21 Quotes About Friendship From Books

It's not always easy to put into words what your friends mean to you. Thankfully, there are plenty of quotes about friendship from books that articulate everything you want to say to your BFF, but have never been able to properly express. Even if you don't know the right thing to say, your favorite authors sure do.

From classic young adult novels about the bonds of sisterhood to beloved stories from childhood, there's a wealth of books that capture the special nature of friendship — the ups, the downs, and everything in between. Our best friends are the people we turn to for advice and empathy, the ones we call whether we need an adventure or just a night in. They're our shoulders to cry on, our sounding boards to bounce ideas off of, and our biggest champions. No one understands these things better than the besties from books.

Whether you're feeling sappy and want to be reminded of how special the relationships you have are, or you're just looking for an inscription for your BFF's birthday card, here are 21 perfect quotes about friendship that will give you the warm and fuzzies.

1 “His friendship alone has strengthened me in a way that no one else’s ever has. He swept me from my room and showed me independence. In other words, he was exactly what I needed. I won’t forget it. And I certainly don’t want to lose it.”

― Stephanie Perkins, Anna and the French Kiss

2. “You are my best friend as well as my lover, and I do not know which side of you I enjoy the most. I treasure each side, just as I have treasured our life together.”

― Nicholas Sparks, The Notebook

3. “When you feel someone else's pain and joy as powerfully as if it were your own, then you know you really loved them.”

― Ann Brashares, Girls In Pants: The Third Summer of the Sisterhood

4. "Why did you do all this for me?" he asked. "I don't deserve it. I've never done anything for you.""You have been my friend," replied Charlotte. "That in itself is a tremendous thing."

― E.B. White, Charlotte's Web

5. “I have your back. I didn’t mean only when it’s easy. All the time.”

— Veronica Roth, Divergent

6. “We cannot tell the precise moment when friendship is formed. As in filling a vessel drop by drop, there is at last a drop which makes it run over; so in a series of kindnesses there is at last one which makes the heart run over.”

― Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451

7. “A snowball in the face is surely the perfect beginning to a lasting friendship.”

― Markus Zusak, The Book Thief

8. “It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends.”

― J.K Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

9. “Friendship- my definition- is built on two things. Respect and trust. Both elements have to be there. And it has to be mutual. You can have respect for someone, but if you don't have trust, the friendship will crumble.”

― Stieg Larsson, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

10. “I am glad you are here with me. Here at the end of all things, Sam.”

― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King

11. “I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you, and that's why.”

― John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men

12. “There is nothing like puking with somebody to make you into old friends.”

― Sylvia Plath, The Bell Jar

13. “True friends are always together in spirit. "

― L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

14. “A friend may be waiting behind a stranger's face.”

― Maya Angelou, Letter to My Daughter

15. “It’s not enough to be friendly. You have to be a friend.”

― R.J. Palacio, Wonder

16. “Friendship is everything. Friendship is more than talent. It is more than the government. It is almost the equal of family."

― Mario Puzo, The Godfather

17. “'Two a.m.' He swallowed, then said, 'You know. The person you can call at two a.m. and, no matter what, you can count on them. Even if they're asleep or it's cold or you need to be bailed out of jail ... they'll come for you. It's like, the highest level of friendship.'”

― Sarah Dessen, What Happened to Goodbye

18. “She is a friend of my mind. She gather me, man. The pieces I am, she gather them and give them back to me in all the right order.”

― Toni Morrison, Beloved

19. “There is nothing I would not do for those who are really my friends. I have no notion of loving people by halves, it is not my nature.”

― Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey

20 "You have some queer friends, Dorothy," she said."The queerness doesn't matter, so long as they're friends," was the answer."

― L. Frank Baum, The Road to Oz

21. “What if all everybody needed in the world was to be sure of one friend? What if you were the one, and you refused to say those simple words?”

― Richard Russo, Empire Falls

Images: Ian Schneider (2), Rob Bye, Tord Sollie, Alice Donovan Rouse, Tyler Mullins, Marta Esteban Fernando, Brooke Cagle, Greg Raines, /Unsplash