Latest news with #FredrikBackman
USA Today
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Need a new book? 10 new releases you can read right now from romance to thriller
Need a new book? 10 new releases you can read right now from romance to thriller What do a ghost-conjuring chef, a fast-food employee and a world-renowned dying artist have in common? They're the topics of some of our favorite new books from May, of course. Check out the titles we recommend this month, including new Stephen King, a swoony new romantasy bestseller and the book that Fredrik Backman said could be his last. Or, take a look at the titles we're most excited about this summer. Plus, there's still time to read for USA TODAY's Spring Book Challenge, where you could win a $100 gift card to just by filling out our bingo card. What should I read next? 10 new books from May Summer is just around the corner, and it's time to get your TBR ready for beach reading and vacations. From dystopian tales to steamy romance, here are the titles we think you should pick up at your local bookstore or library. 'The Emperor of Gladness' by Ocean Vuong 'The Emperor of Gladness' has all the poetic meditations and lyricism of Vuong's 'On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous,' but with a lovable cast of found family characters that practically leap off the page. In it, a young man about to commit suicide is stopped by an elderly woman with dementia. What results is an unlikely friendship, a fast-food job that reunites him with his cousin and a new supportive, quirky community. 'Aftertaste' by Daria Lavelle This dark comedy set in the culinary world follows a Ukrainian American chef who can conjure spirits of the dead by cooking their favorite foods. Haunted by the death of his father and yearning to use his powers for good, Kostya opens a restaurant where loved ones reunite over one last meal. With carefully crafted depictions of grief and mouth-watering culinary adventures, this is the perfect novel for the always hungry and for fans of 'The Bear.' 'My Friends' by Fredrik Backman Told in two timelines, Backman's heartwarming latest is about four childhood friends and one transformative summer. Their bond inspires a painting that eventually becomes, decades later, the most famous painting in the world. In the present, a teenager who cherishes that painting finds herself in unexpected ownership of the original. Her cross-country journey to learn how the artwork came to be connects surprising roads in her own life and the painting's subjects. 'Can't Get Enough' by Kennedy Ryan In 'Can't Get Enough,' ambitious, goal-oriented Hendrix Barry is thriving in most aspects of life, but caring for her aging parent means she doesn't have time for romance. But then she meets tech mogul Maverick Bell, and the one man she can't have seems to be the perfect match. 'Things in Nature Merely Grow' by Yiyun Li Writer and professor Li meditates on the loss of her two sons – both from suicide, seven years apart. Li searches for the words that might fill the loss of Vincent at age 16 in 2017 and James at age 19 in 2024. 'Things In Nature Merely Grow' is less of a book about grief and more a tribute to radical acceptance and the lasting power of memory. 'Immaculate Conception' by Ling Ling Huang Twisty dystopian horror 'Immaculate Conception' follows art students whose work and study are upended by artificial intelligence. Grappling with her artistic purpose and jealous of her friend Mathilde's global success, protagonist Enka comes across a new technology that would let her enter Mathilde's mind, inextricably linking the co-dependent friends. 'Never Flinch' by Stephen King King deviates from his terrifying horror to pen a detective novel in 'Never Flinch.' This mystery thriller puts beloved character Holly Gibney at the forefront, now working for a celebrity women's rights activist whose lecture tour is under threat by a violent mystery assailant. At the same time, Holly helps her police detective friend with a serial killer on a revenge mission. 'Along Came Amor' by Alexis Daria This steamy romance is the third and final installment of Daria's 'Primas of Power' series. When Ava Rodriguez's now ex-husband leaves her to chase dreams that don't include her, she tries to embrace her new singleness in a one-night stand with Roman Vázquez. Type-A Roman is laser-focused on building his empire, so he initially agrees to her no-strings-attached, no-feelings situationship. That comes crashing when the pair run into each other at Ava's family function. 'Shield of Sparrows' by Devney Perry This new romantasy series, billed for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Rebecca Yarros, sees a forgotten princess changing her fate. She's never meant to rule, only to obey her father. But after an encounter with a legendary monster hunter and a prince upends her life, she realizes she can make her own rules, becoming the warrior she was meant to be. 'How to Be Well' by Amy Larocca Everyone knows a 'well woman' – the spiritual, skincare aficionado who is just one cog in the machine of the multibillion-dollar wellness industry. Journalist Larocca touches on her own experience getting sucked into wellness culture before ripping back the curtain at the science behind it, as well as the standards of American womanhood driving the profits. Support AAPI authors all year: 10 new books by Asian authors to read Clare Mulroy is USA TODAY's Books Reporter, where she covers buzzy releases, chats with authors and dives into the culture of reading. Find her on Instagram, subscribe to our weekly Books newsletter or tell her what you're reading at cmulroy@
