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France, Greece, Italy and even Australia on the other side of the world are some of the top visited places by Americans. The three Scandinavian countries, Denmark, Sweden and Iceland, less so for some reason. With these books about Scandinavia and books set in Scandinavia you will be itching to visit this part of the world in no time.

Well maybe the thrillers will make you think twice! As the Scandinavians are known for their Nordic noir crime fiction many of the best Scandinavian novels are thrillers. You might have trouble sleeping after reading them, but don’t fear, the countries themselves are some of the safest in the world.

Mystery and gore not for you? Not to worry this list of books about Scandinavia also includes memoirs and non-fiction books that may even tempt you to move to Denmark, Norway or Sweden. Contemporary fiction, science fiction, and historical fiction books set in Scandinavia round out this list.

For books set in the other two Nordic countries, head to my books about Iceland and Finland post.

Books About Scandinavia

The Almost Nearly Perfect People: Behind the Myth of The Scandinavian Utopia

Studies continue to show that the Nordic countries are fore-runners in everything from happiness to the most gender equal societies. Through living in Denmark Michael Booth didn’t quite understand how the country with horrible weather, angry cyclists and high taxes could top the happiest charts in study after study. In his non-fiction book The Almost Nearly Perfect People about Scandinavia, Iceland, and Finland he tries to uncover if Scandinavians are truly as perfect as the media presents.

Through separate sections on each of the five Nordic countries Booth focuses on different aspects of life that are believed to lead to the utopian life of the Nordic people. In general I felt the book was approached as a way to debunk the seemingly “perfect” life of the residents of these northern countries. At times it felt like Booth was quite skeptical and merely looking to prove the studies wrong, but with so many articles on the contrary I thought his perspective was interesting and informative.

While many novels set in Scandinavia are great reads, this book about Scandinavia will truly help you understand the culture, history and lifestyles of the often overlooked and under visited countries.

Books Set in Denmark

The Year of Living Danishly: My Twelve Months Unearthing the Secrets of the World’s Happiest Country

After reading Helen Russell’s memoir, The Year of Living Danishly I couldn’t wait to visit Denmark. After the chapter on eating danishes, I definitely wanted to pack up and move to Denmark.  

When Helen Russell’s husband lands a job with Lego in Jutland she moves with him and tries to uncover the secret to what makes the Danish so happy. Her book is divided into the 12 months of the year. Each month focuses on a different aspect of life in Denmark including child-rearing, food, Christmas and more. She uses her own observations, what she uncovers from foreign friends and experts in various fields to present why the Danes way of life is considered the happiest year after year in many research studies.

Whether you are thinking about moving to Denmark or simply want to visit the happiest place on earth, you will learn a lot about the Danish culture from this book about Denmark. I visited the country shortly after reading the memoir and I was surprised with all the information shared by tour guides and at museums that I already learned from the book. Not to mention Russell was spot on about how good the kanelsnegles are in Denmark!

The Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Happy Living

By Rachita from Meander Wander

The Little Book of Hygge written by Meik Wiking is a good non-fiction lifestyle book about Denmark. Denmark ranks high in the happiness index and this book describes how through ‘hygge’. Hygge is about living better by living in the present, calmly and happily.

Wiking uses statistics, examples and photos to show how Danes live their daily lives and relax. She provides different ways the Danish people achieve this state of peace and happiness. Various examples of hygge and how they can be included in the reader’s life are given as well. Recipes and activities are included in the different ways to feel hygge every day.

If you are planning to visit Denmark and are wondering what the people are like there or if you simply want a glimpse into the life of a common Danish person, then you should check out The Little Book of Hygge. It is a fun and interesting read and imparts a lot of tips on how to be happy as well.

The Tenant

By Megan from Hey I’m Reading

The Tenant is a Danish thriller by Katrine Engberg set in Copenhagen that will not only have you on the edge of your seat but will also take you around the city. A young woman, Julie, is found brutally murdered in her apartment after her elderly neighbor stumbles over her body, literally. Intricate lines are carved into her face and Jeppe Korner and Annette Werner are set on the case. A link is quickly established with Esther de Laurenti, her landlady. Things get even weirder when Julie’s murder resembles the fictional murder in a book Esther de Laurenti is writing. The detectives have to dig into their twisted paths to find out the truth.

Some of the places mentioned in the book include the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, the Hotel Phoenix (which may not be real, but the Phoenix Copenhagen is), the National Museum of Denmark, the Christiansborg Palace, the Royal Danish Theater, the town of Sorvad, and the Jutland region. A quick trip is even made to the Faroe Islands. Even though it was a thriller, it made me want to go visit Denmark. This Danish novel is the perfect read for anyone that is interested in not-super-crazy thrillers, crime fiction, police procedurals, and Nordic noir.

