This was very informative and I enjoyed learning more about this. I would probably read this one again

I love Elizabeth Day and all of her work and this was no exception. Wisdom spilled across the pages and I frequently refer back to it when I have friendship issues. Highly recommend.

Friendaholic is an interesting read, covering all kinds of friendships. It’s partly autobiographical and the writer really gets you hooked on the stories.

I’m not usually a non fiction reader but the writing is so good and the content is fascinating.

Thanks to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for th chance to read and review the book.

A very different book to my usual crime, thrillers and rom com. I enjoyed the book and its views on what is friendship. Well written and informative.

Oh gosh, I love Elizabeth Day and I wish she was my friend…

Exploring the good, the bad and the beautiful complexities of friendship, Day shares her experiences and lesson-learned as a self-confessed friendaholic.

Witty, honest and inciteful, I couldn’t put this down. I recognised myself a lot in the pages, as one of those humans who navigated childhood and adolescence with a desperate need to be liked by all, even by those who deep down I knew were a bit of a tool. Thank the lord for age and (some) wisdom.

It addresses the power of friendship, how many friends is too many friends, and how and when to end of friendship. Loved it.

"Friendaholic" by Elizabeth Day offers a thoughtful exploration of friendship, but falls short of its full potential. While Day's writing is engaging and her characters relatable, the plot occasionally lacks momentum, leaving some moments feeling flat. Despite this, Day's insights into the complexities of human connection and the challenges of maintaining friendships over time shine through. Overall, "Friendaholic" is a decent read that offers moments of insight, but may not fully satisfy all readers.

Thought provoking novel about friendships, moving, emotional and very relatable. I wish I hadn't left this one in my TBR pile for so long.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I hold a deep admiration for Elizabeth Day as both a writer and content creator, so my perspective may be somewhat biased. In "Friendaholic," Day returns to the essence of her work, reminiscent of 'How to Fail,' as she delves into the intricacies of the human condition through the lens of friendship.

In her candid exploration, Day reveals her identification as a friendship addict—a trait I don't share. Nevertheless, it proved fascinating to witness the diverse ways individuals navigate their needs and desires within the realm of friendships. True to her style, Day's writing is both forthright and succinct as she dissects the language surrounding friendships, the enriching aspects they bring to our lives, and the complexities of friendship's end, whether by choice or circumstance.

Reading "Friendaholic" felt cathartic and emotionally resonant, particularly in its illumination of friendship expectations and the challenges of severing ties that no longer serve us. The examination of the language and expectations of friendship, and the inevitable misalignments, was thought-provoking. However, the most poignant moments were found in the passages addressing the loss of a friend to death—a heart-wrenching experience that Day captures with palpable grief. The portrayal of losing a friend who feels like a different kind of soul mate evokes a profound sense of loss, making that chapter especially moving and memorable.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and I would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if it were in a bookshop. Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

I ended up listening to Friendaholic as an audio book instead of as a physical book and felt so many connections to what the author was saying. I have since bought copies for friends and will absolutely recommend to others over the coming years.

I’m enjoyed this meander through the author’s experience with friendships. A lot of it resonated with me, particularly the messaging that friendships are a choice and don’t need to be seen as forever, something that I always just accepted. Friends are friends and that’s it. Until you fall out. Even then you mostly make up. I had already ended a long-term friendship by the time I requested this book so parts of it were quite raw. But I am reassured that I’m not the only person who has struggled with friendships that no longer work. I think the author‘s friend Emma hit the nail on the head for me - friends can have different interests and lifestyles but they need to have shared values, or at least overlap in their values.

I found this book slightly odd, and rather thrown-together. It certainly made me feel grateful for my normal friends, and our uncomplicated relationships. I'm happy just to be friends with people I enjoy spending time with, who make me feel better for being with them. I don't really need to be too analytical, and I certainly don't see the need for a friendship contract, nor a friendship counsellor!

Interestingly, I thought this was going to be a novel when I requested it (having previously read Magpie by Elizabeth Day), so once I'd shifted my mind over to non-fiction, I sat down and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Friendaholic is a look at the importance of friendship and how it can change through your life. Lots of this book was so relatable and it really made me think. I found myself (perhaps obviously) talking about it with my friends and thinking about how their different friendships fit into my life.

