What a sentimental and funny read. As a mother, so much was relatable and I laughed, cried, and went and hugged my kids.

Thanks to the publisher for an advanced copy!

Emotionally exhausted after reading this. Backman covers a bit of everything in this new collections of essays that cover a range of parental experiences and important life milestones.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, for this free eARC.

Fredrik Backman has quickly become one of my favorite authors. I loved Beartown and loved Us Against You, even more. Those two books will remain two of my favorites, for years to come.

Things My Son Needs to Know about the World is a collection of essays, to Backman's son. In between he also tells us the story of falling in love with his wife, and learning to live a life that revolves around the people you care and love for.

I really enjoyed each essay and what he wanted his son to take away, from each one. Backman's humor is contagious, and there were so many times I was laughing out loud, and reading some out loud to my finance. I loved how Backman conveys who he is, and doesn't shy away from the truth.

This was a quick read and I read it in just a few hours. As always, I can't recommend Backman's books enough, and this one will be another one that I suggest. This book would be perfect to gift to a new parent!

Pub date is May 7th, 2019.

This is, in part, a memoir of Backman’s own life, a reflection on love in the romantic sense, the marital sense, and the parent-child / father-son sense; a reflection on life, and all the small (and large) life lessons we need to learn along the path from infant to adulthood; and on religion in a somewhat broad and sweeping sense that allows for this being a choice one eventually makes, one way or the other. Overall, it is a life manual - love letter for and to his son, sharing his insight into these important lessons in life, love, and ultimately happiness.

Some of these life lessons are about his experiences as a father, the amount of poop involved in raising a child, others about how to survive the sleep deprivation months / years as a parent, all the how-not-to’s of fatherhood, of life in general, of love. Also, how to make something he calls the “L’Oréal Sausage” because, as he says, “I’m worth it.”

There is more practical advice, if you will, practical depending on your needs and frustrations. How to navigate life – from the mundane parts of life, like motion-sensitive bathroom lights and changing tables to IKEA, Soccer, how to beat Monkey Island 3, how to Start a Band, Love, Finding you Team, and perhaps most of all - the need to be kind whenever possible. Life Lessons for a Kinder, Happier Life.

Written with love, this was funny and touching, heartwarming, and back to funny again. Delightfully charming, witty and wise. Another lovely gift for us from Fredrik Backman, he shares his wisdom about navigating this life.



Pub Date: 07 May 2019

Many thanks for the ARC provided by Atria Books

Fredrik Backman rarely disappoints me in his fiction. It turns out he’s pretty good with non fiction too. This short book is a funny, self-deprecating and loving letter to his two year old son. It is an apology of sorts for Backman’s character flaws and for loving his son too much. It is advice on a panoply of useless and not so useless life issues and skills. The bottom line is be kind to other people, don’t be an arse, adore your mother, forgive your father for his flaws but understand how much he loves you and, if possible, avoid peeing in the ball room at Ikea. Light but lovely. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read an advance copy.

I enjoyed reading this book full of advice from a father to his young son. I thought that a lot of the stories were well written and funny, just what I'd expect from this author. The only problem I had was that it seemed to jump around on topics and didn't seem to really be organized in any particular way. However, it was still a good book.

Fredrik Backman's done it again. I love his voice and the fact that he's ok saying just how much he loves with wife and child. While not on par with his novels (but how does one compare fiction to nonfiction anyway) I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I'm sure partly because I have a 3 year old at home and can certainly relate to the spirit of what he was saying. Early on in the book I liked the little side note/take away parts after each essay a bit better then the essay themselves. But as it went on I began enjoying the essays more and more. Especially the final "What You Need to Know About When I Hold Your Hand a Little Too Tight".

Thank you the the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this wonderful book!

Now excuse me while I take my family to Sweden to befriend the Backmans!

I'm a big fan of Backman's work, but this is the least I've liked any of his books or novellas. The material is well-intentioned, often amusing and very relatable for fellow parents, but I found his writing less satisfying and enjoyable without the structure of a story to follow. At times the musings feel one-note and repetitive, and the strain to make readers laugh is sometimes painfully obvious when it comes so effortlessly in his novels. The saving grace here is the final chapter, "What You Need to Know About When I Hold Your Hand a Little Too Tight," which successfully fuses humor with Backman sharing how he survived being shot in the thigh and how the event changed the rest of his life. This passage captures the essence of what makes Backman's work so wonderful and rewarding to read; it's too bad so much of what comes before it never quite measures up.