Books Set in Norway

In Cod We Trust: Living the Norwegian Dream

Eric Dregni from Minnesota, USA receives a Fulbright Fellowship to live abroad in Norway for a year. At the same time he finds out his wife will be having a baby. In his memoir, In Cod We Trust he writes about what it is like to live and have a child in Trondheim, Norway. 

Dregni shares his hilarious experiences taking Norwegian lessons, trying the traditional foods and navigating daily life in Norway. One of my favorite parts was their washing machine fiasco. As someone who has spent a great deal of time abroad I could relate to the difficulties of all the day to day chores that need to be re-learned when abroad.

Details about the Norwegian healthcare system and how the locals raise children play a big role in the book. It is one of the best books about Norway to read before moving abroad or even before visiting.

Harry Hole Series

By Tom + Zi from Craving Adventure

You have probably heard about the Harry Hole series, written by bestselling writer Jo Nesbø. If you haven’t; they are a series of detective novels that take place in Norway. They tell the story of Harry Hole, a loose cannon and alcoholic detective for the Oslo police. So far twelve Harry Hole books have been released in the series, ten of which take place in and around Oslo, with the occasional sidestep to Bergen.

Apart from the immersive story of Harry Hole and the thrilling murder cases he works on that make these books so great, Jo Nesbø also excels in making the environments he writes about come to life. Just by reading these books you can imagine yourself walking through Oslo’s streets and wading through the snow in the surrounding forest. The places these stories take place are described in such vivid detail that after reading them you can almost draw out a map of Oslo yourself.

The Storm Sister

By Lara from The Best Travel Gifts

Storm Sister is the second book of the popular series The Seven Sisters by Lucinda Riley. The Seven Sisters are historical fiction books. Each book covers the story of one of the sisters d’Aplièse. The women were adopted as babies by an extremely rich man, called Pa Salt, yet none of them knows a lot about their adoptive father. Each book starts with the death of Pa Salt leaving each sister clues to help her trace back her heritage.

The first book covered the story of the eldest sister Maia. Storm Sister covers Ally’s story, the second eldest sister, and takes you back to Norway back in 1875. A large part of the book is set in Christiania (Oslo) and it’s a great way to learn about the music and opera history of Norway. Especially concerning the famous opera Peer Gynt by Edvard Grieg.

It’s a fantastically written book that combines true historical facts, love stories between fictional characters, the mystery of how Ally came to be adopted. Lastly, the entire Seven Sisters series is a complete mystery as to why and how Pa Salt adapted these girls and what kind of man he was.

The End of the Ocean

By Natalie from Voyage Scribe

The End of the Ocean by Maja Lunde tells a story taking place in the past, present and future, through the perspectives of two characters in two different moments of desperation.

Signe spent her whole life as an activist for the environment, starting with her childhood home in a village in Norway. We see flashbacks to her activist youth in that village, and we also see her in the present, as an old woman sailing from Norway with a mission of revenge. In 2041, David and his daughter flee a drought-plagued France, running north to find refuge in the “water countries,” or present-day Scandinavia.

The book not only portrays the importance of acting on protecting the environment, but it also paints a gorgeous image of the beauty of Norway’s nature—and presents a compelling reason to save it for future generations.

Books Set in Sweden

A Man Called Ove

By Tegan + Alex from Why Not Walk Travel Guides 

Swedish writer Fredrik Backman is a master of books that tug on your heartstrings, and A Man Called Ove is arguably one of the best examples. Backman’s inaugural novel centers around protagonist Ove, a 59-year-old widower who has largely lost the will to live after the death of his beloved wife. This manifests in a grumpy and curmudgeonly attitude towards everyone around him, which has estranged him from his community, as well as an intense devotion to rule-following, especially when it comes to the residents’ association regulations of his subdivision.

When a young family moves in next door, hitting his mailbox with their Uhaul, his orderly life is turned upside down, much to his initial dismay, but as the book progresses, the reader learns more about just how much of an impact Ove has had on his community, despite his reluctance.

Moving between tear-jerking, poignant passages and downright hilarious moments, A Man Called Ove is a really touching reflection on time, grief, loss, and how our lives touch those of everyone around us. Its suburban Swedish setting will make any Scandinavia-phile feel right at home.

