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Quick answer: The best books on friendship include Platonic, Big Friendship, Friendship, Frientimacy, Friends and How to Win Friends and Influence People. Start with Platonic or Big Friendship for modern, practical guidance, and read My Brilliant Friend for a novel about a lifelong bond.
Friendship is one of the most important relationships in life and one of the least discussed. We learn how to date and how to parent, but few books teach how to make, keep or repair friends. Research shows that close friendships are linked to better health and longer life, yet adults often find friendship harder to maintain as work, family and moving pull schedules apart. The books on this list include science, advice and stories. Some explain how friendship works, others help you navigate rifts, and a few simply celebrate the joy of having someone who knows you. Read one with a friend, send a copy to someone you miss or let a novel remind you why friends matter.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Type | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Platonic | Marisa G. Franco | Making friends | adults who want to make friends |
| Big Friendship | Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman | Memoir and advice | readers who value long friendships |
| Friendship | Lydia Denworth | Science | readers who like research |
| Frientimacy | Shasta Nelson | Guide | readers who want deeper friendships |
| Friends | Robin Dunbar | Science | readers curious about numbers |
| How to Win Friends and Influence People | Dale Carnegie | Classic | readers who want social skills |
| The Lonely Century | Noreena Hertz | Social analysis | readers who care about society |
| Together | Vivek H. Murthy | Connection | readers interested in public health |
| My Brilliant Friend | Elena Ferrante | Fiction | readers who like literary novels |
| Little Women | Louisa May Alcott | Classic | readers who love sisterhood |
| Firefly Lane | Kristin Hannah | Fiction | readers who like emotional sagas |
| Anne of Green Gables | L.M. Montgomery | Classic | readers who love kindred spirits |
| Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe | Fannie Flagg | Fiction | readers who like Southern stories |
| The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants | Ann Brashares | Young adult | readers who want a light read |
| Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine | Gail Honeyman | Fiction | readers who like heartfelt novels |
1. Platonic by Marisa G. Franco
A psychologist explains the science of friendship and offers a practical plan for forming and keeping connections. Warm, evidence-based and encouraging.
Best for: adults who want to make friends.
2. Big Friendship by Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman
The authors tell the story of their own friendship, including a major rift, and what it takes to keep a friendship going. Honest and funny.
Best for: readers who value long friendships.
3. Friendship by Lydia Denworth
A journalist explores the biology and psychology of friendship and its effects on health.
Best for: readers who like research.
4. Frientimacy by Shasta Nelson
Nelson outlines three requirements for close friendships: positivity, consistency and vulnerability. Practical and accessible.
Best for: readers who want deeper friendships.
5. Friends by Robin Dunbar
Evolutionary psychologist Dunbar, known for Dunbar’s number, explains how friendships form and how many we can manage.
Best for: readers curious about numbers.
6. How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
The 1936 classic on listening, appreciation and showing interest. Still practical.
Best for: readers who want social skills.
7. The Lonely Century by Noreena Hertz
Explores loneliness and its causes in modern life, with suggestions for rebuilding connection.
Best for: readers who care about society.
8. Together by Vivek H. Murthy
The former U.S. Surgeon General writes about loneliness and the power of relationships.
Best for: readers interested in public health.
9. My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante
Two girls grow up in 1950s Naples in a friendship marked by love and rivalry. The first of four novels. Content note: some violence.
Best for: readers who like literary novels.
10. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
The March sisters support each other through growing up. A comforting classic.
Best for: readers who love sisterhood.
11. Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah
Two friends from the 1970s follow each other through careers and conflicts for 30 years. Content note: illness and loss.
Best for: readers who like emotional sagas.
12. Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
Anne Shirley finds a ‘bosom friend’ and a home on Prince Edward Island. Warm and funny.
Best for: readers who love kindred spirits.
13. Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg
An elderly woman tells stories of two friends in Depression-era Alabama. Funny and moving. Content note: some violence.
Best for: readers who like Southern stories.
14. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares
Four friends share a pair of jeans during their summer apart. Sweet and easy.
Best for: readers who want a light read.
15. Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
A lonely woman gradually learns to accept friendship. Content note: themes of abuse and loneliness.
Best for: readers who like heartfelt novels.
How to Choose the Right Book on Friendship
Choose by your situation. If you want to make friends as an adult, Platonic and How to Win Friends and Influence People give strategies. If you want to deepen a friendship, Frientimacy and Big Friendship explore intimacy and repair. If you’re curious about science, Friendship by Lydia Denworth and Friends by Robin Dunbar explain why we need people. If you want stories, My Brilliant Friend, Little Women and Fried Green Tomatoes show bonds across decades. Read for ideas, then pick up the phone.
Which Book Should You Start With? A Quick Guide
If you are not sure where to begin, match your situation to the list below.
