5 Books I Keep Coming Back To
And there isn’t a Nietzsche, Kierkegaard, or a Proust in sight.
I love reading and will read anything as long as it’s well-written and engaging.
Once I read a book about topography even though I had absolutely no interest in the topic. (This was a while back and I can’t remember where I found this book, its title, who wrote it or really any finer details, but while reading it I found it fascinating.)
That some books make a much bigger impression on a person than others is a given.
Here I’ve tried to collect a list of five books which I turn to when I want that assuredness of diving into a world I know I’ll enjoy.
I know there are people out there who don’t read a book more than once, but I’m not one of them.
Sometimes I need to know I won’t be disappointed; that when I turn the first page, it’s like meeting a friend for a coffee and a chat at a café or sitting cosily under a warm blanket with a mug of tea next to me without any disturbances nearby. (These are just two of many examples of ‘hygge’ with a capital H! (Did I mention that I’m originally from Denmark?))
This is exactly what I get from the five books below:
Dina’s Book
by Herbjörg Wassmo
I received this book as a present when I turned 14 and it took me years before I managed to get past the first couple of pages. Now I’ve read it several times (as well as the other titles in the series about Dina).
It’s originally written in Norwegian which is somewhat close to Danish (which is the version I’ve read) and I would never attempt to read the English translation for fear of losing the intensity of the writing.
To me, the whole book almost reads like a poem. The prose is astonishingly lyrical and atmospheric and always takes my breath away. The main character of the story, Dina, is also mesmerising and one of the strongest female protagonists I’ve ever come across.
Can You Keep a Secret
by Sophie Kinsella
Since I came across the first book in the Shopaholic series by this author, I’ve tried to read every book she’s written. Some of them I’ve loved more than others, but this particular one is by far my favourite.
It’s hilarious, heartwarming, sweet, romantic and I so want to be her and meet him and go through everything they’re going through.
The Happiness Project
by Gretchen Rubin
The first time I read this book I was suffering from postnatal depression. I remember sitting in a café with my son sleeping soundly in his pram next to me, feeling buried under an avalanche of dark thoughts, guilt, hopelessness but still managing to feel some glimpses of hope for the future from reading this book.
I’ve since returned to this title countless times simply because I like Rubin’s writing.
She’s great at explaining and happily shares with the reader what she does to try to create happiness in her life.
Nynne’s Dagbog
by Annette Vestergaard, Henriette Lind, and Lotte Thorsen
This is kind of a Danish version of Bridget Jones’ Diary. (‘Dagbog’ is ‘diary’ in Danish.) It’s absolutely hilarious and like Bridget, you can’t help falling in love with Nynne.
When I’m feeling homesick, this is the book I sit down and read, as it has so many references to Denmark and what was going on there in the late 90s, early 00s, which is when it was written.
Save Karyn
by Karyn Bosnak
What fascinates me about this real-life story is the amount of money the author manages to spend even though she actually doesn’t have a penny to her name.
I’ve almost always stuck to my budget and think paying more than £100 on a pair of shoes is living dangerously, hence reading about someone who spends like there’s no tomorrow and has the ability to justify every purchase blows me away.
It’s also interesting to read about how she manages to get back on her feet after reality catches up with her.
