Top Ten Tuesday: Friendship

Today’s Top Ten Tuesday is ten books about friendship. But since I mostly read urban fantasy and fantasy, where friendship isn’t the primary focus, I’ve gone for ten eight books where friendship is an important part of the story. (It should be ten but I’m tired.)

Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkein. Sam and Frodo. Sam and Frodo. In some ways there’s a master/servant vibe here — and some people would claim an unrequited love thing too — but Sam is the ultimate selfless friend. I adore him. (You could also look at Legolas and Gimli as another example from these books.)

Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling. The friendship between Harry, Hermione and Ron is as beautiful and realistic as you’ll find. Yes, realistic — because even though they are at a wizard school fighting a snakey supervillain, the relationship itself has its ups and downs. And it doesn’t turn into the typical love triangle we often see in young adult fiction.

Arrow’s Flight by Mercedes Lackey. This is the second book in the Arrows of the Queen series; I singled it out specifically because this is when we see Talia and Kris’s friendship at its wonderful, complicated best. They end up sleeping together, but she’s in love with his best friend, and it all gets a little confusing there for a while. And friendships can be like that at times.

The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare. I love the relaxed friendship between Simon and Clary. As with the previous book, it gets complicated and a little messy, but at the end of the day these guys have a friendship you could take to the bank. (Plus I just love Simon.)

Pivot Point by Kasie West. The friendship between Addie and Laila is one of the strongest I’ve seen in young adult fiction. I can’t explain without mega-spoilers, but Addie basically gives up everything for Laila. It was heartbreaking. And you should read this book.

The White Dragon by Anne McCaffrey. Pretty much any relationship between a dragonrider and his or her dragon could be described as a perfect friendship, because that’s how Anne described the bond: as the perfect friendship. But the relationship between Jaxom and his dragon, Ruth, goes beyond the others. From the moment Jaxom defies everyone to save Ruth’s life, they are the sweetest pair ever.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. I’m a bit conflicted about this inclusion, but Peeta and Katniss have the kind of friendship forged in the hardest of times. Sure, he may want it to be more from the start, but he respects that she isn’t sure and still cares for her. The best relationships are built on that kind of friendship.

Buffy: the Vampire Slayer by various. I wasn’t sure whether to include this, but I have about a dozen Buffy novels on my shelves (some novelisations of the episodes but others stand-alone books). And the friendship between Buffy, Willow and Xander is a lot like the one between Harry and his closest friends: complicated, loyal and real.

I have two slots free. What books would you add to my list? 🙂