19 Heartwarming Friendship Books to Read Now

Books about friendship & Friendship Books

As we get older, we have lived through many types of friendships. Some friendships last forever, some for a season, and some for only a short time. With so many friendship books to choose from, we wanted to create a list of our absolute favorite books about friendship to help you choose for your next book club.

Whether you are looking for a celebrity book club pick, historical fiction, fantasy, or fiction, we curated a list of books that you will not only enjoy, but books that will leave room for a great discussion as well.

*Books About Friendship Post contains affiliate links. Purchases made through links result in a small commission to us at no cost to you. Some books have been gifted. All opinions are our own.

Friendship Books For Adults

Tomorrow and tomorrow

Author: Gabriele Zevin

Year: 2022

Genre: Fiction

More info: New York Times Bestseller

Spice Rating:💋💋

Age Range: 18+

From the Author of “The Storied Life of A.J Fikry” comes a story that spans thirty years. Sam and Sadie have been friends since childhood when Sam opened up to Sadie in a hospital when he wouldn’t talk to anyone else. When they reconnect in their college years, they work together to create a hit video game, it ends up changing their lives forever with its juggernaut success.

As they navigate the ups and downs of friendship and working together, they come together and drift apart during the important moments that shape their lives. This novel examines what it means to love and be loved and how friendships evolve and shift over time.

Gun violence, Suicide

Unlike the majority of readers, I liked this story but didn’t love it. It was very character-driven, which I normally enjoy, but the lack of communication really frustrated me at times. It was understandable at first, but eventually got old. Still, I enjoyed learning more about the world of gaming, I liked following Sam and Sadie’s friendship through highs and lows, and I liked the balance between heavy-hitting topics and funny, quirky moments. It was heavy on the video gaming lingo and development process which I found fascinating but others might find dull.

Find this book in: Books about Friendship

The Most likely club and more family drama books

The Most Likely Club by Elyssa Friedland

Elyssa Friedland is quickly becoming an auto-order author for me with her quirky characters and unique plots. Fresh off the success of Last Summer at the Golden, The Most Likely Club is another fantastic book club book!

With a 25-year high school reunion as the backdrop to this story about 4 life-long friends, there is so much to discuss in this fast-paced, witty book. When the girls realize that they are not living up to the high school superlatives in their yearbook, they make a pact to supercharge their lives and career goals.

But is it possible for women in this age to have it all? Partly a feminist story, partly an ode to female friendships, you’ll be laughing and contemplating serious matters in the same breath. I adored this book about friendship which is a family drama story and can’t wait to share it with my own girlfriends! It is also a perfect book from best beach reads 2023.

friendship breakup

The Friendship Breakup by Annie Cathryn

When it comes to books about motherhood, this is a must-read. As moms, we’ve all experiences the highs and lows of making new mom friends, but this story looks at what happens when friendships run their course.

Do you fight to keep the friendship alive or send it on its way? Well, Fallon is not letting them go so easily and her attempts to win back her friends are hysterical, but also poignant.

This book about friendship had me examining my own relationships and I knew I needed to include it in the ultimate list of beach reads 2023. It’s also one of my picks for the best books of 2023 and I knew this needed to be on our list of books for book clubs.

Iona Iverson

Author: Clare Poole

Year: 2022

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

More info: New York Times bestselling author of The Authenticity Project

Age Range: 14+

Iona Iverson has rules for commuting on the train and they start with never talking to anyone. She brings her dog Lulu with her and that is all the company she needs although it does not stop her from giving the other regulars on the train nicknames. When a businessman (Msart-But-Sexist-Manspreader) starts choking on a grape, this all changes. As the characters get to know one another, we see them all change, evolve, and develop friendships. This feel-good book is heartwarming and delightful in every single way and we knew we needed to include it in our best summer reads 2023 post.

I have to say that I think this feel-good book was my favorite pick of 2022. The writing, the characters, and the storyline are all outstanding and I loved every minute of this book. If you are looking for books about friendship, this one will make your heart sing.

Find this book in: Books About Friendship / Ultimate Beach Reads 2023 /Best Books for Book Clubs / Ultimate List of Feel-Good Books

Wedding in Lake Como

A Wedding in Lake Como by Jennifer Probst

Ava, Madison, and Chelsea were inseparable in college but a mistake caused a rift that never fully healed. Ava is getting married in Lake Como and she hopes the pact they made to be there for each other’s weddings will still hold.

Ava was always rich, beautiful, and the center of attention. Chelsea was always practical, but despite having the family she always wanted, her professional life has been put on hold. Maddison has become the fashion influencer she always wanted to be but knows there is something missing.

