Hygge: A Celebration of Simple Pleasures. Living the Danish Way

by Charlotte Abrahams

Candlelight is hygge; the smell of freshly brewed coffee is hygge; the feel of crisp, clean bed linen is hygge; dinner with friends is hygge. 'Hygge', pronounced 'hoo-ga', is a Danish philosophy that roughly translates to 'cosiness'. But it is so much more than that. It's a way of life that encourages us to be kinder to ourselves, to take pleasure in the modest, the mundane and the familiar. It is a celebration of the everyday, of sensual experiences rather then things. It's an entire attitude to life that results in Denmark regularly being voted one of the happiest countries in the world. So, with two divorces behind her and her 50th birthday rapidly approaching, journalist Charlotte Abrahams ponders whether it's hygge that's been missing from her life. Is it a philosophy we can all embrace? In a society where lifestyle trends tend to centre on deprivation - be it no sugar, no gluten, no possessions - what does cherishing yourself actually mean? And will it make her happy? In Hygge, Charlotte Abrahams weaves the history of hygge and its role in Danish culture with her own attempts, as an English woman, to embrace a more hygge life. In this beautifully written and stylishly designed book, she examines the impact this has on her home, her health, her relationships and, of course, her happiness. Light a candle, pour yourself a glass of wine, and get ready to enjoy your more hygge life.

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Lifestyle, Denmark

224 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 13, 2016

Reviews

[Nick Imrie · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is a non-exhaustive list of things I learnt about hygge and Charlotte Abrahams from reading the book Hygge by Charlotte Abrahams.

Hygge is Danish. Charlotte is not Danish.
Candlelight is very hygge. Charlotte doesn't like candles, they give her a migraine.
Enjoying what you eat is hygge. Charlotte lets herself eat toast and jam if she goes for a run first.
Charlotte's attempts to research hygge sex sadly turned up few results.
Because of their hygge culture, Danish people are very happy. Charlotte was disappointed when she visited Denmark and the people in the streets were not noticeably happier.
Copenhagen airport has parquet floors. Charlotte's hallway has a lime-green rubber floor.
Spending time with family is hygge. Charlotte has a boyfriend who does his own thing on Sundays.
Eating together is hygge. Charlotte used to throw big dinner parties with elaborate table decorations and carefully prepared meals, but since discovering hygge she's started doing stew.
Sharing responsibility is hygge. Charlotte likes cooking more than cleaning.
Kell Skött, Danish chef, told Charlotte that there is no hygge menu – hygge is a feeling. Charlotte suggests comfort food anyway.
Danish designers produce some very nice furniture for promoting a hygge atmosphere. Charlotte is a design journalist. Long descriptions of various chairs and tables are provided in the book, but only a few of them are pictured. Readers interested in seeing Danish modern furniture are advised to use the internet.

[Bettie · Rating 2 out of 5]

hah - just prompted to recall this pile of shit obvious life stance: precis is that if you make your house comfortable, folk are going to be happy.

[Kirsty · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Danish concept of 'hygge' (hoo-ga), developed in the eighteenth century as a 'deliberate attempt to create something' which was theirs alone, is such a lovely idea. There is no exact translation into English, but it essentially reflects the act of making oneself snug and content, particularly through Denmark's long, cold winters. As Abrahams writes, '... essentially hygge was conceived as a concept centred on refuge; on the home as a comforting sanctuary from the outside world and a safe place to withdraw to with your loved ones'. It is 'about gentle pleasure, and it acknowledges that we need to pay attention to our well-being'. The Danish adoption of the concept, and the fact that it is still heavily important within society, is something of which the nation are incredibly proud.

The core values of hygge are integral to Danish life, particularly with the eschewing of materialism and the embracing of the homemade or makeshift, but a contemporary twist has been built upon these firm foundations. Abrahams has decided, in her factual appreciation of Danish society, to adopt the concept of hygge into her own life, lived in Gloucestershire with two teenage sons. Like me, she has been to Copenhagen only once, but found it a welcoming place, with a fascinating, design-orientated culture.

