There’s no time like the present to take some time to appreciate the friends that have been with you forever, and also the ones that may have only been in your life for a little while, but still feel like childhood pals. Whatever form your best friend takes in your life, reading a book with them, especially about friendship, is a fantastic way to show each other how much you care.
If your friendship looks like silently reading next to each other on the couch, or it’s more about having passionate discussions (or arguments) about your favorite works, these books are as varied as friends can be. Whether you’re in the mood for a dramatic, literary take on the myriad of relationships broken and formed in the world of women’s boxing, or a quietly brilliant portrait of a friendship that spans decades, there’s something here for you – and your best friend!
Headshot by Rita Bullwinkel
This book is a perfect tandem read. With each chapter in this short volume switching to a different character’s inner monologue, there’s plenty of variation to be had, and each POV packs a punch (no pun intended). The premise is a girls’ boxing tournament, and Headshot follows each tension-filled match to its conclusion.
Each monologue is razor-focused on its subject, tracing the narrator’s inner thoughts with incredible detail. With that detail comes an intimate look at the complicated works of girls and their relationship to the world, their guardians, and other girls. Whether teenagehood is right now for you or a world away, this book is sure to hit home.
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
This whirling, loving, puzzle of a book is for you and the friend who loves to just sit and swap stories all afternoon. It’s for friendships that have become so important to you that they’re basically family. And it’s also for everyone who loved the Oregon Trail video game.
This is a story about video games, stories, and the people who truly know you who stay in your life forever, for better or worse. This book is a journey that’s much better with a friend.
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
Gail Honeyman’s book is an ode to how friendship – real, good, solid friendship – is sometimes the one thing that can pull you out of rock bottom. Eleanor Oliphant has been fine for a while; she’s so occupied with making sure she’s fine, that she hasn’t bothered to check if she’s okay.
Enter a cast of ordinary people, who gradually help Eleanor learn to love life, and in the process, love herself. Eleanor falls in love with all of them a little, and so will you.
If I Had Your Face by Frances Cha
Cha’s book offers a stunning portrait of four Korean women, each navigating their own struggles in modern Korean society. Their experiences clash in unique ways. If I Had Your Face offers food for thought and a mesmerising look into an evolving world.
If I Had Your Face is the book to read if you want to become immersed in other people’s lives and truly contemplate who else in your life might be experiencing struggles you know nothing about.
My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante
My Brilliant Friend has the female friendship to end all other female friendships. Elena Greco and Lila Cerullo have been together from the beginning, and their lives always seem to be caught in a push and pull. This first novel in the series kicks off an epic that spans two lifetimes.
This is the kind of book you read with your best frenemy from middle school, if you’re still in touch, and reminisce about all of the scrapes you’ve made it into, and out of, together.
First Love: Essays on Friendship by Lilly Dancyger
Lilly Dancyger takes the reader on a tour of the great loves of her life – her friends. From the deep connections she would make with other New York teenagers to the lifelong friendship with her cousins who felt like sisters, Dancyger exposes the deep emotional connections we have with our friends.
An essay collection is the perfect thing to read with a buddy; you can read different essays and then piece them together, swapping them like baseball cards and pointing out your favorites. And, of course, laugh and cry together at these beautifully written tributes to love and friends.
Holes by Louis Sachar
Take a trip down memory lane with this throwback hit starring plucky protagonists Stanley Yelnats and his unexpected bestie, Zero. This book will surprise you if you’ve never read it, and it’s my favorite nostalgic read that’s easy to zip through and an absolute joy to watch others read for the first time.
If you want to be thoroughly entertained, grab your most expressive friend and settle down together to read this YA book in one sitting, and enjoy navigating the shocking twists and turns together.
The Alice Network by Kate Quinn
The Alice Network tells the story of two women brought together by necessity, who find each other again years later. It’s about the enduring power of connection and friendship, and the ways world events can shape every life.
This enthralling story sweeps you up into its events, and by the end, you’ll feel every emotion along with Charlie and Eve. Read this with your best friend, the one who’s been through it all with you, even if they were far away.
These books celebrate the messy, complicated relationship we can have with the family we weren’t born into, in all of its glory.
So pick a favorite friend, from preschool, college, or beyond, and pick up one of these reads. You’re sure to find a moment that reminds you of them.
Want to read more themed book recommendations? Click here.
Or, if you want to read more about iconic friendships, browse our Besties bookshelf on Bookshop.org.
