. I loved that it portrayed the complexities of that so well.
Five Summers by Una LaMarche: While not a favorite book, I thought the friendship exploration of this novel was really good! These best friends met at camp and had so many great stories but they have kind of fallen out of touch and then come back for a camp reunion!
So tell me…what are some friendship novels I should be reading?? I want to know! Have you read any of the ones I’ve spotlighted?
Alex @ BooksyDaisy Reviews says
These all look like great summer/beach reads! Adding some to my vacation TBR list now! 🙂
Shelly says
Five Summers sounds so interesting! I’ll have to check it out.
Shelly @ Raindrops and Pages’ Top Ten Tuesday
Chrissi Reads says
Great list Jamie! I can’t wait to read Since You’ve Been Gone. I’ve heard such great things about the friendships in that story. I’m also looking forward to reading Open Road Summer. I included Code Name Verity in my list this week as well. Such a powerful friendship!
Nobody @ The Story Goes... says
I love Maybe One Day but it is so sad! I really need to read Since You’ve Been Gone! Great list =)
Danielle @ Love at First Page says
Most of these I haven’t read, but I can’t wait to crack open Since You’ve Been Gone! I didn’t include ORS because I have mixed feelings about the book, but I did love Dee and Reagan’s friendship.
Melissa says
Nice list! (I *still* need to read Code Name Verity!)
Ella @ Once Upon a Bookish Time says
I’ve read Maybe One day, buuut, I didn’t enjoy it 🙁 I really want to read How to Say Goodbye in Robot and Since You’ve Been Gone! I’ve had my eye on those cuties for a while now 😉 Must get them from the library when I have time.
Frabjous post!
Heather says
A couple of those are on my list to read. I’m currently reading Better Off Friends and so far it’s a great read and really cute. I don’t know how it ends, obviously, but it’s so far about the beginning of a friendship between and boy and a girl (BFFs) and how they and their relationship grown. So cute! Light fluffy and perfect for the summer.
Ginger @ GReads! says
I have a feeling SYBG will be on a lot of top ten lists today! (for those who have already read it) I really like Sarah Ockler, so I’m thinking I need to give Twenty Boy Summer another try. I attempted it a few years ago and for whatever reason ended up putting it down. Perhaps this summer it needs to be picked back up? 🙂
Kelsie says
I was just telling Anna from AnnaReads about this. It’s nice to read about romantic relationships, but reading about friendship is the best! My BFF and I grew up reading the Traveling Pants series and it will always hold a special place in my heart and in our friendship. Honestly, I don’t think I read ENOUGH books about friendship and I definitely plan to change that.
Andrea @ Bookish says
So . . . I don’t have any of these on my TTT because I haven’t read any of them yet 🙁 I have a fair amount on my TBR list so I’ll be looking forward to reading about these friendships!
Jade @ Bits & Bobs says
I haven’t read any of the books on your list, although a few of them I am interested in! Friendships in books are a lovely element though. I often find lovely friendships in classic children’s literature – The Secret Garden springs to mind. Although, when it comes to relationships in books, I find myself enjoying family dynamics more than friendships and even romance.
🙂
Leanna says
Love your picks! I love the friendship in Open Road Summer and also Nantucket Blue – very real!! I’m currently reading Since You’ve Been Gone. <3 Morgan Matson!
Lakin says
I need to read some of these!
My TTT
Christa @ More Than Just Magic says
I definitely need to read some more friendship books. I feel like YA is so much romance that I often get bored with it. I already have unread copies of Sweethearts and Open Road Summer so I think I’ll start with those.
Rissi says
Cute list – I’ve heard great things about Open Road Summer, so seeing that on your list makes me happy. 🙂
Jess @ Such A Novel Idea says
I think a lot of these books will make my list once I finally read them! Namely, Since You’ve Been Gone (which I just started last night!)
chelsea says
Oh my gosh, I need to read all of these immediately. They all look so good!
Melissa @ Bookmark Dragon says
Oooh, I have Code Name Verity on my list as well. Julia and Maddie really are a sensational team. That book tore a chunk out of my heart, but it was worth it to hear their story. Loved it! Great list!
she says
i read 5 summers and also found it so-so. Verity is on my list.
Jennifer from YA Book Nerd says
Great list! Many on there I love and a few I need to read. Have you read The Daughters by Joanna Pilbin?
Rebecca @ The Library Canary says
Code Name Verity!! I just read this for the first time a month or so ago and I’m already itching for a reread. So freaking good. Also, I need to read Morgan Matson’s books!!
Alison Doherty says
I actually haven’t read any of these books, although a few of them have been on my TBR list for a long time. Let me know if you have suggestions of which one(s) to make sure I read first.
Fiona says
I haven’t read any of the books on this list. Clearly, I’ve been living life wrong =] The first books I think of when it comes to friendships is always Harry Potter.
Rachael @ Rachael Turns Pages says
I recently read Open Road Summer and I loved it. I will have to bookmark this post and read some of the other books. I love friendship books.
Nish says
Great list. To me, the one book on friendship that I love, love, love is Charlotte’s Web. It’s a children’s book, true, but I love their friendship so so much.