Exploring ‘The Blogchatter Book of Friendship’: An Honest Review

Beyond the Usual Romance Tropes

We have all read countless love stories and even categorized them into predictable tropes. But we hardly come across stories that have friendship at their core; friendship almost always comes as a side story arc. The last book I read that truly focused on friends was ‘The Wonder of Us’ a couple of years ago. You might wonder why I am harping on about friendship in stories today. Well, ‘The Blogchatter Book of Friendship’ is the reason for it. The Blogchatter community has published an anthology where friendship is at the very center. If you still haven’t read this one, you are missing out on some wonderful stories. I am not saying this just because some of the authors are my fellow community members and friends; you know reviews here are always honest.

18 Stories, 18 Shades of Friendship

Sometimes life keeps you busy, and you can’t finish a book in a couple of days even if you want to. That was the case for me this time. Yet, every story kept prompting me to read the next. Reading an anthology itself is a very refreshing experience because every story is written in a unique style. This collection features 18 stories about friendship, and each one puts bond and connection in a different light. There’s humor, heartwarming tenderness, grief, and even supernatural elements. There are natural friendships alongside chosen ones, with characters ranging from young kids to older folks—and even a few ghosts.

Words of Wisdom on Friendship

You will also find nuggets of wisdom spread across the pages. They feel essential when the topic is friendship, offering the kind of insight a good friend gives when you are looking for guidance. I can’t help but share a couple of my favorites here:

“You begin at sam, and you end with sam. The cycle of life. The cycle of death. The chakkar – end of one chakkar is the beginning of the next. As long as you don’t lose sight of your focus, the chakkars can go on forever.”

— Sam: Where it begins and where it ends by Natasha Ramrathnam

“Friendship is not always about who stays. Sometimes, it is about who remains. Who carries. Who chooses to stay, even when what connects them is loss.”

— The tide that stayed by Felicia Nazareth

A Masterclass in Curation

The opening story itself is a banger! The editing team did a great job lining up these stories, starting and finishing on a strong note. That in no way means only the first and last stories are the best; every single story in the book deserves to be there. So, if you haven’t already read it, I don’t know what you’re waiting for.

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This review is powered by Blogchatter Book Review Program.

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