I am thrilled to say that I have been practicing hygge for the entirety of my conscious life, though not until recent years did I apply this wondrous word to what I have been doing. I take time to notice everything; I like to look at and notice things that others tend to miss. I love to go on long walks, watch the flames dance in the fireplace, watch the colours change in the sky and the clouds morph into different shapes. I love to watch buds form in the springtime, lay back on a hammock with a good read during a sultry summer, crunch on autumn leaves with my boots, and crown a wonderfully chilly winter's day with a glass of mulled wine with my family. I am self-contented; I am more than happy with the person I am, and how I view the world.

I must admit that I wasn't as interested in the emphasis on designer pieces of furniture which Abrahams believe would suit a hyggelig lifestyle. Much of the book is lovely and well written, but the lists seemed a little unnecessary, and even a touch patronising in places. It gathers a good momentum, and is itself both a fascinating social study, and a very cosy read.

Hygge is an important book, particularly within the frantic modern world in which we live. If everyone read this, we would be kinder to one another. There would be less emphasis upon how many things we could buy, and more upon using things we already have. We would have more compassion; we would be more in peace, both within ourselves and within society.

[Bruce Gargoyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this title from Hachette Australia for review.

Ten Second Synopsis:
Hygge is the Danish concept of cosiness, of sheltering from the outside world and reveling in the simple things in everyday life. This book is a guide to the hygge mindset, from an outsider looking in, with a thorough explanation of hygge and what it is and isn't, and some suggestions as to how one might adopt hygge in small and meaningful ways.

Hygge is simple, hygge is person-centred, hygge is conscious enjoyment of things we find life-giving. Hygge dispenses with guilt and deprivation in favour of full enjoyment of an experience while it is happening. Given that this is a book exploring the Danish concept of comfort, cocooning and design that contributes to a happier life, I can only think that the author and publisher must consider it a success that I found the reading experience to be remarkably hyggelige indeed! Even the cover of the book, which features some delightfully tactile felt trees reflects the mindset that happiness involves enjoying the moment - and if the moment you are in currently involves reading a book, why not make that book inviting to hold, to physically demonstrate how a simple, everyday thing can be turned into something special and pleasurable?

Abrahams is an Englishwoman researching the concept and lifestyle of hygge and therefore is an outsider, looking in on a practice and mindset that is intrinsic to being Danish (it appears), yet foreign to the rest of us. In that respect, she has done a wonderful and accessible job in laying out the ideas behind hygge and its physical manifestations, given that we don't even have a word for the conceptual whole she is describing in the English language.

The book is divided into a series of sections relating to the different aspects of hygge, beginning with the people-centred design behind many Danish objects - from furniture to lampshades to public spaces - and moving on to ways in which hygge manifests in peoples' social connections and guilt-free indulgences. In between examples of the ways in which Danes create hygge in various situations are interludes in which Abrahams examines her own life and describes her attempts to make small changes here and there to bring about a cumulative and conscious experience of heightened happiness.

Given that the Danes experience weather that is practically polar opposite (literally, I suppose) from that found in Queensland, some parts of the book relating to cosiness and retreat from raging frost and snow seemed a bit unattainable for Australian climates (which is probably why Australians didn't come up with the concept of hygge), however Abrahams has done a great job of laying out the concept in a way that allows the reader to apply it to their own situation.

As I mentioned, reading the book - slowly, chapter by chapter - felt really hyggelig to me. Even though reading multiple books is something I do every day, I don't necessarily take the time to consciously note and enhance my reading experience if I happen to enjoy a book. Inspired by Abraham's small efforts, I ended up finishing this book while swinging in a hammock on the deck of a Queenslander, while jacarandas bloomed in front of me and a light breeze ruffled my stony ears. Hygge! Australian style!

