Books that celebrate women’s friendship have always been my favorite kind of books. In honor of International Women’s History Month, here are some of my favorite books that explore female friendships from a variety of genres!
- Cherry by Lindsey Rosin
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I’ve written about Cherry before, but I wanted to mention it here because it really is the perfect novel to celebrate female friendship. Many a reviewer have described this book as “American Pie, but with a group of girls in their senior year of high school,” and they’re exactly right. Basically, the five protagonists make a “sex pact” at the beginning of their senior year to lose their virginities by graduation. It’s not a piece of fine literature by any means, but it is a fun, sweet, and slightly scandalous story with a surprising amount of heart.
- Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan
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I’ve already written about this one as well. I probably should read some new books. It is the newest release on the list, and also a bit dark especially compared to Cherry. Girls of Paper and Fire takes place in an Asian-inspired fantasy world in which a powerful Demon King takes nine human girls as his concubines. But what would happen if two of those girls fell in love? This is a story in which the nine girls find friendship and strength in each other as they face this trauma together. The novel includes themes of rape and sexual violence, so please be warned!
- Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
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I just love Pride and Prejudice. I’m not going to spend too much time on this one since most people know the gist of it, but I included it because the relationship between Elizabeth Bennet and her sister Jane is probably one of the most iconic examples of female friendship in literature. Just thinking about them makes me feel all warm and fluffy inside.
If you aren’t up to reading P&P, then you can totally watch the 2005 movie. Not only is it just as good, but you also get to see Keira Knightley as Elizabeth Bennet. *sighs dreamily*
- Sailor Moon by Naoko Takeuchi
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If you like comics, sci-fi, and female friendships, and you haven’t read Sailor Moon yet, then what are you even doing? In this book, a girl named Usagi Tsukino is reawakened as the heroine Sailor Moon. She must find the other four sailor guardians who will help her defeat the big bad Queen Beryl and save the earth. I remember reading an interview with Mrs. Takeuchi in which she said that Sailor Moon was a way for her to write about girls who she wished were her friends, and it really shows.
Happy International Women’s Friendship Month! Whether you’re celebrating with some good books or not, make sure to tell the women in your life how much they mean to you.