Appliance Angina

Two Friday nights ago, I came home and went to sleep. In the middle of the night Sam nudges me and says, “Keith! What is that?!” I hear this ungodly growly/grumbling/gurgling sound. I hop out of bed and slowly made my way to the door. Once I opened the door, I could hear other noises accompanying the ones we heard from the bedroom.

It was then that I could tell that our refrigerator was breathing its last breaths. It was making some noises that I had never heard before. Saturday morning, it was running fine, however, we realized that we needed to go get a new one.

I measured the old one. I obtained the cubic feet and had every thing I thought we would need and decided to shop for one over the weekend.

It was then that Sam told me that it was about time to get a new stove/oven. The temperature of the oven, never matched what we set it at. This made baking especially difficult. We decided that we would get one of those too.

Sam also pointed out that it was also time to get a dishwasher and that sometimes, they had deals when you bundled them all together. We added one of those to the list, too.

You got all that so far? Refrigerator, stove, and dishwasher. Go ahead and give yourself a rough estimate of the costs in your head. Cha-CHING! Thank God for the Labor Day sales!

We ran some numbers and shopped around and figured out the best deals. Lowes had a nice deal on a stove and dishwasher, so we ordered them from there. For the fridge, we opted for Menards. All of them were stainless steel and all the same brand, so all was good, right? Hold tight, dear reader, the fiasco is just about to begin!

The dishwasher and stove were to be delivered first. We received the call the day before giving us the window of when they were coming. It was going to be just after I left for work, so Sam was waiting for them. I hadn’t been to work more than 10 minutes when I got her call.

“Where the hell is my stove!?”

I asked her what she was talking about and she said that they had only delivered the dishwasher. I called Lowes and gave them the order number. They told me that the order stated that we “carried the stove out of the store.” I told them that they could check their videos, because the only thing we left with were some Halloween decorations!

I asked them why I would only have one appliance delivered and not both! They made some calls and told me that they would deliver the stove two days later. I told them I appreciated them sorting things out, and hoped that everything was set.

The next day the refrigerator was to be delivered. I was driving to work when they called to tell me that they would be at the house shortly. I explained that the kit for the waterline was in the kitchen for them to hook it up. The guy told me that they didn’t do that. I informed him that the people at Menards said that we needed to have the kit or they wouldn’t hook it up. The guy told me that they were not allowed to hook it up for insurance reasons. I was furious! I told him ok and I called Sam and told her to expect them.

Shortly afterward, Sam called to say that they were taking the fridge back to the store. When I asked why, they told her it wouldn’t fit through the door. They were not allowed to unbox it on the porch. They were not allowed to leave it on the porch. They were also not allowed to take the fridge doors off to get it through the door. You can only imagine how angry I was.

I called Menards and got someone on the phone who told me that “everyone is sue happy” and that was the reason they cannot do those things. I told them to refund the money to my card and I’d be back to find a smaller fridge. It was after that they they told me that since they were technically at the house, the delivery fee was not refundable!

Back to the stove. The day it was supposed to be delivered they called to say that they had to delay it another day. This may or may not have been the day that there was trouble with the delivery truck. Things are all starting to run together. At any rate, they next day, they called to tell us that they had sold the stove and we’d have to wait again.

I went off on the gal at the store. She told me that she would have the manager call us back. He finally did and once again arranged for a delivery. That delivery didn’t happen either. Once again, we called and it was finally supposed to be delivered today. We waited for the pre-delivery call last night. It never came.

Sam called first thing this morning and they told her it was not coming. She asked to speak to a manager and they said one would call us back. I answered the phone and this guy got an earful. How many times are you going to tell me you are coming? How many days did we rearrange our lives, work schedules, babysitters, etc only to have it not show? He assures me that it will be delivered tomorrow and refunded us 15% of the price. In my opinion, it was not enough, but hopefully the stove will be here tomorrow.

Back to the fridge.

