Thursday, January 28, 2021

Fiction Review: Beartown

Last night, my book group met on Zoom to discuss Beartown by Fredrik Backman. I enjoyed Backman's A Man Called Ove on audio last year (one of my Best Books of 2020), but this is a very different kind of novel. Beartown is a dark story that closely examines the intricacies of human nature and what happens when a tragedy occurs.

Beartown is a remote small town in northern Sweden, surrounded by forest, where youth hockey is at the heart of the town. In fact, the town is failing economically, and most people see hockey as their way back to a thriving community. Decades ago, Peter Andersson led the town's junior hockey team to the national championship and then headed off to Canada to play in the NHL. Now, Peter is back, has his own kids, and is in charge of the hockey program in Beartown. A new teen star named Kevin seems to have the same kind of talent that Peter did back in the day--maybe even more. The junior team is headed for the national semi-finals, and they have a shot at winning. The whole town is counting on them, and that means a lot of pressure on this group of teen boys and the adults who coach them. The novel opens with a brief and mysterious passage about a teenager shooting someone else, so there is quite a bit of tension in knowing that violent act is coming. That's not the only foreshadowing, and this novel has another violent act at its center. 

Ample foreshadowing and that chilling opening sentence make this a very suspenseful novel, as the reader waits for the bad things to happen, knowing that the tense build-up to the big game will not end well. But this is far more than a typical suspense novel, as the author digs deep into the complexities of human nature. While the violence and darkness at the heart of the novel were too much for some of our book group, we all agreed that the author did a great job developing full, three-dimensional characters--not just a few main characters but dozens of people in the town, including teens, adults, coaches, and townspeople. This is not just a novel about hockey but about the "boys will be boys" culture that is created from myriad sources in our society. The author writes deeply and thoughtfully about that, as well as conflict, violence, and how a whole community can create a harmful culture. Here, he considers the power of hate:

"Hate can be a deeply stimulating emotion. The world becomes much easier to understand and much less terrifying if you divide everything and everyone into friends and enemies, we and they, good and evil. The easiest way to unite a group isn't through love because love is hard. It makes demands. Hate is simple.

So the first thing that happens in a conflict is that we choose a side, because that's easier than trying to hold two thoughts in our heads at the same time. The second thing that happens is that we seek out facts that confirm what we want to believe--comforting facts, ones that permit life to go on as normal. The third is that we dehumanize our enemy. There are many ways of doing that, but none is easier than taking her name away from her."

That passage is applicable to so much more than hockey and what happens in this novel. Backman's writing, deep characterizations, and thought-provoking concepts at the heart of this story are what make it so special, in spite of (or because of) its darkness. Our book group had a great discussion covering a wide range of topics, and I think this book will stay with me for a long time. That said, I admit I reached for a light, funny novel at bedtime last night to cleanse my reading palate!

415 pages, Atria Books

HBO has adapted the novel into an original series that will begin streaming on February 22. I don't know how close the TV show will stick to the book, but the trailer sure captures its intensity:

Note: This post contains affiliate links. Purchases from these links provide a small commission to me (pennies per purchase), to help offset the time I spend writing for this blog, at no extra cost to you.

Listen to a sample of the audiobook here, describing the town and one of the players, and/or download it from Audible (it's a great sample that provides a feel for the novel).


You can buy the book through Bookshop.org, where your purchase will support the indie bookstore of your choice (or all indie bookstores)--the convenience of shopping online while still buying local!


 

Or you can order Beartown from Book Depository, with free shipping worldwide.

 

Wednesday, January 27, 2021

Nonfiction Review: Make Time

I heard about Make Time: How to Focus on What Matters Every Day by Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky (a 2018 release) from my friend, Chris Wolak, on one of my favorite book podcasts, Book Cougars, that she hosts with Emily Fine. I felt like I needed some inspiration this year, as last year a lot of important things just didn't get done in my life. I got that, plus some great new tips, from this fun and helpful book.

The authors are two former Google employees, who led teams and created the Design Sprint process while there, who are now living their dream lives. They share what they've learned about focusing on priorities to get the most important things done each day, which is just what I needed right now! Their process is a simple but effective one. First, set a highlight or priority for each day, based on what is important to you. Next, focus on that highlight and beat distractions to make progress. Then, reflect on what worked and didn't work that day, to adjust and improve your own personal system. And do it all again the next day! Each of those major steps (shown in the simple diagram below) is described in detail in the book, with 87 quick and simple tactics that you can pick and choose from to see what works for you. Finally, the whole process is supported by improving your energy (which includes some of its own tactics). That first step--set a focus or highlight for each day--was the missing piece I needed in my own life. The idea is that you may do lots of things in a day, but you set a priority for one thing that will be your primary purpose for that day, that you will give your high-energy, laser-focus time to during your own personal prime time.

