Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.
Today, the topic is a Thanksgiving freebie, and since I’m going to a Friendsgiving for the first time this year, I thought I’d focus on BOOKS WITH GREAT FRIENDSHIPS. I feel like all of the friends on my list would have pretty interesting Friendsgivings. lol Let’s check them out!
1. House of Earth and Blood
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Series: Crescent City #1
Page Length: 803
Pub. Date: March 3, 2020
Synopsis: Bound by blood.
Tempted by desire.
Unleashed by destiny.
Bryce Quinlan had the perfect life—working hard all day and partying all night—until a demon murdered her closest friends, leaving her bereft, wounded, and alone. When the accused is behind bars but the crimes start up again, Bryce finds herself at the heart of the investigation. She’ll do whatever it takes to avenge their deaths.
Hunt Athalar is a notorious Fallen angel, now enslaved to the Archangels he once attempted to overthrow. His brutal skills and incredible strength have been set to one purpose—to assassinate his boss’s enemies, no questions asked. But with a demon wreaking havoc in the city, he’s offered an irresistible deal: help Bryce find the murderer, and his freedom will be within reach.
As Bryce and Hunt dig deep into Crescent City’s underbelly, they discover a dark power that threatens everything and everyone they hold dear, and they find, in each other, a blazing passion—one that could set them both free, if they’d only let it.
With unforgettable characters, sizzling romance, and page-turning suspense, this richly inventive new fantasy series by #1 New York Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas delves into the heartache of loss, the price of freedom—and the power of love.
LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Favorite Quotes
2. The Undermining of Twyla and Frank
Author: Megan Bannen
Series: The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy #2
Page Length: 464
Publication Date: July 2, 2024
Publisher: Orbit Books
Synopsis: The entire town of Eternity was shocked when widowed, middle-aged Twyla Banneker partnered up with her neighbor and best friend, Frank Ellis, to join the Tanrian Marshals. Eight years later, Twyla and Frank are still patrolling the dangerous land of Tanria, the former prison of the Old Gods.
Twyla might look like a small town mom who brings cheesy potatoes to funerals and whips up a batch of cookies for the school bake sale, but her rewarding career in law enforcement has been a welcome change from the domestic grind of mom life, despite the misgivings of her grown children.
Fortunately (or unfortunately) a recent decrease in on-the-job peril has made Twyla and Frank’s job a lot safer … and a lot less exciting. So when they discover the body of one of their fellow marshals covered in liquid glitter–and Frank finds himself the inadvertent foster dad to a baby dragon–they are more than happy to be back on the beat.
Soon, the friends wind up ensnared in a nefarious plot that goes far deeper than any lucrative Tanrian mineshaft. But as the danger closes in and Twyla and Frank’s investigation becomes more complicated, so does their easy friendship. And Twyla starts to realize that her true soul mate might just be the person who has lived next door all along…
LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Review
3. The Song of Achilles
Author: Madeline Miller
Page Length: 352
Publication Date: Sept. 20, 2011
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Synopsis: Greece in the age of heroes. Patroclus, an awkward young prince, has been exiled to the court of King Peleus and his perfect son Achilles. By all rights their paths should never cross, but Achilles takes the shamed prince as his friend, and as they grow into young men skilled in the arts of war and medicine their bond blossoms into something deeper – despite the displeasure of Achilles’ mother Thetis, a cruel sea goddess. But then word comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped. Torn between love and fear for his friend, Patroclus journeys with Achilles to Troy, little knowing that the years that follow will test everything they hold dear.
Profoundly moving and breathtakingly original, this rendering of the epic Trojan War is a dazzling feat of the imagination, a devastating love story, and an almighty battle between gods and kings, peace and glory, immortal fame and the human heart.
LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Favorite Quotes
4. Under the Whispering Door
Author: T.J. Klune
Page Length: 384
Publication Date: Sept. 21, 2021
Publisher: Tor Books
Synopsis: Under the Whispering Door is a contemporary fantasy with TJ Klune’s signature “quirk and charm” (PW) about a ghost who refuses to cross over and the ferryman he falls in love with
When a reaper comes to collect Wallace Price from his own funeral, Wallace suspects he really might be dead.
