Backman makes you feel the core emotions of sports…what makes something that can seem frivolous mean so much to some people. But, Beartown is an entirely different story and is one of my favorite books of the year so far! Beartown has been compared to Friday Night Lights, which is accurate in that this is a story of a town who’s hopes are declining every day and whose youth sports team is really the only thing it’s residents have to be proud of. My Thoughts: I was hesitant to read Beartown because I abandoned Backman’s smash hit, A Man Called Ove, pretty early on. Plot Summary: While small, down and out Beartown goes crazy over its youth ice hockey team’s run in the Swedish national tournament, something explosive happens to throw the town’s and team’s hopes into jeopardy. Well, here’s the first installment of add-ons! And, they are GOOD.įiction – Sports ( Released April 25, 2017)

When I originally posted my 2017 Summer Reading Guide, I said I’d be adding more books that are perfect for summer reading to that list throughout the summer.

The Ultimate List of Family Drama Books.

16 Character-Driven Novels I Couldn’t Put Down.

Books That Would Make Great Gifts for Moms.

Book Club Recommendations That Are Great for Summer.

Best Books of 2012 / Holiday Gift Guide.

Best Books of 2013 / Holiday Gift Guide.

This is storytelling at its best: Emotional, vivid, wise and utterly brilliant' HAZEL PRIOR 'Surrounded by impenetrable forests, Beartown recreates the stifling atmosphere of a dying community. Every one of the characters is real and multi-faceted, having you breathlessly turning the pages, following their fears and hopes, fretting for their futures. Backman writes with incredible sensitivity and insight. PRAISE FOR THE BEARTOWN BOOKS: 'This is a stunning read that plunges you into another world. So what are the residents of Beartown willing to sacrifice for their home? Everything.

Someone will submit to hate, someone will fight, and someone will grab a gun and walk towards the ice rink.

Someone will fall in love, someone will try to fix their marriage, and someone will do anything to save their children. Someone is coming home after a long time away. The residents continue to grapple with life’s big questions: What is a family? What is a community? And what, if anything, are we willing to sacrifice in order to protect them? As the locals of Beartown struggle to overcome the past, great change is on the horizon. Everyone has tried to move on, but there’s something about this place that prevents it. But how does it end? Two years have passed since the events that no one wants to think about. It's a story about family, community, life. 'I utterly believed in the residents of Beartown, and felt ripped apart by the events in the book' JOJO MOYES WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO STAND TOGETHER? ‘It’s often said that winners write history, but there are no winners here’ This is a small story about big questions.

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