Daily Mail
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Aimee Lou Wood joining HUGE A-List star in film role after White Lotus toothgate controversy
The White Lotus star Aimee Lou Wood has been making headlines of late after a controversial Saturday Night Live sketch, and now she's starring along an A-lister. The 31-year-old actress played Chelsea in Season 3 of HBO 's The White Lotus, the girlfriend of Walton Goggins' character Rick. Now she's capitalizing on that performance by joining Angelina Jolie in the new film Anxious People, according to Deadline. The project will be directed by Marc Forster (World War Z), from the 2019 novel of the same name by Fredrik Backman (A Man Called Ove). Forster previously adapted Backman's A Man Called Ove into the 2022 film A Man Called Otto, starring Tom Hanks. The director will also reunite with David Magee, who adapted A Man Called Otto and Forster's 2004 film Finding Neverland. The film is set the day before Christmas Eve, when and investment banker named Zara (Jolie), 'begrudgingly finds herself mingling with a group of strangers at an open house.' Wood plays, 'a reluctant bank robber' named Grace, who inadvertently takes the strangers hostage as chaos ensues. Nothing ultimately goes to Grace's plan as secrets are revealed and oversharing ensues in the film. The story is, 'about a crime that never took 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.' It remains unclear if any of the strangers have been cast at this time, and there is no indication yet when production may begin. Hope Studios' Fredrik Wikström Nicastro and2DUX2's Renée Wolfe, who both produced A Man Called Otto, will produce this adaptation as well. Director Forster and writer Magee will also produce the film, with Neda Backman executive-producing the project. The book was previously adapted as a Swedish TV series for Netflix in 2021, starring Alfred Svensson and Dan Ekborg. Wood previously won a BAFTA award for her hit 2019 Netflix comedy series Sex Education. She also starred in films like Uncle Vanya, The Electrical Life of Louis Wain, Living and Seize Them. The actress most recently starred in Netflix's Toxic Town from Adolescence creator Jack Thorne and Daddy Issues with David Morrissey (The Walking Dead). She also has a project called The Idiots in pre-production, where she's set to star alongside Johnny Flynn (Ripley).
Los Angeles Times
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
The week's bestselling books, May 18
1. Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry (Berkley: $29) Two writers compete for the chance to tell the larger-than-life story of an heiress. 2. My Friends by Fredrik Backman (Atria Books: $30) The bond between a group of teens 25 years earlier has a powerful effect on a budding artist. 3. James by Percival Everett (Doubleday: $28) An action-packed reimagining of 'The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.' 4. My Name Is Emilia del Valle by Isabel Allende (Ballantine Books: $30) A young writer in the late 1800s travels to South America to uncover the truth about her father. 5. The God of the Woods by Liz Moore (Riverhead Books: $30) Worlds collide when a teenager vanishes from her Adirondacks summer camp. 6. Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall (Simon & Schuster: $29) A love triangle unearths dangerous secrets. 7. Audition by Katie Kitamura (Riverhead Books: $28) An accomplished actor grapples with the varied roles she plays in her personal life. 8. Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy (Flatiron Books: $29) As sea levels rise, a family on a remote island rescues a mysterious woman. 9. Silver Elite by Dani Francis (Del Rey: $33) Psychic gifts can get you killed in the first book of a dystopian romance series. 10. Strangers in Time by David Baldacci (Grand Central Publishing: $30) Two London teens scarred by World War II find an unexpected ally in a bereaved bookshop owner. … 1. The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins (Hay House: $30) How to stop wasting energy on things you can't control. 2. Abundance by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson (Avid Reader Press/Simon & Schuster: $30) A call to renew a politics of plenty and abandon the chosen scarcities that have deformed American life. 3. Life of Your Dreams by Mark Pentecost (Mission Driven Press: $28) The billionaire entrepreneur reveals the seven steps that took him from surviving to thriving. 4. The Book of Alchemy by Suleika Jaouad (Random House: $30) A guide to the art of journaling, with contributions from Jon Batiste, Salman Rushdie, Gloria Steinem and others. 5. We Can Do Hard Things by Glennon Doyle, Abby Wambach and Amanda Doyle (The Dial Press: $34) The guidebook for being alive. 6. Notes to John by Joan Didion (Knopf: $32) Diary entries from the famed writer's journal. 7. Joy Prescriptions by Dr. Tiffany Moon (Legacy Lit: $29) The doctor and 'Real Housewives' alum on how to find happiness. 8. Raising Hare by Chloe Dalton (Pantheon: $27) A meditation on freedom, trust, loss and our relationship with the natural world. 9. Conquering Crisis by Adm. William H. McRaven (Grand Central Publishing: $26) The retired four-star admiral's personal stories illustrate the principles of effective leadership during times of crisis. 10. The Prism by Laura Day (Spiegel & Grau: $32) Seven steps to self-discovery and renewal. … 1. Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt (Ecco: $20) 2. Table for Two by Amor Towles (Penguin Books: $19) 3. One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune (Berkley: $19) 4. The Paris Novel by Ruth Reichl (Random House Trade Paperbacks: $19) 5. Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar (Vintage: $18) 6. The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese (Grove Press: $22) 7. I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman (Transit Books: $17) 8. Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver (Harper Perennial: $22) 9. Orbital by Samantha Harvey (Grove Press: $17) 10. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood (Anchor: $18) … 1. On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder (Crown: $12) 2. The Wager by David Grann (Vintage: $21) 3. The Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan (Knopf: $36) 4. Sociopath by Patric Gagne (Simon & Schuster: $20) 5. The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron (TarcherPerigee: $20) 6. The Art Thief by Michael Finkel (Vintage: $18) 7. All About Love by bell hooks (Morrow: $17) 8. The Last of His Kind by Andy McCullough (Grand Central Publishing: $22) 9. The Best of Me by David Sedaris (Back Bay: $22) 10. The Body Keeps the Score by Dr. Bessel van der Kolk (Penguin: $19)
Gulf Weekly
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Gulf Weekly
Bittersweet summer tale
Swedish author Fredrik Backman's new novel My Friends has hit the shelves. The tale is set in the summer, when a group of teenagers find refuge away from their difficult home, living in an abandoned pier, where they tell each other stories and joke around. A painting by one of the three friends emerges 25 years later and lands into the hands of 18-year-old Louisa, who embarks on a cross-country journey to learn the story behind it, which also inspires her to unleash her own artistic self. 'It's a little story my brain and I have argued about for a few years, about art and artists, about being young and desperately wanting to create something, anything,' Fredrik said in a social media post. 'It's also about growing up close to violence, outside and inside, and having friends who'd fight the whole universe for you. It's about those who saw greatness in you before you ever could. It's about being 17, and how a painting in a museum can knock you over so completely, it changes the whole trajectory of your life,' he added. The #1 New York Times bestselling author is known for many novels, most famously, A Man Called Ove, which was published in English in 2013, and later adapted into a namesake Swedish comedy drama film in 2015, as well as a 2022 American film titled A Man Called Otto starring Tom Hanks and his son Truman.
USA Today
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Bestseller Fredrik Backman says 'My Friends' could be his last book in candid interview
Bestseller Fredrik Backman says 'My Friends' could be his last book in candid interview When I call Fredrik Backman from halfway across the world – he in his Stockholm apartment, me in my New York one – he says something I don't expect. The 'Anxious People' author is soft-spoken, even giving me a preemptive apology in case he needs to argue in Swedish with his barking dog, whose real name is kept secret but whom fans know as "The Donkey.' Backman is notoriously private, especially about his family, averse to the fame that comes with having several international bestsellers, including one that was made into a Tom Hanks movie ("A Man Called Otto"). Interviews and public appearances make him anxious. He expressed as much in a viral video from Simon & Schuster's Centennial last year. 'Maybe this is the last thing I'll ever publish,' he tells me when I ask about his inspiration for his latest novel, 'My Friends,' out now from Simon & Schuster. If that ends up being the case, he says, he wants to say something that leaves a mark and inspires young people. I think about objecting, placating, trying to convince him that the world needs more Backman books, now more than ever. But I stop, because Backman isn't saying this in search of any sort of praise or compliment. He's saying it because it's real – human – which is exactly how his books read anyway. Fredrik Backman struggles with 'the machine of the industry' When he showed the first draft of 'My Friends' to his close circle, the reaction was lukewarm. The story was dark, too dark, his wife told him. It reflected two years of confidence and writing troubles. 'I had a really long period where I thought 'I'm going to retire from writing,'' Backman says. 