literature | Mama Cormier

…a book that all bookclubs should read

I loved the book Beartown so much that I went on to read the following two books in the series. Beartown is a book that can stand on it’s own but if you love the characters you’ll want to read more. The interesting thing about this book is that it is about a junior hockey team in northern Sweden and not something that I would gravitate to. I’m not a huge hockey fan but I do enjoy watching Olympic hockey.

The story involves flawed characters and a community who get caught up in their devotion to a hockey team. Unlike Backman’s more lovable characters in A Man Called Ove and Anxious People the people of Beartown reflect a more realistic community and how making a bad decision has negative consequences that can ruin people’s lives. Backman has the ability to write thoughtfully and make us feel empathy for his characters. The novel is full of suspense, conflict and passion for a game.

If you belong to a bookclub I can see some great discussions come from this novel. The pressure we put on our children to be the best, drinking underage, rape, the roles of women vs men, parenting, the importance of sport in our communities, social and cultural prejudices, and homophobia are just a few areas for discussion.

I loved all the books so much that I decided to draw a map of the two fictional towns, Hed and Beartown and the forest that separates them in northern Sweden. This is how I imagined the map. to look like.

6195-B6-F1-B767-408-B-B3-DC-E43-B181853-DE

C799732-E-9142-4-BC5-B3-A1-8-A39-D78-E15-BB

0-D5-AAE36-6-DD8-499-E-BEFB-A303463689-CE

A99339-E0-85-F7-406-C-B4-C7-854-C3-CDA647-D

….this week’s questions are all about the home

Thanks Cee for hosting this challenge.

Would you prefer a one floor house or multiple levels?

I currently live in a two story house. I think climbing stairs for the last 35 years has kept me fitter than many people my age but I do know people over 60 who would definitely prefer a one floor house. Arthritis, bad knees, hip replacements and poor circulation make stair climbing difficult. Fortunately I don’t suffer from any of these ailments. As I get older I often wonder if I’m going to have to give this place up because of the stairs.

If you have a TV, would you prefer the TV in the living room or another room?

We have purposely put the TV in a room other than the living room. When we have company we don’t want a TV to distract from stimulating conversation. I also like having a room where I can work or read in a quiet space without the noise from a TV.

When you leave a room, do you turn the lights off behind you or keep the lights on throughout your house most of the time? Explain your answer.

More and more I turn the lights off. When the kids lived at home we kept them on because everyone was on a different level of the house. Now we turn the lights off to save energy and money.

What’s your favorite room in your home?

My favourite room in the house is the living room. It’s the one room that’s always tidy and it’s where I like to read and work on my laptop. When we have company everyone gravitates to the kitchen. It’s the room most difficult to keep tidy because my husband loves to cook and bake and if I’m not right behind him cleaning it can get messy in a hurry. Luckily my girls are pretty good at cleaning when they come to visit but I like to make sure that the kitchen is somewhat presentable before they get here.

Bonus question: What are you grateful for from last week, and what are you looking forward to in the week coming up?

It’s been a tough week. We were over the moon with the news that my husband didn’t need the radioactive iodine treatment but a week later we found out that he needed to go for a biopsy on his lungs. The procedure took place today and I’m grateful that it went smoothly and without any complications. Now we wait again for the results.

This week I’m looking forward to a less stressful working environment and some down time at home. It’s definitely time for some art therapy and reading.