My Friends by Fredrik Backman

Fredrik Backman is an accomplished storyteller whose characters leap off the page and become stuck in the reader's brain, never to leave. Such is the case with Louisa, Ted, Ali, Joar, and the artist, outcasts whose friendship binds them together.

When eighteen-year-old aspiring artist Louisa sees an exhibition containing her favorite painting by the artist C. Jat being held, she sneaks in, only to be chased into an alley by security guards. There, she collides with an apparent homeless man, and together, they spray-paint a wall with their art. Only then does she realize that the man is her idol, C. Jat. This is the start of a cross-country journey with the artist's friend Ted and her quest to find the meaning of the painting.

Told from the present day and twenty-five years earlier through the trials of a group of fourteen-year-old friends, the story of the painting and the friendships depicted in it emerges. Louisa, now serendipitously the owner of the painting, feels burdened by the enormity of the painting's value and its historic beginnings. Her life is now intertwined with those of the artist and his friends.

This story is about love, trust, and the powerful bonds of friendship. Told with wit and compassion, the novel is heartwarming and sometimes gut-wrenching but never dull. I read the book in record time, unable to part with the characters and their lives. It was only toward the end that I slowed down, not wanting the book to end. This is another out-of-the-park homerun from Backman. 

5/5 stars.

Thank you, NetGalley and Atria Books, for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The publication date is May 6, 2025.

For more information:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Cut and Thirst by Margaret Atwood

 

I love Margaret Atwood's sense of humor. In this witty short story, she combines humor with fun characters to create a dark tale about how to serve revenge.

Over Gin and Tonics, three older women plot revenge for a literary attack on a friend that occurred years ago—and murder is not off the table. Leonine, Chrissy, and Myrna have not forgotten the eight—or was it nine—men who banded together when their friend Fern put together an anthology and omitted the men's ringleader in the book. Now, after all these years, with Fern's health declining, they plot to right this wrong without Fern's knowledge. But are they truly capable of murder? They think they are.

The characters in this story are friends I'd love to have. Never forgetting what happened to Fern, their loyalty knows no bounds. Watching the best-laid plans go astray in this wicked, funny tale is a delight from a master storyteller. 

4/5 stars.

For more information:

Amazon 

Elizabeth Finch by Julian Barnes

 I loved Julian Barnes' "The Sense of an Ending." When I saw this book, it sounded so interesting that I couldn't wait to dive in. Once again, Barnes delivers an intriguing, beautifully written book.

When middle-aged Neil signs up for Elizabeth Finch's college class "Culture and Civilization," little does he know he will become enamored with Finch and carry her philosophy for the rest of his life. Following Finch's notes, he explores the life of Roman emperor Julian the Apostate. Through Neil, Barnes explores the last pagan emperor, Julian's views of religion and Christianity, and his effect on history.

This story started slowly for me, but I found Julian the Apostate's life enlightening. Neil’s and Elizabeth's relationship is an intricate dance between friendship and unrequited platonic love—a combination I found hard to resist. The relationship, combined with the history lesson, was hard to put down. 

3.5/5 stars.

For more information:

Amazon |  Barnes & Noble