Anyone that truly knows me knows that I LOVE to read. The one thing I hate about reading is having to choose a new book. I have a reading list a mile long but I can never just select one. When I am struggling to chose my next book, I often find myself gravitating towards the recommendations of my fellow book worms. I have two former coworkers, Jennifer and Sara, who always gave the best book recommendations. I don’t think I have ever read a book that they have recommended and not liked it. There are many reasons that I miss working with these ladies but hearing them talk about books is one of the biggest reasons.
Jennifer and Sara recently opened an amazing indie bookstore. When I’ve found myself missing their book recommendations lately, I’ve popped into their bookstores for some inspiration. Beartown was one of their recommendations. When Sara told me it was about hockey, I was reluctant to pick it up. Sara told me to trust her and I’m so glad I did.
Beartown is about a small, rural town where everyone eats, breaths, and sleeps hockey. Hockey is a way of life, not a game. The championship game is coming up and this year’s team is favored to win it all. The whole town is fired up and ready to go!
When a crime is reported and accusations surface facing the hockey team’s star player, Beartown is divided in a way it never has been before. What will these accusations mean for the championship game? Whose side will everyone choose? How will this small town overcome this?
I’m so glad that I gave this book a try. I was absolutely enthralled with this story from page one. I’ve never read any other books by Frederik Backman so I’m not sure how this compares to his other books. His writing in Beartown is riveting. Backman creates deeply flawed characters that are still so relate-able. He writes in a way that you understand exactly how each character is feeling and where they are coming from. He makes it so easy to empathize with his characters.
If you are looking for a book with richly developed and complicated characters portrayed through beautiful writing give Beartown a shot. Trust me that this book is about so much more than hockey.
Fredrik Backman has been a prolific and popular author for quite some time. I’m not sure how I’ve managed to go thirty-one years without picking up one of his novels. After finishing Beartown, I’m looking forward to exploring more of Backman’s writing.
If you are local, pop into Bookish: An Indie Shop for Folks Who Read and let Sara and Jennifer help you select a book. They are experts at recommending books and they have a beautifully curated selection of books that is bound to have an option to strike your fancy.