We happened to have last night together and we went up to Menards. I had the measurements that we needed to get a fridge that will fit through the door. I felt bad for the gal who was helping us, because I told her how ridiculous it was that they couldn’t unbox it and get it in the house. I explained about the delivery charge and told her that whoever I had talked to said that sometimes a general manager could waive a fee – he didn’t. So now, I had to get a fridge that was not on sale, so it cost us more, and we will have to pay to have this one delivered, too! It is also supposed to be delivered tomorrow.

I truly hope that both of these appliances arrive tomorrow and that there are no issues getting them into my house! I am not sure they are going to want to hear from me if something else goes wrong!!!

Turntable Talk #18 – The Man (or Woman) Behind the Curtain

It is time once again for another edition of Turntable Talk. This is a feature created by my friend Dave Ruch from the A Sound Day Blog. This is my 18th submission for this feature and it is something I look forward to writing each month.

This time around, Dave took us to the Land of Oz for inspiration. His instructions:

 “Pay No Attention to That Man (Or Woman) Behind The Curtain” . Yep the famous phrase about the Wizard of Oz. 

We’ve looked at a number of great artists – singers, groups, musicians – and their records. This time we’re switching it up just a little and are going to salute someone “behind the scenes” that was significant to music. All too often people do pay no attention to the people behind the curtain in music that are so important to the albums and groups we love. There are record producers, the record company bosses and talent scouts, the people on radio who used to make the hits happen, even unsung heroes like concert roadies. Pick one you feel is important and maybe a little un-noticed and tell us why!

As a former radio guy, I immediately thought I should write about a well known DJ. There are many of them who played a big part in the music industry. Dick Clark, Casey Kasem, Wolfman Jack and Alan Freed come to mind. However, I decided that I would feature a man who played on some of the biggest hits on the radio, yet until recently was relatively unknown.

40 years ago, James Jamerson passed away at the young age of 47. At the time he passed away, no one really knew who he was, despite being one of the best (if not THE best) bass player of all time! As a matter of fact, he often tops the list of Best Bass Players of all time by numerous publications. It has been said that he single-handedly revolutionized bass playing. I agree. His creative contributions to music certainly makes him a good pick for a “man behind the curtain.”

James Jamerson was born on January 29, 1936 in Charleston, SC. When his parents divorced, his mother moved to Detroit to find work. He would spend time with his aunt, grandmother and cousin. His aunt sung at church while his grandmother and cousin played piano. He spent time listening to gospel, Jazz, and blues music and that influenced his own musical abilities.

In 1954, his mother sent for him and he attended Northwestern High School. In the music room of the high school, he saw a stand up bass lying on the floor. He picked it up and began to play with it. He had “found” his instrument. He began to play at many of the Detroit area blues and jazz clubs.

He began to get noticed and he began playing for dances, weddings, frat parties, and other events. He was quite a local celebrity. It was hard to miss him driving through town with his bass sticking out the window of his car! Because he was still a minor, the good folks at the Detroit Police Dept. gave him a permit so that he could play in clubs that served alcohol. This allowed him to get more work.

Believe it or not, Wayne State University offered him a full ride music scholarship which he turned down! He was playing so often, he figured he was already in the music field, so why would he need to go to college? Instead, after he graduated high school, he joined up with Washboard Willie and the Super Suds of Rhythm (How’s that for a group name?!). It was during this time that he began to drink alcohol (which would eventually lead to his death).

In 1958, someone from the Northern Records label heard him play and asked him to sit in on the session recordings for the label. The unique way he played caught the ear of other labels. He began to work for Fortune, Tri-Phi, Anna Records, and eventually Motown.

He and the Funk Brothers (pianist Earl Van Dyke, drummer Benny Benjamin, and guitarists Robert White and Joe Messina) spent the days recording in the “Snake Pit” (the Basement of Motown Records) and playing at Jazz clubs in the evenings. Jamerson had switched from an upright bass to a brand new creation – the electric Fender Precision Bass.

