I cherish my girlfriends - they are by me through travel, kids, life's ups and downs - and I am by them, too. So it was with great pleasure that I read a new book that celebrates friendship, entitled You're the Best. Written by the Satellite Sisters, who have a radio show/podcast and a zillion listeners and fans, this book is a gem. If you're looking for a gift for your besties, THIS IS IT. 

You're the Best is a collection of short essays. Some are funny (ok, most are funny - it's the Satellite Sisters!), some are poignant, but ALL of them are important, relateable, and a joyful read. The book covers friendships (of course), but also family, careers, relationships, birthdays, and more. We excerpted a chapter - Packing List for a Girls Weekend - read it and you'll see why I love the Satellite Sisters, and why I think this book is an important read - for yourself, and for the women in your life.

Perhaps my favorite part was the paragraph on finding a friend in the lap lane. But you will dig into this book and have a different favorite part. Maybe it is the funny dialogue chats at the end of most chapters, or the Birthday Parties (which cracked me up). Never fear - you'll all find something to love and share in this book. It's important. Highly recommended.

We were lucky enough to catch up with Julie Dolan, one of the Satellite sisters, and ask about the book. Here's what she had to say...

Please tell us about your new book, You're the Best...
You're the Best is a thank you note to our female friends, our Satellite Sisters, the women we call when the best thing in our lives happens or the worst. It's a collection of essays and writings about how we rely on our friends to get us up, get us going, get us through and, most importantly, make us laugh. Written with humor and empathy and incorporating voices 15 to 60, the Satellite Sisters and the Next Gen of the Sisterhood share about how friendships influence choices, relationships, careers, adventures, and inevitable changes.

What was your inspiration for You're the Best?
We recently lost both of our parents. While caring for our parents, it was our friends who stepped up and brought dinner, drove carpool, filled in at meetings, and offered a shoulder when we needed to cry. We really wanted to thank the special friends in our lives who had helped up through a very difficult time.  

In this interconnected world, I loved that you focus on the importance of friendship in real life. What are your tips for busy women to make time and space for this?
I'm all for a multi-platform approach. You should call, FB, tweet, Instagram, email, and blog.  However,  nothing replaces face-to-face conversation.  Women use conversation to navigate the major moments in their lives. A new job, new baby, aging parents, a diagnosis or divorce...you name it, women want to discuss these moments with their friends.  You have to carve out time to be together. It will be difficult to schedule a dinner, a walk, or a cup of coffee together but it is incredibly rewarding.  

One of the things that is hard, with friendships, is how far apart we can be, geographically. What can far-flung friends do to connect regularly?
My far-flung friends and I gather at least once a year for a women's weekend.  I would recommend it for all. 

Celebrating friendship is important! I loved how you mixed funny in with serious, in the book. How does your podcast tie into the book?
The Satellite Sisters – Julie, Liz, Sheila, Monica, and Lian Dolan – produce a  twice weekly free podcast focused on the headlines of the day and career and family life anecdotes. The spirit of the show Is about friendship. The Sisters and their listeners know that nothing is more powerful than a sense of connection and the notion that going through life with other people is the better way to go.

What's up next for you?
We are continuing to make public appearances around the country. It's been very meaningful to meet women and men who have been listening to our podcasts for years. They're fans but they seem more like real friends.   

Is there anything else you'd like to share?
The book makes an ideal hostess gift or a lovely way to say thank you to a friend.   

Learn more:
http://www.satellitesisters.com/satellite-sisters-books/