Hello friends! How are you? I hope you had a lovely week. I’m back today with my recommendation feature, The Contemporary Corner, and I’m very excited to talk today about…friendships!
If contemporary stories are often filled with cute and swoon-worthy love stories, there are just as well great stories for friendships to develop. Whether it’s groups of friends or best friends stories, all of these book are among some of my favorites.
I couldn’t NOT think of Noteworthy when thinking about groups of friends. This little a cappella group made me heart burst with happiness. Diverse, with all their own quirks and way of thinking, they still all supported each other with this amazing team spirit and all of their interaction was gold. I just want to be in their little group even if I can’t sing at all.
Read my full review here.
I don’t know if I could have done this without a Morgan Matson book, as she is one of my contemporary queens for sure. One thing I really loved in this story, besides Clark, one of the greatest love interets here, is the group of friends here. They are not without their flaws and some people are closer to each other than others, just like in any group, but their friendship was so strong that it made the story something more than just a love story.
Read my full review here.
I NEED to talk about Alice Oseman’s book for that friendship theme, and for two reasons: the obvious one, that there is amazing friendship in this, and there is no!love!story! in this which is such a nice change. I loved seeing the friendships between the characters grow.
Read my full review here.
I read The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants a while ago, but if there is something I remember fondly about it, it’s obviously the strong friendship between the group of girls. These four characters are so different from each other, yet they are always here, with support and love to give, which is something I love in my contemporaries.
Did you read any of these books? Do you have any favorites with strong friendships? Share the books in comments! ?
I’ve read Radio Silence and The Unexpected Everything, and I really liked both of them! I know that Shar liked The Sisterhodd of the travelling pants though, and your review made Noteworthy seem pretty awesome. I loved the friendships in Saving Francesca–they were really realistic and heartwarming, and The Spinster Club and The Serpent King also have wonderful friendships.
Noteworthy was really good, I feel like you could love it – both you and Shar! I hope you’ll get a chance to read it soon 🙂 Thank you for the recommendations, I have to read these books then! I agree 100% about The Serpent King, these friendships were so, so GREAT.
Wait is this your first time using that “With love, Marie” thing??? BECAUSE IT’S SOOOOOOO CUTE! Agh Noteworthy, Noteworthy… MY TBR. XDD And I’ve heard of Radio Silence before!
I love this post, because I definitely would like to see no romance in YA, just friendship! One of my favorites is Aristotle and Dante. I won’t tell you how it ends because of spoilers (unless you’ve read it… and your probably have XD ) but their friendship is really awesome!
YES IT IS!! I’m SO happy you noticed it and tht you love it – I have been thinking about adding a little signature like that to my blog posts and, well, that’s what I came up with after a couple of hours, I decided to keep it simple ahah. SO glad you like it, thank you May! <3
I get it – I really like romance, I'm just like Veronica Mars, deep down, I am a marshmallow ahah, but I would love to read more books only based on friendships. This is why I loved Radio Silence so much! <3 I read Aristotle and Dante and loved it so much, I agree, their friendship is sooo awesome 🙂
Less is always more! And of course I like it. 🙂 <3
Romance is awesome! It's just so cute and fluffy… and GAH. But yes, friendship is awesome. Though I just finished PS I Still Love You and now I need more cute fluffy romance. XDD
Hahahaha, well…after THAT book, you always need MORE fluffy romance. It was SO cute, right?! <3
SO SO CUTE AND I READ A GOOGLE BOOKS PREVIEW OF ALWAYS AND FOREVER, LARA JEAN AND I NEED MOOOOOORE. XD
OHHH REALLY, I NEED this book as soon as I can. I NEED to read it, I need my cuteneeeeeeeeess. <3
I knoooow! I swear, Jenny Han knows how to play with my heartstrings. I’m rooting for Josh, then Peter, then John, then Peter. NOW WHAT. I’M SCARED. XD
ME TOO haha. I just love all the boys and this book and it’s just WAY TOO CUTE.
