Welcome to The Reel Shelf, a new weekly feature here at Books in the Spotlight where I imagine what's on my favorite TV/Movie character's book shelves. If you have missed any of my previous Reel Shelf installments, you can find them all here. Today I'm spotlighting Peter Klaven and Sydney Fife from the movie I Love You, Man which demonstrates a successful bromance. A bromance is a a close but non-sexual relationship between two (or more) men, essentially close friends. 




  I loved the story of I Love You, Man. Peter Klaven's world revolves around his job as a realtor and his fiancée Zooey. After he pops the question, she calls her best friends and they go into wedding planning mode. Everything seems fine until the question of who is going to be Peter's best man pops up. Peter has no male friends and that poses problems: will he turn out to be a clingy guy, and who will be his best man? Zooey, her friends, and Peter's brother Robbie offer help that results in awkward moments. Then, at an open house Peter's hosting, he meets Sydney, an amiable, laid back kind of a guy. They trade business cards, and Peter calls him to meet for drinks. A friendship develops that's great at first but then threatens Peter's engagement and career. Can guys be friends and couples be in love?
  While there are several famous bromances both in life and in literature such as Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, I loved how this movie shows the beginning and trials of a relationship that is sweet, funny, and genuine. Not to mention that I adore Paul Rudd and think Jason Segel is hilarious. If you haven't seen this movie yet, I highly suggest it. FYI, it is rated R. The following books showcase that have great bromances that I think Peter and Sydney would enjoy. Once again, the website that I generally use to do this list is down so I'll try my best to post them here. If there's any book that you think should be listed, be sure to leave them in the comments!

Imagine your world shifting.... (Amazon)




Swim the Fly by Don Calame - Fifteen-year-old Matt Gratton and his two best friends, Coop and Sean, always set themselves a summertime goal. This year's? To see a real-live naked girl for the first time — quite a challenge, given that none of the guys has the nerve to even ask a girl out on a date. But catching a girl in the buff starts to look easy compared to Matt's other summertime aspiration: to swim the 100-yard butterfly (the hardest stroke known to God or man) as a way to impress Kelly West, the sizzling new star of the swim team. (Amazon) If you enjoyed this one, be sure to check out the companion novel Beat the Band!

Two Parties, One Tux, and a Very Short Film About the Grapes of Wrath by Steven Goldman-
Mitchell Wells may not survive eleventh grade. He really only has one friend, his best friend, David. His normally decent grade point average is in limbo due to a slightly violent, somewhat inappropriate claymation film. And girls . . . well, does hanging out with his sister count?
  When David tells Mitchell he’s gay, Mitchell’s okay with it—but it still seems to change things. Since David’s not out to anyone else, the guys agree to be set up with prom dates. Then, one of the most popular girls in school decides she must date Mitchell, and he’s gone from zero to two girlfriends in sixty seconds.
From his pending English grade, to his floundering friendship, to his love life—the one thing that’s taken a bizarre turn for the better—Mitchell is so confused, he’ll be lucky if he lasts another week in high school! And then there’s the prom . . .(Amazon)

 
An Abundance of Katherines by John Green  - When it comes to relationships, Colin Singleton’s type is girls named Katherine. And when it comes to girls named Katherine, Colin is always getting dumped. Nineteen times, to be exact. On a road trip miles from home, this anagram-happy, washed-up child prodigy has ten thousand dollars in his pocket, a bloodthirsty feral hog on his trail, and an overweight, Judge Judy-loving best friend riding shotgun but no Katherines. Colin is on a mission to prove The Theorem of Underlying Katherine Predictability, which he hopes will predict the future of any relationship, avenge Dumpees everywhere, and finally win him the girl. (Amazon)



 The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton - The struggle of three brothers to stay together after their parent's death and their quest for identity among the conflicting values of their adolescent society. (Amazon)

The Chosen by Chaim Potok - It is the now-classic story of two fathers and two sons and the pressures on all of them to pursue the religion they share in the way that is best suited to each. And as the boys grow into young men, they discover in the other a lost spiritual brother, and a link to an unexplored world that neither had ever considered before. In effect, they exchange places, and find the peace that neither will ever retreat from again. (Amazon)



Mexican Whiteboy by Matt de la Pena - Danny's Tall and skinny. Even though he’s not built, his arms are long enough to give his pitch a power so fierce any college scout would sign him on the spot. A 95 mph fastball, but the boy’s not even on a team. Every time he gets up on the mound he loses it. But at his private school, they don’t expect much else from him. Danny’s brown. Half-Mexican brown. And growing up in San Diego that close to the border means everyone else knows exactly who he is before he even opens his mouth. Before they find out he can’t speak Spanish, and before they realize his mom has blond hair and blue eyes, they’ve got him pegged. Danny’s convinced it’s his whiteness that sent his father back to Mexico. And that’s why he’s spending the summer with his dad’s family. Only, to find himself, he might just have to face the demons he refuses to see right in front of his face. (Amazon)

 Black and White by Paul Volponi -  Marcus and Eddie are best friends who found the strength to break through the racial barrier. Marcus is black; Eddie is white. Stars of their school basketball team, they are true leaders who look past the stereotypes and come out on top. They are inseparable, watching each other's backs, both on and off the basketball court. But one night--and one wrong decision--will change their lives forever. Will their mistake cost them their friendship . . . and their future? (Amazon)