Nicola Moriarty on five inspirational novels about friendship

As a writer, I’m sure it comes as no surprise that I love to read. And while I can immerse myself in anything from psychological thrillers to crime dramas to fantasy novels or witty rom-coms, I can’t go past a feel-good story that’s based around friendship. They’re relatable, they’re fun, they make you laugh and they make you cry and it (usually) all works out in the end. (I’m a sucker for a happy ending). As such, here’s my top five inspirational novels about friendship. And yes, I did cheat and include a trilogy in the list, so technically there are seven books here, but I couldn’t help myself.

The Colours of Madeleine Trilogy

Jaclyn Moriarty

So many different and varied relationships are played out in Jaci’s gorgeously whimsical trilogy, but my favourite is of course Madeleine and Elliot and their long-distance friendship, which gradually grows and develops over the course of the three books.

Anonymums

Anonymous

Written by three anonymous mothers, this book explores an unusual friendship between three women where they dare one another to do crazy challenges in order to shake up their lives. The thing I most loved about this book was how much I related to the brutally honest way they described the darker sides of motherhood.