Book Recommendation – The Deal of a Lifetime

If you are looking for a quick read to help you meet your reading goal for the year, I’ve got one. This one has a slight holiday theme and it will make you think. If that sounds interesting, check out The Deal of a Lifetime by Fredrik Backman.

This was one of the rare books that I was compelled to write a Goodreads review about. First, let me share the Goodreads synopsis:

A father and a son are seeing each other for the first time in years. The father has a story to share before it’s too late. He tells his son about a courageous little girl lying in a hospital bed a few miles away. She’s a smart kid—smart enough to know that she won’t beat cancer by drawing with crayons all day, but it seems to make the adults happy, so she keeps doing it.

As he talks about this plucky little girl, the father also reveals more about himself: his triumphs in business, his failures as a parent, his past regrets, his hopes for the future.

Now, on a cold winter’s night, the father has been given an unexpected chance to do something remarkable that could change the destiny of a little girl he hardly knows. But before he can make the deal of a lifetime, he must find out what his own life has actually been worth, and only his son can reveal that answer.

With humor and compassion, Fredrik Backman’s The Deal of a Lifetime reminds us that life is a fleeting gift, and our legacy rests in how we share that gift with others.

Here now is my Goodreads review:

In reading some of the other reviews of this book, I was surprised at them. Many of them speak of how good the concept of the story is. Others complain that this should have been expanded into a full novel. Some held back a five star rating simply because of those things.

One review spoke of how Backman’s books always made them laugh or cry and this one did not. They said that it did make them think, but it “lacked” that emotional element. I have to disagree.

When I was a radio personality I was once told that success came from connecting with the listener. “If you make them laugh, make them cry, make them angry, or simply make them think – then you have entertained them. Then you have connected with them.” This works the same way with books. I have yet to read a Backman book that did not entertain me.

This story is perfect the way it is. You get enough information about the characters and the situation to get what you were intended to get. Would it hit you differently or deeper if parts were expanded? Perhaps. However, for something so simple to still “pack a punch,” says a lot about the story and the writer.

Maybe I connected more with this because of my own situation. I’m divorced and remarried with children from both marriages. I still have a relationship with my older children, but at times I can tell they struggle at times with the situation. There are a lot of feelings that are being dealt with.

Any time that a relationship is ended, whether it be a friendship or a marriage, there will be “What if” questions. It is a given, but life in general is also filled with them, too. As we age and look back, there are always things that we wonder about. “What will my legacy be? How will I be remembered? Did I do enough?”

This book made me ask those questions about myself. It may do the same for you. It is worth the read.

Book Recommendation – My Friends

I’m a bit behind on my book recommendations, and I thought I had better post at least one of them before I get further behind.

Even though this book is a perfect summer read, it is good in any season. Today I want to suggest My Friends by Fredrik Backman.

My Friends is the sixth book by Backman that I have read. There is something about Backman’s books that I really love. Someone asked me why I enjoyed his books so much. I really struggled to explain why. I felt that his characters were real and relatable. The stories are ones that engage with my emotions.

I never felt that really hit the nail on the head. So I started to look for other reviews and came across this:

Backman “is so good because he masterfully blends humor and heartbreak, creating deeply flawed but relatable characters, often outcasts, who reveal profound truths about humanity, community, and empathy through witty, conversational prose filled with poignant observations and underlying philosophy, making readers feel deeply connected to them and their struggles. He excels at showing the good in people, even the difficult ones, and exploring the importance of connection and kindness in an often harsh world, with stories that are both funny and incredibly touching.“

THAT is exactly why I like his work.

Who doesn’t love a good story about childhood? Readers of my blog are well aware of the many childhood memories I have shared, I often wonder if I could string them together with present events to make them a good book. I probably would not be able to, but Backman does it very well in this book. Here is the Goodreads synopsis:

Most people don’t even notice them—three tiny figures sitting at the end of a long pier in the corner of one of the most famous paintings in the world. Most people think it’s just a depiction of the sea. But Louisa, an aspiring artist herself, knows otherwise, and she is determined to find out the story of these three enigmatic figures.

Twenty-five years earlier, in a distant seaside town, a group of teenagers find refuge from their bruising home lives by spending long summer days on an abandoned pier, telling silly jokes, sharing secrets, and committing small acts of rebellion. These lost souls find in each other a reason to get up each morning, a reason to dream, a reason to love.

Out of that summer emerges a transcendent work of art, a painting that will unexpectedly be placed into eighteen-year-old Louisa’s care. She embarks on a surprise-filled cross-country journey to learn how the painting came to be and to decide what to do with it. The closer she gets to the painting’s birthplace, the more nervous she becomes about what she’ll find. Louisa is proof that happy endings don’t always take the form we expect in this stunning testament to the transformative, timeless power of friendship and art.

I found this to be a very good story. Backman does a great job in giving you enough info to keep you wondering throughout the story. At times, I felt like it was slowing down, but it becomes apparent that even in the “slow” parts you are gaining information that brings everything together.

When I was in radio, my boss used to say “If you make your audience FEEL something – love, happiness, sadness, anger, etc… then you have entertained them.” Backman always makes me feel something and I connect with the characters and the story. He has certainly become a “go to” author for me.

