Really nice book and ideas/topics about Scandinavia living. Greetings, celebrations, the countries and other things introduced to reader.

I love this book and I want to own it! If you have any interest in Hygge, IKEA, or anything Nordic and you have a sense of humor, then you too will enjoy this book.

Brontë Aurell has put everything you'd want to know about scandinavian culture in one book. Its perfect for anyone interested in the style of living or wants to visit the scandinavian countries.

I really wanted to read this book but unfortunately I had issues downloading the book. I was able to download it to my 9hone and laptop but then could not open the file for some reason. Such a shame as I was looking forward to this book.

Thank you anyway for providing me with an arc.

Thank you NetGalley and White Lion Publishing for the opportunity to read and give an honest review of this book.

I would have given this book 6 stars if it were possible! I laughed out loud all the way through it.

Even though I am a granddaughter of Swedish immigrants, we still keep many customs and traditions from the ‘old country’, as they called it. The Christmas traditions and foods were especially familiar to me. Our family continues these traditions with children and grand children.

The comparison between Denmark, Norway, and Sweden was very interesting. These countries don’t necessarily want to be perceived as one unit. They want to be seen as individual, with their own attributes and quirks.

The book covered: foods, traditions, clothing, climate, activities, hygge, and much more. It is an entertaining glimpse into what makes Scandinavian countries, culture, and people so interesting.

The Little Book of Scandi Living is a cute tongue-in-cheek ode to all things Scandinavian. Due out 11th Feb 2020 from Quarto on their White Lion imprint, it's 160 pages and will be available in hardcover format.

This is a cute gift type book for the Scandi fans or maybe someone planning a trip to the Nordic countries. It's not extremely fact heavy, it's funny, and it does manage to hit some of the high notes. There's a lot of light-hearted competition and sibling rivalry between Norway, Denmark, and Sweden and this book includes a lot of the highlights.

It's very generalised (Norwegians do X, Danes do Y, and Swedes do Zed). I don't think the author meant for it to be taken literally, but I have noticed some stereotypes are stereotypes because they have some real life correlations.

The chapters are arranged thematically: style, food culture and etiquette, outdoor and family life, culture, and celebration. The book is liberally peppered with cheerful illustrations and photos.

All in all it's a cheerful and sweet book which will appeal to world travelers, dreamers, and folks who are proud of their Scandinavian heritage.

Three and a half stars.

It's been interesting, informative, funny, and beatifully illustrated. Although, I would have prefered a book for every country located in the Scandinavian Peninsula, because, as the author points out, Scandinavian is a geographical definition, not a national one. Therefore, the Scandi living seems to me very general.

A fun little guide book to all things Scandinavia - from Food to Cultural quirks it has everything.

A fun read before you book tickets to Scandinavia.

3 stars for being witty

I like the book alright, it was a fun read for me who isn't a part of scandinavian society. I thought at first that it was gonna be more thoughtful (like Lagom or Hygge books), but it was funnier and actually educational.

A pleasure to read. I really liked the comedy in this book. It was interesting to read and beautifully presented.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

"Quick ways to annoy a Scandinavian person

1. Talk about Scandinavia as if it's one country. It's not. We're not. We are all friends but we are not one. Nobody inside Scandinavia would ever brand themselves 'Scandinavian'."

Do I have to explain why it's ironical to have this sentence in this book?

It was okay. That's all I have to say; it was okay. Very brief, each country would deserve a separate book.

An enjoyable stroll through the different Scandinavian traditions and methods of approaching clam and Hygga. The pictures evoke a calmness in the furnishings, foods and atmospheres of the Scandinavian landscapes. I thought I veered more towards Swedish style, but I found myself relating to Danish furnishings ;and the pastries. The photos are clear and beautifully composed. I will be dipping in and out of this book as I take on more ideas and customs in the pursuit of a calmer lifestyle.

