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

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!

I don’t often think about the personal lives of authors of the books I read . Once in a while I get a glimpse of something from their life if they mention it in a note usually related to why they wrote that particular book. I’ve read a couple of memoirs by writers, but mostly they remain separate from their work for me. I try not to think about Fitzgerald or Hemingway, choosing to focus on their books that I love . With Fredrik Backman, this will be different.

I have been a fan of Fredrik Backman from when I read [book:A Man Called Ove|18774964]. Since then I have read every novel, novella or short story that he has written and that has been available in the US. One of the things I love most about [book:Beartown|33413128] and [book:Us Against You|36373463] is how he turns seemingly simple phrases and perfectly depicts unconditional parental love . This book is a perfect illustration of why he can so beautifully convey that in his fiction. This collection of essays with advice to his son about what it was like to become a father for the first time, the love, the care, the mistakes, things he wanted to impart to his son about “stuff”, about life, the everyday things like poop diapers as well as the big picture, but mostly about love. It actually reads like love letters to his son and also to his wife. It’s full of wisdom and humor, the reality of being a first time parent and it is full of so much love. I’ll read whatever he publishes, but I will have a hard time separating the man from his art and that’s fine with me. I love how he conveys who he is in the lovely book.

I read this practically in one sitting. It’s that addictive. I highly recommend it to Backman fans and anyone else who might be looking for a fantastic read that will definitely make you laugh, probably make you cry and give you some things to think about, both large and small in your own life.


I received this ARC was provided by Atria via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love this author! His way of writing is easy to read and flows nicely. This book was short and quick to read, but was really heartfelt and funny. I really enjoyed it!

Funny and touching. Backman reminds everyone that parenting is hard but worth it, and it's impossible to be a perfect parent, but the most important thing is to enjoy every minute of it.

Fredrik Backman has a way with words. This way manipulates the reader to feel all the feelings.
Things My Son Needs to Know about the World is exactly what I need in a book right now: humor, sweetness, love, and realism.
I'm a mom to two little girls (not boys). A lot of parents, including me, read a crap ton of parenting books. I have a few favorites. My favorites are real. They talk about the moments when we fail as parents.. I can relate to failures in parenting. Ha! Backman embraces the realism in such a comforting way. I feel like he's talking with me on the phone or next to me on the couch.
The heart behind the stories and lessons are exactly what I want for my daughters.
I absolutely adored this book. I can't wait for it to come out and share with all my parent friends/family and prospective parents.
I laughed, smiled and my heart warmed. This is the best parenting book I have ever read.
When my daughters get older, I'll smile and hand them this book and say, "Here, this explains everything."

I love Backman's writing in all of his previous books, and this one didn't disappoint. A great, quick read with little wisdom shots on parenting. This book hits home to me with a five year old, and expecting a baby in the next three weeks. There were moments when I thought "yep" because I agreed so strongly. Chapters on poop, mom being a superhero, pre-eating before attending a function, are all wonderful. Great book and highly recommend.

A little book with a lot of love-- it's pure Fredrik Backman. A bit autobiographical, you get little glimpses into his family life, and you can see where he gets some of his ideas for his books.

The much-loved author of the novels "A Man Called Ove" and "Beartown" has written this little book of essays dedicated to his son. Backman's typical conversational style of writing is present in this work of nonfiction. His blend of heart and humor is exactly why his books are so popular with such a wide audience. In this piece, Backman lays out his advice over 12 different lessons, including "What You Need to Know About Being a Man" and "What You Need to Know About IKEA". In between the lessons, he has these short anecdotes that are also hilarious and honestly relatable. In my reading of the book, I found it to be endearing and a potential great gift for any Father's Day. There were many laugh out loud sections and I felt like it could describe my husband's potential future parenting style. It was a great book to pick up and put down and I would recommend this book for anyone needing a few laughs. It wasn't the deepest of Backman's bibliography but I doubt it was intended to be.

This book is definitely cute and Backman has a fun sense of humor. However, it did get a bit tiring to always hear about “your mom” in a way that made her seem like a drag. He does express his lover for her but there are a lot of jokes made that include how she doesn’t understand this manly thing, or how she is so different from him. That part got old to me. I do think this would make a nice gift for a new dad - there is no doubt Backman loves his kids and has their best interests at heart.

Thank you to the publisher for providing this ARC through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

4.25 Stars* (rounded down)

Fredrik Backman - throughout every single essay in “Things My Son Needs to Know About the World” I felt your immense love for your son. It bursts forth like the air escaping out of a balloon: whoosh!! It’s mad, crazy, fabulous love.

Reading this, I laughed hysterically at times, where I felt my whole body convulsing with laughter and then there were moments, where I felt my eyes fill and I felt tears at the back of my throat and I knew that you had done it yet again.

My personal favorites:

“What you need to know about my expectations of you.” (Laugh, laugh, cry cry!). Utterly brilliant. Superpowers, right on! Professor X would be proud!

“Marked for Life” - So hysterically funny that I belted out laughing in public and had to put my head down to hide my face. Milk puke.. yeah, that’s good stuff right there.

“I’ll be wrong no matter what you do. That’s how it feels.” Good one. Enough Said.

“I’m not saying it’s the only reason I love her.” Pure perfection.

“Why it’s not worth arguing with your mother.” Lesson learned! Bawahaa!!!

“What you need to know about love.” Love. Just lots and lots of it.

As if I didn’t already love Fredrik Backman - “Things My Son Needs to Know About the World” - made me love him more. I sit here with a smile and a warm fuzzy feeling in my heart. Fredrik Backman, you bring feelings out of me every single time. Love it! I highly recommend this for those of you who are looking to feel “something” - whether you have kids or not.

A huge thank you to NetGalley, Atria and to Fredrik Backman for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Published on NetGalley and Goodreads on 3.3.19.
*Will be published on Twitter on release date. Excerpt to be published on Instagram.