Siobhan Vivian's Same Difference really got the friendship aspect of both a struggling-best-friendship and a fledgling new one right. While there's a romance, the relationships between the girls really stuck out to me, and came across as authentic.

Posted by Turtle | November 18, 2009 1:16 PM

My favorite book with a friendship angle is Violet in Private...I just finished reading it yesterday and love the friendship between Violet, Julie and Roger.. no matter what is going on they are there for each other... Its actually a great series on my wish list now.

The friendship between Violet and Veronica is good as well as the one that forms between Double V and Kurt!

Posted by ReaganStar McBeigh | November 18, 2009 1:16 PM

Ok for some reason first post didn't work. Honestly I can say my favorite friendship is the one between Violet, Julie and Roger in the Violet series. It shows all aspects from being together or away from each other not to mention a bit of a romance between Roger and Violet.

Also the new friendship she makes with Veronica and then Kurt are wonderful friendships that truly were tested through her ups and downs.

Posted by ReaganStar McBeigh | November 18, 2009 1:22 PM

I really enjoyed the friendship between Jacob and Terra in "North of Beautiful" by Justina Chen Headley ... while there is the underlying romantic angle, I really enjoyed the conversations they had together, and how they brought out different qualities in one another. It reminded me of how important it is to have a friend who truly understands you and who you can always be yourself around.

I also really enjoy Love and Arabella's friendship in The Principles of Love series by Emily Franklin.

Posted by Ashley | November 18, 2009 1:27 PM

I've been re-reading James Patterson's Maximum Ride series, and although they're not the best books, I've always loved the friendship between Max and her best friend/love interest, Fang. They're just always there for each other, even when they're going through the awkward stages of their relationship.

I also liked the friendship between Violet and Roger in Violet On The Runway :)

Posted by Amelia | November 18, 2009 2:28 PM

I loved the friendship/love between Bear and Cassie in Sarah Beth Durst's Ice.

Posted by JenP | November 18, 2009 2:49 PM

Honestly, I'd have to say my favourite friendship was in Harry Potter. I'm a complete nerd for that series and I'm just rereading it again. They have their ups and downs, and fight like normal friends, but in the end they're there for each other when they need it the most. They trust each other, They get jealous of each other, Ultimately I believe they're basically a mirror image of what friendship in the real world is like.

Posted by Jenners | November 18, 2009 5:27 PM

I just finished A Match Made in High School by Kristin Walker, great friendships!

Posted by Kelsey | November 18, 2009 5:37 PM

One that pops up in mind is the friendship between Audrey and Vicki from Audrey, Wait! by Robin Benway.

Posted by Amber | November 18, 2009 5:42 PM

I also love writer's that get the friendship thing right. It doesn't happen enough.
I loved Lyra's friendship with the little boy whose name I can't remember in Philip Pullman's The Golden Compass. There was something so pure and innocent and wonderful about it. Almost dignified. And her loyalty was touching.

Posted by Audrey (brizmus) | November 18, 2009 5:54 PM

Hmm... I really liked Love You Hate You Miss You by Elizabeth Scott.
The friendship between Amy and Julia was interesting (and definitely different) and the book wasn't your average happy-go-lucky "feel good" story. But I love love LOVE it! So great. :)

Posted by Briana | November 18, 2009 6:24 PM

I have to agree with Jenners, and say that my favorite friendship(s) are the ones in Harry Potter. I love the triangle of Harry, Hermione and Ron, but I also LOVE the scene in HP and the Deathly Hollows when they go into Luna's room and she's painted their portraits with the word 'friend' linking them all.

Posted by Lauren S. | November 18, 2009 6:30 PM

Nothing beats the magic of friendship in the Harry Potter series. Literally. Their love and friendship saves the world.

Posted by Lindsey | November 18, 2009 6:34 PM

Jill and Remy in Re(cycler) - made oh so much more complicated by the fact Jill is sometimes Remy's boyfriend, Jack.

Posted by Liviania | November 18, 2009 7:05 PM

Everyone loves HARRY POTTER. Including ME ! :)
I love to re-watch and re-read all the series of HP. never get tired of one of them. The friendship bond is wonderful between Harry-Ron-Hermione.

Posted by Mariska | November 18, 2009 7:32 PM

I vote for Giving Up The Ghost! There was definitely some attraction there between the MC and Tim, but they kept it strictly platonic for now! Love that!

Posted by Llehn | November 18, 2009 8:23 PM

I can't recall the last book I read with a good friendship angle, but the best book I've read about friendship is Ursula K Le Guin's Very Far From Anywhere Else. Not exactly a new release since it's older than I am, but very, very good. Definitely recommended.

Posted by Alessandra | November 19, 2009 4:08 AM

The Harry Potter series would have to be the best books i have read in which i really loved the friendship angle. The bond between Harry, Ron and Hermione seemed realistic to me. In a friendship you will encounter problems and trials as you grow together but the outcome of it is something grand. The bond becomes stronger.

