Top Ten Books About Friendship (29)

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted over at The Broke and the Bookish. Every Tuesday, book bloggers post top ten lists based on a bookish theme. This week's Top Ten Tuesday is:

Top Ten Books About Friendship

Friendship is a topic so often overlooked in the young adult genre in favor of concentrating on romance, which makes a close friendship all the more precious when it is done well. For this top ten list, I turn to the classics for some of my favorite books featuring friendship, as well as some YA books that I think did a great job of focusing on the subject.

1. George and Lennie in Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck - A true classic, Of Mice and Men shares the tale of two migrant laborers, close friends who dream of one day owning a farm together. With this one, be prepared with the Kleenex because it is a tear-jerker. 

2. Sherlock and Watson in The Complete Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle - In The Complete Sherlock Holmes, Doyle pens many tales of mystery and suspense, featuring our favorite characters Sherlock and Watson as they solve cases together (well, Sherlock mainly solves them). These two are as thick of thieves, no matter how many times Holmes may exasperate his good friend Watson.

3. Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley in the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling - I may be cheating by counting an entire series as just one, but this series teaches us the true meaning of friendship (as cheesy as it may sound). In the Harry Potter series, these two wizards and one witch stick together through the good and the bad, fighting to defeat "You Know Who" no matter what obstacles they come up against.

4. Gemma, Pippa, Felicity and Ann in the Gemma Doyle series by Libba Bray - A Great and Terrible Beauty may not be one of the first books you think of when considering friendship, but for me, it is. These girls may be vain and shallow, they may snub one another, and they may be terrible gossips at times, but by the end of the series, their loyalty to each other is undeniable. There is some romance in this series, but the friendship shared between these girls has much more of an impact on the overarching storyline.

5. Verity and Maddie in Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein - Code Name Verity seems to be a hit or miss for readers. For me, I did not like it as much as I was expecting, mainly because I felt almost nothing for the characters. Yet I can't help but appreciate the lovely friendship Verity and Maddie share in this book.

6. Mia and Lilly in The Princess Diaries series by Meg Cabot - An old favorite of mine, The Princess Diaries series features a friendship that lasts an entire series. These two may have their squabbles, but in the end, they got each other's back.

7. Frodo and Sam in The Lord of the Rings series by J.R.R. Tolkien - This being one of my favorite series, I couldn't neglect to mention it. Many friendships are made throughout this series, but my favorite will always be the one shared between Frodo and Sam. Sam is more than just Frodo's gardener; he is a true friend that will follow Frodo wherever he goes, even to Mount Doom and possible death. 

8. Karou and Zuzana in the Daughter of Smoke & Bone series - A friendship like Karou and Zuzana's is a rarity in the young adult genre, and I found myself envying their closeness. Zuzana's presence is a constant in the series, and I enjoyed their entertaining text messages. 

9. Max and the wild things in Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak - A timeless classic for all ages, Where the Wild Things Are takes us into the wild imagination of a young boy, introducing us to his monster friends. 

10. Charlotte and Wilbur in Charlotte's Web by E.B. White - Charlotte's Web is another classic that I cannot fail to mention. Enjoyed by children and adults alike, it tells the tale of a spider, Charlotte, who saves a pig, Wilbur, from the slaughterhouse. A sweet and memorable tale, the friendship between Charlotte and Wilbur will not be easily forgotten by any who read this.

What about everyone else? What are some of your favorite books about friendship? Let me know in the comments!