The switch really made his work stand out. On some songs, he’d play the stand up bass and then double it with the electric. What made his work on the electric so awesome is that he played the electric just like he played the stand up bass – with one finger (which many folks called “the claw”).

While he is known for playing on many of the Motown songs, he also played on Boom Boom by John Lee Hooker, Whispers Getting Louder and Higher and Higher by Jackie Wilson, Agent Double-O-Soul by Edwin Starr, Cool Jerk by the Capitols, Show and Tell by Al Wilson, Boogie Fever by the Sylvers, and so many other hits! What made the Motown stuff so good was he had some free reign to be “James Jamerson.”

Musician magazine interviewed him in 1983 and he stated that the Motown songwriting and productions teams “would give me the chord sheet, but they couldn’t write for me. When they did, it didn’t sound right. When they gave me that chord sheet, I’d look at it, but then start doing what I thought would fit. I’d hear the melody line from the lyrics and build the bass line around that.”

One of the coolest examples of how he listened and did his thing was on two separate recordings of the same song. To help illustrate this, I found some isolated bass lines on YouTube that are fascinating! Jamerson played on Marvin Gaye’s I Heard It Through the Grapevine – a Motown classic! Check out the soulful line here:

Now check out the same song – and a funkier bass line – on the Gladys Knight Version:

I find it amazing that the same man can take the same song and make them so different.

Speaking of Marvin Gaye, the Funk Brothers shared a story about how Marvin wanted Jamerson to play on What’s Going On. James was out drinking and Marvin went out looking for him. When he found him, he brought him back to the studio. Jamerson was so drunk that he couldn’t even stand up! It was no problem for him, though, he just laid on his back on the floor and played on the track!

Trivia Bit: What’s Going On is the first track that Jamerson is credited on a recording.

It is said that James Jamerson played on almost every Motown song between 1963 and 1968. That would include over 60 songs that hit #15 or better on the charts. He also performed on 23 # 1 songs on the pop charts and 56 #1 songs on the R&B charts! Berry Gordy called him an “incredible improvisor” and said “I, like the other producers, would not do a session unless at least two of the Funk Brothers were present, namely Benny Benjamin and James Jamerson.”

Some of the other Motown songs that feature Jamerson:

  • Ain’t No Mountain High Enough – Diana Ross and the Supremes
  • Ain’t That Peculiar – Marvin Gaye
  • Ain’t to Proud to Beg – The Temptations
  • Baby, I Need Your Loving – The Four Tops
  • Baby Love – The Supremes
  • Bernadette _ The Four Tops
  • Can I Get a Witness – Marvin Gaye
  • Dancing in the Streets – Martha and the Vandellas
  • Don’t Mess With Bill – The Marvelettes
  • Going to a Go Go – Smokey Robinson and the Miracles
  • Home Cooking – Jr. Walker and the All Stars
  • It Takes Two – Marvin Gaye and Tammy Terrell
  • My Cherie Amour – Stevie Wonder
  • My Girl – The Temptations
  • Pride and Joy – Marvin Gaye
  • Reach Out, I’ll Be There – The Four Tops
  • Shotgun – Jr. Walker and the All Stars
  • This Old Heart of Mine – The Isley Brothers
  • Two Lovers – Mary Wells
  • What Becomes of the Broken Hearted – Jimmy Ruffin

You can also hear him on :

  • The Theme from S.W.A.T. – Rhythm Heritage
  • The Theme from Starsky and Hutch
  • Just Like Romeo and Juliet – The Reflections
  • Rock the Boat – Hues Corporation

The list of people who were influenced by Jamerson’s playing is almost as long as the list of songs he played on! Saxophone and bass player Wilton Felder called him “The Godfather of the electric bass.”

Suzi Quatro says, “I grew up in Detroit, so I was weaned on James Jamerson and Motown music. It’s in my DNA. He is still the best and I took my style from him. It’s hard to improve on what he did, because you are talking perfection.”

