Books from the Backlog #180

Posted September 23, 2021 by Carole in Books from the Backlog / 11 Comments

Books from the Backlog is a fun way to feature some of those neglected books sitting on your bookshelf unread.  If you are anything like me, you might be surprised by some of the unread books hiding in your stacks.

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This week’s neglected book

Books from the Backlog #180Beartown by Fredrik Backman
Series: Beartown #1
Published by Atria Books on April 25, 2017
Genres: Fiction
Pages: 418
Format: Hardcover
Source: Purchased
Goodreads
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The #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Man Called Ove returns with Beartown--an instant New York Times bestseller--about a forgotten town fractured by scandal, and the amateur hockey team that might just change everything.

People say Beartown is finished. A tiny community nestled deep in the forest, it is slowly losing ground to the ever encroaching trees. But down by the lake stands an old ice rink, built generations ago by the working men who founded this town. And in that ice rink is the reason people in Beartown believe tomorrow will be better than today. Their junior ice hockey team is about to compete in the national semi-finals, and they actually have a shot at winning. All the dreams of this place now rest on the shoulders of a handful of teenage boys.

Being responsible for the hopes of an entire town is a heavy burden, and the semi-final match is the catalyst for a violent act that will leave a young girl traumatized and a town in turmoil. Accusations are made and, like ripples on a pond, they travel through all of Beartown, leaving no resident unaffected.

Beartown explores the hopes that bring a small community together, the secrets that tear it apart, and the courage it takes for an individual to go against the grain. In this story of a small forest town, Fredrik Backman has found the entire world. "Like Friday Night Lights, this is about more than youth sports; it's part coming-of-age novel, part study of moral failure, and finally a chronicle of groupthink in which an unlikely hero steps forward to save more than one person from self-destruction" (Kirkus Reviews).

Why did I add Beartown to my bookshelf?

I really enjoyed A Man Called Ove so I m definitely eager to try more of this author’s work. I have had this book on my shelf for a while but haven’t had the chance to pick it up just yet. It looks like this one is pretty well-loved based on the Goodreads ratings, although I did not a few reviews that were not quite as positive. Anyway, I have a feeling that this is a book that will work well for me and I am eager to give it a try.

What are your thoughts? Have you read this book?  Would you recommend it?

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11 responses to “Books from the Backlog #180

  1. I have only read one Backman book! (Ove). I’ve started a couple of others, but I cannot stay the course. I guess he’s just not for me!

    I hope you enjoy it, though.

  2. I see so many raves for Backman! I’ve yet to try one of his books but I definitely want to try something by him at some point. This one seems like a good bet since you enjoyed A Man Called Ove.

  3. There are many times I will add a book to my shelf just based on GR reviews, good to see that for the most part they are positive and I hope that you will end up loving it.

  4. Carole this duet was so good! Heartbreaking and uplifting at the same time. I adored it and hope you can get to it at some point. All his books are so touching.