Bear Town

If you are looking for books about Sweden Bear Town isn’t your best bet, but if you are looking for books set in Sweden that you won’t want to put down, then Bear Town is for you! Bear Town is another one of Fredrik Backman’s most popular novels about a small Swedish town’s hockey club. The town’s forest setting plays a big role in the story. Even though it is a fictional town that could be anywhere, the long winter days and the love of hockey fit in well with Sweden.  

If someone asked me if I wanted to read a book about hockey I would say no. While the book is all about hockey, it isn’t really about hockey at all. It is one of the most engaging books I have read in a long time due to the strong, yet flawed characters. I could have done without some of the language and teenage boy behavior, but the story line was excellent. A violent event happens and loyalties and sides are taken by the people of Bear Town. You won’t be able to finish the book without any strong feelings one way or another towards the characters and the town itself.

The citizens of Bear Town return in Us Against You in Backman’s next novel.

Millennium Trilogy

By Lavinia from Continent Hop

Some of the most popular Swedish crime novels are the Millennium trilogy books, written by journalist Stieg Larsson. Many might be aware of them due to their adaptation into movies. While Stieg planned for there to be a set of 10 novels, due to his sudden death only the three he completed before passing away were included in the Millennium trilogy.

All three books have journalist Mikael Blomkvist as the central character who in each of the three novels teams up with computer hacker Lisbeth Salander to solve various crimes and mysteries surrounding prominent personalities. The novels set in Sweden not only describe the nature and surroundings in Sweden but also include descriptions about the corruption and social life here.

The first book involves the disappearance of a wealthy personality, the second delves more into Lisbeth’s past and the third is about a secret group within the Swedish Security service.

The books are fast-paced, intriguing and even though they have the journalist as the central character, they mostly concentrate on Lisbeth who is a cult favorite both with readers and viewers of the movie due to her abilities and ‘Swedish wonder woman’ character.

There’s No Such Thing as Bad Weather

By Tori from Explore with Tori

There’s No Such Thing as Bad Weather is one of the most eye opening global parenting books. It aims to delve into one of the major differences between American and Swedish parenting: nature.

In her bestselling memoir, Linda Akeson McGurk, who is married to an American and had her children in the US, shares with readers why she returns to her home country of Sweden to raise her children. Among others, a major reason is feeling like the odd one out by walking her children to school or playing in a river. Why, she wonders, do American children shy away from rain, have such short recess breaks, and not ask to play outside?

Rather than fret about test scores, McGurk and other Scandinavian mothers feel exposure to nature will get their kids ahead. The author shares not only her experience, but an abundance of research to back up her claims, including lower risks of childhood obesity, eye problems, and behavior disorders.

In short, her solution to many childhood struggles is simple: adopt Scandinavian outdoor culture and spend more time in nature.

The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared

By Jessica from Postcards from Someplace

The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson follows the fantastical misadventures of Allan Karlsson.  As Allan is about to celebrate his 100th birthday at the nursing home in Sweden where he resides, he decides instead to escape out the window in search of a more exciting adventure.

His departure incites a flurry of activities (mostly criminal) involving newfound friends, an elephant, Never Again gang members and a suitcase filled with cash. The story alternates between centenarian Allan and young Allan, showcasing the protagonist’s multifaceted and whimsical ability to get out of farcical situations. 

Young Allan’s experience working in a dynamite factory takes him all over the world as he accidentally saves General Franco’s life in the Spanish Civil War, helps develop the atom bomb for his new best friend, Harry S. Truman, in the United States, fights Communists in China and offers to assist the Iranian Chief of Police in an assassination attempt again Winston Churchill. Jonasson really captures the amusing misfortunes and catastrophes that develop Allan’s life into one worth laughing about.

A Nearly Normal Family

By Alicia from Travels with the Crew

A Nearly Normal Family is a Swedish thriller written by M.T. Edvardsson. The story is of a typical Swedish family that is thrown into chaos when their 18-year old daughter is arrested and tried for murder. The man she is supposed to have killed seems to have no connection to this typical school girl.

The story is told from the father, the mother, and the daughter’s point of view which helps the suspense simmer along. Each version of events is told from a different point of view, making the reader unsure who is telling the truth.

This is a great book to read before you travel to Sweden! The author really delves into cultural responsibility and the Swedish legal system. Plus the book has all the hallmarks of a Scandinavian thriller but also deals with very relatable family issues.

Reading Scandinavian books is a great way to learn about living in and visiting Denmark, Norway and Sweden. Regardless of your go-to reading genre I hope you enjoy reading many of these books set in Scandinavian. 

More Books to Read

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EUROPE BASED

• Books about Iceland and Finland

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