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.

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 found this really interesting. It was well written and quite a few bits struck a chord with me. I enjoyed the frequent pauses to add evidence or thoughts from experts elsewhere too. This isn’t my usual genre but I think it’s written in a really accessible way so it doesn’t feel like you’re picking up a hefty tome at bedtime.

Adored this book.

I read it in the lovely voice of the author as I’m a fan of her podcast.

It is relatable and endlessly enjoyable.

I love Elizabeth’s fiction work and her previous pice of non fiction ‘ how to fail ‘ was something I loved too so I had high hopes this wouldn’t let me down , and it didn’t .

It’s semi autobiographical which always gets me reading ( maybe I’m just nosey !) but is mixed in with real life case studies and covers all elements of friendship . From the impact of social media and huge world events ( Covid) to things like ghosting and toxic friendships. It definitely gets you to think about your own friends and how they benefit ( or drain) your life , also makes you think about how you can be a better friend .

It did become a bit repetitive towards the end but that could be because I felt it was a little too long . I wouldn’t say it offers anything different to what you may have read before but I love her writing and honesty and will devour anything she writes ….

This is very different from my usual diet of crime thrillers and rom coms- I was interested to see what Elizabeth Day's take was on friendships across the passage of time.
I enjoyed her writing style and personal stories; she's realised that she has over-relied on friendships in the past and used them to prop herself up, rather than acting as an equal partner. There was a lot in the book to think about and reflect on in my own life, and some of the insights were certainly more challenging than others.
This would be a great book to read in a trusted group of friends (if it wasnt too much over-sharing) or to return to again and again to see where things are at.
4/5 stars

Why has this book not been written before? Friendships are critical to so many of us and yet they’re so often the poor relation compared to romance. Thank goodness Elizabeth Day is rectifying this with a fantastic book about the wonders - and enormous diversity - of true friendship.

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.

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.