Sure, we may have BFFs. Some of us may have BFs. But do you have a BBF?

BBF: Best Book Friend.

Snazzy, huh? I thought I was being clever when I came up with it, although I’m sure lots of others have thought of it too…

What’s a BBF?

Call ’em book soulmates, book buddies, book mates… a BBF is the person who totally *gets* you when it comes to books. The person who recommends a book to you that ends up being your can’t-live-without, favorite book ever. Someone who loves your favorite genres… and gets snobby about the same stuff too! The person who knows better than to ever suggest certain books — you know, the books you’d rather stick hot pokers in your eyes than read. The person who, when you hand them a book and say “read this!”, just takes it and reads it because if you loved it, he/she will love it too.

That special someone who loves books every bit as much as you do, loves to talk about books, and gets all fluttery and fan-girly about just the same stuff that you do!

For me, I’d say I have real-life BBFs and online BBFs… and I love ’em all!

First, there’s my real-life friend who loves most of the same books as I do, rolls her eyes — affectionately — at me when I go off on a random tangent yet again about Outlander, and doesn’t mind too much when I roll my eyes at her book-obsession-ravings. I’m crazier about certain time-travel books *ahem* than she is, and she almost never reads YA. She loves horror, the weirder the better, and is a big fan of short stories — all of which I tolerate, but don’t really go for. Still, our tastes are about 90% in sync, plus we fangirl out over the same TV shows and other geeky loves, and I can always count on her for company at a book signing or the library’s big book sale (especially if I’m providing the ride home).

Then there are my online friends. There are at least two people I know only via an online book group, who have yet to steer me wrong. One recommends simply awesome historical fiction, and always has smart, on-target comments and insights about whatever we’re reading. The other is a well-read librarian who loves all sorts of wonderful genres, and in particular has introduced me to some of my very favorite graphic novels. Basically, whenever either of these two super-smart women praises a book on Goodreads, I automatically click “want to read”… and then hurry to get my hands on a copy.

Finally, last but not least, are the book bloggers who feel like totally sympatico BBFs. (I love all of y’all, by the way! xoxo) There are plenty of book blogs that I enjoy, and I’m finding more every day. There are some blogs I love to read because the writing is sharp, funny, snarky, or just totally out-there in a way that appeals to my own quirkiness — even if we don’t tend to have them same taste in books. But in the BBF column, there are a handful of bloggers who just pick out the most amazing assortment of books consistently, either loving the books I already love to pieces, or recommending books that sound right up my alley, even if I’ve never heard of the title or the author before — and those are my go-to people whose posts I always read (and who I blame for the sorry state of my TBR piles).

As one of my favorite sayings sums it up:

Who are your BBFs? And have you told them recently how much you appreciate them?

To all my BBFs out there: Wishing you stacks of good books and plenty of hours in which to read them! With hugs and chocolate, a good reading lamp and a cozy chair, and a super-cute bookmark or two…