A man called Ove : a novel

Hosseini, Khaled

SUMMARY: After 103 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and with four million copies of The Kite Runner shipped, Khaled Hosseini returns with a beautiful, riveting, and haunting novel that confirms his place as one of the most important literary writers today. Propelled by the same superb instinct for storytelling that made The Kite Runner a beloved classic, A Thousand Splendid Suns is at once an incredible chronicle of thirty years of Afghan history and a deeply moving story of family, friendship, faith, and the salvation to be found in love. Born a generation apart and with very different ideas about love and family, Mariam and Laila are two women brought jarringly together by war, by loss and by fate. As they endure the ever escalating dangers around them-in their home as well as in the streets of Kabul-they come to form a bond that makes them both sisters and mother-daughter to each other, and that will ultimately alter the course not just of their own lives but of the next generation. With heart-wrenching power and suspense, Hosseini shows how a woman's love for her family can move her to shocking and heroic acts of self-sacrifice, and that in the end it is love, or even the memory of love, that is often the key to survival. A stunning accomplishment, A Thousand Splendid Suns is a haunting, heartbreaking, compelling story of an unforgiving time, an unlikely friendship, and an indestructible love. Read more…

Fredrik Backman; Overdrive, Inc

“Every bit as churlish but lovable as Backman’s cantankerous protagonist in his debut, A Man Called Ove (2014), precocious Elsa will easily work her way into the hearts of readers who like characters with spunk to spare. A delectable homage to the power of stories to comfort and heal, Backman’s tender tale of the touching relationship between a grandmother and granddaughter is a tribute to the everlasting bonds of deep family ties.” (Booklist (starred)) “Firmly in league with Roald Dahl and Neil Gaiman. A touching, sometimes funny, often wise portrait of grief.” (Kirkus Reviews) “Full of heart, hope, forgiveness, and the embracing of differences, Elsa’s story is one that sticks with you long after you’ve turned the last page.” (Library Journal) Read more…

Backman, Fredrik

Instant New York Times Bestseller! The author of A Man Called Ove returns with “a lyrical look at how a community heals, how families recover, and how individuals grow” (The Washington Post). “Fans of Backman will not be disappointed. His work continues to amaze and captivate, enlighten and thrill.” —Shelf Awareness A small community tucked deep in the forest, Beartown is home to tough, hardworking people who don’t expect life to be easy or fair. No matter how difficult times get, they’ve always been able to take pride in their local ice hockey team. So it’s a cruel blow when they hear that their town’s ice hockey club might soon be disbanded. What makes it worse is the obvious satisfaction that all the former Beartown players, who now play for a rival team in the neighboring town of Hed, take in that fact. But the arrival of a newcomer gives Beartown hockey a chance at a comeback. Soon a team starts to take shape around Amat, the fastest player you’ll ever see; Benji, the intense lone wolf; always dutiful and eager-to-please Bobo; and Vidar, a born-to-be-bad troublemaker. But bringing this team together proves to be a huge challenge, especially as the town’s enmity with Hed grows more and more acute as the big game approaches. By the time the last goal is scored, a resident of Beartown will be dead, and the people of both towns will be forced to wonder if, after everything, the game they love can ever return to something as simple and innocent as a field of ice, two... Read more…

Backman, Fredrik

From the bestselling author of the "charming debut" ( People ) A Man Called Ove and My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry , a heartwarming and hilarious story of a reluctant outsider who transforms a tiny village and a woman who finds love and second chances in the unlikeliest of places. Britt-Marie can't stand mess. She eats dinner at precisely the right time and starts her day at six in the morning because only lunatics wake up later than that. And she is not passive-aggressive. Not in the least. It's just that sometimes people interpret her helpful suggestions as criticisms, which is certainly not her intention. But at sixty-three, Britt-Marie has had enough. She finally walks out on her loveless forty-year marriage and finds a job in the only place she can: Borg, a small, derelict town devastated by the financial crisis. For the fastidious Britt-Marie, this new world of noisy children, muddy floors, and a roommate who is a rat... Read more…

