North

I have a huge love for Sweden/Scandinavia as a whole because of the huge differences between their culture and our typical British culture.

In North, I learnt there's actually a lot of differences between Norway and Sweden too in particular one shocking fact to me was that working in a coffee shop in Sweden pays £17 an hour!

There's Danish, Swedish and Norwegian cheat sheets on how to be more like them from language to style on you and in your home as well as recipies on traditional cuisine

The book layout is completed with select illustrations complementing the clean colour scheme of the book, along with astonishing photographs of their environments and cultural themes.

I really recommend this book if you also like Scandinavia or if you will be travelling that way especially.

Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!

Hygge is all the rage, but what about all that other Scandinavian stuff? Aurell presents a sly, snarky and downright funny book about living life the Scandinavian way, from ways to spend looong summer days and short bitter winter days, to how to dress, speak and feel, Aurell will have you laughing out loud “Do you know how to save a drowning Swede? No? Good.” My Scandinavian inlaws are getting a copy of this book!
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I really enjoyed this book. I've been obsessed with all things Danish lately and asked to read this advanced copy because it sounded interesting, about life in Scandinavia. The book delivered so much more than I thought. It was written brilliantly and with just enough tongue-in-cheek to make it an enjoyable but enlightening read. I'd recommend it if you want to learn more about Scandinavia, and about how people in Scandinavia seem each other and themselves.

I love this book. I have always been fascinated by Scandinavian simplicity and this book is all about it and more! You will find concepts like hygge or lagom discussed in detail and with a lot of wit. I really ejnoyed reading it and I'm definitely going to try most of the recipies included in the book. I do recommend!

This book has a little bit of everything and is enhanced with its wonderful illustrations. I want to go and experience it all for myself. It gives each country its own identity and highlights the differences between them with a bit of tongue and friendly rivalry. It would be a great book to read if you were planning a visit as there are lots of helpful hints and information for getting by. A lovely coffee table book to share. Thank you

I really enjoy this book, written in a easy style that makes you want to keep reading. The region that fall under the guise of Scandinavia is dissected for us and many myths broken - all in a fun way that make you want to read more and more, and to visit to see for yourself. I could not put it down very modern, very now and such fun

It's no secret among my friends that I am enamored of Scandinavia and the Nordic Union. From my obsession with Danish TV shows (Borgen, Forbrydelsen, Bron/Broen, etc), to the frequency of my trips to Norway, to my traveling all over at high latitudes in the coldest part of the year to see the Northern Lights (Iceland at -44 F wind chill, why sure!) it's clear I have a love of the Nordic. I was so excited to go to Helsinki for this past WorldCon that I booked my room a year in advance. Heck, I am learning Norwegian Rosemåling (Telemark style, though I'm quite fond of Hallingdal and Rogaland styles, too) in order to decorate an all wood three season room in my house. So yes, I love most Nordic and Scandinavia things and it's easy to see how I'd be drawn to this book. (If you want to know what I don't like, we can talk about whaling, especially the Faroe Islands' wholesale whale slaughter, and think twice before you click this link.)

Nørth is a playful introduction to Scandinavia (Norway, Sweden and Denmark and don't you dare lump in Finland or Iceland, okay?) Denmark is the smallest because they totally leave out the Inuit Danes of Greenland, which is obviously far larger than Norway and Sweden. (And this overlooking them is a problem that no doubt feels is all too accurate to the Greenlandic Inuit.) From the sleek clothing of Danes and Swedes to the crazy dishes like Flying Jacob (no really, Swedish Flyvende Jacob has cooked chicken, bacon, canned chopped tomatoes, cream, chili and curry powder topped with sliced bananas and salted peanuts, all baked in a casserole dish until the banana is brown) or the redoubtable Lutefisk (really, you're not missing much, I promise you). They do manage to leave out Fenalår (cured leg of lamb, a big Norwegian Christmas item), and hvalkjott (whale, probably left out for the obvious reasons of cultural controversy). There's the usual discussion of Salmiakki (salted licorice, which is really Finnish but is popular all throughout Scandinavia). Salmiakki is disgusting. You'll love it after you've tried it for about the 30th time. Maybe. Maybe not.

This book is filled with recipes, instructions and playful sideways satirical jabs at each of the three Scandinavian countries. From the OCD "it has to be white, all white," to the absolute gaucheness of taking a knife to a beautiful Danish cheese (you MUST use a slicer!) to the proper way to smörgåsbord and how to drink aquavit (probably just don't, okay?), this book covers many aspects of living, dressing and eating in Scandinavian culture. The quirky idioms will make you laugh and the Janteloven (Law of Jante) will give you insight into the Scandinavian psyche.

All in all a very enjoyable short introduction to Scandinavian culture!

Every year for the last several years there have been studies and polls which sample people from many countries in the world. The questions range from general (how happy you are) to specific things about health, general well being, satisfaction, wages, living, safety etc.

Every year the statistics have been compiled, the Scandinavian countries (or more generally speaking, northern Europe) have ranked highest.

This charming book by Brontë Aurell on Quarto Press' Aurum imprint
explores (in a very laid back and humorous and sweet manner), just why Scandinavians are so darned happy (but not smug).