That one piece--Set a Daily Highlight--was the most helpful to me. It's something I sort of understood vaguely before, but they helped me to put it into practice. They also reminded me of some things I already try to do--like staying off social media in the morning and jumping right into my priority work--that fell by the wayside last year. Because of my underlying health problems (and very late adoption of a smartphone!), many of their tactics are things I already do but that others will probably find revolutionary. The book is written in a fun, casual style (and illustrated with cartoons), and I enjoyed it ... and was inspired! My new year is off to a great start, thanks to Jake and J.Z. (you, too, will be on a first-name basis with them after reading this book). You can read more about their book and their process at their Make Time website.

287 pages, Currency

(NOTE: In my copy of the book, some of the pages were out of order in the last chapter, which was a bit confusing; however, it was easy for me to figure out which page to read next by looking for the rest of the sentence that was cut-off in the middle! This is the fault of the publisher, not the authors, and I can't imagine how this got past their editors in the final review, but it didn't detract from the value I got from the book overall. I had the hardcover, so perhaps they solved this issue in the paperback.) 

Listen to a sample of the audiobook, read by the authors, here, from the start of the book, and/or download it from Audible.

 

You can purchase Make Time from an independent bookstore, either locally or online, here:


Support Independent Bookstores - Visit IndieBound.org

 

You can also buy through indie bookstores using Bookshop.


 

Or you can order Make Time from Book Depository, with free shipping worldwide.

 

Tuesday, January 26, 2021

Fiction Review: The River

My first book of 2021 was The River by Peter Heller, a Booktopia author I like (I enjoyed his novel Celine) and a book that my husband and many friends had enjoyed. It was chosen as a Best Book of the Year by several media outlets and nominated for an Edgar Award for Best Novel in 2020. This outdoor adventure thriller kept me riveted to the page!

Wynn and Jack are college students at Dartmouth and best friends, who have bonded through their shared love of the outdoors. Wynn grew up in Vermont on his family's farm, and Jack comes from a ranch in Colorado. The two young men have taken time off from school to paddle the lakes and rivers of Canada on an extended canoe trip leading to Hudson Bay. They are in a remote and isolated area, paddling and camping, and have rarely seen any other people on their trip. One day, after hiking to the top of a hill, they see a huge forest fire in the near distance and soon they can smell the smoke and char in the air as it quickly advances. They need to make the rest of their trip as fast as possible in order to outrun the fire, but they soon encounter other obstacles. In the fog one night, they hear a man and woman arguing on shore, and the next day, they encounter the man, alone. What happened to his wife? Wynn and Jack have some difficult decisions to make, and it will take every bit of their outdoor skills to make it out of the wilderness.

This is a gripping, super-suspenseful novel with the young men battling both natural and man-made horrors as they race against time. It's like a mystery/crime thriller crossed with an outdoor adventure story, and the result is heart-pounding tension and an intense look into human nature. Like Heller's previous book, Celine, this one is not only a great suspense novel but also delves into the characters and their relationship. Wynn and Jack come from very different backgrounds but have a close bond that is tested during this unexpected ordeal. Their adventure is not for the faint of heart--there is a fair amount of violence (manmade) and carnage (natural)--but the men's friendship is at the center of this intense and compelling novel.

253 pages, Vintage Contemporaries 

Listen to a sample of the audiobook here, from later in the novel after the trouble has started, and/or download it from Audible.

 

You can purchase The River from an independent bookstore, either locally or online, here:


Support Independent Bookstores - Visit IndieBound.org

 

You can also buy through indie bookstores using Bookshop.

 

 

Or you can order The River from Book Depository, with free shipping worldwide.

 

Monday, January 25, 2021

It's Monday 1/25! What Are You Reading?


I had a busy week (when are things not busy?), with an out-of-state medical appointment for me with my son's Lyme specialist that required a lot of preparation (19 years' worth of records, lab reports, etc.). The good news is that the appointment went really well, she knew of the new research on treatments I wanted to try, and they took quarts of blood for dozens and dozens of tests, to look for other infectious agents behind the scenes. All in all, it was a great meeting, and after 11 months of a bad relapse of my chronic illnesses, I am feeling hopeful again! In fact, I already started some things she recommended, and my stamina seems better already. Earlier last week, I had a terrible flare-up just from a trip to the grocery store, but on Saturday I worked hard (for me) helping my husband with the cleaning (I do the dusting; he does the rest), with no payback the next day - major progress! So, I am starting this week feeling good and positive.

 

I also finally finished all my 2020 blogging wrap-ups, so you can see my Best Books of 2020 now!

