This was a fantastic insight into the different kind of friendships, and the impact they have on our life as a whole. I loved the writing, the honesty and the historical references that helped bring it all together. There are so many memorable quotes that will truly stick with me forever, as they helped me to feel so seen.

I'll definitely be reading more from Elizabeth in future!

Elizabeth Day casts a forensic eye on a fascinating theme, particularly for women, that will resonate with readers, friendships often form important, if not the most important for some, relationships that at their best can provide the kind of invaluable support through the years, soul deep for some. Day opens herself up to give us anecdotes of her experience of friendship from childhood, her exhausting habit of sustaining friendships, valuing quantity over quality. She delves into the nature of friendships, what they mean to us, how they might evolve, and looks into the research on a topic we all have perspectives and experiences of. Not all friendships work out, and we need to consider and accept there will be times when friendships will be challenging, perhaps to the point where ending a relationship may be the only answer. What does being a good friend mean, what is the optimum number of friends, and reflecting on what kind of friend you make, are all issues among others that are considered. A thought provoking, honest, informative and engaging read that I am sure many readers will appreciate! Many thanks to the publisher.

While there is no shortage of books about romantic relationships, family relationships, and even working relationships there has been a severe shortage of books on the vital relationship that is friendship. That is, until now. This is a fascinating exploration of the incredibly diverse world of friendships. How they develop, how they break down, why they exist at all, why some exist for a time or a purpose, but should be celebrated even when they end. Not all friendships have to be forever.

There is a wide range of friendships described in this book, all with real-life examples from Day’s own life. And while I had expected it to be more of a book about the shallowness of social media ‘friendships’, it turned out to be the most perfect opposite side of that coin: a hymn of praise to the wonder of genuine, real life, face-to-face friendships.

A book to expand our thinking on what makes friendships such a vital part of our lives and wellbeing.

I find this a fascinating topic and could relate to a lot of what Elizabeth was saying, but ended up swapping to the audio book in the end as I wasn't finding myself drawn to picking it back up after a few of the stories. As a fan of Elizabeth's podcasts, the audiobook, which she read herself, was a really easy listen, like tuning into a long form podcast. However, as a book to read it felt a little long and repetitive and I struggled to keep focus!

"Friendaholic" was a long read for me, even though it shouldn't have been. The chapters are not too long, Day utilises interviews in her chapters, and there are even short interludes, submitted by other contributors, regarding their experiences with friendship.

On one hand, I'm very glad that relationships other than romantic ones are being put to the front more and more. On the other, I'm concerned about the ethics of this book and there's also the issue of privilege and self-indulgence.

Should the author write under a pen name, I think I would appreciate this book more. After all, these are Elizabeth Day's experiences with other people that she crossed paths in her life. There were individuals who played a profound role, but also those who had wronged the author in one way or another. I was baffled by the level of disregard for these people's experiences, considering Day is a public figure. These people, who--contrary to those the author still feels close to--were not given a platform to voice their experiences of being friends with someone who self-indetifies as dependent and at times besetting. Despite her tries, the author seems to lack self-awareness in the chapters she writes about friendships that ended.

On that note, I don't feel like much effort was given to this book, considering how many chapters are interviews with Day's friends. To me, it actually reads more like stylised vulnerability and inflated focus on self, rather than a book that might be useful to people who struggle with their friendships.

Very good book, great story. Loved how it broached the different types of friendship and how to deal with them in good and bad times. Love d the characters and how things grew throughout the book

An eloquent, funny, insightful and poignant read, which discusses the various kinds of friendship, how our needs evolve over time, and how to be a better friend to yourself.

Featuring analysis interspersed with anecdotes and interviews, it was lovely to read about the author's friendships, and her realisation that relationships can exist in different orbits and you don't have to try to be everything to everyone really resonated.

I really love this author and her podcasts but I really struggled to get into this book. While there are some funny stories and interesting anecdotes, overall I found it to be respective and it didn’t cover anything new.

I really enjoyed this and it made me look at my own relationships with my many friends and found I could relate to many of the issues involved in some friendships which you know deep down are not meant to be as you are sometimes left feeling drained by other people's dramas which is not good for you. A good read

This book is interesting and informative about friendships during your lifetime and how your friendship needs change as you get older.

Having read Day’s previous book How to Fail and having listened to her fantastic podcast, I was of course really looking forward to reading Friendaholic and I must say that I enjoyed every minute of it.

The book is a “disarmingly honest and perceptive investigation into the nature of friendship, prompted by the author’s lockdown reassessment for her need for a large group of companions.”

