Anxious People

 This is the second novel I have read by Fredrik Backman.  I have loved both of them.  When I first read A Man Called Ove, I listened on audiobook.  I think I picked up on more of the nuisances of Ove's character because I listened to it.  When I started Anxious People I was worried I was losing out on that and didn't enjoy the book as much as A Man Called Ove when I first started.  

As I read further, the book became engrossing and I couldn't wait to be able to pick it up to read again.  This book isn't like a thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat, but rater it is like a good friend telling you a story.  Just like a friend who goes off on tangents and gets distracted on where they started, but eventually comes back around to finish the story.  The characters are awesome and you want to see everything work out right for all of them.  

The book has a few surprises, some you can see coming a little more readily than others.  The book captures different stages of life and our insecurities and anxieties that come with those stages.  Some of us have more anxieties than others but on some level we all have some.  Backman captures these and how our different experiences shape us and how we interact with others.  Sometimes what we think others are thinking is very different and far more judgmental than the truth;  we just have to be willing to talk with each other to find out the reality and work through it.  We are all more alike than we are different after all.   So remember to give the person who's annoying you a break because you just don't know what they are going through at the moment.

Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars 

Wonderful book that looks at the common anxieties and insecurities so many people experience. Backman is a wonderful story teller. His books are written as though you are right there experiencing the story with his narrators. This book has several twists and intersecting storylines, some of which I guessed at along the way but others are cleverly revealed as the story unfolds. This book captures so much of what is good about people and how we just never know what someone else is going through, so maybe we should refrain from judging and just cut some slack. 
Backman really has an ability to write characters that are relatable and you enjoy reading about. Even when they are are driving you nuts you still want to read about what happens to them. You find yourself wanting to know more about their story and are sad when the book ends. 

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Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge -  Book #125
2. Literary Escapes-  Sweden
3. Popsugar- #popsugarreadingchallenge  #10- recommended by fav blog, vlog, podcast / online book club
4. Book List Queen #41- Translated from Another Language
5. While I was Reading #3 translated from another language
6. Monthly Motif   #MonthlyMotifGXO-  Dynamic Duos