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Best Books About Denmark

Explore the charm and complexities of Denmark with these critically acclaimed books. Each title sheds light on Danish culture, history, and lifestyle, standing out on multiple top reading lists for their authentic representation and engaging storytelling.

Recommendations from 23 articles, David Heinemeier Hansson, Shauna Niequist, Brianne Kimmel.
37 books on the list
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The Little Book of Hygge book cover
The Little Book of Hygge
Danish Secrets to Happy Living (The Happiness Institute Series)
Meik Wiking - 2016-11-16
Goodreads Rating
Discover the Danish concept of Hygge and bring more comfort, togetherness, and well-being into your life with this New York Times Bestselling guide. Meik Wiking, CEO of the Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen, explains that Hygge is about creating an atmosphere and experience that brings a feeling of home and safety. The Little Book of Hygge offers tips on how to get cozy, connect with loved ones, and enjoy the simple things in life. Learn how to turn off your phone, bring out the candles, and indulge in comfort food. Experience more joy and contentment the Danish way with this definitive guide to Hygge.
The Year of Living Danishly book cover
The Year of Living Danishly
Uncovering the Secrets of the World's Happiest Country
Helen Russell - 2015-05-19
Goodreads Rating
Discover the secrets to the happiness that Denmark is known for in "The Year of Living Danishly." Follow author Helen Russell as she moves to rural Jutland and learns where the Danes get it right (and wrong). With a focus on living a little more Danishly, readers can learn how to improve their own lives.
Recommended by
Shauna Niequist
Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow book cover
Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow
Peter Hoeg - 1995-10-01 (first published in 1992)
Goodreads Rating
A woman who reveres snow and science stumbles upon a devastating crime in the snowy streets of Copenhagen. When a young boy of her own Greenlandic heritage dies tragically, Smilla Jaspersen refuses to accept the police's accidental conclusion. With a path of clues clear as day in the snow, she sets off on a dangerous journey of discovery that will lead her back to her icy roots. Prepare for lies, violence, and a shocking secret lurking beneath the frozen surface.
Fairy Tales book cover
Fairy Tales
Hans Christian Andersen - 2006-03-28 (first published in 1835)
Goodreads Rating
Experience a collection of classic fairy tales that showcase the beauty and significance of the small and overlooked things. Hans Christian Andersen's tales are like exquisite jewels, composed in the vernacular and set in his own land and time, with loving descriptions of the Danish countryside. Explore stories like "The Little Mermaid," "The Ugly Duckling," and "The Snow Queen" that are grounded in reality and inspire gasps of recognition and delight.
How to Be Danish book cover
How to Be Danish
A Journey to the Cultural Heart of Denmark
Patrick Kingsley - 2014-02-04 (first published in 2012)
Goodreads Rating
Discover the fascinating world of Denmark through its culture, history, and famous icons. Follow author Patrick Kingsley as he takes you on a journey exploring everything from Lego to Shakespeare and Metallica, revealing the true essence of Danish life. From Borgen to The Killing, this book is a must-read for anyone interested in Danish culture.
We, the Drowned book cover
We, the Drowned
Carsten Jensen - 2011-02-09 (first published in 2006)
Goodreads Rating
This international bestseller tells a thrilling epic tale of the sea that goes beyond the typical seafaring genre. Following the port town of Marstal, Denmark from the mid-19th century to the end of WWII, the novel covers ships wrecked and blown up in wars, places of terror and violence, prophetic dreams, and miraculous survivals. A gripping saga of industrial growth, exploration, and the first half of the 20th century, We, the Drowned is a beautiful and unsparing novel that will keep you glued to the pages.
Out of Africa book cover
Out of Africa
Isak Dinesen - 1992-01-01 (first published in 1937)
Goodreads Rating
This captivating memoir takes readers on a journey through Isak Dinesen's time spent in Africa from 1914 to 1931. Managing a coffee plantation in Kenya after separating from her husband, Dinesen becomes enraptured by the African landscape and her lover - big-game hunter Denys Finch-Hatton. Through her storytelling abilities, she regales the natives with tales like Scheherazade and reflects on her adventures in what John Updike calls, "one of the most picturesque and flamboyant literary personalities of the century."
The Keeper of Lost Causes book cover
The Keeper of Lost Causes
The First Department Q Novel (A Department Q Novel)
Jussi Adler-Olsen - 2011-08-23 (first published in 2007)
Goodreads Rating
A troubled detective receives an unexpected promotion to head a department dedicated to solving unsolvable cases. With only old files as his company, he becomes fixated on a missing politician who may still be alive. The Keeper of Lost Causes is a darkly humorous and propulsive page-turner that is sure to captivate readers.
Countrymen book cover
Countrymen
The Untold Story of How Denmark's Jews Escaped the Nazis, of the Courage of Their Fellow Danes--and of the Extraordinary Role of the SS
Bo Lidegaard - 2013-09-17
Goodreads Rating
Countrymen is a remarkable and never-before-researched story of how the Danish people banded together to save their fellow Jews from the Nazis during World War II. This story of ordinary glory and moral fortitude is told through unpublished diaries and documents, offering a comprehensive overview of occupied Denmark's historical importance to Hitler as a prop for the model Nazi state. Courageously coming to aid, the Danish people stood up in defiance and resisted, making it possible for a small and fragile democracy to stand against the Third Reich.
The Almost Nearly Perfect People book cover
The Almost Nearly Perfect People
Behind the Myth of the Scandinavian Utopia
Michael Booth - 2014-01-01
Goodreads Rating
Explore the Nordic countries like never before with this fascinating book by Michael Booth. Frustrated by the rose-tinted view of Scandinavia, Booth embarks on a journey through all five countries to discover who these "curious tribes" are and what they really think about each other. From the secrets of their success to their quirks and foibles, Booth offers a nuanced and often darker picture of this region. Discover why the Danes are so happy, whether the Finns really have the best education system, and why all of them hate the Swedes.
Recommended by
Brianne Kimmel
We, The Drowned by Carsten Jensen by Jensen Carsten
The Boy in the Suitcase by Lene Kaaberbol
The Copenhagen Trilogy by Tove Ditlevsen
Fear and Trembling by Soren Kierkegaard
The Yellow Star by Carmen Agra Deedy
Copenhagen Food by Trine Hahnemann
Harboring Hope by Susan Hood
Complete Danish with Audio Disk by Bente Elsworth
DK Eyewitness Travel Guide Denmark by DK Eyewitness
Lonely Planet Pocket Copenhagen by Lonely Planet
Denmark - Culture Smart! by Mark Salmon, Culture Smart!
The Little Book of Lykke by Meik Wiking
Lonely Planet Denmark by Lonely Planet
Niels Lyhne by Jens Peter Jacobsen
Exile by Jakob Ejersbo
The Nordic Theory of Everything by Anu Partanen
Winter's Tales by Isak (Karen Blixen) Dinesen
So You Want to be a Viking by Georgia Amson-Bradshaw
Silence in October by Jens Christian Grondahl
The Fall of the King by Johannes Jensen
Det forsømte forår by Hans Scherfig
Baboon by Naja Marie Aidt
Top 35 Mistakes Danes Make in English by Kay Xander Mellish
One of Us Is Sleeping by Josefine Klougart
The Quiet Girl by Peter Høeg
Shadow Pictures by Hans Christian Andersen
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry