17 Heartwarming Friendship Books to Read Now

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.

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

Mr. Backman has a beautiful way of capturing the reader’s interest with wonderful characters that find themselves in hilarious situations.

I laughed out loud many times while reading. The book A Man Called Ove does indeed start with Ove trying to take his life and continuously being interrupted by his new neighbors and he mourns the loss of his spouse.

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.

If you love this contemporary fiction book about grief, check out Books Like A Man Called Ove. 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, it is definitely one of the best book club books.

We Are Not Like Them by Jo Piazza and Christine Pride

October 2021 Good Morning America Book Club Pick

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Mary Ann Shaffner and Annie Barrows

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.

The story is told entirely in letters and was recently turned into a Netflix movie! We both love this heartwarming novel. If you have not read this cozy book, we 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 / Book Club Books / Books About Books

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 by Lauren Willig

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.⁣
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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.

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 by Naomi Krupitsky

November 2021 Read with Jenna Book Club Pick

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 the crime family. It’s a must-read mob novel because of how it addresses coming of age. Of all the friendship books on this list, this one is definitely the most unique.

Island of Sea Women by Lisa See

I read the Island of Sea Woman by Lisa See and was captivated from the first page. Lisa See’s last novel The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane was absolutely brilliant and I felt the same way about this book.  

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. If you have not read this pick from friendship books, it should be next on your list. Lisa See has done it again with this remarkable family saga book – a best book of 2019 pick for us!

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.

House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J Klune

Linus Baker works as 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.

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 / Cozy Reads / Books With Color in the Title

Anne of Green Gables by L.M Montgomery

My mother was the first person to read this middle grade book to me and I was immediately drawn to Anne. She was smart, precocious, and had a way of making everyone love her while simultaneously finding new ways to get into trouble. 

Anne is an orphan who is 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 and loquacious and wins their hearts.

Something is comforting about this cozy book that makes me read it repeatedly. This is a beautiful book about friendship and found family. I am not sure if it is more popular in Canada but, one day I hope to visit Prince Edward Island. This is one of my (Jackie) all-time favorite books.

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

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.