'But I'm not going to retire from writing. I'm going to retire from publishing books, because I just felt that this is taking a little bit too much out of me. I'm not handling the pressure of it.' I ask him if he still feels that way, now that 'My Friends' has turned into something deeper (and more hopeful) than he originally wrote. He says he grapples with it every day, struggles with being caught in 'the machine of the industry.' Backman isn't the only author who feels this way. After the worldwide success of 'Fourth Wing,' romantasy author Rebecca Yarros told Elle Magazine she was taking a break because writing, publishing and marketing the series 'drove (her) body to a place that was untenable.' Colleen Hoover, the author behind the BookTok bestseller 'It Ends With Us,' had to cancel her book tour because of stress-related health issues. In 2021, Backman inked a four-book deal with Simon & Schuster UK for his English-language books: his Beartown series closer 'The Winners' and three standalone novels, one of which presumably is 'My Friends.' 'I've always struggled with this part of it, the being interviewed, going on tour, being somewhat – in the smallest form of the word – a celebrity,' he says. 'I've always struggled with being a public figure and people having expectations of you and having preconceived notions of you. I've always struggled with that. I am not good with crowds; I'm not good with strangers. I don't give a good first impression to people. I'm comfortable with maybe seven people.' Backman knows he's privileged to write fulltime, telling me about 'proper jobs' he's had operating forklifts for 10-12 hours a day, waking up so sore he couldn't extend his fingers. He's telling me this, he says, not to garner sympathy but because he wants the industry to be careful with how they treat young writers. Writers are highly sensitive by nature. 'You're not supposed to be a balanced, high-functioning individual because that's not what makes you a great writer,' Backman says. 'People expect you to be able to shut that off and say 'Yeah, but now we need you to think about marketing, meeting about marketing, thinking about your brand.' 'It's fine when you put that pressure on someone like me, who is 44 years old and I have kids, and I have a life and I have a good support system around me and I've been doing this for 15 years. But when that pressure starts mounting up on someone in their 20s, I think that's a lot to ask of someone who makes their living off of talking to imaginary friends.' To some degree, intense marketing is a necessary evil under capitalism. Books need to sell to keep publishers and authors afloat, and a good campaign can be the difference between putting food on the table or not. The landscape is also shifting. As social media, namely BookTok, continues to drive sales, there's an increasing push for authors themselves to be a brand, rather than their work alone. We have access to authors' personal lives in a way we never have before. Some authors thrive through marketing, touring, speaking and signing. But not all. 'These people that you're dealing with are very sensitive creatures, and you can break them if you push them too hard,' Backman says. Fredrik Backman wrote 'My Friends' for the young dreamers If 'My Friends' was his last book, Backman tells me, what would he want to say? The story is told in two alternating timelines. The past perspective is about four childhood friends and one transformative summer. Their bond inspires a painting that eventually becomes, decades later, the most famous painting in the world. In the present, a teenager clings tightly to a postcard of the painting. It's her most cherished possession in the world. Then she finds herself in unexpected ownership of the original. Her cross-country journey to learn how the artwork came to be connects surprising roads in her own life and the painting's subjects. If our discussion about publishing is a critique of the capitalistic churn of people as commodities, 'My Friends' says the same thing about art. Backman, whose wife is an art buff, frequents museums with his family. He loathes that art is hidden away and sold as capital. He wants to teach young people that it belongs to them. Young people are a driving force in Backman's work. In 'A Man Called Ove,' a grieving, depressed elderly man finds reason to live after he encounters a young family next door. The heart of 'My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry' is a lovable 7-year-old. Even the books with adult characters show that we're all just big kids on the inside, figuring it out as we go. I ask him if hope is something he wants to share with his readers. That's how I always feel when I close a Backman book. He looks for a different feeling instead. 'At the end of the night (when) you're just exhausted and someone in your life who loves you and cares about you just turns around and looks at you and says, 'You did good. You did good. I can see that you struggled, and I can see that you did your best,'' Backman says. 'That's what I'm looking for in my books, and maybe that's interpreted by some people as hope, and maybe it's redemption and maybe it's something else. But I'm looking for that. I'm looking for you to close the book at the final page and feel like it's OK.' Need a new book?: 15 new releases you can read right now Clare Mulroy is USA TODAY's Books Reporter, where she covers buzzy releases, chats with authors and dives into the culture of reading. Find her on Instagram, subscribe to our weekly Books newsletter or tell her what you're reading at cmulroy@