Hmmm… I liked some sections of this, where you got a proper look at Scandi Christmas, or the traditions of Lent and Easter, etc. Some fun asides such as untranslatable Nordic idiom or words with no English equivalent serve the trivially minded, too. But too much of this was trivial, in that it was quite heinous stereotype, saying that all Danes are this, all Norwegians think that, and nobody ever does that whatsoever. Yeah, right. Of course, it's all supposed to be the honest truth, the word from the horse's mouth and so on, as it's written by an actual, you know, Scandi person, but I just don't find such cod-journalistic generalisations worth the time. One and a half stars.

PS The Japanese equivalent/sister volume seemed a lot more factual and less opinion, but there was a weird file bug that meant I couldn't even read it.

Inspired by “The Little Book of Japanese Living” to travel without leaving my seat, I finished this in one sitting.
Short chapters, dotted with some photos, makes it an easy read.
What exactly is Scandinavia? How do the three countries (yes, it’s only three, Finland is not officially in Scandinavia) differ? What do they have in common? And what do they think of each other?
Questions I didn’t even know I had have been answered.
Author Brontë Aurell jokes about the common stereotypes, the differences between the cultures and Sweden’s biggest export (apparently ten per cent of Europeans were conceived on an IKEA bed).
“Norwegians are born with skis on their feet. Uncomfortable for the mothers, but useful once they learn to stand up and navigate down snow-covered mountains. If you can't ski, don't move to Norway.”
A large portion of the book is reserved to Scandinavian food and eating habits, including the correct way to slice cheese and the brilliant (or not?) shop called Wine Monopoly.
But if you want to find out what it means to “swallow camels” or sliding on a prawn sandwich” then have a read yourself.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for allowing me to read and review this book.

Having some Norwegian heritage, I was interested in getting more information on what it means to be Scandinavian. This book was a fantastic way to enjoy, celebrate, and learn more about the region, including Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. It was fun to read about the traditions, festivities, food, and holidays of these countries.

I especially enjoyed the humor that was infused throughout the book, as it helped to make everything more readable and enlightening. Anyone who wants to know more about Scandinavian people should read and enjoy this book.

This book is adorable. With all the fuss about Hygge, I just had to check it out for myself. I will be adopting a more Scandi lifestyle!

The Little Book of Scandi Living by Bronte Aurell is a gem as the writing is witty while be educational. I painlessly learned about Scandinavian culture while reading Aurell's book. I also loved the gorgeous photos that accompanied the text.

Highly recommend.

Review written after downloading a galley from NetGalley.

This is quite a nice book for someone who is interested in Scandinavia, maybe already knows a bit of something but is a beginner at it. Or so I guess because it was a bit hard to tell what the intended audience is supposed to be. Some information was very very basic to the point where it was somewhat common knowledge (at least for Europeans) but there were also some cultural/social details that were mentioned briefly and not explained that I don't think many people already know. The problem is that the reader is assumed to already know what the "Helan går" song is, but the Christmas traditions, even those that are exactly the same in Europe for the most part, are explained in great detail, while it should probably be the other way around. There were also a few fact check issues for example with languages and a couple in mythology, which was weird for me because these are things that require very simple research. Other than that, I liked the humour and there were some new bits about Denmark and Norway that I enjoyed. Overall I would say the book is okay, but would benefit from editing and an additional fact check.

An enjoyable and informative experience that felt like a long chat getting to know a new friend. I have some experience with Scandi cultures from film, literature, and travel, so I easily got quite a few of the jokes, yet still this little book taught me so much more-- e.g., Bluetooth is named after a 10th century Viking named Harald Bluetooth (English translation, of course), and the symbol is the rune letters spelling his initials. I wish all nonfiction was this fun to read.

What a lovely idea and book! I loved everything about it: the magnificent and dainty pictures, the tongue-in-cheek humour (How to date a Scandinavian, How to wear a Norwergian jumper, Quick way to annoy a Scandinavian person...). I also loved the authenticity which we can feel permeates this little book, but also the cultural aspects, the recipes. I enjoyed reading about the customs and various aspects of life (family life...).Thank you Quarto Publishing group & Net Galley!
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