Welcome to Litsy!

Though I have read/listened to most of Backman‘s other books, the hockey focus here always turned me off- but when the publisher invited me to read the third book in this trilogy AND my book club picked it to discuss, I knew I had to first read the first two books first. And I ended up being totally enraptured by the story of this whole town! The large cast size does slow things down in the beginning, but by the end, I couldn‘t put it down!

I am so sad that I waited so long to read this. I wish I would have listened more closely when people said it‘s about a hockey town, and not heard it‘s about hockey. Because it‘s about high schoolers and relationships and betrayal and parents and trust and belief. Please do check TW and even though it crosses into painful places, ultimately this book is beautifully about human beings and the hurt we cause but also the healing.

Cannot put it down!!
Looking forward to the sequels. 😍😍😍
Fredrik Bachman has become my favorite author.

#Two4Tuesday
Thank you for the tag, @TheSpineView

❄️ Snow, cold weather, shorter days, reading by the fireplace with a hot beverage & a soft blanket

❄️❄️ I have 2. Beartown & Winter Garden

Want to play @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @dabbe @BennettBookworm ?

I bought the books in this trilogy all out of order, but I finally nabbed book 1. First I love Backman and second, I‘ll need it for #Sweden for #foodandlit in December (again with the planning ahead). Will also work for #serieslove2023

😳 wow, even better than expected 🐻 πŸ’ πŸ‡ΈπŸ‡ͺ

Beartown is hanging its last hope for survival on the junior hockey team: if they win, the town stands a chance of not quietly disappearing into the forest. The second half of the book was worth getting through the somewhat sluggish beginning and is a discussion-worthy look at several social issues, including herd mentality: β€œAnd when enough people are quiet for long enough, a handful of voices can give the impression that everyone is screaming.”

5 out of 5

This is an amazing and devastating book. Sometimes it was a little too real, I found myself anxious as I read, which just shows how realistic and engaging the writing was.

I would recommend this but it was an intense read. I read it on one sitting as I wasn't sure I could come back if I stopped.

It‘s only a game. It only resolves tiny, insignificant things. Such as who gets validation. Who gets listened to. It allocates power and draws boundaries and turns some people into stars and others into spectators. That‘s all.

If a town falls in the forest but no one hears it, does it matter at all?

Just an unbelievable book. Backman is an absolute genius. There are so many controversies in this book that are dealt with head on and in a manner that is not glossed over.
It deals with a town‘s acceptance of group think and it‘s complicity in purging individuality. It poses the question of how far would you go to win and/or to fit in? Support a crime? Blame the victim? It is a fitting read after finishing A Man named Ove. Pure genius.

Probably one of the best novels I could recommend for a book club because of all of the themes and angles for discussion. A really well-done work.

Excited to start this.

This one was not for me. A quarter in and it just feels flat and I am uninterested.

Where did Monday go?
πŸ“– Beartown
πŸ–‹ Jennifer Lynn Barnes / Frederick Backman
πŸŽ₯ Bull Durham
🎀 Bon Jovi
🎢 Bad Medicine by Bon Jovi

#manicmonday #LetterB

Thank you everyone for the warm welcome to Litsy!! Of course I made my intro post and then immediately had zero time to even think about book posts πŸ˜‚ but I appreciate all the kind words and helpful tips!

Currently re-reading one of my favourites, Beartown, in anticipation of The Winners coming out next month. Gosh, the writing in this series is just so lovely, it takes my breath away every time.

An ARC, a reread and two by an author that has quickly become a favorite.

It‘s time for the #AwesomeAugust Readathon hosted by @Andrew65 πŸ€“
I‘m hoping to read these 8 books. I‘m rereading Beartown & Us Against You before starting The Winners (ARC).

#AlphabetGame
#LetterA #LetterB #LetterC #LetterD
@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Catching up on this. These are some of my favorite books for these letters.

This is my second book from Backman and it‘s another great one. At first his style wasn‘t to my liking, but the more I read the more I found myself falling in love. The way he puts the best and worst of humanity on display is captivating. This back cover blurb describes this one so much more eloquently than I could. This was my #doublespin for July (I think…)

For #letterB we have the tagged! Probably my favorite Backman book, to be honest. #alphabetgame

Thanks for tagging me @AmyK1 - this is another open tag bc I‘m bad at remembering usernames lol!

Dropping some truth bombs.