This wedding may be their last chance to heal old wounds. Will they be able to keep their friendship and move forward? #gifted

Why I Like This Book: I love the relationships and friendships in this book. There are highs and lows that made me laugh and cry with the characters. The growth over the years as well as the descriptions of fashion throughout were wonderful.

Find This Book in Books About Friendship / Books Set in Italy /Novels About Fashion

A man called ove

Author: Fredrik Backman

Year: 2014

Genre: Fiction

More info: A recent Motion Picture Called A Man Called Otto Starring Tom Hanks

Age Range: 16+

Ove is mourning the loss of his wife and is consumed with grief. He decided to end his life. His attempts are foiled by mishaps and interruptions from his new neighbors. While this sounds like a depressing book, I laughed out loud while reading it.

Mr. Backman has a beautiful way of capturing the reader’s interest with wonderful characters who find themselves in hilarious situations. But, this story is so much more than that. As it progresses, Ove is able to have a profound impact on the life of everyone he meets, and at its heart, it is a book about friendship.

But don’t let the description throw you off. At its heart, this is one of the best feel-good books and one of my all-time favorite books! If you have not read it, you should consider it for your book club.

Attempted Suicide

The love and friendships that develop in this book are almost unmatched, in my opinion. Backman is a master story teller.

This is a book that allowed me to laugh and cry equally. I loved Ove and his second chance at living life.

Find this book in: Ultimate List of Contemporary Fiction / Books Like A Man Called Ove / Books About Friendship / Jackie’s Top 10 All-Time Favorite Books

Five Star Weekend

The Five-Star Weekend by Elin Hilderbrand

Hollis Shaw’s life comes crashing down when her husband dies in a car accident. In order to get her life back on track, Hollis decides to have a 5-star weekend- one weekend with her best friends from her teens, twenties, thirties, and middle age.

While not my favorite Elin Hilderbrand book, this delightful story was so much fun. The drama made for an entertaining story and a clear winner for one of the best beach reads of 2023. It had me reminiscing about my lifetime best friends and what a weekend with them all in one home would be like. It’s one of the most unique books about friendship I’ve ever read.

Celebrity Books Club Books About Friendship

We are Not like them

Author: Jo Piazza and Christine Pride

Year: 2021

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

More info: October 2021 Good Morning America Book Club Pick

Age Range: 14+

A contemporary fiction book set in Philadelphia! This is the story of 2 local girls, who have been best friends since childhood. Riley is a black woman living her dreams of being a reporter, while Jen is a pregnant white woman married to a cop.

Their friendship is put to the test when Jen’s husband kills an innocent black boy while in pursuit of a thief and Riley is the lead reporter covering the case.

Told from the perspective of both women, this gripping story covers systemic racism in the police force while dealing with the nuances of navigating a bi-racial friendship. If you are looking for powerful books about friendship, this is one that will make you think.

Police Brutality

This doozy of a book was enthralling and thought-provoking. I knew it was a perfect book for book clubs from the very first chapter.

This book had me thinking long after I finished the last page. The characters were rich and believable and the plotline was realistic as well which is what make it so compelling to read.

Find this book in: Good Morning America Book Club List / Books About Friendship/ Best Books for Book Clubs / Best Books of 2021

such a fun age

Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid

January 2020 Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick

Such a Fun Age is a remarkable debut contemporary fiction from Philadelphia native Kiley Reid. This novel made me think and question the role our environment plays in who we are and who we become. ⁣ I love how the author addresses racism without drilling it in. 

Rather, she shows what it looks like from the overt to the subtle. The book focuses on the relationship between an African -American woman who is a nanny and her employer who is a white woman.

This influencer book about friendship is different than the other books on this list because the friendship is so one-sided. There is so much to discuss which makes it a perfect book for book clubs.

in five years

In Five Years by Rebecca Serle

March 2020 GMA Book Club Pick

What a refreshing contemporary fiction book about the power of love and friendship.  I sat down and read this book in one sitting easily.  It is captivating from the first sentence and had me until the last page. 

Dannie is an ambitious lawyer with a plan.  She has her life planned out until she falls asleep and spends one hour in the future. Nothing is familiar- not her house, the ring on her finger, or the man by her side.  When she wakes, she cannot get the images out of her head. 

I loved this time travel book it was unexpected, unconventional, and a delight to read. As books for book clubs go, this pick is sure to be a hit. And if your book club is looking for books about friends, this one is a sure hit.

Historical Fiction Books About Friendship

Bloomsbury Girls and more march 2022 novel ideas

Bloomsbury Girls by Natalie Jenner

I loved this book set in a bookstore! Taking place just after WWII, the women of Bloomsbury Books are struggling to make their own way in the changing world.

