A delightful and poignant book about Fredrik Backman falling in love and having a son. He expresses his experiences by writing delightful, often funny anecdotes about his life. The stories are to give his son all he thinks he should know! He frequently repeats that no matter what, he has always done his best, and obviously loves his family a great deal. A quick and worthwhile read, giving the reader an insight to the man that writes such great novels.

This small book is full of beautiful moments, words of wisdom, and hilarious truths. I am being totally honest when I say this even though I am a woman who has two daughters and no sons. You don't have to be a father to read this book. I just love this man's writing and plan on picking up this book and others of his.

Another wonderful book by Fredrik Backman. I am neither a father, nor a parent, but it was touching nonetheless. And of course it has great humour and language in it. It's also interesting to see insight into his personal life and see how his quirky personality shows in his work.

*Sigh.*

I am one of Mr. Backman's biggest fans. Even those books of his that aren't my all-time favourites, still hold a special place on my bookshelf and in my soul. So it's very difficult for me to say that I did not like this book very much.

I really adore the concept of this book: a collection of essays and other tidbits that Backman has written to his young son. Some of the anecdotes included within are certainly amusing. I really enjoyed the quick notes between the longer essays.

But I struggled with several of the essays. Some meandered on a bit long, and some got a bit too emphatic. At times I felt like I was stuck in an uncomfortable conversation with a friend of a friend of a friend where anything either of you says just gets taken the wrong way.

I'm fairly certain my lack of enjoyment in places had a lot more to do with the translation of this book than the original essays themselves. Some phrases were just very "off" or didn't really even make sense. I'm not sure if those were decisions made by the translator, or if this shorter material didn't lend itself as well to holistic translation as Backman's novels.

Regardless, I'm left trying to rate something that was, at best, hit and miss for me. And that's bitterly disappointing for me to say about one of my favourite authors. :(

I would probably give this 2 stars, but the brief bits between essays were very charming and redeemed a lot, so my final verdict is 2.5 stars rounded up to 3.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for providing me with a DRC of this book.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.
Before I start, I should mention that Fredrik Backman is one of my favourite authors and that I went into this book with high expectations. Things My Son Needs to Know About the World is a collection of essays and lessons that Backman wants to pass on to his infant son. It’s quick, witty, insightful, and heartfelt, and it had me smiling from beginning to end.

My favourite thing about this book is that it was hilarious. I read part of this book at a coffee shop, and I’m sure people were staring at me, wondering why I was quietly giggling to myself. The essay titled What You Need to Know About IKEA was one of the funniest things I’ve read in a while, but it was also one of the sweetest and heartfelt things I’ve read in a while. I also found the short sections between essays to be laugh-out-loud funny, and I especially enjoyed the dialogue that Backman had with his wife.

The other thing I loved about this book is how insightful and heartfelt it was. Underneath all of the humour and jokes is a father who is doing his best to be the best father he can be. One of the major themes of this book is love: loving your child, loving your significant other, and loving your friends. This book is a reminder of the important things in life: standing up for what you believe in, having friends who will be there for you, and that stuff isn’t more important than people.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. I think it was funny and full of important lessons that everyone can appreciate.

What a great book! It's might be an excellent book for parents to be, but it's also a fantastic book for everyone (yeah, even if you don't have kids).

Fredrik Backman wrote a book to his son, teaching him all he absolutely HAS to know about the really important stuff, Ikea for example, and he does that with such a great talent and sense of humor!

He writes about relationships (and what you can tell about a couple with just watching them arguing in Ikea), pop culture (OMG the "Lost" reference took me by surprise and was so awesome!), being a real man, social media, stupid people at the airport, alcohol, how to treat others (the chapter about wrestling was just fantastic), what not to do or say in public when you're with your toddler, friends and even love.

Each chapter is teaching his son about the world and the father about his mistakes and success and between the chapters we get a glimpse to the day to day life of a married couple with a new child and it's oh so funny.

I loved the book and enjoyed every second it (and laughed out loud too many times in public).

This is a must read for any new parent. Heck any parent at all. It will have you laughing out loud. This would make a great gift for mothers/ Father’s Day

This was such an enjoyable and relatable book of essays. I read it in less than 24 hours and I can’t tell you how many times I laughed out loud! Parents should definitely read this one.

A must read for any new parent. Will have you in stitches . Pick up a copy for newDads for Fathers Day. The perfect gift.

Haven’t been disappointed with anything I’ve read by this author yet, and this was just a poignant and sometimes funny collection of anecdotes and advice, lovingly shared from a father to his son.

Things my son needs to know about the world by Fredrik Backman has a publication date of April 30th 2019

Things my son needs to know about the world is a super fun creative book. Fredrick talks about issues and life experiences he thinks his son needs to learn and  understand in order to grow up in the world we live in today. I thought it was clever and cute and very humorous. I found myself, as a mother being able to relate to the topics he choose to include. It was a super quick read that i suggest any parent wanting some humor about  parenting should read.  I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Backman without doubt deserves 4🌟 for this one



I would like to thank simon and Schuster canada and netgalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review


You can also find my review on instagram as of april 26th 2019 www.instagram.com/teatime_with_a_book and goodreads www.goodreads.com/teatime_with_a_book

With his telltale blend of wry humour and droll wit, Backman tackles all manner of issues and advice to his young son in this heartwarming, comical read.