[Sadia · Rating 1 out of 5]

I thoroughly, thoroughly, thoroughly despised this book. Definitely takes the cake for the worst book I have read this year. I picked up the book expecting what was in the title - A non-fiction book teaching me the basics of Hygge, which from some research I have done was something that I was very interested in learning more about. It seems to simplify the idea of what we need, truly need, to fuel our wellbeing. A minimalist view on happiness and contentment.

Instead I got some spiel on interior design (which in my opinion is quite a superficial look at joy and hygge) and a whole mother of a lot about the author's life, which could have been interesting, but just pissed me off 50 pages in because this book was in no way advertised as a memoir. I did not pick this book up to hear about the author's jam making, home styling or divorces. Moreover, I just did not get on with her writing style. She didn't explain what she learnt from her life experiences in terms of hyggelig. Her voice was distracting, confusing and by 100 pages in I gave up and began skimming. I did not want to spend anymore of my time labouring through every word, when it didn't feel like the effort was fruitful in teaching me anything or impacting me in any way.

I will say thought that it was an aesthetically pleasing book. The pictures were lovely to look at and the different page textures, colours and layout was executed very well. Overall a disaster of a read for me and what's even more upsetting is that it has coloured my view of hygge in a negative way - so now I have no interest in learning about it for the foreseeable future.

[Nihal Vrana · Rating 3 out of 5]

True story: They dumped this book on me in a bookshop (together with that first Trump insider book) in Dublin; when you buy 50 Euros of books they slip in their overstocked stuff. So I learned about Hygge... I can't say I enjoyed it a lot, but I don't regret it either.

The book's design is very cool; that was Hyggelig alright. But whose idea was it to put that weird textured stuff on the cover; that was the most unhyggelig book experience ever!!! (at least for me); touching this book gave me shivers.

It has some insightful things about Hygge and Danish culture, some cool trivia, some great some not so great pictures. But it is all over the place a bit; it does not have structure. It is brutally honest and warm; she really poured her heart out. On the other hand, it is a bit too intimate (if my mom wrote a book like this, I would frown reading it and double frown when my friends talk to me about it... so mom, please don't).

I have been given worse things free... at least it is very easy on the eye; would make a very good coffee table decoration/icebreaker (What is "Hygge" (Any butchered pronunciation)? You: It is actually pronounced Hoggah (which sounds awful, but you can't fight with the reality)); and you take it from there; no more awkward silence.

[Emry Robinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good introduction to hygge as a concept. Would have really liked more bits from actual Danish people describing what hygge means to them. Well written though with beautiful photography. This book really is a thing of beauty which added to my enjoyment reading it.

[Ola · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hygge become quite a popular notion recently with books The Little Book of Hygge: The Danish Way to Live Well and Hygge: The Danish Art of Happiness populating bookstore's shelves. When I noticed this title on Nethalley I decided to try and read more about this. I think that I made wrong decision with starting reading about Hygge with this book. I hope those two other books I mentioned are better, and maybe I will give them a try.

The author of Hygge: A Celebration of Simple Pleasures. Living the Danish Way. is not Danish, nor does or did live in Denmark. She doesn't have anything in common with Danish culture, but the interest in Hygge. When I read that in the introduction in instantly made my uncomfortable and wary of the whole book.

The book is not so much about hygge, but about authors journey to living more hyggelig. The chapters tell her story of realization on how her house or her cooking or family life are hyggelig. It's more of her musing about how hygge she is, how she understands it, and how really it all just normal and simple and something everyone wants, but hygge just gives it all a name. We learn way too much about author's personal life, she keeps mentioning her divorces. It's was just boring and sometimes annoying to read the same thing again and again.

[Tracy Shephard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I both love and hate books such as this one.

They are lovely to look at, with beautiful and gorgeous ideas of how to make our lives perfect. The words and pictures give us an idyll, that if we achieve this perfection we will all be content and wholly satisfied with our lot.


