Alte FriedmanWe Used to Be Friends by Amy Spalding
This product was recommended by Ryan Yount from LuckLuckGo
Amy Spalding’s We Used to Be Friends is a story of two friends, James and Kat told in dual timelines. who experienced the most traumatic breakup of all: that of childhood besties. Starting their senior year in high school, the two were inseparable. They drifted apart as time progressed up until graduation, where they no longer knew one another. James moved on to college after her friendship with Kat came to an end while, Kat wondered what the next few years with Emma would look like and thought about what was in store for them in the future. What makes this book so exceptional is its honesty and humour. Although some parts might make you sad, the overall story is full of life lessons, which will teach readers about growing up and moving on from friendships.
Swing Time by Zadie Smith
This product was recommended by Michelle Devani from Lovedevani
New York Times bestselling writer Zadie Smith offers compelling cultural insights into the lives of two girls without overshadowing the wholesomeness of their characters. Childhood friends living in the neighborhood; but separated due to differences in personality and adulthood can be a story that most of us can relate to.
We Used to Be Friends by Amy Spalding
This product was recommended by Michelle Devani from Lovedevani
Nothing lasts forever. If there is one thing that this coming of age book from Amy Spalding would like to say, the only thing permanent in this life is change. Childhood besties James and Kat were inseparable during the beginning of their senior year, but by graduation, they’ve drifted apart. Funny yet heartwarming, We Used to Be Friends is a story about growing up and growing apart.
Sula by Toni Morrison
This product was recommended by Jonathan Tian from Mobitrix
It is set in the early 1900s in a black area called Bottom Ohio, and revolves around two black girls named Nel Wright and Sula Peace who have opposite personalities. As they grow older, Nel stays in the Bottom while Sula moves to the city, and they eventually split ways. Their relationship has had ups and downs over the years: they reconcile, dispute, and then reconcile again.
The Friend by Sigrid Nunez
This product was recommended by Jonathan Tian from Mobitrix
The Friend is a novel about friendship, sorrow, and recovery that won the National Book Award for Fiction in 2018. It follows an unknown female character as she mourns the suicide of her best friend and mentor, an author. A dog, a Great Dane named Apollo, is left by said buddy, but his wife is unable to look after it. Still heartbroken, the female narrator turns her attention to Apollo as she embarks on a recovery journey with the dog. The book is reflective and modest, making it ideal for individuals who are trying to repair their broken hearts following a difficult friendship split..
Best Friends Forever by Irene S. Levine
This product was recommended by April Maccario from Ask April
We all had experiences where friendship break-ups happened. And it is considered to feel more pain than a boyfriend-girlfriend break-up. One of the books I read in support to recover from the break-up is the book written by Irene S. Levine entitled, Surviving A Break-Up With Your Best Friend. This book includes reflections and heartfelt advice.
Since You’ve Been Gone by Morgan Matson
This product was recommended by Steven Walker from Spylix
If you read this book, you’ll hear a song by Kelly Clarkson. The book isn’t about leaving a bad relationship. Since You’ve Been Gone is about Emily and Sloane, who have been together since you left. As soon as Sloane doesn’t show up one day, Emily doesn’t know what to make of it! After a few weeks, Sloane sends Emily a strange to-do list. It looks a lot like the challenges on TikTok today. Sloane wants Emily to kiss a stranger, take something, and skinny dip. By chance, Emily meets Frank as she drives along the road. Frank helps Emily cross off her summer to-do list. They should read this lovely young adult story.
An Unfortunate Woman by Richard Brautigan
This product was recommended by Christian Velitchkov from Twiz LLC
Brautigan’s writing is funny, entertaining, heartbreaking, and even prophetic at times. There are no straightforward categories for this posthumously published novel-autobiographical-notebook-thing, but it is gentle, bittersweet, and darkly humorous, and very moving. It is a meandering conversation between two characters, the author and the reader, and – somewhat obliquely – two friends of Brautigan’s, one of whom committed suicide, the other of whom died of cancer; both of whom he misses dearly. The book deals mainly with life and death, and a great deal with everyday life. This book is filled with incredible metaphors about friendship, life, death, and dying, as well as descriptions of depression that are so piercingly true.