AGAHAHAGAHHA ALL THE FEELS
Thanks for this post! I love books with platonic friendships so much. One of my favorite friendships is in The Book Thief between Liesel and Max. It’s just so beautiful and sooo much fangirling going on here XD
Ohh thank you, glad you liked this! 🙂 Can you believe I haven’t read The Book Thief? I feel a bit ashamed of myself right now…But maybe you talking about it means I need to read it as soon as I can, especially if there is great friendship!! <3
It’s so, so good. My favorite book right after the Count of Monte Cristo. I just read it a few months ago and was so mad at myself that I waited lol
Haha, well no reason to be mad anymore now that you’ve read it ahah 😀 And it’s always good to find out an incredible book 😀
Great list! I plan on reading The Unexpected Everything this summer!!
Thank you so much! Oh, I can’t wait to know if you liked it just as much as I did – it’s the PERFECT summer read! 🙂
Morgan Matson, not only is she the queen of contemporary or one of them but her books always leave me feeling happy. Theyre also perfect if you’re in a reading slump or if you want to think of fun summer adventures. I’m pretty sure I binged on her books last summer and it was completely worth it.
Oh I agree, her books always make me feel happy and better whenever I’m feeling a bit down. They are so perfect. I’m so glad to meet a fan of hers just as well! <3
Speaking of her I am very tempted to see if i can find any of her books I havent read! Another author who never fails to make me feel good would be Sarah Dessen. Her books help me to reminisce on summers gone by and summers to come. They also leave me with an insatiable urge to go to South Carolina.
Ohhh, I only read one of Sarah Dessen’s books for now (The Truth About Forever), but I LOVED it so much, I need to read more from her as soon as I can! 🙂
Ohhh! Try Just Listen, Along for the Ride and just any one of her books. They are guaranteed to give you feels!! Also you might enjoy Jodi Piccoult, her books are touchie feelie too but without the summer aspect. Hers are year round lol
I WILL for sure as soon as I can, I can’t WAIT to read more from her 😀
I watched the Sisterhood of Travelling Pants movie, and while I enjoyed their frienship (they are amazing and something I wished I could have in real life!) I didn’t know it’s based of a book! Finding amazing friendship in books is very hard, most of them have lots of drama and hatred, or they can turn to love… I think one of my favorite friendship ever is the Marauders from harry potter! Even though they all had tragic ending and worst betrayal ever, during their Hogwarts years James, Sirius and Peter knew Remus was a werewolf and never once abandon him. And they are schoolboys! They really deserved better :’)
Ohh, well now you know – and I hope you’ll want to read them! It’s a series of books, really fun to read for the summer 🙂
OH YES, what a great example of friendship, I can’t believe I didn’t think about that one. You’re making me want to read Harry Potter all over again! 🙂
This is an amazing topic Marie, and one I feel definitely applies to me because I LOVE seeing friendships in books. Sometimes even in YA I love seeing close friendships than I do romances! 😀
Unfortunately I haven’t read any of these books. I have Noteworthy on my to-read list after seeing so many amazing reviews for it, and I really need to get around to both The Unexpected Everything and Radio Silence because they’ve been on my to-read list for what feels like ages now.
Knowing these books are on your list because they have amazing friendships only makes me more excited to get around to them myself! 😀
Great picks for this post Marie. 🙂 <3
Ohh well I’m glad I made you all the more impatient to get to these books as soon as you can – they are all so worth it, if you ask me! 😀 Thank you so much, Beth! <3
They’re all on my to-read list so hopefully one day soon. You’re making me more excited for them that’s for sure! 😀 ❤
Yay, mission accomplished then ??
I haven’t read any Morgan Matson yet but I really want to give one of her books ago in summer. I know she’s really popular
I hope you’ll love her books just as much as I did – they are all perfect to read during summertime just as well. It’s true her books are quite popular, but I think it’s well-deserved: her characters are always realistic and going through a great development in each story 🙂
I really love Sarah Dessen’s books and I get the vibe that hers are kind of similar so I’m really looking forward to picking one up?
Yes they are kind of similar, at least I think so 🙂 Hope you’ll like them! 🙂
The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants had such a great depiction of friendship between those girls. I really need to reread the books and finish the series 🙂
Ohhh yes, I need to reread these books someday just as well, I love their friendship and these characters so much <3
I’ve only read Noteworthy and The Unexpected Everything and I agree with your recommendation! Noteworthy just has such a great (and diverse!) group of friends, and TUE also has really great friendship themes.