But what it really does is make us look at our mundane boring lives and fill us with a horror that we will never reach such a high level of happiness.


Hygge, pronounced 'hoo-ga' is the Danish 'La Dolce Vita' the Italian 'Dolce far niente' and the English ' Oh my God. my life is so dull'.


With gorgeous pictures of beautiful furniture and wonderful ideas of how to achieve Hygge, Charlotte Abrahams has written a coffee table book that makes us wish for Winter so we can all snuggle with cozy blankets, sweet tea and delicious smelling candles.

I love it.


But..... and it might be just me, but having read this book and looking at my own home with it's battered sofa, and a hallway that needs re-painting, and realising that I cannot bake bread or that I do not have the inclination to de-clutter my endless pile of clothes that I haven't worn for the last two years,
I have come to the conclusion that my own type of Hygge is me, sitting in front of the TV, with a glass of cheap wine with my cat, and a take-away.


My life doesn't get more perfect than that and that makes me very happy. In my own very special way, I might have just achieved Hygge.

[Pres · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my First book on Hygge, which seems to become a trendy thing since last autumn. The book is more about how she comes to terms of Hygge and how she can practice in her life. It was more of her personal journey, written in an uninteresting and intermittent way. In the end I still had no idea why she divorced twice.

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

There’s been rather a lot of books published over the past few months devoted to the Danish concept known as hygge. Generally defined as “a feeling of cosy contentment” or "a form of everyday togetherness", hygge is very much the “It” lifestyle of the moment. Hygge was even voted as one of the top 10 words of the year for 2016 by Collins Dictionary . It makes sense: the past few years have been very tense, what with political sentiment swinging uncomfortably over to the right; beloved musicians, artists and actors dying seemingly daily; concerns about the environment, and terrorism, and fascism, and on and on. We all need a little comfort and happiness in our lives. Perhaps the coziness and simple pleasures of hygge are just what we need to offset the negativity in our lives?

That may be the case, and hygge might be a healthy, happy way of facing the world and maintaining balance in our hectic, pressured lives. But this book is not the introduction to hygge we need or deserve. For starters; as well-intentioned she may be; Charlotte Abrahams in not Danish. She has no danish roots or relatives, and has never lived in Denmark (she visited though for a couple of weeks). So, here we have a book about a fundamentally DAnish phenomenon, written by an outsider. This wouldn’t be so bad, I suppose, except that because she’s so very un-Danish, she lacks the innate, grew-up-with-it understanding of what, exactly, hygge is. What, for example, would be a hyggelige meal? She doesn't know, so she asks some Danes, who answer (this seems the stock response) "hygge is a feeling". So, back at square one, she makes some generalized assumptions and decides that a hyggelige meal would be comfort food. Which, honestly, is a conclusion I could have drawn from reading the Wikipedia entry for “hygge”.

Also, to be perfectly blunt: the book is less about hygge than it is about her coming to terms with being a twice-divorced, soon-to-be empty-nester, who is entering her 50s. And this would be fine, were this a memoir or a self-help book.I expected this to be a lifestyle book about; essentially; coziness, comfort, living and eating well, and having nice blankets (apparently), but what I got was Eat Pray Love for people who want to stay home and snuggle.
Honestly, I started to get a bit irritated when it took her discovering hygge to realize that you can throw a dinner party without slaving over "lamb three ways and deconstructed lemon tart". I can honestly say I’ve never been to a dinner party where someone served a deconstructed anything, but I’m willing to concede that some people feel the need to serve up elaborate and impressive meals when friends come over. But is this a requirement? And... do you really not know that there are other options, Charlotte? I started to suspect at this point that the author may be a little bit of an intense, type A overachiever.

It was at around the 51% mark that I truly began to despair of even finishing the book. A discussion about the hyggeligness of blended families devolved into airing her family’s dirty laundry. Honestly, I just wanted to read a nice book about a Danish lifestyle movement, not descriptions of how she threw her cell phone at her brother and her father hates her boyfriend and wait how old are these people? Seriously?

