Team Bookends’ Guide to Bookish Hygge

So we imagine you’ve all noticed that the world has gone mad for Hygge over the past few months, and we’re sure some of you are still scratching your heads trying to figure out what this whole thing is really about? Well we’re here to help, and we’re here to suggest some bookish goodies that’ll help you Hygge up your life.

So firstly – you need to know the facts. Hygge is pronounced HUE-GAH – and it’s a Danish word that represents that feeling you get from taking pleasure in the ordinary things – the comfy, the cosy, making the every day things more meaningful and special.

That means when it comes to Bookish Hygge, we’re talking Christmas, Cakes and Cosy settings. We’re talking love stories, warmth and women’s fiction. So pop on the kettle and put your slippers on, as Team Bookends delve into some bookish Hygge…

There’s nothing better than a long country walk, kicking off your wellies and tucking in to a delicious roast on a Sunday afternoon. Who better to give you a few recipes than our Queen of baking, Mary Berry. Mary Berry’s Family Sunday Lunches has over 100 recipes for you to try, from a delicious belly of pork with apple sauce to delectable little lemon and lime cheesecakes. Just the tempting scent of roast potatoes is enough to have anyone thinking of home and cosy afternoons spent on the sofa after eating one too many Yorkshire puddings.

When it comes to getting cosy, there’s nothing that really hits the spot like snuggling down in front of a roaring wood fire, book in one hand, glass of vino in the other. Log fires are a joy to sit beside and to look at, transforming your sitting room into a haven of warmth and comfort when the weather outside is frightful! Yet one cannot achieve such bliss without the proper tools, and that is where the ultimate bookish companion to achieving your Hygge dream comes in – Norwegian Wood: the definitive guide to chopping, stacking, and drying wood – Scandinavian style! An absolute family favourite (because even if you don’t chop the wood yourself, you still get to sit by the fire) Norwegian Wood is an essential read this Christmas, whether you’re a seasoned woodcutter, or your passion is yet to be kindled.

When the nights draw in and the weather outside gets more dismal with each passing day towards December, all anyone wants to do is the curl up in front of a roaring fire with a good book. Enter TV show host-turned-novelist Graham Norton and Holding, a work complete with affecting characters, troubled lives and more than a healthy dose of humour. You’ll find yourself so absorbed by this masterful tale of loss, love and heartbreak, by the time you turn that last page, your roaring fire will be nothing but embers in the grate.