Sir Paul McCartney says, “Jamerson was where I picked up a lot of my bass style. Because bass players normally have to follow: we follow chords, follow the drummer, follow the vocalist, we have a following role. Suddenly the bass had power! We could dictate the direction of the music and add excitement. James Jamerson became just my hero, really.”

James Jamerson Jr. says, “As for his sense of syncopation, that was his God-given gift. I couldn’t even explain that one. I put it like this: My dad liked to dance, so he just danced on the bass. He would occasionally polish his bass, but he’d never touch the gunk that built up on that fingerboard. he told me the ‘dirt keeps the funk’.”

Years of drinking finally caught up with Jamerson. On August 2, 1983, he died of complications from cirrhosis of the liver, heart failure and pneumonia.

He was buried in Detroit’s Woodlawn Cemetery. A few years ago, Jamerson’s cousin saw a picture of his grave site. There was no headstone, only a grass marker. Eventually, the funds were raised and a proper headstone was set in place on August 27, 2021.

In 1989, Jamerson was the subject of a book loaded with great stuff – Standing in the Shadows of Motown. I think you can still get this on Amazon. A documentary of the same name was produced in 2002

He was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000, received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004, and inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame in 2007. Last month, in South Carolina, he was honored when a street was named for him.

It is a shame that it took so long for Jamerson and the Funk Brothers to get the recognition that they deserve.

As I prepared for this piece I found myself on YouTube listening to track after track of Motown stuff and listening with different ears. I focused on that bass line and really was blown away. These are songs I have heard countless times, yet focusing on that bass made them so fresh! As I said, the isolated tracks are an entirely different thing – it is so awesome to hear Jamerson “feel” and “drive” the tunes. It is no wonder that he is ranked the #1 bass player in the business by so many different sources, including Rolling Stone magazine.

Thanks again to Dave for allowing me to be a part of such a cool feature. I have already been impressed by the other blogger’s submissions. I am sure that they love taking part in this feature as much as I do.

Thanks for reading! Stay funky!

Book Recommendation: My Grandmother Asked Me To Tell You She’s Sorry

“Having a grandmother is like having an army. This is a grandchild’s ultimate privilege: knowing that someone is on your side, always, whatever the details. Even when you are wrong. Especially then, in fact. A grandmother is both a sword and a shield.” – Fredrik Backman

After reading Backman’s Anxious People, many people who were already familiar with his books began to chime in with other suggestions for me. A Man Called Ove is certainly on my list, but as I began to search for other books by him, this title really struck me. Once I read the synopsis, I knew that this was my next read.

From Goodreads:

Elsa is seven years old and different. Her grandmother is seventy-seven years old and crazy—as in standing-on-the-balcony-firing-paintball-guns-at-strangers crazy. She is also Elsa’s best, and only, friend. At night Elsa takes refuge in her grandmother’s stories, in the Land-of-Almost-Awake and the Kingdom of Miamas, where everybody is different and nobody needs to be normal.

When Elsa’s grandmother dies and leaves behind a series of letters apologizing to people she has wronged, Elsa’s greatest adventure begins. Her grandmother’s instructions lead her to an apartment building full of drunks, monsters, attack dogs, and old crones but also to the truth about fairy tales and kingdoms and a grandmother like no other.

My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry is told with the same comic accuracy and beating heart as Fredrik Backman’s bestselling debut novel, A Man Called Ove. It is a story about life and death and one of the most important human rights: the right to be different.

There were so many things about this book that I enjoyed. First, there was the special relationship between Elsa and her grandma. The adventures that they went on, the things that her Granny said, and the genuine love they had for each other brought so many chuckles and smiles.

Next, I loved that Granny shared “fairy tales” and “stories” with Elsa. The imagination factor was so prominent. The special places that they talked about, the various “creatures” that they both encountered and talked about, and how all of those things all tied into real life made the story deep and satisfying.

The fact that Elsa is different stood out to me as well. Gosh, do I remember that feeling, especially when I had moved to a new school with new people. I remember feeling so out of place. No doubt, countless children feel this same way in school, even among people that they have known for a long time.

