The writer’s thoughts and observations of friendship, and what it means to her. All relationships grow and develop, with some falling by the wayside, and close friendships are no different.

This is a very personal book for the author but read like a dissertation to me. Overly long and at times repetitive. I did finish, but with some skimming. Not for me I’m afraid.

With apologies to the author, not one I could recommend.

Thank you NetGalley.

Not the first book I have read by Elizabeth day and they always make me think and reflect about my own life.
Your social circle differs for different parts of your life but they each have an impact on you.
A fascinating look at Elizabeth's friendship circles and why she made the choices she did. A positive and powerful look at why let certain people influence us and our responses to them.
It made me realise my friendship choices are right for me and I don't need a massive circle of friends to validate me

I love Elizabeth Day as both a writer and content creator so perhaps my view is a little biased. In Friendaholic, I feel she gets back to her roots from 'How to Fail' and really taps into the human condition of friendship, via her experiential lens.

Here she confesses to be a friendship addict - something I am ruthlessly not - but it was interesting to see how others go about their needs and desires in a friend relationship. As always, she is candid and concise in an exploration of language around friendships, what that platonic relationship brings to our lives and the end of friendship - whether it is our choice or not.

The read was cathartic and emotively connective, particularly in defining friendship expectations and how difficult it is to sever one that is not serving you. It was also interesting to consider the language ad expectations of friendship and how they don't always align. But the most moving of all was the passages on losing a friend to death and the terrible loss that brings, especially when they feel like a different kind of soul mate. The grief in that chapter was palpable,

For me, this was a real page turner and I read the whole book in one day. There's just something about Day's writing that I love, especially when it makes me want to call up all my friends and make those meaningful relationships count. I'd say that's a job well done from this read!

Friendaholic is just the tonic after enforced isolation with a pandemic. Elizabeth Day writes so well that she feels like an old friend. She gets beneath your skin (in a good way) and you kept help reading each chapter and saying aloud, yes Elizabeth I know as if you’re both sitting having a chat. But she also quantifies her thoughts with facts and statistics (from evidenced based research of course) and this really adds to her credibility and investment in the topic. Friendship through the ages (peoples ages & through history) are examined as well as the different religious & cultural contexts.
Really enjoyable read and I dare say but Friendaholic is a bit addictive.

I was expecting a lighter book than this. This is a non fiction book about the author's friendships throughout her life.. It feels at times self indulgent but it also offers insight into how and why friendships work and I found myself agreeing with her thoughts regularly. The book was repetitive at times, may be a little too and I sometimes got the impression I was wading through some one's thesis for a social science qualification . My attention wandered regularly, but I did see it out until the end and I was pleased that I had finished it.
Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

I’m a big fan of Elizabeth Day’s writing, both fiction and non-fiction, and this kind, wise, interesting treatise on friendship and the place it holds in our life draws generously from her own experience. I enjoyed the interviews with a cross section of real people on the role friendship has played for them and the stories of her own struggles that Elizabeth shared. An easy read but one I will be thinking about for some time to come. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

How to fail by Elizabeth Day was a stand-out read when it came out and I love the podcast series that goes along with it.

I was then really keen to read something new from her and the observations on the topic of friendship.

However I actually DNF this book, I didn’t find it relatable and struggled to relate to the chapters. I don’t have the same friendships or think about mine in those ways. Just not for me but sure others will find some takeaways from it.

Friendaholic is not my usual genre but Elizabeth Day has a very easy, enjoyable writing style and I learnt a thing or two about myself along the way even though I myself am more of a loner than someone who has or needs a large friendship group.

This is a thought provoking book. Elizabeth Day shares thoughts about friendship in ways I hadn't considered before and it has made me think about my friendships over the years. Day's style is authentic, honest and at times vulnerable. But I finished thinking how lucky I am with my friends and to have permission that occasional former friends were great at a specific time in my life, but we have now both moved on.
I highly recommend this book and thank you for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

Not quite what I was expecting. Not sure if it was a different author but I’m glad I stumbled on this. I totally relate to it! I think I am this woman and the impact of covid has had relatable consequences for people like me. It was informative and sensitive and just a really good read.

This biographical book contains a highly original and fascinating insight into friendships - something you don’t consciously think about under normal circumstances - but it does make you sit back and think about your own friendships. Despite only a few of my friendships being comparable in nature, I found the whole book to be relatable, interesting and compelling to read. The book is packed with amusing observations and anecdotes, along with what I would guess might be uncomfortable revelations for some of her fringe and former friends.

