If Anxious People was your first Fredrik Backman novel, chances are you didn't just enjoy the story. You stayed for the people, the awkward conversations, quiet heartbreaks and the humour that appears exactly when things feel too heavy.

Backman has a rare way of writing ordinary people with extraordinary compassion. His stories are funny without trying too hard, emotional without feeling manipulative, and full of characters who slowly find their way back to each other.

If you're wondering where to go next, these three books are excellent choices.

Beartown

At first glance, Beartown looks like a novel about a small Swedish town obsessed with ice hockey. But don't let the sport fool you. Hockey is only the backdrop for a much bigger story about loyalty, ambition, friendship, family and what happens when an entire community is forced to confront an uncomfortable truth. The fate of the town becomes tied to its talented junior hockey team, until one shocking incident changes everything.

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If you loved how Anxious People explored different perspectives without judging its characters, you'll find something similar here. Backman doesn't divide people into heroes and villains. Instead, he shows how fear, pride and silence shape the choices people make.

This is a heavier read than Anxious People, but it is also one of Backman's most powerful. It asks difficult questions about community, accountability and the stories we tell ourselves to protect the people we love. Long after you've finished it, you'll probably still be thinking about its characters.

My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry

The story follows Elsa, a bright seven-year-old who often feels like she doesn't quite fit in. After her grandmother dies, Elsa is sent on an unusual journey, delivering letters that slowly reveal hidden stories about the people living around her. Along the way, fantasy and reality blend in a way that feels surprisingly natural.

Rather than relying on dramatic twists, the book gently uncovers the lives of its characters one layer at a time. What begins as a child's adventure gradually becomes a touching story about grief, forgiveness and the unexpected ways people carry one another through life.

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It's worth reading because it captures something Backman does exceptionally well: reminding us that everyone has a story we know nothing about.

A Man Called Ove

There is a reason this remains Backman's best-known novel. It introduces readers to Ove, a grumpy man who seems irritated by almost everything, from badly parked cars to noisy neighbours.

At first, he appears impossible to like. But as new neighbours enter his life and pieces of his past slowly come into view, you begin to understand the person behind the hard exterior.

The novel balances humour and heartbreak with remarkable ease. One moment you'll be laughing at Ove's stubbornness, and the next you'll find yourself unexpectedly emotional.

Like Anxious People, it explores loneliness, kindness and the surprising ways strangers can change each other's lives.

What makes this book so memorable is that it never asks you to feel sorry for its characters. Instead, it invites you to understand them. That's what makes Ove such an unforgettable protagonist.

Which one should you read first?

If you're looking for another emotional ensemble story, start with Beartown.

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If you want something comforting, imaginative and full of heart, go for My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry.

And if you're in the mood for a novel that perfectly balances humour with deep emotion, A Man Called Ove is hard to beat.