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By Kaitlin Scherzinger
Sharing books with friends is great, but there’s nothing that beats reading them at the same time so you can share in each little squeal-worthy moment.
So for your next tandem read, we’ve gathered some books that you’ll love to read with your bestie. Now that school’s out and you finally have time to read for fun again, these will be perfect summer reads to share with your friends.
My bestie and I love high fantasy, murder-y magic, and Graceling.
Allow me to introduce you to Susan Dennard’s Truthwitch, the first in a series about best friends (and witches) Safiya and Iseult. Though she tries to hide her gift for detecting lies, Safiya can’t escape her future as a political pawn in the tense relationship between the empires of the Witchlands. Safiya and Iseult team up with a Windwitch prince to escape an emperor and a Bloodwitch, and magical sea-faring adventures ensue. If you want to read a trilogy about badass best friends, the Witchlands series is for you.
My bestie and I love elaborate magic, grand legends, and Leigh Bardugo.
Sounds like you might be interested in a princess who uses dark magic to control her own destiny. Look no further. Roar, by Cora Carmack, is the story of the princess Aurora who must be able to use magic by the time she becomes queen. But when her gifts never appear, her mother arranges a marriage with the enigmatic neighboring prince. Aurora takes matters into her own hands: a quest to steal the magic she needs on her own. Roar is widely lauded for its incredible worldbuilding – the perfect book for besties who loved Six of Crows or Red Queen.
My bestie and I love extraordinary world building, found families, and feeling emotional.
If you love fantasy, Brandon Sanderson is a must-read. Mistborn is the first of many novels in the Mistborn series. After one thousand years under the rule of an invincible dictator, prisoner Kel discovers that he is a Mistborn and possesses a rare intersection of magical powers. With the goal to take down the Lord Ruler, he recruits a powerful criminal team for the greatest heist in history. But what he really needs to succeed is the powerful orphan Vin. This is another perfect book for Six of Crows fans.
My bestie and I love pirate escapades, Article 5, and Shipbreaker.
You and your bestie are going to love Kristen Simmons’ Pacifica. Following pirate royalty Marin, political darling Ross, and Ross’ missing best friend Adam, this novel features deep and complex relationships between characters. With relevant political themes involving racial and class tension, Pacifica is a great novel for besties who are fans of dystopia and political activism.
My bestie and I love overcoming evil stepmothers, saving high schools from demons, and books where the girl saves the boy.
Seriously Wicked was written for you! Tina Connolly’s contemporary YA features a magical girl whose adopted mother is literally a wicked witch. When Mom tries to summon a demon and ends up cursing Cam’s high school, Cam has to learn how to use her magic for good in order to save her friends. And in this book, a friend group can be a witch mom, a pet dragon, a possessed love interest, zombified classmates, and a wicked pair of striped socks.