Whether you agree with all the author’s philosophies on life or not, you are sure to appreciate the authentic and self-deprecating account of the wild and wonderful world of parenthood. (It involves a lot of poop…) Beautiful and amusing anecdotes ooze love for wife and child while sardonic commentary balances the overly sweet.

Ultimately, the author manages to convey his desire for his child to one – be a better person than he is, and two – know he’s loved unconditionally… just like the best of us as parents wish for our children.

I received a complimentary copy of this title via NetGalley with thanks to the author and publisher. All opinions expressed are my own.

Surprisingly honest and wicked funny; Backman has done it again.
 
Things My Son Needs to Know About the World provides clever insight into the author himself; the man behind the pen if you will. It's not often that readers get a glimpse into the personal lives of fiction authors. Fredrik manages to make you want to grab a beer and hotdog with him while simultaneously brining his signature wicked wit.
 
I don’t typically read anthologies, and was expecting a series of short stores; I wasn't expecting the essay format, but found it extremely easy to read and easy to follow along with. Throughout the book, Backman sprinkles everything from how to make a heart attack inducing sandwiches to praises for his wife, and most important: a clever IKEA survival guide we all need.  It doesn't hurt that each chapter begins with an adorable hand drawn doodle. This is definitely a book that will resonate well with new parents but has a nugget of wisdom for everyone.

This is a short humorous memoir about the early days of parenting that includes words of wisdom . It would make a great gift for parents, in particular new fathers. I found myself laughing out loud frequently as I read it. It is certainly a book I will recommend to friends and customers alike.

Probably 4.5 stars. Humorous and heartwarming. Beckman shares his experience wIth his son while attempting not to be too assertive. Strongly recommended.

I teach younger students so I wouldn't recommend to them; however, this was a wonderfully enjoyable and touching read. It was a perfect pick while fighting through writing my report cards!

Fredrik Backman can do no wrong in my eyes, and this book was so fun to read. I highlighted large parts of it and laughed out loud many times. His approach to talking about early parenthood is nothing short of hilarious and heartwarming. So grateful to have read this and looking forward to sharing it with many parents in the future.

I'm torn between a 3 and 4 star rating on this one. Things My Son Needs to Know about the World is sure to please Backman fans. And it even gives an interesting glimpse into the life of the man behind all of these popular books. The book is a love letter to his son and also to his wife and is a very light read. It is composed of numerous vignettes, some of them just a few lines long, that are often touching and/or humorous. The standouts are amazing (his story about being shot during a robbery), but many of them made me smile or chuckle and then hope that they'd end soon. I'll still look forward to reading other books by this author, though, as I loved Beartown and others by him.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and Simon & Schuster Canada for an opportunity to read an advance copy.

This book is short, sweet, and oh so charming. Things My Son Needs to Know About the World is Fredrik Backman’s open letter to his newborn son, made up essays offering life lessons and advice, with short anecdotes in between. It is equal parts humorous and heartwarming, and I found my eyes filling with tears on multiple occasions. I am not a parent, yet these essays spoke to me in a way that I didn’t expect (and if I become a parent someday, I will definitely read this book again – and make my partner read it too!). While I found it a bit repetitive at times, everything that I love about Backman’s fiction is present in this nonfiction collection, and I loved the glimpse into his personal life. His love for his wife and son shines through in this book, and he seems like such a caring, wonderful person who is willing to own up to his mistakes. I would recommend this book to new parents and to anyone who has been charmed by Backman’s previous work.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for providing me with an eARC of Things My Son Needs to Know About the World in exchange for an honest review.

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
To begin I have to admit: Fredrik Backman is my favourite author and I have never disliked anything that he has written!

That said, I have to say that I really enjoyed this little book. It is written in the form of a letter to his son that is divided into topics ranging from motion sensitive lights and Ikea to God, airports and (of course!) love.
What comes through everything is Backman’s immense love for his son and his wife. Fatherhood is truly a life changing experience for him and he wants to share his love and concern for his son in a concrete way—even if his son hates him for it as he gets older!

However, I think it is an interesting insight into his life and something I really appreciate. As with his fiction books, there are aspects that just seem to jump out at me at various times. For example—when I was at te airport waiting to have the baggage arrive—and people crossed over the yellow line, just to get closer! In Backman’s explanation, this is why we have wars! He is probably right. When what we want over powers the good of all, it can lead to conflict. But, Backman puts these little lessons into a much more approachable life lesson.

It may be written for his son. But I know that I laughed at times. I cried at times. And I certain felt the warm fuzzies when I put the book down at the end. Read it. You will be glad you did.