Meanwhile, we are all enjoying our books. Here's what we've been reading:

I finished a nonfiction self-help book, Make Time: How to Focus on What Matters Every Day by Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky. I heard about this book (a 2018 release) from my friend, Chris Wolak, on one of my favorite book podcasts, Book Cougars, that she hosts with Emily Fine. I felt like I needed some new inspiration this year, as last year a lot of important things just didn't get done in my life. These two former Google employees share what they've learned about focusing on priorities to get the most important things done, which is just what I needed right now! I am already using one of their tips: to set a focus or Highlight for each day. You may do lots of things in a day, but this concept means setting a priority for one thing that will be your primary focus for that day. They also reminded me of some things I meant to do--like staying off social media in the morning and jumping right into my priority work--that fell by the wayside last year. The book is written in a fun, casual style (and illustrated with cartoons), and I enjoyed it ... and was inspired! My new year is off to a good start. Thanks, Chris!

I am still reading my next book group selection, Beartown by Fredrik Backman. I'm more than halfway through it, but book group meets on Zoom Wednesday! In a remote small town in Sweden, surrounded by forest, youth hockey is at the heart of the town. In fact, the town is failing economically, and most people see hockey as their way back to a thriving community. Decades ago, Peter Andersson led the town's junior hockey team to the national championship and then headed off to Canada to play in the NHL. Now, Peter is back and in charge of the hockey program in Beartown, and a new young star named Kevin seems to have the same kind of talent that Peter did back in the day--maybe even more. The junior team is headed for the national semi-finals, and they have a shot at winning. But the whole town is counting on them, and that means a lot of pressure on this group of teen boys and the adults who coach them. The novel opens with a brief and mysterious passage about a teenager shooting someone else, so there is quite a bit of tension in knowing that violent act is coming. That's not the only foreshadowing, and this novel has another violent act at its center. I enjoyed Backman's A Man Called Ove, and Beartown is excellent so far but much, much darker.

On audio, I finished a middle-grade novel I have been wanting to read, A Home for Goddesses and Dogs by Leslie Connor. I loved her novel Waiting for Normal so much that I almost drove off the road laughing and sobbing and reaching for the box of Kleenex while listening to it! In this novel, thirteen-year-old Lydia has just lost her mother to a heart condition. She moves to Connecticut to live with her mother's sister, her Aunt Brat, and her wife, Eileen. The two women also have a dog and soon add another. There is a lot for Lydia to adjust to: a new home in a new, rural town in a new state, new school, new friends, and of course, the loss of her mother with whom she was very close. As always, Connor writes beautifully about loss and love and ordinary life with warmth and humor. I enjoyed it very much.

Now, I am listening to another audio by another favorite author, this one a YA novel called Furious Thing by Jenny Downham. I loved her earlier novel, Unbecoming, so much that I chose it as my Best Teen/YA Book read in 2016. Lexi is 15 and is constantly told that she misbehaves and has a bad temper. She is filled with anger that often comes out at the worst times. If only she could change herself so that her stepfather would like her, her mother would love her like she used to, and maybe she'd even have friends. The only person she can talk to is her stepbrother, but now he's off at school. Lexi works hard to transform herself, pushing her anger down deep. Yeah, you know how well that's going to work! It's very good so far and engrossing.

My husband, Ken, is still reading one of his Christmas gifts and his most-anticipated one: The Sentinel by Lee Child and Andrew Child (Lee's brother). This is Ken's favorite author and all-time favorite series, and each year, he looks forward to reading the next book (which conveniently is always released before Christmas). This book is #25 in the Jack Reacher series. It takes place in Tennessee, where Reacher encounters a nerdy IT guy being beat up and intervenes. He discovers the man has been accused of a cyber attack on the town, but he says he is innocent. Reacher decides to find out what really happened. Ken says he is noticing a slight difference with the addition of the co-author, though he is still enjoying this complex, twisty novel. 

Our son, 26, took his dad's advice and is enjoying a book he lent to him when he was home recently: A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms by George R.R. Martin, a prequel to the A Game of Thrones series. This one book compiles the first three prequel novellas that Martin wrote, which take place a century before the events in A Song of Ice and Fire, the first book in A Game of Thrones series. It's about a young, inexperienced knight named Ser Duncan (Dunk, for short), and his small squire, a boy named Egg. The two of them love The Game of Thrones (books and TV series!), and he is enjoying the book like his dad did.

 

Blog posts from last week:

Movie Monday: The Peanut Butter Falcon - we loved this warm, funny story full of heart!

TV Tuesday: Home Before Dark - an excellent murder mystery with a 9-year old detective

Best Books Read in 2020 - my annual wrap-up, with stats, favorites in each category and Top 10 lists

What Are You Reading Monday is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date, so head over and check out her blog and join the Monday fun! You can also participate in a kid/teen/YA version hosted by Unleashing Readers.