We get to see alternating narrators, one of which was in Jenner’s first book, The Jane Austen Society. Each of the 3 females in the story is striving for their dreams and interacting with some of the most famous literary figures of their day!

I squealed with delight when Daphne Du Maurier appeared on the page, but you’ll see Peggy Guggenheim, Ellen Doubleday, and more scattered throughout this charming tale. At its heart, this is a book about friendship and it is an absolute delight.

the guernsey literary and potato peel pie society

Author: Mary Ann Shaffner and Annie Barrows

Year: 2008

Genre: Historical Fiction

Spice Rating:💋

Age Range: 18+

This story about the island of Guernsey’s occupation during WWII features a book club that started to deceive the German soldiers. The members of the book club quickly become friends. Can you think of a better book for book clubs than one about a book club?

When a young novelist finds out about their society, she begins a correspondence and eventually visits them to learn more. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society must remain secret for their safety rather than by choice.

War, Death

The story is told entirely in letters and was recently turned into a Netflix movie! I love this heartwarming novel. If you have not read this cozy book, I highly recommend it to anyone who loved The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner.

Find this book in: Secret Society Books / Books About WWII / Friendship Books / Books About Books / British Books / Epistolary Novels / Books with Food in the Title

Miss Bensons Beetle

Miss Benson’s Beetle by Rachel Joyce

Oh, how I loved this book. I have never read anything like this before. Miss Benson is a woman who has dreamed of finding the Golden Beetle of New Caledonia all her life. She finally decides to embark on the trip of a lifetime- which is no small accomplishment.

Her assistant on the trip is a very unlikely companion named Enid. With her bright clothes, blond hair, and huge personality, she is the opposite of Miss Benson in every way. This story is touching, endearing, funny, and, at times, sad.

It will leave you wondering why a beetle expedition isn’t a more popular subject for books. Rachel Joyce is a wonderful writer and this book did not disappoint. If you have not read this delight from books about friends, you will not be disappointed.

Band of Sisters

Author: Lauren Willig

Year: 2021

Genre: Historical Fiction

Age Range: 14+

This is an incredible novel about the women of Smith College who went to help French war victims on the war front. The band of 15 women in this novel is based on the 18 real-life heroes of Smith College.⁣

These ladies started from scratch to help those ravaged by war only to have the war come back and destroy the lands around them again. But they never faltered in their quest to help the war-torn villages of women and children impacted by the war.⁣ ⁣

The book gives a well-rounded feeling of what these women needed to do to save the lands and the people and is an emotional pick from books about friends.

This historical fiction is based on real events and had me captivated from the first page. I love the bravery and camaraderie of these amazing women.

The role of women is so often overlooked and so this story about the women of Smith College was enlightening. I loved the characters and the story, but the fact that it was based on real events of WWI made it even better.

Find this book in: Friendship Books / Books About Sisters and Sisterhood / Books Set in France / Best Book Club Books / WWI Books / Ultimate Beach Reads 2021

Lost Roses

Lost Roses by Martha Hall Kelly

Martha Hall Kelly wrote a prequel to the bestselling Lilac Girls and features Caroline’s mother, Eliza! Set against the backdrop of WWI, this story once again features three narrators. This time the characters are American Eliza, Russian aristocrat Sofya, and Varinka a Russian peasant. 

It spans New York, Paris, St. Petersburg, and the Russian countryside. I knew little of Russia during WWI going into this book, so I was startled at how much destruction and turmoil took place during that time period.

Why We Like It: If you are a historical fiction lover, this is the book you’ll want to read. This book overlaps some characters with Lilac Girls but is a stand-alone novel.

Find this book in Friendship Books / WWI Novels

The Family

Author: Naomi Krupitsky

Year: 2021

Genre: Historical Fiction

More info: November 2021 Read with Jenna Book Club Pick

Age Range: 16+

Set in the 30s and 40s in Red Hook, NY, this family drama story is about two girls born into the Italian Mafia. Sophia and Antonia are the best of friends, neighbors, and daughters of local mob members. The story spans their childhood, adolescence, and early adulthood as they navigate their relationships with each other and “The Family.”

It was captivating and wonderful to learn about the lives of the women in a crime family. It’s a must-read mob novel because it’s so unique.

Find this book in: Coming-of-age Books for Adults / Friendship Books / Family Drama Books

the island of sea woman

Island of Sea Women by Lisa See

This historical fiction tells the story of a friendship between two women on the Korean Island of Jeju. There, women work as a diving collective to provide for their families while men look after the children.  It was interesting to read a story where some gender norms are reversed and others, like feeding women and children last, were still perpetuated.

Beyond the incredible history of this small island is the story of a remarkable friendship between Mi-ja and Young-sook over the decades.