4.5 out of 5 stars.

Book Recommendation: The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out The Window and Disappeared

Recently, on one of the Facebook “book” groups I am in, someone posted, “Thank you to whoever recommended The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out The Window and Disappeared! I just finished it and loved it. If you love a good story and a few laughs, check this one out!”

The thing that caught my attention was the title of the book. It literally had me wanting to know just what it was all about. Was he kidnapped? Was he on the run for some crime? What makes an elderly man, climb out a window and run away? My curiosity led me to Goodreads to find out just what this story was all about.

The Goodreads synopsis:

After a long and eventful life, Allan Karlsson ends up in a nursing home, believing it to be his last stop. The only problem is that he’s still in good health.

A big celebration is in the works for his 100th birthday, but Allan really isn’t interested (and he’d like a bit more control over his alcohol consumption), so he decides to escape. He climbs out the window in his slippers and embarks on a hilarious and entirely unexpected journey.

It would be the adventure of a lifetime for anyone else, but Allan has a larger-than-life backstory: he has not only witnessed some of the most important events of the 20th century, but actually played a key role in them. Quirky and utterly unique, The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared has charmed readers across the world.

Another website offered this synopsis, which peaked my interest even more.

The 100-Year-Old Man centers on a man who, on the night of his 100th birthday, escapes from his nursing home and hits the road, with the ensuing inadvertent adventure involving criminals, a bag of cash and an elephant. But his time on the run reveals that the former explosives expert was involved in some of the defining moments of the 20th century and that he crossed paths with figures such as Joseph Stalin, Sir Winston Churchill and Charles de Gaulle. Before long, past and present are on a collision course.

I listened to the audio version of the book and there were quite a few times that I laughed out loud. One time, in particular, I laughed so much that I had to “rewind” the story because I had missed it while I was laughing.

This book reminded me a bit of the Fredrik Backman books in the way they were written. Jonas Jonasson is a Swedish author, just like Backman. There is a bit of dark humor in the story, and the dialogue really helps to deliver that.

The book starts, naturally, with the old man (Allan) climbing out the window. The adventure then bounces from present to past, filling in some of the many details of his life. Allan has certainly influenced a lot of people and played a role in some historic events. The characters he gets involved with on his present day adventure have their own quirks and when you add them to Allen’s, make for a very fun story.

I will say that if you’re not really into politics/history, there are a few spots where the story may seem slow to you. I love history, so it was neat to hear how they worked Allan into some of those events.

I was made aware that there was a Swedish movie based on the book. I found it on Tubi and watched it. It wasn’t bad, but there was a lot that was edited out to make it fit into a 2 hour film. There were some minor changes to the plot and some characters were deleted (some that were really important in the book), and the movie held its own. The book, however, was better.

On the American movie front, IMDB reports that Will Ferrell is set to star in the US adaptation of the book. There is no word on co-stars and it is apparently still in the works. News of this film version go back to 2017.

The book’s author, Jonas Jonasson is on board with the idea, too. “My character, Allan, knows the art of being funny just by being,” said Jonasson in a statement. “That is something Will Ferrell masters to perfection. Great humor with small measurements. I am happy that Allan is now in his hands.”

The new onscreen adaptation of The 100-Year-Old Man has been described as being akin to the 1994 Tom Hanks classic Forrest Gump, but more darkly comedic. The book has sold over 10 million copies worldwide, and the Oscar-nominated local-language feature adaptation became one of the highest-grossing Swedish movies of all time.

While I’d be interested to see the American take on the movie, I don’t think I’d be wrong in assuming that the book is better. They usually are.

Book Recommendation: A Man Called Ove

With each book I read by Fredrik Backman, the more I like him. I just finished A Man Called Ove, and it was so good.

I kind of held off on reading this one because I heard people say how sad it was. Were there some sad parts, yes, but life is not always happy. We all go through sad times. This book was that way. Much like the other Backman books I read, I found myself laughing out loud at times. Other times, I was anxious to find out what happened next.

Backman has a way of presenting his characters in such a way that you connect to them. They are real people with real emotions and experience real life situations. I think we all know someone like Ove, and all of the people in his neighborhood. To me, this could take place in almost any city anywhere.

Here is the Goodreads Synopsis:

A grumpy yet loveable man finds his solitary world turned on its head when a boisterous young family moves in next door.

Meet Ove. He’s a curmudgeon, the kind of man who points at people he dislikes as if they were burglars caught outside his bedroom window. He has staunch principles, strict routines, and a short fuse. People call him the bitter neighbor from hell, but must Ove be bitter just because he doesn’t walk around with a smile plastered to his face all the time?

Behind the cranky exterior there is a story and a sadness. So when one November morning a chatty young couple with two chatty young daughters move in next door and accidentally flatten Ove’s mailbox, it is the lead-in to a comical and heartwarming tale of unkempt cats, unexpected friendship, and the ancient art of backing up a U-Haul. All of which will change one cranky old man and a local residents’ association to their very foundations.