The characters in the book all have distinct personalities. You get to know them all very well right from the start. As the story progresses and Elsa begins her journey with grandma’s letters, we learn more about each character and their backstories. It is then that the reader begins to see the similarities between the “make believe” and the “real” worlds.

Much like in his book, Anxious People, there were times that I would read something and it would hit me like a ton of bricks. For example:

“People in the real world always say, when something terrible happens, that the sadness and loss and aching pain of the heart will “lessen as time passes,” but it isn’t true. Sorrow and loss are constant, but if we all had to go through our whole lives carrying them the whole time, we wouldn’t be able to stand it. The sadness would paralyze us. So in the end we just pack it into bags and find somewhere to leave it.”

or

“Death’s greatest power is not that it can make people die, but that it can make people want to stop living.”

or

“A funeral can go on for weeks, because few events in life are a better opportunity to tell stories. Admittedly on the first day it’s mainly stories about sorrow and loss, but gradually as the days and nights pass, they transform into the sorts of stories that you can’t tell without bursting out laughing. They laugh until no one can forget that this is what we leave behind when we go: the laughs.”

While there are plenty of poignant moments in the book, there are also plenty of moments that made me laugh. This seems to be what Backman does best – make you FEEL something. I say that because (as I have said in the past) when you make someone feel something (any emotion) than you have entertained them. THAT is the ultimate goal. Fredrik Backman does this VERY well.

I listened to the audiobook and loved it. Whether you read it or listen to it, I think you will enjoy it.

The Garden of Daily Living

I found this in a monthly Biblical publication I get called “The Berean Searchlight. I thought this was a really neat piece and worth sharing.

How To Plant a Garden of Daily Living

For the garden of your daily living, plant three rows of peas:

Peace of mind
Peace of heart
Peace of soul

Plant three rows of squash:

Squash gossip
Squash indifference
Squash selfishness

Plant four rows of lettuce:

Lettuce be faithful
Lettuce be kind
Lettuce be patient
Lettuce really love one another

No garden should be without turnips:

Turnip for meetings
Turnip for service
Turnip to help one another

To complete our garden, we must have thyme:

Thyme for each other
Thyme for family
Thyme for friends

Water freely with patience and cultivate with love.

Author Unknown

Celebrating Jimmy Reed

The fantastic blues singer Jimmy Reed was born today in 1925. He was born Mathis James Reed in Mississippi where he learned to play guitar and harmonica. He moved to Chicago in 1943 and was drafted into the Navy. After he was discharged a couple years later, he went back to Mississippi where he married his girlfriend and the moved to Indiana.

By the 1950’s he was a fairly well known musician and was signed to Vee-Jay Records, where he recorded many of his hits. Those hits influenced many artists including Elvis, The Rolling Stones, The Yardbirds, Bob Dylan and more. All of them have recorded covers of Jimmy’s songs.

My dad introduced me to Jimmy when I was working at my first radio job. He asked me to make him a cassette of some songs if they were in the station’s library. A couple of those songs were from Jimmy. He told me stories of how he and my Uncle Tom loved listening to Jimmy Reed and the they even played a couple of those at my high school graduation party.

To me, Jimmy is a blues pioneer. When people talk about the blues, Jimmy’s name comes up. He was posthumously inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991. His music may not be for everyone, but I really dig it. It will always make me think of my dad and my uncle.

Here are some of my favorites in honor of his birthday!

One of the songs on my dad’s list was “Baby What You Want Me To Do.” Elvis did this at a few of his concerts. I love the groove of this one …

Another one that Elvis covered was Jimmy’s “Big Boss Man”

The guitar lick from Jimmy’s “Shame, Shame, Shame” seems like one that I always heard my dad playing when he was warming up …

Another favorite is “Bright Lights, Big City”

The Stones covered this great one – “Ain’t That Lovin’ You Baby”

The Blues Brothers covered Jimmy on one of their albums, doing a cool version of “I Ain’t Got You”

Jimmy died of respiratory failure just 8 days before his 51st birthday on August 29, 1976. He was inducted posthumously to the Blues Hall of Fame in 1980. He was certainly a “Boss Man of the Blues”

Happy Birthday, Jimmy!