Instead of leading him directly to the afterlife, the reaper takes him to a small village. On the outskirts, off the path through the woods, tucked between mountains, is a particular tea shop, run by a man named Hugo. Hugo is the tea shop’s owner to locals and the ferryman to souls who need to cross over.
But Wallace isn’t ready to abandon the life he barely lived. With Hugo’s help he finally starts to learn about all the things he missed in life.
When the Manager, a curious and powerful being, arrives at the tea shop and gives Wallace one week to cross over, Wallace sets about living a lifetime in seven days.
By turns heartwarming and heartbreaking, this absorbing tale of grief and hope is told with TJ Klune’s signature warmth, humor, and extraordinary empathy.
LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Review | Favorite Quotes
5. As the Earl Likes
Author: Darcy Burke
Series: Rogue Rules
Pub. Date: Oct. 17, 2024
Synopsis: As the Earl Likes
Heir to a dukedom, Clive Halifax, Earl of Shefford, is weary of fixing his father’s scandalous messes and watching his mother suffer for them. Sheff vows to live as the Lothario everyone believes him to be, never to wed. However, his parents will not stop insisting he marry, so he chooses the most inappropriate bride he can find and pays her to be his fake betrothed for the remainder of the Season.
Josephine Harker lives at the edge of Society with a mother who runs a gaming club and an artist father who flits about the ton. She just wants the ability to choose her own path instead of what society dictates—or what her parents think is best for her. When Shefford, a notorious rake, proposes a faux engagement along with a substantial sum, she cannot refuse.
Dangerously captivated by one another from the outset, their attraction explodes into a searing passion they can’t deny. But the last thing Jo wants is to risk her heart on a rogue who can’t see he’s much more than his reputation—or that there is such a thing as true love.
LINKS: GOODREADS | AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | REVIEW
6. Heir
Author: Sabaa Tahir
Series: Heir Duology
Page Length: 512
Publication Date: Oct. 1, 2024
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers
Synopsis: An orphan.
An outcast.
A prince.
And a killer who will bring an empire to its knees.
Growing up in the Kegari slums, AIZ has seen her share of suffering. An old tragedy fuels her need for vengeance, but it is love of her people that propels her. Until one hot-headed mistake lands her in an inescapable prison, where the embers of her wrath ignite.
Banished from her tribe for an unforgiveable crime, SIRSHA is a down-on-her-luck tracker who speaks to the earth, air, and water to trace her marks. Destitute, she agrees to hunt down a killer who has murdered children across the Empire. All she has to do is carry out the job and get paid. But then, she falls for a charismatic and inconvenient fugitive who keeps getting in her way.
QUIL is the crown prince of the Empire, nephew of a famed and venerated empress, but he’s loathe to pick up the mantle when his aunt steps down. As the son of the most hated emperor in the history of his people, he, better than anyone, understands that power corrupts. When a vicious new enemy threatens the survival of the Empire, Quil must ask himself if he can rise above his tragic lineage and be the heir his people need.
Beloved storyteller Sabaa Tahir masterfully interweaves the lives of three young people as they grapple with the burdens of power, the treachery of love and the devastating consequences of unchecked greed. Get ready for a dark and breathless journey that will captivate readers and that may cost these young people their lives―and their hearts. Literally.
LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Review
7. More Than A Good Friend
Author: Remi Carrington
Page Length: 259
Publication Date: June 6, 2023
Synopsis: In high school, I made a deal with my best friend. If neither of us were married by 35, we’d marry each other.
We haven’t spoken about it since. So when he proposes at our party, I walk away. I’ve loved him forever, but he is just making good on a deal.
I deserve better than that.
So I get on every dating app I can, and vow to change things. I’ll meet someone new and forget about how much I love my best friend.
That’s my plan.
But it veers a little off course when he gets protective about my dates and goes out of his way to spend time with me.
I’m not sure what to think anymore.
LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Review
8. The Jasad Heir
Author: Sara Hashem
Series: The Scorched Throne #1
Page Length: 529
Publication Date: July 18, 2023
Publisher: Orbit
Synopsis: In this Egyptian-inspired debut fantasy, a fugitive queen strikes a deadly bargain with her greatest enemy and finds herself embroiled in a complex game that could resurrect her scorched kingdom or leave it in ashes forever.
Ten years ago, the kingdom of Jasad burned. Its magic outlawed; its royal family murdered down to the last child. At least, that’s what Sylvia wants people to believe.
The lost Heir of Jasad, Sylvia never wants to be found. She can’t think about how Nizahl’s armies laid waste to her kingdom and continue to hunt its people—not if she wants to stay alive. But when Arin, the Nizahl Heir, tracks a group of Jasadi rebels to her village, staying one step ahead of death gets trickier.
In a moment of anger Sylvia’s magic is exposed, capturing Arin’s attention. Now, to save her life, Sylvia will have to make a deal with her greatest enemy. If she helps him lure the rebels, she’ll escape persecution.
A deadly game begins. Sylvia can’t let Arin discover her identity even as hatred shifts into something more. Soon, Sylvia will have to choose between the life she wants and the one she left behind. The scorched kingdom is rising, and it needs a queen.
LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Review
9. Lovelight Farms
Author: B.K. Borinson
Series: Lovelight #1
Page Length: 322
Publisher: Berkley
Synopsis: Two best friends fake date to reach their holiday happily ever after in this first romantic comedy in the Lovelight series.
A pasture of dead trees. A hostile takeover of the Santa barn by a family of raccoons. And shipments that have mysteriously gone missing. Lovelight Farms is not the magical winter wonderland of Stella Bloom’s dreams.
In an effort to save the Christmas tree farm she’s loved since she was a kid, Stella enters a contest with Instagram-famous influencer Evelyn St. James. With the added publicity and the $100,000 cash prize, Stella might just be able to save the farm from its financial woes. There’s just one problem. To make the farm seem like a romantic destination for the holidays, she lied on her application and said she owns Lovelight Farms with her boyfriend. Only…there is no boyfriend.
Enter best friend Luka Peters. He just stopped by for some hot chocolate and somehow got a farm and a serious girlfriend in the process. But fake dating his best friend might be the best Christmas present he’s ever received.
LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Review
10. Royal Decoy
Author: Heather Frost
Series: Fate of Eyrinthia #1
Page Length: 370
Publication Date: June 18, 2020
Synopsis: A SERVANT blackmailed into becoming a princess’s decoy.
A BODYGUARD determined to keep her alive.
A PRINCE forced to execute his father’s brutal laws.
A PRISONER used to keep him compliant.
A WORLD on the brink of war.
In one horrible night, Clare goes from kitchen maid to royal decoy. She has three months to become the princess’s perfect double so she can ensure her betrothal to an enemy prince. Desperate to survive, Clare throws herself into self-defense training, taught by her distractingly attractive bodyguard. The danger increases when a ruthless assassin begins stalking her, intent on ending the tenuous peace.
Across the northern mountains, Prince Grayson is his father’s ultimate weapon. He carries out the king’s harsh orders because the one person he cares about is his father’s prisoner. Grayson’s silent obedience is tested when his father plans to exploit the marriage alliance between two of their greatest enemies. If Grayson submits, the blood of thousands will spill. If he resists, the girl who means everything to him will die.
The fate of Eyrinthia hangs in the balance. Some want peace. Some want war. All will be thrown into chaos.
LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Review
Oooh, good list! Always a fan when books feature solid friendships/that found family-level of friends <3
Most of these are still on my TBR but I love an amazing friend group! I adore the characters in the Fate of Eyrinthia series and from Under the Whispering Door! Also, if the same characters from Hart & Mercy appear in Twyla & Frank then I know I’m gonna love it so much more than I already expect to. 😍 Wonderful post and take on the TTT, Julie!
Have fun at your Friendsgiving this year, Julie. I also love books with great friendships and agree with the ones that I have read on your list.
I like this topic! Have fun at Friendsgiving and great list!