Hosseini, Khaled

So, then. You want a story and I will tell you one... Afghanistan, 1952. Abdullah and his sister Pari live with their father and stepmother in the small village of Shadbagh. Their father, Saboor, is constantly in search of work and they struggle together through poverty and brutal winters. To Abdullah, Pari - as beautiful and sweet-natured as the fairy for which she was named - is everything. More like a parent than a brother, Abdullah will do anything for her, even trading his only pair of shoes for a feather for her treasured collection. Each night they sleep together in their cot, their heads touching, their limbs tangled. One day the siblings journey across the desert to Kabul with their father. Pari and Abdullah have no sense of the fate that awaits them there, for the event which unfolds will tear their lives apart; sometimes a finger must be cut to save the hand. Crossing generations and continents, moving from Kabul, to Paris,... Read more…

Miller, Madeline

A thrilling, profoundly moving, and utterly unique retelling of the legend of Achilles and the Trojan War from the bestselling author of Circe"Miller’s prose is more poetic than almost any translation of Homer... This is a deeply affecting version of the Achilles story: a fully three-dimension man - a son, a father, husband and lover - now exists where a superhero previously stood and fought." - The Guardian UKA tale of gods, kings, immortal fame and the human heart, The Song Of Achilles is a dazzling literary feat that brilliantly reimagines Homer’s enduring masterwork, The Iliad. An action-packed adventure, an epic love story, and a marvellously conceived and executed page-turner, Madeline Miller's monumental debut novel has already earned resounding acclaim from some of contemporary fiction’s brightest lights — and fans of Mary Renault, Bernard Cornwell, Steven Pressfield, and Colleen McCullough’s Masters of Rome series will delight in this unforgettable journey back to ancient Greece in the Age of Heroes.“A captivating retelling of the Iliad and events leading up to it through the point of view of Patroclus: it’s a hard book to put down, and any classicist will be enthralled by her characterisation of the goddess Thetis, which carries the true savagery and chill of antiquity.” - Donna Tartt Read more…

Fredrik Backman, Fredrik Backman, Fredrik (Author) Backman, Henning Koch

Retail In this bestselling and delightfully quirky debut novel from Sweden, a grumpy yet loveable man finds his solitary world turned on its head when a boisterous young family moves in next door. Meet Ove. He�s a curmudgeon�the kind of man who points at people he dislikes as if they were burglars caught outside his bedroom window. He has staunch principles, strict routines, and a short fuse. People call him �the bitter neighbor from hell.� But must Ove be bitter just because he doesn�t walk around with a smile plastered to his face all the time? Behind the cranky exterior there is a story and a sadness. So when one November morning a chatty young couple with two chatty young daughters move in next door and accidentally flatten Ove�s mailbox, it is the lead-in to a comical and heartwarming tale of unkempt cats, unexpected friendship, and the ancient art of backing up a U-Haul. All of which will change one cranky old man and a local residents� association to their very foundations. A feel-good story in the spirit of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry and Major Pettigrew�s Last Stand , Fredrik Backman�s novel about the angry old man next door is a thoughtful and charming exploration of the profound impact one life has on countless others. ** Read more…

Doerr, Anthony

From the highly acclaimed Anthony Doerr, an imaginative and intricate novel inspired by the horrors of World War II and written in short, elegant chapters that explore human nature and the contradictory power of technology.A blind child, Marie-Laure lives with her father in Paris near the Museum of Natural History, where he works as the master of its thousands of locks. When she is twelve, the Nazis occupy Paris and father and daughter flee to the walled citadel of Saint-Malo, where Marie-Laure's reclusive great-uncle lives. In a mining town in Germany Werner grows up enchanted by a crude radio he's found. His talent with these crucial instruments will eventually bring Werner to Saint-Malo, where his story and Marie-Laure's converge.Doerr’s “stunning sense of physical detail and gorgeous metaphors” (San Francisco Chronicle) are dazzling. Deftly interweaving the lives of Marie-Laure and Werner, he illuminates the ways, against all odds, people try to be good to one another. Ten years in the writing, All the Light We Cannot See is a magnificent, deeply moving novel from a writer “whose sentences never fail to thrill” (Los Angeles Times)."Enthrallingly told, beautifully written and so emotionally plangent that some passages bring tears, it is completely unsentimental ... Doerr achieves...[the] wonders of this book by creating a structure as intricate as any model made by Marie-Laure’s father. Cutting back and forth in time, he creates nearly unbearable suspense. Every piece... Read more…

