Skip to main content

Your Next Read: A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

A Man Called Ove
Fredrik Backman


The novel that makes you love an old curmudgeon no matter how grouchy, stubborn, and ill-tempered he might be. Everything has a place and there are rules for a reason. If there is a sign, do as it says. And don't butt into other people's business. There are plenty of life lessons Ove could impart to the rest of us that would make Ove's life easier. If we would just do what is expected of us.

If you love Pixar's UP and The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared then this is definitely the book for you. Extremely funny and extremely touching I could rarely tell whether my tears were from laughter or heartbreak. The story is so wonderful that is has already been made into a foreign film. And Tom Hanks is both producing and starring in an English remake of the movie in the near future.

A Man Called Ove weighs in at 337 pages, which fly so quickly you would think it was much shorter. The story is so satisfying you are both completely happy with the ending and yet wishing there was more to enjoy. This novel helps the grumpy old man theme sore to new heights. And it is an excellent Book Club pick worthy of discussion over a glass of wine.

Find out more on Goodreads or Book Marks. And check out this article about the author from the New York Times.

Need a guide to help jump start a book club discussion? The publisher heard you.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Wanderlust: Uganda, Africa

Wanderlust: Your Reading Guide to... Uganda, Africa If you have never been on an African safari before, start planning your trip now! First, flight deals to East Africa are popping up constantly and second, this is an amazing bucket list destination that you cannot miss out on. I recommend using a travel agent that specializes in African safaris, like Extraordinary Africa  which is based in the UK but arranges travel for international clients as well. Alex was our travel agent and set us up for absolute success on our adventure. Uganda is a large land locked country which hosts the source of the Nile, a must see on your journey. In many East Africa countries you may have one or two base camps from which you depart for daily safaris. Instead, in Uganda it is beneficial to take a tour around the entire country. We traveled to Murchison Falls, Kibale, Queen Elizabeth, Bwindi, and Lake Mburo during our whirlwind tour of Uganda. Elephants, giraffes, hippos (oh so many hip...

Your Next Read: The Power by Naomi Alderman

The Power by Naomi Alderman If you haven't yet picked up a copy of Naomi Alderman's The Power , what are you waiting for? This electrifying novel sets up a world where women wield the power (literally) and become the dominate sex in society. The quote on the front of the book is praise from Margaret Atwood telling you the book will make you "think twice, about everything." And that, at least for me, is what makes this story so worthwhile.  In the world of The Power young women are discovering an electrical force developing inside their bodies. It is treated at first like the latest drug fade. The teenage females are getting it and using it in secret; it is disgraceful if it is found in your home; young women found using the power are kicked out of their homes. Then the younger women start to awaken the power in their moms, aunts, grandmothers, etc. Turns out every women has this power inside them and the world order reverses drastically. There ar...

Your Next Read: Exit West by Mohsin Hamid

Exit West by Mohsin Hamid Stripped down to its most basic core you might call Exit West a relationship story. The central plot revolves around a young man and young woman in a poor country. What makes the novel so enticing is everything else happening around them throughout the novel.  You have to call Exit West a refugee story as well. As the young man and young woman start a new relationship their country is starting to be ravaged by war. So as many young people do in times of unrest where they live, where opportunities are limited and the risk of death so high, the young couple leaves for an unknown place that might improve upon their situation. Where they go and what they find is what made this novel thought-provoking. It felt like living the news headlines in person, which Hamid cleverly touches on in a scene where the young woman sees an article about the refugee crisis with a picture she is startled to recognize as herself. If you have read about Greece a...