I really enjoyed the tone of this fun little book about Scandinavian countries. It's filled with photos and tidbits to help the reader understand the countries and their foods, personalities, customs and so on. I enjoyed reading the slightly tongue in cheek, actually interesting advice about everything from how to deal with the darkness to how to be more Danish to how to date a Scandinavian person to how to breakfast. The part about raising Scandi kids was fascinating and I appreciated that the author didn't say it was better than other countries, just different. Granted, I'm not from the region and I don't know very many people from any of these countries so I am no expert on the accuracy, but I found it to be a very enjoyable little read.

Temporary digital ARC provided by NetGalley.

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.

The cutesy, homey cover made me think this was going to be the kind of fluffy gift book you find on little displays near the bookstore checkout counter, full of whimsical little tidbits and lots of white space. Turns out that’s not the case at all- this is a veritable encyclopedia of Nordic life and all of its little quirks.

Once I started reading, my second impression was that this book would be a bit dry and/or that it was really meant more for Scandinavian people who would get all of the inside jokes.

Then I came across the concept of Fredagsmys and I got interested. Apparently Fredagsmsys can be loosely translated as “Friday cozy” and it’s practically the law in Sweden. Every Friday night, Swedes stay home, make tacos, eat chips and dip, and watch television together. I don’t like TV, but apparently board games are also acceptable, so we’re good.

Guess who has a new weekly tradition?

⮚ You should probably have some knowledge of life in the Nordic countries if you want any hope of understanding the jokes in this book. If you’re a complete Scandi beginner, a lot of stuff is going to go over your head.

⮚ This book would be a fantastic gift for anyone moving to Scandinavia, taking an extended trip there, doing a study abroad or student exchange, etc. Also a good gift for someone just heading to one of the Nordic countries on vacation as long as they really like to dig in deep and learn a lot about their destination before they travel. If they’re the type who doesn’t even glance through a Lonely Planet guide before their trip, this will be way too much information.

⮚ The Little Book of Scandi Living goes seriously in-depth on everything from how to slice cheese the proper Scandinavian way to understanding sauna culture to why having two duvets on the bed is better than one. I’m going to steal this idea, too. No more comforter tug-of-war in the middle of the night.

An expanded review will appear on my new website, launching in February 2020.

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.

I thought it was ok. Would make a good gift to a friend who is leaving to go and live in Scandinavia, otherwise I would not purchase for enjoyment. Page layout was a bit boring.