The House of Sleep by Jonathan Coe
This product was recommended by Olivia Tan from CocoFax
The House of Sleep by Jonathan Coe tells the story of a group of people who first meet at university and then bump into each other years later. Sarah and Robert’s almost-romance is one of the most moving and heartbreaking story parts. It’s written with a lot of care for the people in it, and it’s very clever and light-hearted.
Traveling Sprinkler by Nicholson Baker
This product was recommended by Olivia Tan from CocoFax
It’s terrible for Paul Chowder, who has been sick for so long. Because of how warm and personal he is when he talks to me in both The Anthologist and this follow-up, I’ve come to see the poet-narrator as a personal friend throughout both books. He is writing this book; Paul spends a lot of time missing his friend (and ex) Roz.
Chilly Scenes of Winter by Ann Beattie
This product was recommended by Daniela Sawyer from FindPeopleFast
As he drifts and mopes, Charles thinks about the tender things he used to do with Laura. In this book, Charles and Laura’s friendship is brought back to life with infectious warmth and humor. It’s full of small, exciting things that make you want to read on.
How Should a Person Be? by Sheila Heti
This product was recommended by Daniela Sawyer from FindPeopleFast
Sheila and Margaux’s friendship is so strong that it starts to break down, making the two BFFs (for a while at least) enemies in this hilarious, witty, and heartbreakingly honest portrait of a young woman who makes mistakes and sends great, witty emails about them.
Seymour: An Introduction by JD Salinger
This product was recommended by Daniela Sawyer from FindPeopleFast
He stopped writing because he didn’t want to put his favorite character, the Glass family, in front of people anymore. This strange, lovely, touching, and a weird novella by J.D. Salinger shows that even if it turns out that that’s not entirely true, it still shows that Salinger loves, misses, and mourns his friend Seymour just as much as Buddy, the book’s narrator, and Seymour’s younger brother.
Giving Up the Ghost by Eric Nuzum
This product was recommended by Hilda Wong from Content Dog
This book isn’t actually about ghosts. A story about loss, friendship, and how to find acceptable ways to express yourself when you can’t control your thoughts. In the poem, it is about the darkness and acceptance of that darkness and how sometimes the world is poetry. But, for the most part, it isn’t. The purpose of this book is to explore how the best thing about a person can also be the worst thing about them. Being an adolescent and having to choose happiness for yourself is something amazing since, at the end of the day, nobody can make you happy.
Wild by Cheryl Strayed
This product was recommended by Shiv Gupta from Incrementors
Following her mother’s death at the age of 22, Cheryl Strayed made the rashest choice of her life when she chose to trek the Pacific Crest Trail from the Mojave Desert to Washington State by herself. Wild vividly conveys the terrors and delights of one young lady pressing forth against all obstacles on a trip that maddened, strengthened, and finally healed her. It is told with suspense and flair, glittering with love and humour. Wild is a dramatic storey of a young lady who pushes herself against all obstacles on a voyage of self-discovery.
A Sport and A Pastime by James Salter
This product was recommended by Danny Marshall from Mortgage Rate Guru
The unnamed narrator of A Sport and a Pastime remembers, among other things, his short and deep friendship with a young American expat through an eternal summer in France, in a beautifully written and quietly amusing mixture of lies, truth, and shifting, surreal viewpoints.
The Mirror by Julie C. Dao
This product was recommended by Monica Rodriguez from Context Literary Agency
Julie C. Dao’s The Mirror: Broken Wish explores losing a friend through betrayal. Sixteen-year-old Elva has a secret. She has visions and strange powers that she will do anything to hide. She knows the warnings about what happens to witches in their small village of Hanau. When Elva accidentally witnesses a devastating vision of the future, she decides she has to do everything she can to prevent it. Tapping into her powers for the first time, Elva discovers a magical mirror and its owner. As Elva learns more about her burgeoning magic, and the lines between hero and villain start to blur, she must find a way to right past wrongs before it’s too late..
