Friend Me: Turning Faces Into Lasting Friendships

Drawing on an abundance of diverse personal experiences, Carter (10 Smart Things Women Can Do to Build a Better Life) addresses the importance of maintaining a strong circle of friends. Advocating depth beyond “mile wide and an inch deep” social media connections, she argues for “long haul” personal relationships with people who live life with you. Carter, a youth minister’s wife and speaker, advises how to cultivate new friendships and maintain healthy friendships; she devotes a chapter to when and why women should extricate themselves from irreparable, toxic friendships. She writes warmly and personally, outing herself and her friends as she recounts experiences that have strengthened and tested their bonds. She provides ample examples of how friendships have improved the quality of her life, enhanced her professional performance, and have functioned as a psychological safety net in her life. Carter peppers her personal anecdotes with Bible verses and religious context but avoids preaching until the final chapter. Since she is deeply involved in ministry, it is not surprising that in the end she urges what she believes is the ultimate friendship: the one with God. (Feb.)