First of all let me just say that I love absolutely anything written by Fredrik Backman. I laugh, I cry, I feel all the feelings and can identify with most of the situations he describes as well as if I'm right there experiencing it as well. He's a master storyteller in my opinion and you can never go wrong reading anything by him. I also so enjoyed reading of his love for his family. A man putting himself out there and telling the world how much he loves and adores his family is one amazing man indeed. Keep writing Mr. Backman, you're making the literary world a much better place!

I have been a huge Backman fan now for quite some time. This book is incredible. A departure from his fiction novels, this book is written like a love letter to his son. All of the chapters are so sweet, and in typical Backman fashion, finds a way to be witty, hilarious, and at times silly. He also finds a way to be so glaringly real, and human. Voicing thoughts and opinions that reflects things that may be taboo spoken out loud but I’m sure everyone can relate to on a deep level. He has found yet another way to make me cry and laugh all on the same page, so buckle up for this emotional rollercoaster!

Cute, funny and honest as only Fredrik Backman can be. This book is a series of essays, life observations and gaming tips pulled together in a collection of life lessons for his infant son. While most of the observations tend to deal with the newness of fatherhood and a lot of poop, the lessons and funny stories are relatable for any parent. This book will take the sting out of the 2 am feeding and is a great choice for a father's day gift book. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.

Things My Son Needs to Know About the World is a book in which Backman writes to his son advising him how to grow up and make good choices. Throughout the book he exposes his own fatherly flaws in order to emphasize that nobody is perfect and that's ok. The one thing he says that he wants his son to learn is that he should always be kind and don't be a jerk. He has unique stories he uses to teach his son life lessons and it's nothing short of what you would expect from an author of his caliber.

When you read this you can just feel the love Backman has for his family. You get an insight in to their struggles as they navigate through the sleepless nights of early parenthood (which are some of the most difficult years for parents). The way he casually writes about his faults and the unique way he spins parenthood will help relax the nerves of any parent. He essentially says he is who he is and hopes that it doesn't screw up his kid to much. Honestly, I thinks that's just about what every parent hopes for. This book would be a perfect gift for any father, any Backman fan, or anyone looking for a quick, humorous read.

This book was a funny, quick, entertaining read! I got through it all in one sitting. I definitely recommend giving it a read if you have a son and have enjoyed other books by this author. My only complaint was the stream of consciousness writing style which is not my favorite.

This book is lovingly written like a diary or journal to Backman's young son. It tells him funny stories about his childhood and gives him advice about the future.

Backman's sense of humor shines as he describes becoming a dad and raising a child. A definite must for Fredrik Backman fans.

Thank you Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for the opportunity to read and review this book.
Biographies and Memoirs
Expected Release Date: May 7, 2019

This book would make a great gift for Father's Day. I thought there were some interesting tidbits and I appreciated Backman's view masculinity. I was expecting it to be more sentimental, and less humorous. Humour is books very rarely works for me. That is a very personal thing, and I think others will appreciate this book. I am also not a parent so I did not relate to a lot of anecdotes.

Full review to come.

There are a multiple things I love about this book, but here are my top three:

1) Fredrik Backman's love for his wife and son oozes from the pages. Seriously. Sometimes I felt like I was sharing in some intimate moments when I read how much he loves them.
2) His writing style was like getting a peek into his brain. Like he is regurgitating all of his thoughts onto the page. Some times it seems a little tangential, but it made me feel like I was in the middle of a conversation with him.
3) Fredrik Backman is hilarious. He can be discussing the most controversial of topics and he'd still find a way to make me laugh. He also explains some of these topics in ways that would make the most stubborn person go, "hmmm maybe I see you point." For example:

"Never misinterpret the fight for equality as a war between sexes. That you'll never believe that a woman doesn't deserve the same rights or freedoms or changes that you do. I hope you'll know that above all most people are nto looking for special treatment, most people don't want everything to be the same for everyone, most people just want things to be FAIR for everyone....And I hope that you'll never get it into your head that just because women deserves every opportunity you do, you have to stop holding the door open for her when you can. That you'll never think it's impossible to be equals and behave like a gentleman at the same time."

