02 - A Book That Features a Platonic Friendship Between a Man and Woman > Likes and Comments
I found a few that I've read and liked:The Final Revival of Opal & Nev
The Housekeeper and the Professor
Hanging Mary
The Storyteller
Jennifer W wrote: "I found a few that I've read and liked:The Final Revival of Opal & Nev
The Housekeeper and the Professor
Hanging Mary
The Storyteller"
The Housekeeper and the Professor is one of my favorite books. I just love this author,
LeahS wrote: "Any of Richard Osman's Murder Club books would work here."The Thursday Murder Club is on my TBR! Thank you!
Any of the Harry Potter books, with Harry and Hermione’s friendship
One that comes to mind is Bury Your Gays. Main character is a married gay man who has a good female friend who plays a major role.
In Skyward and Starsight by Brandon Sanderson, Spensa and Rig are best friends since childhood. YA science fiction.
I've been meaning to read The Shape of Water. While the central relationship doesn't qualify, the one between the female protagonist and her older gay friend does, and is important to the plot.
I am old and these are old books - both are also, in the form of a long-distance correspondence over time so fit the book in Letters prompt.84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff - a reader and a bookseller
By This Wing by Celia Thaxter - the island in Maine gardener to a Boston ornithologist.
Ruth wrote: "One that comes to mind is Bury Your Gays. Main character is a married gay man who has a good female friend who plays a major role."LOVED that book!
I'd love to find one where they're both straight. It bugs me that m/f friendships are almost always portrayed as "they were secretly lusting for each other all along."
In the Ivy Rose series by Gemma Jackson, Ivy has several male friends, including a Garda officer and a monk.
I have a recommendation for a really good book that meets this criteria: Grief Is for People. It IS a case where it's a straight woman and a gay man, but it's a really interesting look at their friendship. He was her boss/mentor in publishing, it's non-fiction. I agree with Laura Ruth and would also like to find a book where it's 2 straight characters. I really hate the whole "straight men and women are never just friends and can go years without actually realizing they're in love somehow" trope.
Laura Ruth wrote: "I'd love to find one where they're both straight. It bugs me that m/f friendships are almost always portrayed as "they were secretly lusting for each other all along.""Or one of them is the token queer character. Both of which are super annoying. Men and women can be friends.
The Lioness has one m/f friendship that I remember, bonus points it's interracial in a time when that was taboo.Falling has multiple.
Witch King the core relationship has no romantic undertones at all.
The Personal Librarian
Romance novels seem to be the genre that has the least in my experience. They are annoyingly delineated, like a regency dinner party.
Laura Ruth wrote: "I'd love to find one where they're both straight. It bugs me that m/f friendships are almost always portrayed as "they were secretly lusting for each other all along.""All 4 I listed are straight. In Housekeeper and Storyteller there are large age differences. Opal and Nev are the same age, but never develop attraction for each other. Hanging Mary has several women who are friends with John Wilkes Booth without pining for him.
Tania wrote: "Absolutely phenomenal book:Life, Loss, and Puffins by Catherine Ryan Hyde"
Sounds wonderful! Plus Gabriel is non-binary so could also be used for that prompt.
I read Sweet Bean Paste for the "unlikely friendship" prompt this year, and it would work for this. There are probably more on the Listopia for that prompt that would work, too.
Lilith wrote: "Jennifer W wrote: "I found a few that I've read and liked:The Final Revival of Opal & Nev
The Housekeeper and the Professor
Hanging Mary
[book:The S..."
Thank you both, looks like this is on my TBR so going on the list! Also fits the under 260 pages category.
Another fantasy option is The Serpent Called Mercy by Roanne Lau which I've read for this year's snake in title or cover prompt.
I just finished I'll Scream Later, a memoir by Marlee Matlin. Her years-long relationship with her interpreter, Jack, would definitely fit this prompt.
Just realized The Woman in White would work. The friendship between Walter and Marian (sister of his beloved) is essential to the story.
I have had Izzy and Eve: An Erotic Thriller on my living room book shelves for years, and I haven't read it. My library holds come in, and due dates take priority. So maybe 2026 is the year I sit down and read this.Oh, Izzy and Eve are not "erotic" with each other. They are long-time friends, and have their own erotic lives lol.
I'm also thinking aboutThe Betel Nut Tree Mystery as the MC is good friends with the Chief Inspector. I really enjoyed The Frangipani Tree Mystery, and I have high hopes for the rest of the series.
Lilith wrote: "Jennifer W wrote: "I found a few that I've read and liked:The Final Revival of Opal & Nev
The Housekeeper and the Professor
The Housekeeper and the Professor is one of my favorite books. I just love this author"
Same, Lilith!!
