Fast, fun read and I'm ready to move to Denmark!
587871
My review isn't verified because I checked it out from my local public library.  That said, I LOVED this book, and I am not one to say that about many books.

I stumbled across this book when looking for books on hygge, and I am so glad that I did.  The book is written well, and with a lot of humor and heart.

Because I enjoyed this book so much, I have been scouring the internet for other things about the author, and just learned of her other book, which I plan on reading, too.

At this point, you know the story:  author and Legoman move to Denmark, where he goes to work for Lego.  She writes about their experience and breaks it out month by month with a list of top 5s at the end of each month.

I don't want to spoil any surprises, but it's a fun read, and I'm ready to move to Denmark.
4925660
I really enjoyed this smart, quirky story. Sanya has had a nervous breakdown and husband Harry thinks having her accompany him to Copenhagen for a company takeover might be good therapy. It may not turn out to be that simple. The couple is thrust into Danish high society where Sanya finds herself obsessing over a married bad boy who may have a lot in common with her. I found bits of myself in Sanya's character and I was rooting for her in the many dilemmas she found herself in. The writing was sharp and brilliant and I enjoyed learning about Copenhagen at the same time. Thank you to the author for the copy in exchange form honest review.
2881354
What an interesting collective read this has been!

I have been working up to the privilege of European travel and this set could not have come at a better time!  I have been able to develop a realistic basis of what to expect for my expenditures in book #1. The other two books are filled with how to extend the travel I so desire - being able to enjoy a little more luxury on a lot less buck!

There was one spot in the book where the author really impacted my head and heart - noting the need  of throwing yourself into what is different and exotic and exciting..is to distill yourself to your most basic and true elements.

Loved the title of one of the books  it will forever stay with me
Home is Wherever I'm Waking Up Tomorrow:  What a dream life!

Appreciate the efforts of this author, and recommend the read to others whose hearts are filled when they think about the joys of seeing just a bit more of the world.
3082207
This book was fast and fun to read. I liked it because it goes along with much of what I believe and helps to reinforce my way of thinking. The author has a great sense of humor and I would love to meet her someday...probably won't though since we live on opposite ends of the country and she has a 2-year plus waiting list. Says a lot about her though! :-)
1335752
I am working my way backward through the Pedersen oeuvre, having just read LAST CALL, BEGINNER'S LUCK, and GOING AWAY PARTY.  I thought this was going to be another novel, but SURPRISE, it is an account of Pedersen's adventures going to Wall Street back in 1983, the start of boom times.  She was only 18 and coming from a small town in upstate New York, a self-admitted hick, unable to find the stock exchange on her third day of work because it was raining and the flag wasn't flying.  The supervisor had never heard THAT excuse before.  Anyway, Pedersen is as light-hearted and charming in her nonfiction as in the novels.  She doesn't come off as being a child whiz kid, though I imagine you must be pretty smart to do what she did, but credits her phenomenal success more to being in the right place at the right time, getting up early, and loving the work, action, excitement.  Her coworkers are unbelievable and highly entertaining in their practical jokes and bizarre priorities.  For someone who has lived in Indiana her entire life (me), it was fun to read about leaving home for a big city right after high school graduation, something probably many of us dreamed of doing, but for whatever reason didn't.  This book reminded me why American is such a great country -- not so much because a teenage girl of divorced working class parents from a former steel town can strike it rich in just a few years, but because the young woman was able to make the opportunity for herself, no matter what happened after that.  Though I'm glad she took her money and ran, and am looking forward to the next novel, HEART'S DESIRE.  HOWEVER, if she wants to write another nonfiction book, I'd be happy to go along for the ride.  Pedersen has the great comic/storytelling gift of making getting up in the morning into something funny and interesting.  I read an essay she wrote about growing up with her mother (a nurse) on the Internet and it is laugh-out-loud funny.
1784446
A quick read filled with passion and makes me want to go listen to a Englishman talk!
1498003
I was lucky enough to have read It Happened In Florence, while I was in the early planning (read thinking) of a trip to Italy! It totally sold me that Florence was a must-see destination and booked my Italy trip straight away. Nita and Christa's book made me feel like a local on my first day in Florence. I'd heard of the cafes and restaurants, the markets, the museums and of course the shops and felt quite at home! It's a great read with some fabulous stories of Nita's escapades that anyone who loves Italy would enjoy, and anyone who's been an expat in a foreign land will no doubt relate to. A few of the snapshots were very moving accounts which brought tears to my eyes, and then the next one would have me laughing out loud! A great read and will make you wish it happened to you!
4321253
What I liked: 1) The premise - who wouldn't want someone to give them an all expenses paid scavenger hunt around Europe? 2) Ginny was meeting different people all along her trip, and even though these characters were only around for a little while, they were still memorable and well-developed. 3) Aunt Peg's letters. These letters were thoughtful and explained a lot about why Ginny was traveling to the places she was. 4) The descriptions - Ginny traveled to several places I've never been, but it was easy for me to imagine myself being there because everything was described so well. 5) Ginny learns a lot about herself over the course of her trip, including how to trust herself and have more confidence.

What I didn't like: 1) Some of it seemed a little...unbelievable. Ginny is a high school girl, not even a senior. Her parents seem to believe that her Aunt Peg was rather flighty, yet they agree to let Ginny follow this wild-goose chase around Europe without any cell phone or email communications with anyone stateside. I'm fairly certain that at age 26, my parents would still expect me to check in a few times.

Overall thoughts: This was a fun read that takes you on a scavenger hunt around Europe alongside Ginny and the friends she meets along the way. It's a pretty short read, but throughout the story you'll laugh, you'll be surprised, and you'll end up rooting for Ginny and Keith. It has a great message about learning who you are.
3583425
Tales of Iceland is hilarious, educational and makes you want to travel! I'm icelandic. I live on this beautiful island, and the book inspires me to get off my ass and explore all it has to offer.