Fredrik Backman, Fredrik Backman, Fredrik (Author) Backman, Henning Koch

A grumpy yet loveable man finds his solitary world turned on its head when a boisterous young family moves in next door. Meet Ove. He's a curmudgeon, the kind of man who points at people he dislikes as if they were burglars caught outside his bedroom window. He has staunch principles, strict routines, and a short fuse. People call him the bitter neighbor from hell, but must Ove be bitter just because he doesn't walk around with a smile plastered to his face all the time? Behind the cranky exterior there is a story and a sadness. So when one November morning a chatty young couple with two chatty young daughters move in next door and accidentally flatten Ove's mailbox, it is the lead-in to a comical and heartwarming tale of unkempt cats, unexpected friendship, and the ancient art of backing up a U-Haul. All of which will change one cranky old man and a local residents' association to their very foundations. (Previous notes): Loved this book (translation from Swedish). Quirky story of a curmudgeon which is also a film (with English subtitles) on Netflix. Backman is a successful journalist, author, and blogger. Also enjoyed ‘Britt-Marie Was Here’ and I look forward to checking out his latest new release. Read more…

Vuong, Ocean

Brilliant, heartbreaking, tender, and highly original - poet Ocean Vuong's debut novel is a sweeping and shattering portrait of a family, and a testament to the redemptive power of storytelling. "Vuong[s]... first foray into fiction is poetic in the deepest sense - not merely on the level of language, but in its structure and its intelligence... A raw and incandescently written foray into fiction by one of our most gifted poets." - Kirkus ReviewsOn Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous is a letter from a son to a mother who cannot read. Written when the speaker, Little Dog, is in his late twenties, the letter unearths a family's history that began before he was born - a history whose epicentre is rooted in Vietnam - and serves as a doorway into parts of his life his mother has never known, all of it leading to an unforgettable revelation. At once a witness to the fraught yet undeniable love between a single mother and her son, it is also a brutally honest exploration of race, class, and masculinity. Asking questions central to the American moment, immersed as it is in addiction, violence, and trauma, but undergirded by compassion and tenderness, On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous is as much about the power of telling one's own story as it is about the obliterating silence of not being heard. “Ocean Vuong runs up against the limits of language... and expands our sense of what literature can make visible, thinkable, felt across borders and generations and genres. This is a... Read more…

Fredrik Backman

2019-11-24 Read more…

Fredrik Backman

Sebelum terlibat lebih jauh dengannya, biar kuberi tahu. Lelaki bernama Ove ini mungkin bukan tipemu. Ove bukan tipe lelaki yang menuliskan puisi cinta atau menyanyikan lagu saat kencan pertama. Dia juga bukan tetangga yang akan menyambutmu di depan pagar sambil tersenyum hangat. Ove tidak akan seramah itu. Dia lelaki antisosial yang memandang orang sekitarnya sebagai sekelompok anak muda dungu dan tidak berguna. Dia tidak mudah percaya kepada siapa pun. Seumur hidup, yang bisa dipercayainya hanyalah Sonja yang cantik, mencintai buku-buku, dan menyukai kejujuran Ove. Sonja yang tetap tersenyum sambil bercerita panjang lebar di samping Ove, meski lelaki itu hanya terdiam sepanjang waktu. Orang melihat Ove sebagai lelaki hitam-putih, sedangkan Sonja penuh warna. Tak pernah ada yang menanyakan kehidupan Ove sebelum bertemu Sonja. Namun bila ada yang bertanya, dia akan menjawab bahwa dia tidak hidup. Begitu pun tanpanya, Ove merasa lebih baik mati saja. Sebab, di dunia ini yang bisa dicintainya hanya tiga hal: kebenaran, mobil Saab, dan Sonja. Lalu... masih inginkah kau mengenal lelaki bernama Ove ini? ^Kau akan tertawa, menangis, bersimpati terhadap orang temperamen yang kau temui dalam kisah memesona ini.^ (People) ^Secara keseluruhan, Anda akan mendapatkan cerita yang penuh semangat, keteguhan hidup, dan kisah jenaka tentang menemukan kebaikan, cinta, dan kebahagiaan di tempat yang paling tidak memungkinkan.^ (Sunday Express) ^Cerita Ove memuat kesedihan yang tampaknya... Read more…

