Jimmy Fallon has selected My Friends, written by Fredrik Backman and translated by Neil Smith, as the latest pick for his book club.
Backman’s novel, published in May by Atria, follows Louisa, an 18-year-old woman who receives a painting from a dying artist and tries to track down the three people depicted in it. In a starred review, a critic for Kirkus called the novel “a tender and moving portrait about the transcendent power of art and friendship.”
Fallon announced the book’s selection on the Tonight Show, first displaying four books that viewers nominated for the club: Annie Harnett’s The Road to Tender Hearts; Sara Hamdan’s What Will People Think?; Katie Yee’s Maggie; or, A Man and a Woman Walk Into a Bar; and Janelle Brown’s What Kind of Paradise.
“These are great books,” Fallon said. “They’re on lists and everything.”
He then took out a metal briefcase with “T.S.” written in orange tape on it, similar to the one Taylor Swift used to reveal her latest album on the podcast New Heights on Wednesday. Fallon clarified that “T.S.” stood for “Tonight Show.”
“We’re all going to read this book together,” Fallon said. “I’ll be on Instagram letting you know where I’m at with the book and what I think so far.”
Previous books selected for Fallon’s book club include Tomi Adeyemi’s Children of Blood and Bone; Gabrielle Zevin’s Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow; and Tracy Sierra’s Nightwatching.
Michael Schaub is a contributing writer.