Why I Loved It:  Lisa See has done it again with this remarkable story. I was captivated from the first page, as I am with anything See writes.

Find this book in Best Books 2019 / Family Saga Books / Friendship Books / Best Beach Reads of all Time

Historical Fiction

Ultimate List of Historical Fiction

Love Historical Fiction books about friendship? We do too! You can find more in our ultimate list.

Fantasy Books About Friends

The Change

The Change by Kirsten Miller

May 2022 Good Morning America Book Club Pick

Kirsten Miller delivers a killer magical realism novel about a trio of women who receive powers after going through menopause. The point of their powers is to bring to justice men who rape and kill women.

I was thoroughly entertained by this beach town mystery that pits the women against billionaire men around them. As usual, GMA delivers with its latest pick. This contemporary fiction book will not disappoint. We think this book about friendship is also an amazing book for book clubs! And while we know we included it on a lot of lists, we wanted to add it to our adult fantasy book list as well because it is just that good.

the House in the Cerulean Sea

Author: T.J Klune

Year: 2020

Genre: Fantasy

More info: Cerulean Chronicles #1

Spice Rating:💋

Age Range: 14+

Linus Baker is a caseworker in the Department in Charge of Magical Youth. He is sent on a mission to a secret orphanage isolated on an island where 6 of the world’s most dangerous youth live. 

Linus is sent to determine if the children are being cared for properly. Linus, who lives his life by the book, will have to look deeper to try and find the real answers to his questions.

Child abuse

This story was so much more than the sum of its parts. I felt like I had met each of the children in the story. Even though the story has magic, it somehow seems completely relevant to our society now. The magic and the orphan aspect are all reminiscent of Harry Potter.

Find this book in: Magical Realism Books / Feel-Good Books / Book for Book Club / Books About Friendship / Books With Color in the Title / Best Beach Reads / Adult Books Similar to Harry Potter

Adult Fantasy Novels

Ultimate List of Best Adult Fantasy Novels

If you love books about friendship and want more, we have a list of fantasy books divided by genre.

More Friendship Books

anne of Green gables

Author: L. M. Montgomery

Year: 1908

Genre: Classic

Age: 10+

More info: Anne of Green Gables #1

I was immediately drawn to Anne upon first reading this story. She is smart, precocious, and has a way of making everyone love her while simultaneously finding new ways to get into trouble. 

Anne is an orphan sent to live with siblings Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert who wanted a male orphan to help them on the farm. Anne was sent to them instead. She is bright, loquacious, and wins their hearts.

I cherish this entire book series and the TV miniseries inspired by it. I vividly remember watching Megan Follows as Anne completely transfixed. I was so enamored, that I remember asking my grandmother to get me the books to read!

This is one of my all-time favorite books. Something is comforting about this cozy book that makes me read it repeatedly. It is a beautiful book about friendship and found family. Because of this book, I hope to visit Prince Edward Island one day.

Find this book in: Coming-of-Age Books / Friendship Books / Realistic Fiction / Books with Green in the Title / Fun Books for Teens

The Summer Pact

The Summer Pact by Emily Giffin

When Hannah, Tyson, Lainey, and Summer met during their freshman year of college, they became fast friends. But shortly before graduating, Summer does the unthinkable. Shocked and despondent over their friend’s death, the remaining friends create The Summer Pact, a promise to be there for one another when they hit rock bottom.

In the present day, Hannah’s life has gone up in flames so Lainey and Tyson drop everything to help her turn it around during a multi-city vacation. But Lainey and Tyson have issues of their own to deal with. Can they all lean on one another to mend their broken pieces?

Why I Liked It: Emily Giffin always manages to write readable and fun books. The location (CAPRI!) of this one made it stand out, even though the ending felt a little rushed.

Find this book in Friendship Novels

ya ya sisterhood

Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells

Four Southern women have a lifelong friendship known as the Ya-Ya Sisterhood. In this novel written by Rebecca Wells, we see the complex relationship between mothers and daughters and how this sisterhood navigates love and life together while proving that laughter is the best medicine.

This is one of the friendship books that is a story about the bonds of sisterhood. Through flashbacks, secrets, and conversations, the Ya-Ya Sisterhood confront their past and heal wounds through the strength of their friendship.

my brilliant friend

My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante

This is the first book in the Neapolitan series that was a must for books about friendship. The book is set in Italy after WWII and follows the lives of two young girls.

This is a character-driven novel that explores the friendship between Elena and Raffaella throughout their lives. It looks at their rivalry and personal identities while trying to find themselves. This is one of the books about friendship you won’t want to miss.

What are your favorite books about friendship?

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