I compare Ove to Ebenezer Scrooge of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Not because he has this miraculous change and becomes a happy, cheery guy, but because of that grumpiness that IS Ove. That doesn’t mean you can’t like him, because you can. He has quite a story.

This book was made into the movie A Man Called Otto starring Tom Hanks. I like Hanks, but I’m not sure I want to see an American movie take on such a wonderful book. I started this blog by saying that I held off reading this book because of things I had heard about it. After finishing it, my only regret is that I didn’t read it sooner.

Book Recommendation – Britt-Marie Was Here

Frederik Backman is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. His books are full of characters that you connect with. They are “real.” His books make me “feel,” if that makes sense. I find myself belly laughing out loud at times and holding back tears at other times.

Just this week I posted about the novella I read by Backman. You can read that here:

Book Recommendation – And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer

I believe the first book I read by him was Anxious People, which I simply loved.

Book Recommendation: Anxious People

When I read My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry, I was first introduced to the main character of today’s recommendation – Britt-Marie. You can read about that one here:

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

In the above story, Britt-Marie leaves her husband and drives off. Her story picks up in Backman’s follow up, Britt-Marie Was Here. I was intrigued to know what her story would be and I found this to be a delightful read. Again, there was laughter and moving moments. There was a whole lot more to Britt-Marie than I could have imagined.

Here is the Goodreads synopsis:

Britt-Marie can’t stand mess. A disorganized cutlery drawer ranks high on her list of unforgivable sins. She is not one to judge others—no matter how ill-mannered, unkempt, or morally suspect they might be. It’s just that sometimes people interpret her helpful suggestions as criticisms, which is certainly not her intention. But hidden inside the socially awkward, fussy busybody is a woman who has more imagination, bigger dreams, and a warmer heart that anyone around her realizes.

When Britt-Marie walks out on her cheating husband and has to fend for herself in the miserable backwater town of Borg—of which the kindest thing one can say is that it has a road going through it—she finds work as the caretaker of a soon-to-be demolished recreation center. The fastidious Britt-Marie soon finds herself being drawn into the daily doings of her fellow citizens, an odd assortment of miscreants, drunkards, layabouts. Most alarming of all, she’s given the impossible task of leading the supremely untalented children’s soccer team to victory. In this small town of misfits, can Britt-Marie find a place where she truly belongs?

The one thing that really stood out in this story was that you have Britt-Marie, fresh from leaving her husband in a rundown and dying community and they both really need each other. Despite the obstacles that are thrown in the paths of each of them, they both learn to persevere and compliment each other. Both experience change as the novel progresses and it will leave you wanting more.

In 2019, there was a movie made based on the book. I think you can see it on Amazon Prime, but I’m not sure I want to as the overall rating was 5 out of 10 stars. Probably proof again that the book is almost always better than the film adaptation.

Book Recommendation – And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer

What a powerful and moving story. This short novella has all of the heart and emotion of Fredrik Backman’s full length stories. I found myself lost in this beautiful book.

My great grandmother had dementia. My grandmother had dementia. It is a terrible disease. I remember going to see her the last time and her not really knowing who I was. With Alzheimer’s and dementia, they call it “the long goodbye.” It is a very difficult thing to deal with for both those who have it and those they love.

Here is the Goodreads synopisis:

From the New York Times bestselling author of A Man Called Ove, My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry, and Britt-Marie Was Here comes an exquisitely moving portrait of an elderly man’s struggle to hold on to his most precious memories, and his family’s efforts to care for him even as they must find a way to let go.

With all the same charm of his bestselling full-length novels, here Fredrik Backman once again reveals his unrivaled understanding of human nature and deep compassion for people in difficult circumstances. This is a tiny gem with a message you’ll treasure for a lifetime.

The “goodbye” and how to handle it is what drives this powerful story. I listened to the audio book, but want to go buy a physical copy just to highlight some of the content. For example:

“Almost all grown adults walk around full of regret over a good-bye they wish they’d been able to go back and say better.”

“Those who hasten to live are in a hurry to miss,”

“It’s about fear and love, and how they seem to go hand in hand most of the time.”

The relationship between this grandfather and Noah (Noahnoah), his grandson reminds me of my relationship with my grandfather. I didn’t want to lose him.

“Why are you holding my hand so tight, Grandpa?” the boy whispers
again.
“Because all of this is disappearing, Noahnoah. And I want to keep hold
of you longest of all.”

“Noahnoah, promise me something, one very last thing: once your good-bye is perfect, you have to leave me and not look back. Live your life. It’s an awful thing to miss someone who’s still here.”

One of the most amazing exchanges in the book:

“Our teacher made us write a story about what we want to be when we’re big,” Noah tells him.
“What did you write?”
“I wrote that I wanted to concentrate on being little first.”
“That’s a very good answer.”
“Isn’t it? I would rather be old than a grown-up. All grown-ups are angry, it’s just children and old people who laugh.”
“Did you write that?”
“Yes.”
“What did your teacher say?”
“She said I hadn’t understood the task.”
“And what did you say?”
“I said she hadn’t understood my answer.”

The audio book look just over and hour to listen to. I would imagine you could read the novella in just one sitting. It is truly an amazing story. I highly recommend it.

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.”

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

“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.

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!