*Hands clapping* I think I will be sharing that quote a few more times in my life. I have loved all of Fredrik Backman's work so far, but I think this might be my favorite. I will definitely be sharing this with friends and family that will enjoy some humor about having a young child and figuring out how to parent in this day and age.

I was the small kid in school. Everyone was taller.
My mom use to tell me, “great things come in small packages”.
It’s true.....”Things My Son Needs To Know About The World”.....is a great small package.
It’s only around 200 pages. Some pages only have a few words.
A father loves his son. ....is the most important message in this great little package.
“Because we love you.
That’s all this is about. We want you to be better than us. Because if our kids don’t grow up to be better than us, then what’s the point of all this?”

Fredrik wants to tell his son to be kind. He hopes he’s not the kid on the playground off in a corner, sitting by himself, because he did the hitting. He also hopes he isn’t the kid sitting alone in the corner having been hit.

Fredrik wants to tell his son that he can be whatever he wants to be,
“but that’s nowhere near as important as knowing that you can be exactly who you are”.

Dad also hopes his son will learn important things in life - that he himself struggles to know....like inequality.
“I am A white, heterosexual western European man with an education and a job. There’s not a single organism in the entire universe who knows LESS about inequality than me”.
“But I am trying to learn. And I hope you’ll know more than I did”.

Fredrik tells his son about good and evil, about belonging and being part of a team, about forgiveness, about holding hands, compromise, about the ordinary mundane things in daily life, about humor, about falling in love, about soccer.....etc.
Including NOTES TO SELF..... (like the good father that Fredrik is...he talks to himself - making mental notes of what he has learned).....

Fredrik loves his wife....( he especially values her need for sleeping through the night)...
.....Fredrik loves a good sandwich, snacks, practical jokes,
Fredrik wants to be a good father....
“We actually haven’t a clue what we’re doing—having kids is in many ways like trying to drive a bulldozer through a China shop”.

“The parenthood thing didn’t come with instructions, that’s all I’m saying”.

This slim book of essays is charming and wise.....
A wonderful small package for his son.

Fredrik Backman, lives in Sweden with his wife and two children.
He is a columnist, blogger, and novelist who wrote:
A Man Called Ove
My grandmother asked me to tell you she’s sorry,
Britt-Marie was Here
Beartown.....
Us Against You
The Deal of A lifetime
And every morning the way home gets longer and longer.....

I’ve read all of the above books......
.....a definite fan. I cherish being a part of ‘Backman-reading-team’. I cherish my friends and the community whom - many of us share together - a love for Fredrik Backman’s work.
His books are filled with warmth. His writing is unique. His books are gifts to our hearts.
Fredrik adds humor - to camouflage horror. He allows sadness .... he shares about pain, love, loss, loyalty, dreams, and normal day life.
We feel close to his characters in his stories....

Thank you Fredrik for sharing your talent with the world.....letting us feel a little closer to you... a father who loves his son and wants to tell him stuff.

Many thanks to Atria Books, Netgalley, and Fredrik Backman

What a perfect book of anecdotes and short stories! Backman's writing skills definitely do not go to waste in this compilation, showcasing his talent for making simple things in life all the more endearing and looking at situations from outside of the box even though he was dead center in the box when they occurred. This book surprised me by being so upbeat and optimistic all the way through and teaching the reader little hidden lessons throughout, even if you do not have children to be able to relate to the stories. I can't wait to give this book to all my friends with small children and to recommend it to those who just appreciate smart humor

Backman has a way a writing about everyday things in a way that feels both familiar and special. These stories reminded me of when my kids were small but they were touching and lovelt. Different from his usual fiction but equally worth the quick read.

This book is really sweet. For fans of Fredrik Backman as an author of fiction, it provides a lot of insight into what he’s really like as a man and as a father. The essay format prevents any one part from becoming too long-winded or redundant. Overall a sweet tribute to his son, actually really funny at times, and full of meaningful life lessons.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the eARC to review!