My bestie and I were chatting recently about a sequel to a book we both read. We both liked the original book, but couldn’t remember much about it. It just didn’t stick with us. We still planned to read the second one.
On the other hand, we both recently finished reading the Beartown series by Fredrik Backman and can’t get those damn characters out of our heads. We both suffer from insomnia and there are nights we just lay in bed and think about the people of Beartown. For reals.
I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with this particular book series. I think the books are brilliant and beautifully written. I can’t even count the times I paused, whilst reading or listening, to think about the knowledge Backman dropped. He blew me away multiple times. However, the heartbreak was very intense—especially in the third book. The third book almost broke me. It was just too much at times.
Too much, but I finished the 21-hour audiobook in nine days. It was riveting. In all honesty, I was really just ripping the band-aid off. I knew someone I loved dearly was going to die. I just had to plow through. I needed closure.
Truth is, I struggled with all three books in this series. Again, not because they are not wonderful, they are amazing. The subject matter is really intense and much of it hits very close to home. The kids in these books are roughly the same age as my daughter. Much of the books were like reading my greatest fears for Josie. Fuck. It was a lot.
As I made my way through these three books—very slowly at times—I tried to convince my husband to read them because the writing is so good. He asked me what they were about and when I gave him an overview he replied, “Oh, fuck no. I’m not reading that.” I get it, but I can’t help but feel he’s missing out on something incredible.
I cried a lot during my journey through Beartown. My husband asked countless times, “Why are you doing this to yourself.” I really didn’t have a good answer other than, “I love these people. I want to be with them.” It was a wild ride full of heartbreak. There were also some amazingly beautiful moments and even a few laughs. It was actually kind of weird for me. I tend to run away from sad topics, but the characters in this story were so compelling, I just needed to be in their lives.
In the end, the series was wrapped up poetically. It was satisfying. The real point is, this is why I read. It’s fine to read a book you enjoy and then forget about it, but one that sucks you in and has the potential to stay with you forever is a gift from the gods. There are only a handful of books that fall into this category for me.
I may always journey back to Beartown on sleepless nights. There is still so much to think about there and so many people I love. Godspeed, Fredrik Backman. You broke my heart and I love you for it.
Angela Traver
What is this blog about? Well, it's a general blog, but it is also a very specific blog. If you get that reference, you get a gold star! I have been a public relations professional and writer of press releases for more than 20 years—primarily in the booze biz. I decided to do some writing for fun and embrace the humor that gets me through most days. Hopefully it will make you chuckle—or at least smile. I’m a certified crazy magnet, and more than a little nutty myself, so buckle up. Also, I have two vices—profanity and red wine/whiskey. You’ve been warned. It should also be noted, that I’m a HUGE Bob & Sheri fan. I’ve been a listener for more than 20 years. This opportunity is a dream come true and it may have made me cry. That being said, I cry at everything. If you are into booze, dogs, food and/or knitting, hit me up on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter (although I’m terrible at Twitter and it scares me) @kyspiritsgal. You can also find all my previous blog posts at www.kyspiritsgal.com.
