"A Man Called Ove" Author to Headline May 14
Roswell Reads, in partnership with the City of Roswell and Bookmiser, will feature Fredrik Backman, the No. 1 New York Times bestselling author of “A Man Called Ove,” “Beartown,” “Anxious People” and several other works, May 14 in Roswell. Backman will discuss his new novel, “My Friends,” which will be released just eight days earlier. He will be in conversation with Mary Kay Andrews, New York Times bestselling author of 32 novels, including “Summers at the Saint” and “Bright Lights, Big Christmas.”
Roswell will be one of only 12 stops on Backman’s U.S. tour.
The event will be at 6:30 p.m. at the Roswell Presbyterian Church, 755 Mimosa Blvd., Roswell, GA. Two ticket prices are offered: $25 for general admission; or a $45 bundle that includes an autographed and/or personalized hardcover copy of “My Friends.” Backman’s appearance will kick off Roswell Reads’ 20th anniversary celebration with attendees invited to “Save a bundle, buy a bundle.” Backman and Andrews will be happy to sign books purchased at the event, which will include Backman's "My Friends" and Andrews' "Summers at the Saint" as well as their previously published titles. In consideration of the authors' schedules, books from home to be signed will be limited to one per person. No exceptions. Thank you for your understanding.
To purchase tickets click here.
Backman is a Swedish author, blogger and columnist whose other titles include “My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry,” “Britt-Marie was Here,” “Us Against You,” “The Winners,” two novellas and one work of nonfiction, “Things My Son Needs to Know About the World.”
Several of his novels have been adapted for big and small screens. “A Man Called Ove” inspired a 2015 Swedish film of the same name as well as a 2022 American movie titled “A Man Called Otto” starring Tom Hanks. In 2019, a Swedish film of “Britt-Marie Was Here” was released. “Beartown” became a five-episode HBO miniseries in 2020, and a Netflix miniseries was based on “Anxious People” in 2021.
Backman’s new book, “My Friends,” is an unforgettably funny, deeply moving tale of four teenagers whose friendship creates a bond so powerful that it changes a complete stranger’s life 25 years later. A stunning testament to the transformative, timeless power of friendship and art, Backman’s latest work is a reminder that happy endings don’t always take the form we expect.
MARY KAY ANDREWS is the New York Times bestselling author of 32 novels, the first of which, “Every Crooked Nanny,” was published in 1992 by HarperCollins. She went on to write 10 critically acclaimed mysteries under her real name, Kathy Hogan Trocheck. In 2002, she assumed the pen name Mary Kay Andrews with the publication of “Savannah Blues.” In 2006, “Hissy Fit” became her first New York Times bestseller, followed by 15 more New York Times, USA Today and Publisher’s Weekly bestsellers. To date, her novels have been published in German, Italian, Polish, Slovenian, Hungarian, Dutch, Czech and Japanese.
She and her family divide their time between Atlanta and Tybee Island, Ga., where they cook up new recipes in three restored beach homes, The Breeze Inn, Ebbtide, and Coquina Cottage—all named after fictional places in Mary Kay’s novels, and all available to rent through Tybee Vacation Rentals. In between cooking, spoiling her grandkids, and plotting her next novel, Mary Kay is an intrepid treasure hunter whose favorite pastime is junking and fixing up old houses.
Friends of the Roswell Library and Roswell Reads are honoring the memory of Darla McKenzie, our beloved volunteer, who passed away with her husband, Mike, on Jan. 28, 2025.
Darla served on the Roswell Reads Executive Committee as treasurer and secretary. She spearheaded Roswell Reads Book Discussion groups, provided counsel on contractual issues, and gave thoughtful input on video productions, finances, authors, books and more. Her passion for literature was boundless, and she was an active member of several book clubs.
Darla's lifelong love affair with books and reading was nothing short of magical. She felt that the ideas and words that flowed through the pages opened up endless possibilities. Every Christmas, her 30-plus nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews and other dear children eagerly anticipated discovering new worlds through the carefully chosen books she gifted.
To celebrate the life of Darla McKenzie, please consider a donation in her memory to Friends of the Roswell Library, to support the Roswell Reads program.
To donate:
*Click here to make a credit card donation
*Mail a check with this form to the Roswell Library
Friends of the Roswell Library
115 Norcross Street
Roswell, GA 30075
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2025
2025 - My Friends by Fredrik Backman
2024 - The Caretaker by Ron Rash
2024 - The Trackers by Charles Frazier
2023 - The River We Remember by William Kent Krueger
2022 - Horse by Geraldine Brooks
2022 - The Stolen Lady by Laura Morelli
2021 - The Dutch House by Ann Patchett
2020 - The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson
2019 - Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
2019 - Any book by Rick Bragg
2018 - Burial for a King by Rebecca Burns
2017 - The Underdogs by Melissa Fay Greene
2016 - What Stands in a Storm by Kim Cross
2015 - The Distance Between Us by Reyna Grande
2014 - Someone Else's Love Story by Joshilyn Jackson
2013 - Sweeping Up Glass by Carolyn Wall
2012 - Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin
2011 - My Name Is Mary Sutter by Robin Oliveira
2010 - Outcasts United: A Refugee Soccer Team, an American Town by Warren St. John
2009 - Them by Nathan McCall
2008 - The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards
2007 - The Valley of Light by Terry Kay
2006 - Rocket Boys by Homer Hickam
Roswell Reads promotes the value of reading, literacy, and lifelong learning. Through the shared community-wide experience of reading and discussing a common book, readers are able to collectively examine relevant issues, establish bonds, and forge a better understanding of their community and society.
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