Posted by Mevurah Deleon | November 19, 2009 12:21 PM

I just finished the Royally Jacked trilogy by Niki Burnham, which has some really great friendship stuff going - first between Valerie (the protagonist) and Prince Georg, and then in sequels, awesome stuff between Val and her "A-listers." I felt like the way Burnham portrayed all of the drama of high school friendships was so realistic in the way that keeping secrets leads to hurt feelings, but that true friends always stick by one another and want the best for each other. Definitely read this series!

Can I add a movie? My favorite movie about friendship is "The Station Agent," which is just wonderful and simple and sad and beautiful. Everyone should rent it!

Posted by Tiff | November 19, 2009 3:01 PM

I just read Ghost in the Machine by Patrick Carman - it's the sequet to Skeleton Creek. I liked the MC's Ryan and Sarah were just friends. You could tell they cared about each other but more because they had grown up together. It was nice to not have a romance take over the story.

Posted by Jill | November 19, 2009 6:40 PM

The last book I read about friendship was Harry Potter. I love the friendshiph between Harry Potta and ron. I think the first book is the best, when they are all young, innocent. I love the part when they said "it's leviooooohsa. Not leviosa." or something like that. I kept cracking up whenever I hear that. XD

Posted by Van Anh Do | November 20, 2009 12:19 AM

I loved the friendship in Along For The Ride by Sarah Dessen; I don't want to give anything away, but Auden doesn't go to Colby expecting to make friends yet she does. I love unexpected friendships!

Posted by Shalan | November 20, 2009 2:56 AM

I believed it was A Little Advice by Siobhan Vivian :)

Posted by Diana Dang | November 20, 2009 3:54 PM

Sweet! I just looked up the book and it looks amazing. My friend Jessey read BLOOM and loved it, and so I hope I get to win a copy (of her book) of my own!
A good friendship book? Hmmm... well yesterday I finished the book FRIEND ME and I thought it was great. Great friendship. :o)
-hannah s

Posted by hannah s. | November 21, 2009 3:23 PM

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society had a great thread of friendship thoughout. It was so well done! Thanks for the giveaway.

s.mickelson at gmail dot com

Posted by Sue | November 22, 2009 12:18 PM

The last book I read about friendship was Dark Time: Mortal Path Book One. The protagonist, Maliha Crayne has two best friends who are willing to sacrifice their own safety and lives for her: Amaro and Yanmeng.

Posted by Aik | November 23, 2009 3:12 AM

That last book was Sarah's Key by Tatiana De Rosnay. I personally liked the friendship the narrator had with a man who was the son of Sarah. (If you read the book, you'll understand what I'm saying more haha) Anyways the narrator has spent some time looking for Sarah, but since she died she went to her son instead and they shared this weird relationship of understanding of what happened to Sarah (when she was young she was in the French Holocaust) and especially at the end you can really see their friendship. Because they both can predict the others thoughts without saying words, like the phrase "You say it best, when you say nothing at all" (It's also a country song I believe?) Anyways, that's true here in this book and I just liked how that relationship worked out for them and brought them closer. They were both comforted by each other, and they didn't really have to do much to get that way. Well not really... You have to read the book! It's amazing!

Posted by cammy | November 23, 2009 11:03 AM

Since this list is listing heavily female - both in authorship and in characters - let me suggest a book that gets male friendship right: "Swim the Fly" by Don Calame gets the Matt/Coop/Sean bonding right, showing both the inanity and heart guys have for and between one another.

Or how about a male author who makes a good stab at female characters and friendship: "No More You For Us" by David Hernandez does some interesting things with three girls (Isabel, Vanessa, and I forget the third) who are friends but not always friendly.

And my favorite-of-all-time, non-romantic YA male/female friendship is between Sarah Byrnes and Eric Calhoun in "Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes."

Posted by Terry D. | November 23, 2009 6:40 PM

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is my ultimate friendship book. Not new, obviously, but still pretty perfect.

Posted by Wendy | November 24, 2009 9:47 AM

I really liked the friendship between Colin and Hassan in John Green's An Abundance of Katherines. Also, as someone mentioned above, Sarah Dessen's Along for the Ride has unexpected friendships form, which is cool.

Posted by Shari | November 24, 2009 3:18 PM

I think Sarah Dessen's books all have good friendships. I think that in "Someone Like You" Halle and Scarlet have a really strong friendship because they help each other through a lot including teen pregnancy and boyfriend problems and even death. I was amazed at their example.

Posted by Jackie | November 24, 2009 10:02 PM

OMG! *dies Happy* I can't believe I won...I never win anything! This is awesome!

Posted by Raschel | November 29, 2009 7:03 PM