Shortly thereafter, she joins a running club (take note: joining clubs is another hyggeligte thing) and manages to annoy people by making an effort. She had "no idea that protocol demands that new members, particularly female ones, under- rather than overplayed their ability." Oh right, god forbid a woman should contravene their unspoken but somehow sacrosanct rule not to be any good at running. Is systematic sexism hyggelig? UGH. DOn’t worry, they’re all friends now. Except she doesn’t run with them any more because running to achieve (completing marathons, getting medals) isn’t hyggelig either.

Honestly I found this book infuriating. The “helpful” how-to sections basically just summarize everything that's come in the “all about Charlotte” sections before that, with headings to make it official. So I got to read things twice! Great use of my time. There was some genuinely interesting information – research about the nature of happiness (and why Denmark is considered to have one of the happiest societies in the world) information about Danish furniture design, people-centered architecture and city planning – but most of the content of the book was the author musing on herself, and how she was achieving hygge, or not, and what hygge meant to her, or how she assumed hygge worked, because mostly she was guessing. Honestly, there are so many books on hygge that there must be a really great one out there, but this book is just not for me.

Rules of hygge as far as I can tell from this book:

* Blankets, cosy ones not cheap ones.
* Candles and soft light.
* Expensive Danish furniture .
* Comfort food.
* Bland conversation.
* Cake.
* Everyone has to agree an occasion was hyggelig or it was not hyggelig. Si I guess If it's in a box and you don't open the box it is in a state of both hygge and unhygge. (Schroedinger's hygge).
* Clubs. Football or stamp collecting are suggested (Ugh, just how boring is Denmark?).

[Helen French · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable introduction to the world of hygge - the Danish word used to describe cosy and comforting surroundings or occasions or activities. Let's just say the author explains better than I can...

Abrahams is a British author intrigued by the hyggle lifestyle, who goes in search of the hygge aesthetic, what it is that makes the Danes particularly hyggelig, and how she can bring the idea into her own life.

She investigates the idea from the outsider's perspective, which is easy to understand and empathise with if, like me, you're not Danish. There are a number of books on this topic out there, and a part of me can't help but wonder why the publisher chose to print another one, by a writer initially unfamiliar with the idea. I guess it depends on whether you want a book by an expert or a newbie.

The text covers everything from furniture through to work/life balance to relationships to the weather to food and happy lie-ins.

For example, Abrahams presents a list of key designers you can shop for if you have the ££££. For me this section was somewhat irrelevant. I don't have the space or money to go shopping for new furniture.

Of more interest were the practical suggestions of hyggelig activities, of ways to self-indulge without writing it off as wasted time.

Of some interest were the sections looking at the Danish personality and culture in more detail and whether their relatively normal/high divorce rate was due to unhappiness, or actually couples realising when they're better off apart.

Of only a little interest were the author's anecdotes about her own divorces, being hygge while looking after her sons, or furnishing her new accommodation.

It all boils down to whether you need/want a book to tell you that there are benefits to being fully present in the moment, to having a bath, to going on a run without being competitive, to eating a meal at the table instead of rushed at your desk. This stuff IS obvious, but it is also worth repeating.

I'm glad I read Hygge, but I'm not sure I'd purchase again.

[Rosa So · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hygge (pronounced 'Hue-gah') is basically a life philosophy that is central to the Danish culture. It is about taking pleasures in the simple things in life, and prioritizing the idea of cherishing oneself. A hyggeling lifestyle permeates every aspect of daily living - from creating a cozy interior decor for a home, to choosing food that comforts and satisfies (mmm... Danish pastries), to the way hosts ought to organize dinner parties, to taking guilt-free breaks for spending quality time with family and friends. At the centre of Hygge is the concept that Hygge can't be rushed, and to enjoy Hygge properly one has to be fully present in the moment without distractions.