Markley made a good effort to learn about Iceland and it's people. The way he describes it in his special, funny and twisted way is brilliant. I feel like he gets us.
It's full of great stories and the way Markley manages to take a very normal act, like drinking from a water bottle, and make it into a hilarious, laughing-out-loud scene, is awesome.

The book has it all and triggers the feeling where you appreciate life and it's many possibilities.
I recommend it with every bone in my body and I would definitely take these three friends with me on a trip around Iceland.
1039069
A fun, fast read. I loved the Cape Cod setting. The prologue does a great job framing the entire novel. I confess I'd love to hear more about Elizabeth and Christian's life in the 1840s. The story is tightly woven and each scene builds on the next one. I enjoyed Eila as a protagonist. The powers of the characters were really cool and I can't wait to learn more about them. The secondary characters were 3-D and I'd love to hang out with them again. The writing is smooth and made for a definite page turner. I love watching it all unfold and finding out the mystery of who and what Eila is.
3524440
I picked this up on day one but, as it often does, life got in the way. I'm happy to say I was able to finish it up during a 3 hour flight this past weekend!

The Ducal Detective is a great novella with a strong female lead that readers of any gender can relate to. The story starts a little slower than I would like, but the author does a wonderful job setting up the characters and locale. By the third/fourth chapter, the pace begins to accelerate, making it harder to put the book down. By the end, I was left wanting to learn more about the characters... lucky for me, the next book was just announced today!

I strongly suggest giving this a read - just try to finish it in a single sitting for maximum enjoyment!
1555011
I'm English, but this year went on holiday to the west-coast U.S.A. and Canada.  On the recommendation of an American friend, who went to Alaska for her holiday I purchased "Crow in Stolen Colors" from Amazon.com before I went(congratulations on the speedy delivery to the U.K. by the way).  I spent three days on the ferry on the Alaska Marine Highway and started reading this book as we sailed towards Wrangell - the real life setting for this mystery - perfect timing. I learned as much about the Tlingit culture from the book as I did from the lectures on board ship and was torn between watching the beautiful Alaskan scenery for real and reading Marcia Simpson's atmospheric descriptions of it and rapidly turning the pages to find out what happened next.  I quickly got to like her well-drawn main characters of Paul, "Lizzie" and, of course, the dog Sam, and immediately on my return purchased her second novel, "Sound Tracks", which I'm currently thoroughly enjoying.  While in Alaska I recommended her work to a local bookshop and have no hesitation in similarly recommending it to Amazon.com shoppers.
1276862
Motivated to read this because I overheard the author talking about her trip to Italy for research, everyone should be lucky to do this kind of research....
A little more than halfway through it and it's a read I want to get back to every evening to see what is going to happen next.
The book traveled from England in quicker than expected time and arrived in great shape.
The story hooks you pretty quickly, unfolding with each chapter a voice of one the characters.
A great summer beach read!
3982717
This book is the first in the Rebekka Franck murder-mystery series, and if it's anything to judge them by, it's going to be an awesome series! Set in Denmark, Rebekka is a journalist who's returned to her hometown after her marriage has broken down. Expecting nothing exciting to happen, she's taken aback when a gruesome murder happens - and gets some very interesting stories to write as a result, because the victim's a very unpleasant local rich man. But when more murders occur that are obviously linked, but which the detective in charge refuses to accept are anything more than individual incidents, she decides to investigate herself.
I enjoyed reading this book as it was an excellent murder-mystery with suspense-thriller elements. It's a bit gory in places, so definitely not suitable for younger readers, but not excessively so - it's all in keeping with the story, complimenting and enhancing it. I found the Danish locations and words a little tricky, but that's because I'm English and completely ignorant of all things Danish! When I looked up a Danish map it helped give me more of a visual understanding of where the action was taking place, so maybe having a basic map at the front of the book would help people like me! Otherwise, I'd highly recommend this book to people who like murder-mystery with a thriller-suspense twist, and would definitely read more books in this series in the future.
NB I received a complimentary copy of this book, but I always give an HONEST review based wholly on my own opinions
1828237
I listened to this CD on my trip from Massachusetts to Maryland, and from Maryland to New York State. The miles just flew by! I got into the story, which at first wasn't easy to do, because of the accent of the Danes, as well as life in and around Copenhagen, Denmark as subject matter, a place foreign to me. But the story took hold, and I was caught up into it.
The speaker did a great job bringing in men and women of various backgrounds, and supplying voices to them all!
But the story hold you, or it held me. Yes, there are parts which are too convenient, but that is true with any story of this ilk. The language was a bit rough, certainly not a CD for kids, but it is bearable.
Nice to learn about Danish life, social setting, and the like,
Truly a great story for a long trip!
3732008
I was so thrilled with Scandinavian Gatherings. I lived in Denmark for a time and have grown to love many of the Scandinavian traditions, not just the Danish ones, so I was glad that she took from a variety of them. There's a nice mix of DIY and recipes. Brava!
2207392
Amazing book about Scandinavia and Scandinavians. It's got to be "tongue-in-cheek" - written by an ex-pat Brit living in Denmark who has the ultimate, superior British attitude about other countries. He certainly did his research, but it always seems like the typical sour-gapes attitude of Brits about how other countries see themselves and how wrong they are. The last chapter seems a bit more lenient. Maybe he almost likes Scandinavia just a tad bit. Maybe.... Maybe not. Anyway, I bought the book and enjoyed underlining the atrociously hilarious comments. He forgot to mention that when a Dane butters her bread there has to more butter than the thickness of the bread.  :  )