We are in the midst of fairly significant renovations in our house at the moment, and with tradesmen unblocking the fireplace in the living room and scrambling over the roof to fit a chimney, I’ve retreated upstairs and out of the way with my cat and The Little Book of Hygge for company.
Over the last couple of years, the Danish concept of hygge has taken the world by storm. Yet there has also been something of a backlash against it, with some criticizing it as xenophobic and the latest marketing ployΒ to sell mugs, rugs, all manner of knitwear and books on the subject.
While hygge is often synonymous with cosiness, especially during the colder and darker months of the year, Meik Wiking defines hygge as a feeling of safety, relaxation and contentment that can be found in any weather or season. For many of us who lead busy lives, part of the appeal of hygge is the chance to slow down, set aside our worries for a while and indulge in simple pleasures.
The Little Book of Hygge is packed with a mix of research and personal anecdotes, which makes this book better suited to dipping into every now and again than binge-reading. There are whole chapters devoted to candles and lighting, Christmas (the most hygge time of the year), a dictionary to help you work out your hygge from your hyggeligt, a few Danish recipes (though I was a little disappointed there were more recipes for meat than cake), and various other aspects of a hygge lifestyle. The presentation of the book is lovely with beautiful photos and illustrations generously scattered throughout.
With tradesmen thudding and thumping around above and below, it’s been hard to concentrate on reading, but The Little Book of Hygge left me imagining β and looking forward to β lots of hyggeligt moments once the renovations are complete, like sitting in the garden in the sunshine over the summer, huddling around board games with friends on rainy days, and reading in front of the fire on cold, winter nights. Have a lovely week.
I have this little book too and love it. Good luck with the renovating. Will be worth it in the end. π
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Thank you, it’s slowly starting to come together. π
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This is so random of me to write but I just came across your blog and I am so in love with it! You have created a really lovely website here and I am so happy to have found it. I am going to follow you so I can keep up to date with all of your wonderful posts, keep up the great work!
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Thank you so much, your lovely comment made my day. βΊοΈ I’m always on the lookout for new books to read ( even though I have a ridiculous number of unread books on my shelves) so I’ll be sure to read your reviews.
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Hi! This is a great review of a fantastic little book. I had a quick look over your blog and its great! Im looking forward to more posts π
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Thank you for your kind comments. π Hope your home renovations are going well!
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I am planning on ordering this book when I get paid at the end of the week. Been reading a lot of great reviews π Thank you for sharing!
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Thanks. It’s a great book, hope you enjoy it. π
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I loooooove this book! Have you read ‘The Little Book of Lykke’?
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Not yet, but itβs on my list! Is it good?
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Yeah it’s just gorgeous and it’s by the same author. It’s a really lovely series of books. I like how well they are illustrated too-I loooove them!
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