Mischievous Message

The other day I was at work. My wife had texted me something while I was working with a patient. When I came back to the tech room and saw it I responded. “Sorry, I just now saw this. Was with a patient.”

The text that followed threw me …

We call Andrew “Bubby.” and I joked that maybe he had gotten ahold of the phone. I truly didn’t think it was him, because Sam has a lock code on her phone.

When the second text came through, I was a bit freaked out. Was my wife ok? Was she having a stroke? The worry started to hit me. Suddenly, she responded – with a picture of him.

She explained to me what happened and I chuckled. Her post from social media:

Walk into the bedroom to check on Andrew who was sleeping. And this is what I walk into… with him on my phone.

Take my phone away from him, his response….

“Hey! Me text daddy!”

I’m sorry to anyone who gets random texts from my kid. He knows how to unlock my phone :-(

This kid is brilliant. How he knew her passcode is beyond me!

Oh, and I am sure she probably had to delete about 274 pictures of his forehead afterward. He always winds up taking many selfies!

Like Father – Like Son

This phrase is so true for me. It is true is a couple ways actually.

You can find many blogs I have written about the similarities between my father and I. He is my biggest influence in music, books, movies, and TV shows. When someone tells me that I am just like my dad, I take that as a compliment.

I remember my dad introducing me to Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin’s music. The Sinatra channel on Sirius XM is my go to music channel. My children were familiar with it because I always had it on in the car.

When my oldest son, Dante’ got his first job, he was working at an Italian restaurant. When I dropped in to see him one night, he pointed out a picture on the wall. I am almost 100% sure it was this one:

He liked talking about Frank. When he started hanging out with this girl he liked, he told me his was singing Sinatra songs to her. I wish I would remember which ones. Anyway, the other night he texted me something and we chatted back and forth. He asked me what I was doing and I told him I was reading a good book….

I just thought he would think it was cool. His response made me smile:

“I have that same book!”

I couldn’t believe it. He’d actually bought it at the store!

“You make me proud, son. I love that you dig Frank,” I told him.

Like father like son!

I told him that he needed to compile his top 10 Frank songs and I would do the same. Then we need to compare our lists! He loved the idea. Hopefully, we’ll go over those lists soon, when our work schedules allow us to get together.

Book Recommendation – Killers of Certain Age

I was pleasantly surprised while reading this book. Admittedly, I was drawn in by the title. I looked it up on Goodreads and after reading about it, decided to give it a shot. Here was their synopisis:

Older women often feel invisible, but sometimes that’s their secret weapon.

They’ve spent their lives as the deadliest assassins in a clandestine international organization, but now that they’re sixty years old, four women friends can’t just retire – it’s kill or be killed in this action-packed thriller.

Billie, Mary Alice, Helen, and Natalie have worked for the Museum, an elite network of assassins, for forty years. Now their talents are considered old-school and no one appreciates what they have to offer in an age that relies more on technology than people skills.

When the foursome is sent on an all-expenses paid vacation to mark their retirement, they are targeted by one of their own. Only the Board, the top-level members of the Museum, can order the termination of field agents, and the women realize they’ve been marked for death.

Now to get out alive they have to turn against their own organization, relying on experience and each other to get the job done, knowing that working together is the secret to their survival. They’re about to teach the Board what it really means to be a woman–and a killer–of a certain age.

The reviews I read were mixed. Some loved it – others were disappointed. I enjoyed it. One reviewer called it “The Golden Girls Meet James Bond.” I thought that was a good description, although James was more of a spy on a mission as opposed to assassins on a mission. At the same time, there were quite a few characters that made me wonder, “Should they really trust that guy?”