I've never read a book on this topic before, so it was a refreshing read in that sense!

Having only ever engaged with Elizabeth Day from a listener perspective, I was immediately hooked with her on the page. Her writing style is relaxed and insightful, and it truly feels like a good catch up with a close (albeit, INCREDIBLY intelligent) friend. I thought the initial section about friendships during lockdown was perceptive and deeply moving, and a lot of this book managed to capture things myself and my girlfriends are often chatting about. It's changed the lens through which I view my friendships and I look forward to reading more astute analysis from Day in the future,

I found Friendaholic a thought-provoking, vibrant and interesting read.
I’ve definitely had some introspection on my own friendships and journey through friendships and I’ve come more to peace with some friendships that have ended because of Day’s writing.
It’s helped me to rationalise and reflect on my own experiences while reading about Day’s.
Friendship, particularly from a woman's perspective, is a fascinating relationship dynamic. I, like others in Day’s friendship tapes, think friendships for women are different for men and are so important. Life is about much more than romantic relationships.
My friendships circle has evolved and gotten smaller as I’ve gotten older.
I think at certain points of my life I was a friendaholic and I definitely know some other friendaholics!
However, now at mid-thirty my friendship circle is small but perfectly formed. I have friends who I only see once a year but when we catch up over dinner (no white wine Wednesdays for me) it’s comfortable and we can be real with one another. We may send the odd Facebook message throughout the year but we’re not in each other’s digital pockets and that works for us.
Like Day, I've been through a journey as I get older on how I value or measure friendship.
I do have a strong Whatsapp group chat which like Day says is the magic number three and it works well for us. I see my two best friends not as often as we’d like but we know we are always here for each other but we’re busy with work and family life.
Like Day, I've been through a journey as I get older on how I value or measure friendship.
With thanks to NetGalley and for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love Elizabeth Day and have read her books before and really enjoy her podcast.

Sadly this book wasn't for me. It just felt a bit naive and I could not relate to her experiences at all.

It was very well written and I enjoyed the sections where she interviewed people.

Thank you for the advanced reader copy.

I really enjoyed this. Biographies and memoirs are my usual genre but I was really pleasantly suprised. A great read

Very interesting read. I didn’t realise it was a self-help book until I started reading it but it was brilliantly written and informative.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I would read a microwave manual written by Elizabeth Day, so while this isn't ordinarily the kind of book I'd pick up in a shop, I enjoyed dipping in and out of it, knowing I was in the hands of a quality writer.

Day writes movingly about her struggles with fertility (and her 'heart-shaped' womb) and here, among other things, she explores the impact of not becoming a mother, deciding whether to keep or cull her 'mum friends' and having to dodge the emotional brickbats and sense of loss on all sides, whether it's saying goodbye to the prospect of a child or the adult friends who are far away. Unlike Day, I don't want a baby but I can relate to everything she writes on the topic. I DON'T always relate to women who write about childlessness/child-free-ness, but that's Day's gift for you.

I also loved her account of her friendship with Clemency Burton-Hill, an incredible music writer who experienced an AWM brain haemorrhage and seems to have the will of a lion. Fair play to them both, strong women!

I found this book very readable and I raced through it on a long train journey. Day is clear she's writing about her personal experience, but I like that she broadened this with references to research and contributions from other people. It's been an interesting starting point for reflecting on my friendships, and talking about the book has led to some valuable conversations with friends. Definitely a book I'd recommend to others who are interested in thinking about what friendship means to them and how they navigatate their friendships!

I read this book a few months ago and have been letting it settle within me for a while before reviewing.
I really enjoyed reading it and what the time since has shown me is that the book changed me. I began to look at my own friendships in a different light. I did identify with the authors tendency to 'collect' friends rather than choosing them but I don't think this is something that everyone does. You need a certain level of insecurity to follow this path and I sympathise with it. However, I wondered how other more 'balanced' people would respond to the book so I have talked about it with several friends. Surprise! Almost everyone could relate to at least some parts of the book.

I still think about the themes. I respected the authors candour and honesty. And courage! I'm not sure I would dare to write about all my past and current friendships in this way but, I think it showed that she had changed herself through the process of writing.

If I met her I might be a little nervous of what, one day, she would write about me!

I recommend this book to anyone who is curious about or frustrated and confused by their friendships.

I will probably read it again.