- Adults who want to make friends: Platonic
- Readers who value long friendships: Big Friendship
- Readers who like research: Friendship
- Readers who want deeper friendships: Frientimacy
- Readers curious about numbers: Friends
- Readers who want social skills: How to Win Friends and Influence People
- Readers who care about society: The Lonely Century
- Readers interested in public health: Together
- Readers who like literary novels: My Brilliant Friend
- Readers who love sisterhood: Little Women
- Readers who like emotional sagas: Firefly Lane
- Readers who love kindred spirits: Anne of Green Gables
- Readers who like Southern stories: Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe
- Readers who want a light read: The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
- Readers who like heartfelt novels: Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine
A Simple Reading Plan
A sensible order helps you build momentum. Open with Platonic, which is accessible and encouraging, and finish it before you buy anything else. Next, choose Big Friendship to deepen what you learned, then Friendship when you are ready for a different voice or a more demanding read. Between books, take a few days to try something you learned, because friendship is easier to understand once you have tested it in real life. Keep a simple note on your phone with the title, your rating and one takeaway for each book you complete.
Print, E-Book or Audiobook?
Print, e-book and audiobook each suit different readers. Print is best for books you want to mark up and return to, which is useful for practical guides on friendship. E-books are cheap, portable and easy to search, and they make it simple to highlight a passage and find it again later. Audiobooks turn commutes, chores and walks into reading time, and a good narrator can make a heavy book on friendship easier to take in. Your public library offers all three through apps like Libby, so you can try a title before buying it. Many readers use two formats for the same book, listening first and then skimming a print copy for notes.
How to Get More From What You Read
To get more from these books, read with a pen and a question. Decide before you start what you hope to learn about friendship, and check at the end of each chapter whether you found it. Mark passages that feel true for you, and write down the ones you disagree with, since disagreement is also learning. Pick one practice from each book and try it for two weeks before judging it. Talking about the ideas with someone you trust, or writing a few lines in a journal, helps them move from your head into your life. Be patient with yourself; change comes in small steps.
Reading on a Budget
You do not need to buy all of these books. Your public library likely lends print, e-book and audiobook copies of many titles on friendship for free, and the hold feature lets you queue for popular ones. Used paperbacks are usually a few dollars, and thrift stores, library sales and swap groups are good sources. If you want to own a book you will mark up, buy the print edition; if you want to try several, borrow first and buy only the ones you finish and love. Subscription audiobook services often offer a free trial that covers a first title, and some libraries partner with apps that need only a library card.
Talk About What You Read
Reading on your own is valuable, and reading with others adds accountability. Consider forming a small book club around friendship, taking turns to choose a title from this list. Meet monthly, ask each person to share one idea and one action, and keep the tone supportive rather than competitive. If your friends are not interested, look for a local library group or an online community. A shared conversation helps you notice things you missed, and the encouragement of others makes it easier to keep going when progress feels slow.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Three mistakes come up again and again. First, readers choose a book that is too advanced or too long and give up on the topic altogether, so start with an accessible title. Second, they read passively, without notes or a plan to use what they learn about friendship. Third, they expect immediate results and quit when the change is slow. Avoid these by starting small, taking notes and giving each idea at least two weeks. If a book does not suit you, move on; the list above has plenty of other voices.
How to Judge a Book on Friendship
A few quick checks can save you time when choosing a book on friendship. Look at who wrote it and what qualifies them. See whether the author cites research or sources, and whether those sources are recent enough to matter. Notice the tone: honest authors admit limits and exceptions, while less reliable ones speak in absolutes. Skim the table of contents and a sample chapter, and read both enthusiastic and critical reviews. If a claim seems too good to be true, search for what other experts say. Reading widely across several authors is the best protection against any single voice.
When Reading Is Not Enough
Books are a good start, but they are not the whole answer to every situation involving friendship. If your difficulties interfere with sleep, work, relationships or safety, talk with a doctor, counselor or other qualified professional. Support groups, whether in person or online, can give you something books cannot: people who understand and respond. Friends and family can help if you let them know what you need. Think of your reading as one part of a larger toolkit, and do not hesitate to add other tools. Asking for help is a sign of strength and often speeds progress.
Questions to Reflect On
Keep these in a notebook and return to them after each book:
- What do I most want to understand or change about {t}?
- Which idea from my reading feels true for me, and which do I doubt?
- What is one small action I can take this week?
- Who could I talk to about what I am learning?
- How will I know in a month that this reading helped?
Tips for Reading About Friendship
- Reach out first. Send a short message to someone you miss.
- Be consistent. Regular contact beats rare big gestures.
- Share something real. Vulnerability deepens bonds.
- Repair quickly. Address conflict directly and kindly.
- Make plans. Schedule recurring meetups.
Related: 15 Best Books on Dating in Your 30s and the Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck Summary and Key Takeaways.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best book on friendship?
Platonic and Big Friendship are popular modern choices.
How can I make friends as an adult?
Join groups, show up regularly, follow up and be willing to be vulnerable. Platonic offers a roadmap.
Is friendship good for health?
Research links strong friendships to better mental and physical health.
How many books on friendship should I read at once?
One or two at a time is plenty. Finish a book, try one idea from it and then move on, so what you read turns into something you do.
Are these books on friendship available as audiobooks?
Most of them are. Check your library’s app, such as Libby, or an audiobook service, and listen to a sample to see whether the narrator suits you.