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Title: The Little Book of Hygge: The Danish Way to Live Well
Author: Meik Wiking
Genre: Self Help
Audience: Adult
Format: Hardcover
My Synopsis:
Meik Wiking, CEO of Copenhagen-based Happiness Research Institute, outlines why Danes are some of the happiest people in the world. Covering topics from lighting to food, and including recipes and twelve must-have Christmas traditions, Wiking shares the concept of hygge (pronounced hoo-ga) with the rest of the world.
My Review:
The Little Book of Hygge was pleasant enough, but as an introvert, I found very little new information here. I try to maintain a cozy, welcoming home and I’ve always preferred low lighting. I love candles (although not to the extent that Danes apparently do), sweets, comfort food, and Christmas. My list of close friends is small but I try to see them every time I visit home. I’m apparently already living a hygge lifestyle.
The one idea that I really hope to incorporate when my husband and I stop traveling with his job is hosting a regular night for friends to come over. We tend to meet everyone at restaurants, which limits our time together. A game night or potluck is more personal. Well, it’s more hygge.
I found the book to be repetitive. I was truly tired of the word hygge and all its variations by the time I finished reading this. Every fifth word was hygge (that’s probably an exaggeration). Mr. Wiking frequently cross references his topics. Considering that it’s only 225 small pages with numerous illustrations, I found that curious. I read it in one sitting so there was absolutely no need to tell me that candles were mentioned on other pages every time they came up.
The book itself is a pleasure to hold. It’s just the right size to fit my hands, lightweight, with illustrations in a style that I can only describe as Scandinavian. I found myself just enjoying the feel of the paper.
The Little Book of Hygge does have good ideas and I recommend it for people who want to foster a slower, more cozy and intimate lifestyle. Since that’s already my preference, others, possibly extroverts, may find more new ideas to adopt than I did.
Purchase:
Buy The Little Book of Hygge: The Danish Way to Live Well from Malaprop’s Bookstore in Asheville, NC.
I have an affiliate relationship with Malaprop’s Bookstore/Cafe in beautiful Asheville, NC. I will earn a small commission at no additional cost to you if you purchase merchandise through links on my site.
Reading Challenge:
5 Comments
This might be a book that would have been better as an article.
“I’m apparently already living a hygge lifestyle.” 🙂 🙂 🙂
Just last night we were talking about how much my daughter enjoyed spending time in Denmark and their ranking as the “best” country to live in (if you’re a citizen). Too bad the book is repetative.
Sounds like a fun read but maybe not such new info for me. I love to read magazines like Flow and Bella Grace which are all about being mindful, taking care of yourself, etc.
This does sound like the kind of book that’s probably more useful for people who have no habits in common with it before they start reading. Though the idea of a regular night for friends to come over sounds nice. (Eventually.)