FLYLēF turns 2 and I am so pleased to be celebrating along! There’s a whole group of amazing book bloggers who got together to celebrate, some you might recognize from my first blog birthday. It’s so fabulous to be involved in birthday celebrations, they’re just the best aren’t they? To celebrate, we’ve planned posts for you to enjoy, all centered around the theme…
FRIENDSHIP
I am so pleased to be included here with this amazing group of book bloggers, so please make sure to visit them, and perhaps make a new friend along the way. Below you’ll find the whole schedule and other posts so you can read all about them! They’re pretty darn amazing, trust me.
FRIENDSHIP 
Today I wanted to talk about my favorite books with friendship in them. Who doesn’t love friends right? I feel like there’s often romances, but very few books where the friendship is the focus. And today it’s even more of a treat because I’m featuring friendships of all shapes and sizes, human and not! Without further ado, let’s get recommending.
Six of Crows/Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo: Um a band of friends who are also thieves? YES. I cannot sing my praises for this series enough. I love them so much. The characters are pure magic here and their friendships with each other – gold. My favorite character is tied between Nina and Inej, in case you were wondering. (see my reviews of Six of Crows/Crooked Kingdom)- Oathbound by Mercedes Lackey: Can I please get all the bad ass women from this novel in my real life gang of friends? Tarma and Kethry are my OTP of friends. They always have each other’s back, are super talented, and they don’t let romance in the way. Here’s to women taking numbers and getting things done! Also the Sword is one of my favorite features, it always is drawn to women in need of help. (My Review)
- When the Moon Was Ours by Anna Marie McLemore: So this is a little cheating, because enough said if you haven’t read it. BUT the friendship is extremely important the entire book, and so, for that reason, it’s here. Sam and Miel are oddities in their community, but their friendship is tender, full of trust, and inspiring. Not to mention that this story is absolutely beautifully written, every bit of it. (My Review)
Monstress by Marjorie Liu: Friendship is huge here because Maika can be…difficult to be friends with. Kippa’s friendship is crucial to Maika’s character and the story line in general. Also, she looks like a fox, so that means she’s crucial for ever and ever. She is a cute pile of awesomeness. I love her. And this book has tons of cats, even a cat friend. Friends all around! But seriously, the friendship helps Maika realize that she needs allies, help, and that perhaps her past actions towards some of her ‘friends’ has been a little selfish. Already eagerly awaiting the second volume of this graphic novel series. (My Review).- The Summer that Melted Everything by Tiffany McDaniel: Because a friendship with the devil has got to mean something right? Fielding’s relationship with ‘the Devil’, will influence his life, his family’s life, and those of Breathed forever. In an especially hot summer and a racially charged time, Sam’s appearance tests the community. Fielding’s friendship is heart breaking, emotional, and intense. This is a must read, one of my favorite books this year, for its beautiful writing, symbols, and amazing story. (My Review)
Highly Illogical Behaviour by John Corey Whaley: What makes this book about friendship, is the actual question of how genuine their friendship is. When Lisa needs a topic for a college essay, she decides to ‘cure’ Solomon of his agoraphobia. But what starts out as a prompt and a ’cause’ turns into something much more substantial and dangerous. The whole book we have this ugly feeling at the pit of our stomach about their ‘friendship’ and what the dissolution will cause, for Solomon. This tension, and the ending, make it truly about the power of friendship. (My Review)- The Wanderers by Meg Howrey: When you’re stuck in a space simulator for months on end, your crew becomes your friends. As the line between reality and simulation begin to fade, our relationships and trust with our crewmates become even more important. This book was a truly trippy read, but one that was fabulous. The irony of being in a space simulation on Earth was phenomenal and so were the characters. Really enjoyed this. (My Review)
- Finally, Binti by Nnedi Oforafor: I saved the best for last. The only survivor on the way to her university, Binti must become indispensable to the aliens who killed everyone else on the ship…or else. But it takes more than just acquaintances, and what starts out as enemies must become friends for the greater good of both species. They will form a friendship that will defy the ‘laws of society’ and one that evolves in strange new ways. Such a great protagonist that reminded me of Octavia Butler. (My Review)
TESTIMONIAL
How did FLYLēF and I meet? I feel like it’s been so long. When I first began blogging I came across the Book of Choice Giveaways and the Comment Challenge Post. I’m not sure which came first, but I ended up participating in both. FLYLēF has been beyond kind to me since I started, always offering me help and inspiration. (Not to mention the gorgeous graphics that are in EVERY of my new reviews, they’re rad). Now I participate always in the Comment Challenge, because it’s one of the best things ever, and also the FLYTIP feature which she does. I am so eternally grateful for our friendship. It has been invigorating, inspiring, and just darn right beautiful. Happy 2nd Birthday Lonna, you deserve it all and so much more. I wish you nothing but the best and hope we’ll still be connected for the big things in our futures <3
TOUR SCHEDULE
❖ May 15th – Bookfever: Spotlight / Giveaway
❖ May 15th – A Reader Writer: Spotlight / Giveaway
❖ May 16th – Milky Way of Books: Spotlight / Giveaway
❖ May 16th – Lisa Loves Literature: Spotlight / Giveaway
❖ May 20th – A Kernel of Nonsense: Spotlight / Giveaway
❖ May 21th – SUSANLOVESBOOKS: Spotlight / Giveaway
❖ May 23th – fallxnrobins: Spotlight / Giveaway
❖ May 27th – Utopia State of Mind: Spotlight / Giveaway
❖ May 28th – Book Briefs: Spotlight / Giveaway
❖ May 30th – Foxes & Fairy Tales: Spotlight / Giveaway
❖ June 1st – The Caramel Files: Spotlight / Giveaway
ABOUT FLYLēF
Lonna Yen is the creative mind behind FLYLēF (pronounced like flyleaf) who enjoys spending every free moment satisfying her insatiable addiction of mostly young adult and adult novels: romance, fantasy, and paranormal.
She is also the host of FLYTIP and Book of Choice Giveaway Hop, and co-host of The Comment Challenge.
Find Lonna @ FLYLēF: Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Google+ | Newsletter
GIVEAWAY
A one-month subscription box to Owl Crate, or $35 Amazon gift card for an international winner,
a Rafflecopter giveaway
I am currently reading a book about historic jewelry by a former auctioneer at Christie’s.
That sounds pretty interesting!
First off, THANK YOU SO MUCH LILI, for this lovely, lovely post. I’ve come to really cherish your friendship, and hope that we can continue to grow and connect through our shared blogging passion. Secondly, I will add all these books to my TBR because I love books with strong friendship bonds. <3
Aw so sweet! I feel the same and am so happy we connected this way 🙂 I hope you enjoy them! Happy happy birthdaaaay!