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How many books on friendship have you ever read? But most importantly, how many books of friendship are available our there? It’s funny how something as important hasn’t been deeply discussed in the media or in books. We have titles on love, grief, and forgiveness but what about friendship? Honestly, what about it?

I never thought about the importance of this topic before reading Friendaholic, but it’s interesting how my perspective has changed since reading the author’s journey. In this mighty book, Day unpacks the significance and evolution of friendship and why it matters so much.

An insight into the author’s experience of friendship, I believe this title should be on every person’s reading list. It is an honest account of the different types of friends we encounter in our lives: from best friends to frenemies and everything in between. Elizabeth shares her personal experiences (which were not very distant from my own), and she includes the most interesting scientific studies on friendship along the way.

I loved how relatable this title is and the writing is compelling, funny and inclusive. The author leaves no “stone untouched” and speaks about ghosting, breaking up with friends, social media, distant acquaintances and what it means to lose a dear friend.

The importance of friendship and friends is sometimes overlooked and we don’t realise how crucial they are for our wellbeing. I have had the opportunity to be friends with many people (I’m sure you have too): some are still in my life and some others left after a certain period of time. However, I do cherish the experiences I lived and how much I learnt from each and everyone of these friendships. Not all were good of course and when this happens, it’s good to know that it is okay to let go.

You grow, you evolve, you develop and you’ll find yourself surrounded by different people in each stage of your life. Some friends will become best friends, some you’ll only see every six months and some others will leave your side but each friendship will make its mark and that's what Elizabeth Day shows in her book: that all of them are meaningful in their own particular way.

Friendaholic is an open study of friendships throughout our lives and the reasons why some are sustained, whereas others are short lived. Elizabeth Day looks at her own friendships, of which there are many, and examines the different dynamics within them. Why do we gravitate towards some people and how has social media aided and harmed our relationships. She looks at ghosting and the reactions of her friends to her own highs and lows.
Everyone will be able to relate to this book as it is an interesting study of human nature and behaviour. It can be dipped into, but I enjoyed it so much it was finished within a few days.

This was a long involved book.
I liked the experiences of friendships dotted between the more analytical chapters.
Some of the Elizabeth's insights certainly struck a chord with my views of friendships, particularly letting go of a friend and the heartsearching that accompanies it.
Certainly a long but thought provoking read.
Thank you NetGalley and Elizabeth.

I wanted to really love this one, but I’m a bit on the fence.

I’ll start by saying the audio was really good and I think with her narrating it herself, it added another layer to the story. It was interesting to listen to and I felt like someone was chatting to me about it.

I am very unlike Elizabeth, in the respect that I literally could not care less about keeping friendships and people pleasing 😂 Due to this, some of the aspects I struggled with, purely because I couldn’t relate.

That said, there were lots of interesting points raised throughout and parts were really well researched. I really applaud her openness and honesty surrounding fertility and friendship. It was an eye opener and gave me a lot to take away from it and think about.

I enjoyed the discussions around friendships in your youth and the way things change along with your own needs/wants.

It’s an insightful read, and just because some of it wasn’t for me personally, doesn’t take away from that. I’d still recommend it.

Thank you for providing me with an advance review copy of this book. Enjoyed reading, would recommend....

Elizabeth Day’s non-fiction is usually another auto-buy for me, so I was really disappointed that I just didn’t gel with this look at friendship. While I thought some of the chapters were exceptionally well done (the sections that look at ghosting, miscarriage, and grief are absolutely beautiful and I recommend them), I really struggled with constant reminders that friendships you make in your 20s are supposedly not deep or fulfilling. I’ll take the pieces that were useful for me from Friendaholic, but ultimately it’s tone is just too preachy and patronising to ever be a favourite for me.

A fascinating insight into how we each define friendship, and how that allows some 'friends' a degree of power there really shouldn't be in any pure relationship.. As a paean to friendship, it's rather beautifully done, and the author's growing self-awareness allows us to be a little introspective too, an occasionally very healthy thing. In many ways, absorbing the message of this novel is very freeing: at last, permission is given to understand that friendship looks differently to different people, you don't have to remain friends with everybody you have ever befriended, and not all friendships are healthy, so walking away is absolutely what we should do. A VERY hard subject to tackle in a readable form and I read it cover to cover (with much messaging to my bestie throughout) looking at the various friendships in my life with eyes wide open.

Friendaholic by Elizabeth Day explores the role that friendships play in our lives and how certain dynamics work in forming these relationships.

This was enjoyable and well researched though I began to lose interest in the topic as it went on. Elizabeth is an excellent writer, she makes the reader feel like a friend - which is perfect for this book!

A personal account of Elizabeth’s friends and the lessons she has learned along the way about herself and friendships. An easy read but I do prefer her fiction.