When we are young, reading books about friendship helps us learn the basics of relationships and navigating social connections. As adults, we’ve likely been through decades of friendships that come, go, and sometimes stay. Reading friendship-themed novels as adults complements this life experience by continuing to build empathy skills and helping us identify healthy relationship dynamics. Plus, books themselves feel like friends, and reading is a shared hobby that can lead to new social connections.
Enjoy these recommended reads all about friendship:
The Reading List, opens a new window by Sara Nisha Adams
Mukesh is a lonely widower inspired to take up reading to honor his late wife, Naina. Meanwhile, a teenage library worker, Aleisha, discovers a reading list tucked into a returned book and decides to read every book on the list. When Mukesh visits the library, seeking help in connecting with his bookish granddaughter, Aleisha shares the reading list and a new friendship is formed. I highly recommend the audiobook.
My Friends, opens a new window by Fredrik Backman
New York Times-bestselling author Backman, known for A Man Called Ove, returns with a moving tale of four teenage friends who find refuge from tough home lives by hanging out on a pier one summer, leading to the creation of a powerful work of art. Twenty-five years later, a young artist named Louisa sees the teens in a famous painting and goes on a cross-country journey to uncover their story, a quest that ultimately connects her to the transformative power of both art and their long-lasting friendship.
Murder by Cheesecake, opens a new window by Rachel Ekstrom Courage
Rose, Blanche, Dorothy, and Sophia, four of the all-time best-loved characters (in my humble opinion), make a comeback in this hilarious cozy mystery. Rose is hosting an elaborate, St. Olaf–themed wedding, but the festivities are jeopardized when Dorothy’s obnoxious date is found dead, face-planted in a beautiful cheesecake. With the marriage on the line and every guest a suspect, the four best friends must pool their efforts to identify the true killer so the wedding can commence.
Love by the Book, opens a new window by Jessica George
Two lonely women, author Remy Baidoo and elementary school teacher Simone Beduah, unexpectedly form an important connection when they both desperately need a friend. Remy, whose first novel celebrated her own platonic love, feels lost when her original group of friends drifts apart, while Simone is guarded after a fracture in her family relationship comes to light. George weaves an immersive, rich tale in which platonic love is shown to be just as important as any romantic partnership.
Memory Piece, opens a new window by Lisa Ko
This novel follows the complex friendship of three Asian American teenagers who meet in the New York suburbs during the 1980s, drawn together by their shared desire for a creative and meaningful life. Their paths diverge as Giselle becomes a performance artist, Jackie enters the early dotcom era, and Ellen works as a community activist against gentrification. Spanning decades and social divides, the story chronicles the three women as they strive to find value and sustain their bond in a rapidly changing world.
That’s What Friends Are For, opens a new window by Wade Rouse
Theodore Copeland has created a near-utopia with three friends in a pink mid-century home in Palm Springs. Dubbing themselves “The Golden Gays,” the foursome puts on a monthly drag tribute to The Golden Girls and lives (mostly) in harmony. That is, until Teddy’s estranged sister, Trudy, and her dramatic teenage granddaughter arrive unannounced. Trudy works her way into the Golden Gays’ lives, eventually revealing the true reason for her visit, and secrets they’ve all kept quickly become unraveled.
April is Friends of the Library Membership Month. Join the Friends of Central Rappahannock Regional Library to support your library and community, and enjoy special perks such as early access to the big Spring Book Sale, opens a new window at the Friends Center and Bookshop., opens a new window Get started at crrlfriends.org, opens a new window.
Tracy McPeck is the Director of Adult Services at Central Rappahannock Regional Library. This column first appeared in the Free Lance-Star newspaper.
