As we explained a couple of weeks ago when we announced our summer Read With Us book selection, we’re going to try something . . . a little different this summer. We’ve chosen a book that has been recently made into a movie. So this summer, we’re asking you to . . . Read with Us. Watch with us. And then talk about it with us.

The book is The Friend by Sigrid Nunez. It was published in 2018, and it won the National Book Award that same year. I read the book when it first came out, and I still remember it clearly all these years later! At the time (back in 2018), here’s what I said about the book in my review on Goodreads . . .

Despite being a dog-lover, I avoid reading books about dogs (I am, indeed, one of those readers who anxiously wonders: “Does something bad happen to the dog?”), but I felt compelled to give this one a try. I was so pleasantly surprised! The Friend is so much more than a story about a woman and a dog (although there is that, too). It is a beautifully written story of grief and friendship and love . . . and writing and teaching and reading . . . with plenty of philosophical musings on old dogs, too.

I loved the writing style – the “snippets” of (seemingly-but-not-quite) random thoughts interspersed with narrative stories and a bit of philosophy. The writing has a certain appealing snap to it – which I love. 

Perhaps it is the timing of my reading this novel that made it so special for me. After all, I’m still grieving the death of my mother (while not suicide, her stroke still robbed me of all opportunity for closure) AND I have a much beloved – but elderly – Labrador Retriever.

So much to love in such a small package.

I’ve also watched the movie, which stars Naomi Watts and Bill Murray — and an absolutely charming Great Dane. There’s a lot more to the movie, story-wise — the main characters have names, for example, which they don’t have in the book, and there are some new characters and storylines added in the movie. But it all works. I think the movie . . . softens . . . the book a little bit.

I think it will make for a really interesting discussion!

The Friend is currently available on Amazon in paperback ($10.99), Kindle ($9.99) or Audible versions (1 credit). You can also check your local bookstores for a copy — and, of course, the book should also be available at most libraries and on the Libby app.

Our book discussion day for The Friend is Tuesday, September 16, 2025. Bonny, Carole, and I will each post discussion questions on our blogs that day, and then – later in the evening (7:00 pm Eastern time zone) – we’ll be hosting a live book discussion/meet-up on Zoom. If you’d like to join the Zoom (and we’d really love it if you do) please let me know in the comments or send me an email with your confirmation (there’s a link in sidebar or on the Read With Us page).

I’ve just updated the  Read With Us page . . . to include all kinds of information about our selection, The Friend. You’ll be able to find synopses, information about the author, links to reviews and interviews, a character list – and information about the movie, including the trailer.

C’mon along!
Read – and Watch – With Us!