This book was a light and enjoyable read, and much of the ideas really jive with the way I view how we ought to have balance (another word that has gained popularity recently is 'harmony') in our lives, giving priorities to areas that we deem most important. To really embrace Hygge is to be intentional (as opposed to reactional) in all that we do. Long before contemporary terminologies like mental health, well-being and self-care became popular, the Danes have ingrained these concepts in their culture. I also found it interesting how the author weaves her own life experiences in to explain what did and did not work for her as she experimented adopting Hygge in her life. Recommended for reading if you love Scandinavian interior design, or if you're looking to restore some balance to your life in general.

[Frances · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t what I wanted. It’s about 30% about Hygge and 70% about Charlotte Abrahams and I really wish it had sold itself as that.

As a beautifully presented book about Abrahams’ life and how she likes to spend her time it’s quite interesting but it kept dropping in discussion about Hygge almost as an afterthought.

Abrahams is not Danish and hasn’t lived in Denmark and I know that’s not *essential* but I kept thinking ‘Well, I’ve been to Copenhagen and have read a lot about Hygge, how is this book going to provide me with something I couldn’t provide myself?’

I’m almost annoyed at the marketing on Abrahams’ behalf, because if this was sold as a book about a middle-aged woman adjusting to drastic life change through running, mindfulness and learning to appreciate time with her loved ones then it’s perfectly pleasant.

In my opinion, if you want a knockout Hygge book, read The Little Book of Hygge by Meik Wiking; if you want a book about an Englishwoman learning firsthand how to live in Denmark, read The Year of Living Danishly by Helen Russell; if you want to read about Design Journalist Charlotte Abrahams and how she learnt to find happiness and simplicity after stress and divorce, read this.

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel like the concept of 'Hygge' is everywhere at the moment: it's in the Sunday paper supplements, women's magazines and social media. But rather than just read the 'Top Ten ways to achieve Hygge' I was being offered, I thought I would dig a little deeper.
Denmark is repeatedly voted one of the happiest countries in the world, yet they experience really harsh winters – a season that I perpetually fear. So grasping that the main concept behind their 'hygge' way of life is cosiness, and that they seem to embrace the coldest season, I was really eager to see what I could learn.
Abrahams has researched the concept in huge detail and she conveys the key principles well. Not only are her insights well researched but she adds personal anecdotes as to how successfully she has been able to adapt them.
Ultimately there is no exact way to create 'hygge', but Abrahams breaks down the concept and explains how we can apply hygge to our own lives.
In truth, some parts were a little too in-depth for me. I can't afford some of the gorgeous Danish furniture that in discussed in detail in one chapter, and whilst I may have skim read some pages, on the whole I found this to be a thorough guide.
Do I still dread the winter? A little bit yes. But I also feel like I've learned a bit about how to mentally prepare myself for it and have even begun to create a positive to-do list/ winter bucket list, to help me embrace rather than fear it, and yes, all the things on the list are a clear display of hygge, so perhaps this will be my cosiest and happiest winter yet!

[Paula · Rating 2 out of 5]

Having heard so much mentioned about Hygge (Hoo-ga) recently, I thought it would be nice to find out a little more and tray and understand more about where it all comes from.

To be honest though I got a little bored reading this. There were some quite interesting sections and I have learnt a bit more about the Danish way of life and their skills at adopting a more cozy, comfortable, less keeping up with the Jones' way of life. But I also found much of it to be totally dull, unimportant and irrelevant!

Reading it on kindle didn't help as I didn't get to experience the nice images etc that other reviewers have mentioned.

Probably a bit to much personal detail on the writers own life.

I think I will stick to shorter magazine articles on 'How to be more Hygge' in the future!