Because of the nature of content and the very structured format of the chapters, this book is easy to pick up and put down - it is also extremely well written - Elizabeth Day is an excellent wordsmith and I would love to read a work of fiction by her.

Thanks to NetGallery and 4th Estate and William Collins for allowing me to get a copy of the book - it was a VERY enjoyable read and one I highly recommended when it is out on April 19th 2023.

First book I have read by Elizabeth Day and to be honest struggled to connect with the book. However I'm pleased I persevered as this book became very thought provoking and made me reflect on current and past friendships.

Elizabeth speaks through various friendships and situations from her childhood to adulthood. Having a couple of key friends who are able to give her incite and reassurance regarding friendships which have ended or slowed down.

With the examples given of different types and relationships of friendships you can begin to link personal experience to what has been written. This ignites the personal reflection and what makes the book very enlightening.

A book recommended for those who maybe having trouble assessing their friendships or what they want from friendships in life.

This is my own opinion and review from being given a copy free by netgalley.

What makes a ‘best friend’? According to a study quoted by the author, the label is defined as involving ‘a high degree of attachment, intimate exchange and support’ - and the researchers found that people with best friends ‘tended to have lower social anxiety, an increased sense of self-worth and fewer symptoms of depression… The label of ‘best friend’ did not have to be mutual to both parties and nor did participants have to name the same person at different stages. Crucially, it seemed to be quality not quantity that had the most impact’.
This is a very personal and relatable account of cultivating and maintaining friendships throughout challenging times and phases of life - not always a smooth process, which will resonate with many readers, as with myself.

I'm really sorry but this book was not for me. Perhaps because I'm an independent woman who is a bit of a loner. After 10% read I gave up. A bit to boring and probably touchy feely for me.

Friendaholic, by Elizabeth Day
Rating: 5/5
Published: 30th March 2023
I was invited to review this book from the wonderful people at Fourth Estate, and I am so grateful. I am a firm believer that books find you when you need them, and this is an incredible example of that. This book takes on the complicated framework of friendships, and how they are formed, cultivated and cherished. I have never encountered a book like it. Day rightly emphasizes the interesting lack of literature concerning these types of relationships, and she provides an in-depth exploration of her own experiences and those of others too. She also references a range of sources, both ancient (Cicero, Aristotle, etc) to more modern (C.S.Lewis, Glennon Doyle etc) when discussing them. Friendships can be both toxic and wonderful. We are supposed to feel safe with our friends, and know that they respect our boundaries, share our values (or lovingly understand the differences) and make us feel good, renewed and refreshed. She talks about how people outgrow friendships, and how emotionally ambivalent friendships can be disastrous. It really made me stop and consider my own friendships, and how lucky I am to feel so supported and loved. This book made me appreciate them even more.

I am not a friendaholic, but it was interesting to read about this side of a person who is a friendaholic. I feel like I learned a lot from it.

Friendaholic by Elizabeth Day is a mix of self-help and nonfiction books as Elizabeth tells stories from her personal life when discussing different types of friendships.

It is a very relatable book for me, as friendships are very important to me since I was very young as I didn't have an amazing upbringing. I saw myself in most of the stories shared (except when talking about pregnancies, fertility and stuff). It is very personal. Totally recommended.

This is certainly a very different book to my usual choices as it focuses solely on friendships. Good or bad, long or short, the scenarios and challenges we we have in our daily interactions with our friends. I am lucky to have a few solid people who I adore but can relate to the author in so many themes in this book. The friend that you may need to de-friend is interesting and insightful….and very true!
Overall, it’s a book you can dip in and out of as it a a bit overwhelming as one straight read. Well written though. Would recommend

This is a beautiful and very entertaining read containing both personal anecdotes by Elizabeth Day on her experiences of friends and friendship across her life but also interviews with some of those friends and other people with such interesting perspectives on friendship. Covering childhood friendships, ghosting, friendship group dynamics, making new friends, and when close friends die, this book is warm, sincere and wise.
I found myself relating the topics covered with my own experiences of different friendships and it makes you appreciate the positives in each experience even when the lessons were hard at the time.

This is a different book. Not a novel but neither completely non-fiction. A type of self help book with stories about friendship. If you especially enjoy friendships or have issues keeping friends, then in either case this might be one for you but just make sure you read it knowing that this is one person’s perspective and don’t take it too seriously.