Gail Honeyman

Eleanor Oliphant has learned how to survive – but not how to liveEleanor Oliphant leads a simple life. She wears the same clothes to work every day, eats the same meal deal for lunch every day and buys the same two bottles of vodka to drink every weekend. Eleanor Oliphant is happy. Nothing is missing from her carefully timetabled life. Except, sometimes, everything."A very funny novel about the survivor of childhood trauma... Enlivening this spare existence is a constant inner monologue that is cranky, hilarious, deadpan, and irresistible... Honeyman’s endearing debut is part comic novel, part emotional thriller, and part love story." - Kirkus ReviewsOne simple act of kindness is about to shatter the walls Eleanor has built around herself. Now she must learn how to navigate the world that everyone else seems to take for granted – while searching for the courage to face the dark corners she’s avoided all her life. Change can be good. Change can be bad. But surely any change is better than... fine?"This is a narrative full of quiet warmth and deep and unspoken sadness. It makes you want to throw a party and invite everyone you know and give them a hug, even that person at work everyone thinks is a bit weird." - Jenny Colgan, The Guardian Read more…

Fredrik Backman, Neil Smith, Santino Fontana

Fredrik Backman, The #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Of A Man Called Ove And Beartown, Delivers A Poignant And Insightful Memoir From The Front Lines Of One Of The Most Daunting Experiences Any Man Can Experience: Fatherhood. Things My Son Needs To Know About The World Is Bestselling Author Fredrik Backman’s Revealing Look At The Relationship Between Fathers And Sons. Delving Deep Into His Own Experience And Speaking Directly To His Child, Backman Reflects On The Perspective And Tools His Son Will Need To Make His Way In The World. As He Conveys His Profound Awe At Facing All The “firsts” That Fill Him With Wonder And Catch Him Completely Unprepared, Backman Doesn’t Shy Away From Divulging His Own False Steps And Fatherly Flaws. Along The Way, He Tackles Issues Both Great And Small, From Masculinity And Mid-life Crises To Practical Jokes And Poop. In Between The Sleep-deprived Lows And Wonderful Highs, Backman Takes A Step Back To Share The Sweet, True Story Of Falling In Love With A Woman Who Is His Complete Opposite, And Learning To Live A Life That Revolves Around The People He Cares About Unconditionally. Alternating Between Humorous Side Notes And Longer Essays Offering His Son Guidance About Growing Up, Backman Contemplates The Big And Small Moments That Form Their Shared Life, From Soccer Matches And Ikea Trips To First Homes And Young Love. Things My Son Needs To Know About The World Is Backman As You’ve Never Seen Him Before—intimate, Vulnerable, And Brave.... Read more…

Obama, Michelle

An intimate, powerful, and inspiring memoir by the former First Lady of the United StatesIn a life filled with meaning and accomplishment, Michelle Obama has emerged as one of the most iconic and compelling women of our era. As First Lady of the United States of America—the first African American to serve in that role—she helped create the most welcoming and inclusive White House in history, while also establishing herself as a powerful advocate for women and girls in the U.S. and around the world, dramatically changing the ways that families pursue healthier and more active lives, and standing with her husband as he led America through some of its most harrowing moments. Along the way, she showed us a few dance moves, crushed Carpool Karaoke, and raised two down-to-earth daughters under an unforgiving media glare.In her memoir, a work of deep reflection and mesmerizing storytelling, Michelle Obama invites readers into her world, chronicling the experiences that have shaped her—from her childhood on the South Side of Chicago to her years as an executive balancing the demands of motherhood and work, to her time spent at the world’s most famous address. With unerring honesty and lively wit, she describes her triumphs and her disappointments, both public and private, telling her full story as she has lived it—in her own words and on her own terms. Warm, wise, and revelatory, Becoming is the deeply personal reckoning of a woman of soul and substance who has steadily defied... Read more…

Backman, Fredrik;smith, Neil Andrew

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Man Called Ove and "writer of astonishing depth" (The Washington Times) comes a poignant comedy about a crime that never book place, a would-be bank robber who disappears into thin air, and eight extremely anxious strangers who find they have more in common than they ever imagined.Viewing an apartment normally doesn't turn into a life-or-death situation, but this particular open house becomes just that when a failed bank robber bursts in and takes everyone in the apartment hostage. As the pressure mounts, the eight strangers begin slowly opening up to one another and reveal long-hidden truths.First is Zara, a wealthy bank director who has been too busy to care about anyone else until tragedy changed her life. Now, she's obsessed with visiting open houses to see how ordinary people live—and, perhaps, to send an old wrong to right. Then there's Roger and Anna-Lena, an Ikea-addicted... Read more…