[Charly Troff (JustaReadingMama) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the concept behind this book, for the most part. Hygge is basically feeling comfortable, which is good. The most interesting parts were when the author talked about happiness and the research on that rather than just Hygge. I also think that there may be too much emphasis on comfort for happiness (for example, Hygge says that if you want a piece of cake, to eat a piece of cake; having a treat sometimes is fine, but I also believe that to be happy, you should take care of your body and be healthy). I definitely got me thinking and gave me ideas for when I do want that feeling of safety and comfort.

[Ness · Rating 2 out of 5]

To be very blunt this felt less like a book about Hygge and more like a biography for someone who I had no interest in. Not a very enjoyable read but there were some helpful lists of places to buy danish furniture.

I think other people might like reading this but there are better books about Hygge out there than this one.
I received this as a gift, the actual book itself looks beautiful with the blues and oranges which is such a let down as it really invites you in to read it... so it's definitely a "don't judge a book by its cover" situation.

[H · Rating 2 out of 5]

While reading a bunch of hygge books recently, this was one I checked out from the local library. It is part memoir, part how-to. If you would like to see how consciously adapting a hygge-style life can enrich a person's life, read this. But if you would like a more concrete how-to, try How to Hygge: The Nordic Secrets to a Happy Life.

[Pablo Tomičić · Rating 3 out of 5]

For the people looking for a book explaining what Hygge is, this books is the exploration of the Author about Hygge from a foreign shore.
Explain various aspect of what Hygge is and that gives to the reader an idea of what the Danes might think of that. And for me it was a good way to learn about that.

What I don't like about the book was that the author repeat innumerable times her personal life, and that doesn't have anything related to the book.

[Caitlyn Robinson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hygge by Charlotte Abrahams was a highly anecdotal and prescriptive guide to hygge. For individuals seeking a broad overview of hygge Danish design and how one individual implemented hygge into their life, this book is for you. As someone who was hoping for a less prescriptive book that did not tell readers their activities either did or did not fit into hygge living, this book was not my favourite read. I have, however, found some take-homes, especially the extensive history of hygge design.

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun read as I knew little about the Danish concept of Hygge other than spotting these are the new coffee table books. It was interesting that this is by an English author and that she tried to apply the principles to her own life while sharing some facts and ideas about how the Danes make it work for them.

[Allyson Shaw · Rating 2 out of 5]

Candles and throws. Candles and throws. Danish Modern and candles and throws. Personal middle class rumination, with a bit of TMI. Happiness surveys. Wait, did I read the wrong book on Hygge? There are so many. This is the one the library had. Reading this checklist-book wasn’t really hygge at all, was it? Candles and throws and where to buy Danish modern, candles and throws.

[Sonia Bellhouse · Rating 2 out of 5]

In contrast to the previous book that I read on hygge this author is not Nordic but was interested in the concept of hygge. She concentrates far more on design and lighting and takes a more scholarly and idiosyncratic approach. The plentiful illustrations show the designs that she writes about. read more like a dissertation a treatise than a book to be enjoyed.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. A charming and simply introduction to Hygge and the little things we can do to make our lives a bit more 'hyygeling.' I particularly liked the author wasn't Danish, so you can get that outsider's perspective on hygge that a regular Dane probably couldn't give.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book but the constant referencing of other books and studies I found tedious. I thought the book was going to be more of how the author had incorporated hygge into her life and if she found any benefits to it.

[Stacey Golden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun warm and comforting. Perfect for a night in with an Ovaltine

Nicely written. Anyone with an interest in hygge will enjoy. Lots of nice little stories and real life applications to a non Danish person's life makes her very relatable

[Arlo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cool concept, I just didn't care for the "just trying to hit the word count" type of writing. Would have been a great short story! But unfortunately, it was just so drawn out and filled with unnecessary details that I found myself skimming most of it.

[Charlotte · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very cozy book. I enjoyed reading it, and it reminded me to be more content. However, I felt like it could have been 100 pages shorter.

[Karen Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored this book. Please read it. For anyone who needs to just sit down and rest. Read my review here http://bit.ly/2uMuJEm