You can follow me on Twitter at @SueBookByBook or on Facebook on my blog's page.   

What are you and your family reading this week?

Sunday, January 24, 2021

Best Books Read in 2020


Despite all my best efforts, I am still a bit late wrapping up my 2020 reading year, but here it is--I had another great reading year!

First, I'll share some stats and fun facts about my 2020 reading year, then my top picks, and finally, my Top 10 (or whatever) lists in each category. I read some outstanding books last year, so these were tough choices! You can see a complete list, with links to reviews, of all the books I've read in recent years on my Book Reviews page.

 

Stats and Facts

NOTE: the numbers in ( )  are my 2019 stats, for comparison. 

Total = 81 (87)

 

Adult Fiction = 47 (50)

Adult Nonfiction = 13 (14)

Graphic Novel/Nonfiction = 9 (15)

Teen/YA = 12 (11)

Middle-Grade = 10 (12)

Audiobooks = 24 (27)

 

Women Authors: 51 = 63%(54=62%)

Diverse books: 38 = 47% (37 = 43%)

From my own shelves: 44 = 54% (45 = 52%)

Re-reads = 1

Authors read more than once in 2020: Tana French, Stephen King, Ann Patchett

 

You can also see how I did on my 2020 Reading Challenges


 

Top Picks - Best of the Best

There were some books--like Michael J. Fox's memoir on audio-- that I could have chosen for multiple categories, but I tried to spread out the accolades!

Best Novel

Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano

(A December read that stole my heart)


Best Adult Nonfiction

The Feather Thief: Beauty, Obsession, and the Natural History Heist of the Century by Kirk Wallace Johnson

(Fascinating true story of the strangest crime ever with lots of history)


Best Memoir

NoTime Like the Future: An Optimist Considers Mortality by Michael J. Fox

(Another outstanding memoir from Fox--funny, warm, and powerful)


Best Audio Book

The Dutch House by Ann Patchett

(Excellent novel about siblings and read by Tom Hanks)

 



Best Teen/YA

 Solo by Kwame Alexander

(Novel in verse with music - outstanding on audio)

 


Best Middle-Grade

Back to Blackbrick by Sarah Moore Fitzgerald

(Warm, funny, tender story of family, love, and loss) 

 

Best Graphic Novel/Nonfiction

Displacement by Kiku Hughes

(Tough choice but this historical fiction graphic novel was powerful and moving)

 

 

Top 10 (or Whatever) Lists of 2020

(books listed in alphabetical order and some appear on more than one list)

Top 10 Adult Fiction:

Asymmetry by Lisa Halliday

David Copperfield by Charles Dickens

Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano

Doomsday Book by Connie Willis

The Dutch House by Ann Patchett

Faithful Place by Tana French

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

Plainsong by Kent Haruf


Top 7 Adult Nonfiction:

Black Is the Body: Stories from My Grandmother’s Time, My Mother’s Time, and Mine by Emily Bernard

Educated by Tara Westover

The Feather Thief: Beauty, Obsession, and the Natural History Heist of the Century by Kirk Wallace Johnson

An Indigenous People’s History of the United States for Young People by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz

No Time Like the Future: An Optimist Considers Mortality by Michael J. Fox

The Souls of Black Folk by W.E.B. DuBois

White Trash: The 400-Year Untold History of Class in America by Nancy Isenberg


Top 8 Teen/YA Books:

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

Displacement by Kiku Hughes

Feed by M.T. Anderson

A Girl Like That by Tanaz Bhathena

An Indigenous People’s History of the United States for Young People by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz

OCD Love Story by Corey Ann Haydu

Out of Reach by Carrie Arcos

Solo by Kwame Alexander


Top 7 Middle-Grade Books:

Back to Blackbrick by Sarah Moore Fitzgerald

The Great Chicago Fire: Rising from the Ashes by Kate Hannigan and Alex Graudins

Notorious by Gordon Korman

The Roanoke Colony: America's First Mystery by Chris Schweizer

Snapdragon by Kat Leyh

Trespassers by Breena Bard

The Way to Stay in Destiny by Augusta Scattergood


Top 5 Graphic Novels/Nonfiction:

Displacement by Kiku Hughes

The Great Chicago Fire: Rising from the Ashes by Kate Hannigan and Alex Graudins

The Roanoke Colony: America's First Mystery by Chris Schweizer

Snapdragon by Kat Leyh

Trespassers by Breena Bard

 

Top 10 Audio Books

American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins

The Dutch House by Ann Patchett

Educated by Tara Westover

A Girl Like That by Tanaz Bhathena

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

No Time Like the Future: An Optimist Considers Mortality by Michael J. Fox

Oona Out of Order by Margarita Montimore

Solo by Kwame Alexander

State of Wonder by Ann Patchett