I’m super tired atm so I can’t think of many friendship books off the top of my head, but I also really like the friendship in A Quiet Kind of Thunder. <3
OH it’s okay, I hope you are doing okay, Reg! <3
I haven't read A Quiet Kind of Thunder but maybe this means I should check it out? 🙂
Radio Silence is on my TBR for this month and I’m so so excited to read it!
I am SO impatient for you to finally read this book. It’s so, SO good 🙂
Aah, me too! ?
Ah, I absolutely ADORE books with a big emphasis on friendship! I did read and loved both The Unexpected Everything and The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants, in big part because of these firendships. And I heard so many great things about Noteworthy and Radio SIlence, I really hope to pick them up soon, especially if the friendships are amazing 🙂
Other amazing friendships that I loved that come to mind right now are Harry Potter, Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda and the Raven Cycle.
Amazing post Marie! <3
I hope you’ll be able to read Noteworthy and Radio Silence soon, both are such great books and the friendships are obviously amazing 🙂
OH YES, I agree!! Especially The Raven Cycle little gang, I LOVE them ahah 🙂 Thank you!! <3
OK, you sold me on adding Noteworthy and Radio Silence to my TBR!
Ohh I did?! This makes me SO HAPPY! I hope you’ll love both, and thank you so much for stopping by!! <3
I haven’t read any of these but I’ve heard amazing things about all of them so I need to get on with reading them. One of my favourite friendships in a book is from ‘a list of cages’ it completely centres around friendship and I loved it. I actually just finished the names they gave us as well and even though it’s not predominantly about friendship its a big aspect and all the characters are so amazing! Great post ?
Ohhh, I read and LOVED A List of Cages SO much – that book made me so emotional just as well..It was such a beautiful friendship indeed! 🙂 Thank you so, so much, Kirsty 🙂
Ooh friendships in books are the best!! Love this topic! I read Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants and I agree that the friendships in those books are *amazing*!!
Awww thank you so much! 🙂
You’re welcome!!
I love this post, Marie! Contemporaries with strong friendships are always a favorite of mine. I haven’t read any of these yet but most of them are on my TBR. I definitely need to check out Radio Silence because YAY for a book with great friendships and no romance. I have a feeling my rec for you is obvious, I’ll Meet You There by Heather Demetrios. ?? I know you already plan on reading it but that book has some great friendships in it. I so hope you end up enjoying it. ?
Aww thank you Melissa!! Haha, you keep on recommending me this book, I am SO impatient to get to it – I probably will in a couple weeks, need to finish my current read first but I have it waiting on my TBR, it’s so beautiful and I am impatient 😀
You’re welcome!! And I can’t help it because it’s such a great book lol. ??
Haha I’ll try to read it without too many expectations, but you kind of set the bar high….but I trust your taste 100% ?
Eeep I so so adored Radio Silence! SO MUCH APPRECIATION FOR THE FRIENDSHIPS THERE.? And I also love how Morgan Matson books always deliver on excellent friendships. <3 Basically ALL the friendships in books = my favourite thing. That's a big reason I love the Raven Boys so much.?
OH YES ? I love these Raven Boys so, SO much – I can’t wait to read this new Ronan book ? Thank you so much Cait!
My favourite part of The Unexpected Everything was the friendship group. Those scenes made my heart happy.
Omg my answer is every Sarah Dessen book ever! I always want to join whatever friend gang her protagonist finds herself in.
OH YES.Well…I only read one Sarah Dessen so far but I agree – and I will go read more as soon as I can ahah 🙂
Omg you have so much to look forward to!
YES I do, I am eager to read them ALL – I just need a couple more hours each day ahah
Noteworthy was everything ♥ I really, really need to read Radio Silence!!! I loved the Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants movies when I was younger, but haven’t read the books so I should probably check out the books, haha.
OH YES, you do – I feel like you’d really love Radio Silence, Lauren, I hope so!
The books are just like the movies – they’re probably very different in content, but definitely have the same fun, summery vibe 🙂
Oh my gosh yes!! The Unexpected Everything had SUCH amazing friendships, apart from the romance, that was such an important focus in the book. ? I really need to read Radio Silence and Noteworthy!! ❤
YES YES you do! Both of these books were fabulous, I loved them SO much! <3 <3
Oh my gosh I can’t believe I forgot Noteworthy existed and that I desperately need to read it?? Thank you for reminding me 😛
Hahaha you’re welcome, YES you should read i – it was such a good book!! 😀