It all came together nicely and I would totally read about these four ladies again. Perhaps there is another story for them in the future …

Such a Cool Moment

The Detroit Tigers aren’t having the best year, but it has been neat to see all the wonderful tributes to Miguel Cabrera from teams in both leagues as he plays his final year. It was great to see just how much other players and fans like him.

This week the Astros were in town. The Astro’s beat the pants off the Tigers 17-4. Now if you can get past that (which is hard for this Tiger fan), there was one very cool moment that has all of baseball talking.

Picture it –

Former and current Detroit Tigers (Justin Verlander and Miguel Cabrera)

Both of them great in their own right. Both of them probably First Ballot Hall of Famers.

This would be the last day they would ever face each other in a regular season. Without saying a word, both “tipped” their caps to each other in great respect and friendship.

What an awesome moment to witness!

Say what you want – I’m going to miss Miggy.

Book Recommendation: Anxious People

Before I begin, I need to thank Beth (www.ididnthavemyglasseson.com) for recommending this book. She read it awhile back and I added it to my “Want to Read/To Be Read” list. I’m only sorry it took so long to get to it. It was fantastic.

This book has me laughing out loud from the second paragraph!

“This story is about a lot of things, but mostly about idiots. So it needs saying from the outset that it’s always very easy to declare that other people are idiots, but only if you forget how idiotically difficult being human is.“

It had everything – humor, warmth, sadness, and heart. By far, one of the best books I’ve read this year. I loved every page.

Here is the Goodreads synopsis:

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Man Called Ove and “writer of astonishing depth” (The Washington Times) comes a poignant comedy about a crime that never took place, a would-be bank robber who disappears into thin air, and eight extremely anxious strangers who find they have more in common than they ever imagined.

Viewing an apartment normally doesn’t turn into a life-or-death situation, but this particular open house becomes just that when a failed bank robber bursts in and takes everyone in the apartment hostage. As the pressure mounts, the eight strangers begin slowly opening up to one another and reveal long-hidden truths.

First is Zara, a wealthy bank director who has been too busy to care about anyone else until tragedy changed her life. Now, she’s obsessed with visiting open houses to see how ordinary people live—and, perhaps, to set an old wrong to right. Then there’s Roger and Anna-Lena, an Ikea-addicted retired couple who are on a never-ending hunt for fixer-uppers to hide the fact that they don’t know how to fix their own failing marriage. Julia and Ro are a young lesbian couple and soon-to-be parents who are nervous about their chances for a successful life together since they can’t agree on anything. And there’s Estelle, an eighty-year-old woman who has lived long enough to be unimpressed by a masked bank robber waving a gun in her face. And despite the story she tells them all, Estelle hasn’t really come to the apartment to view it for her daughter, and her husband really isn’t outside parking the car.

As police surround the premises and television channels broadcast the hostage situation live, the tension mounts and even deeper secrets are slowly revealed. Before long, the robber must decide which is the more terrifying prospect: going out to face the police, or staying in the apartment with this group of impossible people.

Rich with Fredrik Backman’s “pitch-perfect dialogue and an unparalleled understanding of human nature” (Shelf Awareness), Anxious People’s whimsical plot serves up unforgettable insights into the human condition and a gentle reminder to be compassionate to all the anxious people we encounter every day.

I found this book to be an absolute joy to read. I found myself jotting down little quotes here and there as I read. These quotes were things that I just found to be so honest and true.

“We have all of this in common, yet most of us remain strangers, we never know what we do to each other, how your life is affected by mine. Perhaps we hurried past each other in a crowd today, and neither of us noticed, and the fibers of your coat brushed against mine for a single moment and then we were gone. I don’t know who you are. But when you get home this evening, when this day is over and the night takes us, allow yourself a deep breath. Because we made it through this day as well. There’ll be another one along tomorrow.“

I loved how all of these lives intertwined with each other and how it all came together. This was just a really good story. You won’t be disappointed if you choose to read it!