Sasha wrote: "I've been meaning to read The Shape of Water. While the central relationship doesn't qualify, the one between the female protagonist and her older gay friend does, and is important ..."One of my favorite books and you're so right about that relationship being very important!
I try to complete this challenge with books I own but have not read yet. Would Sunrise on the Reaping accomplish this challenge?
Alexis wrote: "I try to complete this challenge with books I own but have not read yet. Would Sunrise on the Reaping accomplish this challenge?"Most of the book is about the games, so most of the characters are boys and girls and not men and women.
I just read Saving Francesca and The Piper's Son. The former is about a girl who transfers from an all-girl school to a mostly male high school where she ends up befriending some of the boys there. The latter follows the same friend group five years later but focuses on a male character and his platonic friendships with the girls from the group.
Can anyone recommend me some nonfiction for this prompt?
Ron wrote: "Can anyone recommend me some nonfiction for this prompt?"Not sure if it's in your wheelhouse, but you might check out Lab Girl
last year I borrowed Friendaholic, I don't remember the author's name only that she is english... and she talks about lots of friendships, including a few with men that were completely platonic. she also talks about her infertility issues so it also fits that prompt.
I read the The Last Garden in England for the Garden prompt, but it also features a platonic relationship between one of the main characters and her male best friend. There is absolutely zero romantic interest on either side and they frequently refer to each other as best friends. It's not a huge factor in the book's plot, but is a definitely part of the plot and serves as an element of the main's character.
Ron wrote: "Can anyone recommend me some nonfiction for this prompt?"The Woman Who Split the Atom: The Life of Lise Meitner She worked closely with several men, but wasn't romantically involved with them and never married anyone.
I'm hoping The Storm will work. I just put it on hold at the library, but it'll be a bit before I get it. It involves the owner of an inn (F), an author who comes to town (M) and brings along the most notorious person in town's history (F). So unless we're in for some weird love triangle thing... I'm assuming there will be a platonic friendship in there!
Jennifer W wrote: "I'm hoping The Storm will work. I just put it on hold at the library, but it'll be a bit before I get it. It involves the owner of an inn (F), an author who comes to town (M) and b..."I just finished The Storm a few days ago and without giving too much away, it doesn't really fit this prompt. I will say the author in the story has curly hair, so you could use it for that.
I tried to read Vespertine but I didn't like it. It's too obvious and mostly tell with little show. However I did also want to read Lab Girl so I'll try that for this :)
Many a detective story has m/f detective partners, totally platonic. Like british? Elizabeth George has many to choose from. I used one of the Rivers of London series - Whispers Underground which has Peter and Leslie as friends and detective partners, totally platonic. Books featuring mentor relationships between M/F should also work. If you steer clear of the romance genre of course.
I read The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper by Phaedra Patrick for this prompt. The friendship that develops between Arthur and Bernadette fits here. I meant to read this book for last year's Road Trip prompt, which it would fulfill perfectly, but I ended up using a different book. I'm glad I was able to fulfill this prompt with it.
Heat Wave features a longstanding friendship between editor Claire and second-hand bookseller, James. They were actually lovers for a very brief period, but at the time the book is set, they have had a platonic friendship for many years. This was a beautifully written book, which I very much enjoyed.
I just finished The Definitions, and it works for this. It's a dystopian novella about people who have lost their memories and most of their understanding of language following a pandemic. They are being re-educated in a treatment centre. The main character is a woman (it's implied that she may have an intersex condition, but she uses she/her pronouns throughout), and her most lasting connection is a friendship with a male patient who believes there is more going on in the centre than meets the eye. Because of their condition, they often act more like teenagers than adults, but it's clearly stated that they are in fact adults and that there are no children in the centre.
Sasha wrote: "I just finished The Definitions, and it works for this. It's a dystopian novella about people who have lost their memories and most of their understanding of language following a p..."That sounds right up my alley! But, I happened to be reading an interstitial book in James S.A. Corey's, The Captive's War (#1.5) series, Livesuit, and it turned out to be perfect for this prompt! It's a big part of the poignant ending to the novella.
I just finished Remarkably Bright Creatures and thought it could work because of Cameron and Elizabeth. But is it not prominent enough?
In the sci-fi arena, The Last Contract of Isako was great, comes out in May, and has a fairly prominent platonic relationship between a man and a woman. Two, really, but one is more prominent than the other.
The first thing that popped into my head was The Guncle. I can't wait to see what everyone else suggests!!
Listopia list is Here: A book that features a platonic friendship between a man and woman