I have several books for sale in my PangoBooks store! My bookstore on PangoBooks | handle: @abookinherpurse | https://pangobooks.com/bookstore/abookinherpurse

#bookspinbingo for July
#bookspin: Things We Do In The Dark
#doublespin: Beartown (tagged as started today)
#sundaybuddyread: Last Summer at the Golden Hotel
#literarycrew: The Invention of Wings (library hold came available so hoping to pick up tomorrow)

Working on that rightmost column as a couple of those books are borrowed. Happy Reading Friends! β€οΈπŸ€πŸ’™

After an incident at a high school party, a hockey town is forced to confront the culture they‘ve created and the values they‘ve passed down.

Community✨ Allegiance ✨ Slow Burn

Why did I wait so long to read this book? It was so so so good! There‘s a life lesson on just about every page. This is a book that I‘ll probably go back and read again. Many of the characters were so emotionally strong! I‘m going to try the mini series next. I hope it lives up to the book! This is the 2nd book I‘ve read by this author. I‘ve loved both! Great book, I highly recommend it!

Loved it!

Book 69πŸ“š 4.5⭐️

I will admit I‘m not a big hockey fan - (bad Canadian!πŸ˜‚)
It took me a little to get through this book but it was so impactful. Blackman deals with such a difficult subject gracefully. He is a master of character progression.
I am interested to see where the next 2 in this series will go.

"??????? ??????? ?????. ?? ?????? ????. ???? ?????? ????? ?? ??? ???? ????, ???? ???????? ???? ????????? ??????. ????? ??? ??? ???? ? ????? ???????? ?? ? ?????? ?????????, ????????? ?? ??? ??? ????? ?? ????."

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 There was unfortunately nothing surprising inside, but the way Backman wrote this story was exceptional. I now need to read the next instalment. I started listening to the audio but let it expire and I think I enjoyed reading the paper version more.

Went to the thrift store next door to Lucas' barber and found some pretty great books. 😍

I have so many feelings about this book…it was confusing, it was heart breaking…at times it was a little boring, but for all those feelings, I‘m so glad I read it. It was deeply moving and I would recommend this to someone who has time to read. For someone who doesn‘t, they may not have the patience for this book.

This book made me think about the way people are often depersonalized in particular situations. I suppose that‘s one of the objectives in team sports though, so is it a bad thing to do or is it appropriate in these situations? In the book you always know the truth but that‘s not always the case in reality. Anyway, it‘s interesting and I recommend it.

Started listening to this one this morning.

This book was so complicated in a really awesome way!

This is only my second Backman but I‘m looking forward to reading more. He can really make you feel for every character he writes. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is my #bookspin. Now on to my #doublespin. @TheAromaofBooks

Timely quote.

I started this (for the second time) this summer. I hear so many good reviews that I picked it up again. Maybe I can finish it this time.

These are top of my list! #BookSpinBingo #BookSpin #Doublespin @TheAromaofBooks

Normally I love Fredrik Backman, but I got about a hundred pages into this and I'd already had more than enough ice hockey talk. Did not care and DNF'ed it.

Never thought I‘d read a book about ice hockey but heard this was great so I read it. The story of the players, parents, coaches, politicians in a small town that lived for high school hockey. Questions or morality, love, friendship, loyalty and justice are explored in this novel. Great characters that I can picture in my mind. Will start watching the mini series on HBO tonight.

A powerful, stop-and-make-you-think story about what the culture of a club or place is, and the effect this can have on its individuals.
β€˜Culture is as much about what we encourage as what we permit.‘

Such a page turner! I love Fredrik Backman's writing. I loved how he so accurately portrayed small town sports fanatics.

Hockey isn‘t just a sport for the people of Beartown, it‘s a way of life.
Through heartache, joy, rebellion and loyalty Backman leaves you wanting more. Thus was a difficult story to tell, but one that needs to be told.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Completed my August #bookspin this afternoon. Backman does not disappoint and leaves me with all the feels.

As usual, Backman can do no wrong. Not my favorite of his, but still EXCELLENT. He could write a story about a paper bag and I‘d be first in line to buy it πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚

1. For book it would be Beartown by Fredrik Backman, for series The Myron Bolitar series by Harlan Coben.

2. Cricket, cricket, cricket!

#Two4Tuesday

#two4tuesday

1. I don‘t know if I have a favorite, but I loved the tagged book. It‘s fantastic! πŸ“–
2. Football and hockey! πŸˆπŸ’

If you want to play, consider yourself tagged! πŸ€—