The book is surprisingly comprehensive and does a fairly good job at pointing out some of the subtler differences between Danish, Swedish, Norwegian and other cultures. Obviously there are generalizations, no country is completely homogenized, there are regional differences, but it manages to cover the basics without being preachy, boring, or rude.

My personal journey is sort of a mirror image, I moved from the USA to Norway to study and work, and very many of the things she explains in the book, I wish I'd known when I moved here. I personally also found that sometimes the cultural differences (and there ARE some) are semi-hidden because nearly everyone in Scandinavia speaks English perfectly fluently, so when there are cultural misunderstandings, they can be difficult to pin down.

Anyhow, it's a fun book, a very relaxed and gently humorous book. The styles and crafts and food (MOST of the food), the breathtaking scenery and the wonderful friendly down-to-earth people are worth a visit (or a longer stay).

I know that I personally am so much happier living here and have never regretted it.

Stats: 224 pages, released 7th Sept 2017

Four stars

An Insider View of the Heart and Soul of Scandinavia:
This book brings up a lot of good memories for me. In my twenties I travelled with a friend to Norway and spent about three weeks travelling from Hytte to Hytte, having a wonderful time along the rugged coast between Kristiansand and Bergen. At that time we had a taste of the brown cheese Bronte describes in her book. We ate it on crisp bread. Had we known it goes well with waffles, we surely would have tried that. We also witnessed the Norwegians' love of hiking when we hiked up to Preikestolen, a steep cliff with a breathtaking view of the Lysefjorden. I have never seen families with little toddlers in tow, climb so fast and effortlessly over the rocky path to the top of the trail. Our travel also briefly took us through Denmark and Sweden, and I still remember the freshly prepared porridge we were offered for breakfast in a Swedish hostel. During our trip we saw a lot of places but never had the opportunity to meet local people and experience how they live and see the world. Bronte closes this gap for me by describing their way of life with a lot of refreshing humor and she makes me fall in love all over again with the Scandinavian countries.

Traveling to a Scandinavian country? Heading to Ikea? Wondering what is up with all the hygge? North explains all things Scandi in a hilarious way that shows a love for her homeland and a great joy for her roots. Beautiful photography and snappy writing make this a book you will pick up over and over then call a travel agent to book your trip.
I loved the book so much we are also ordering the cookbooks.

This book was a lot of fun. It is a tongue in cheek look at the lives of Scandinavians. It starts of telling you who is and who is not Scandinavians, when and why to call whom what. Then how to look like a Norwegian, look like to came from Copenhagen. Its stereotypes that are used to get a laugh, but also show what things are like in the north.

Nørth: How to Live Scandinavian by Brontë Aurell is a fun introduction to Scandinavia.  This book is filled with recipes, instructions and playful sideways satirical jabs at each of the three Scandinavian countries. From the OCD "it has to be white, all white," to the absolute gaucheness of taking a knife to a beautiful Danish cheese, use a slicer is proper and easier, to the proper way to smörgåsbord and how to drink aquavit, this book covers many aspects of living, dressing and eating in Scandinavian culture. The quirky idioms will make you laugh and the Janteloven (Law of Jante) will give you insight into the Scandinavian psyche.

I was excited to read this book. I lived for a year in Denmark and the year impacted the way I live my life. I knew Denmark and Danes impacted my life greatly but this book helped me realized just how much. 

I highly recommend this book to people who want to learn about Scandinavian culture, or are Scandinavian. 

I received this book from NetGalley via Quarto Publishing Group - Aurum Press and Aurum Press Ltd in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoy reading cultural books. I'd like to think that they help to make the world feel just a little bit smaller, and a little more connected. Surprisingly enough, I don't think I've ever read a book on Scandinavia. This is weird, because I have a strong love of Norway. Also, because growing up around the American Northern Midwest, you grow up with some familiar Scandinavian words and customs. (I'm looking at you, Minnesota and Wisconsin!)

This book is divided into smaller sections that include: What is Scandinavia?, Style, At the Table, Life Outside, Family Life, Culture, and Celebrations.

I love the tone of this book. It's very playful. There's a lot of information here, about a lot of different places and countries and customs, but it never, even for one page, feels like a text book or a bland travel guide. The author has a fantastic sense of story telling that makes you feel like you're at the table with them, listening about their experiences. It has strong dashes of humor and there's jokes made at all of the countries' expense in turn.

This is a good crash course for the region. There's information about values and aesthetics and the differences between regions and countries. Perhaps my favorite part, this also includes recipes.

This is a lovely, quick read that will make you want to visit the area soon for yourself. The photos are gorgeous, the tone is clever, and there is just so much charm.

I received a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Among the plethora of titles about Scandinavia and happy, healthy, cozy lifestyles, this one stands. Besides the gorgeous photos and clear explanations of what makes each Scandinavian country different from the others, the author writes with a sly sense of humor. Want to know how to tell Danes and Swedes and Norwegians by their dress, their food, their lifestyle choices? Half-humorous, but also highly enlightening. A gem of a read.

This is a sassy little book that humorously describes the various Scandinavian cultures. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Swedish fashion, Norwegian cabin life (who knew that was a thing?) and Finnish food. Very fun read!