Nookish No. 1

So, friends. Welcome to a new feature here at Tripping Over Books: Nookish. A little background for you: I’m obsessed with book nooks. Not libraries (although HELLO, LOVE THOSE). Not big fluffy beds that you read on (love those too). Book nooks. Little cubbies under the stairs, window seats, secret book lairs up ladders. I want to have a house made only of book nooks, that’s how much I love them. So I decided to highlight some awesome ones in a new feature. Awesome, right? I agree. But as I was looking for pictures, I found myself thinking of, essentially, THEMES. Like, this book nook reminds me of this book, whether because of the decor, the colors, the room around it. Cubbies under the stairs obviously remind me of Harry Potter, for example. When I smooshed these two things together, voila! Nookish was born.

I’m thinking that I’ll post a Nookish post once a month, and I’ll highlight a nook or two and the books that I think “go” best with that nook. Of course, I’ll explain myself.

So without further ado, the first Nookish is all about…the Nordic Nook.

For some reason, this nook reminds me of Scandinavia. I think it’s the combination of the wood and the stones and the patterns on the pillows. And the tree out the window looks like an evergreen, and evergreens remind me of cold/winter, and cold/winter reminds me of Scandinavia. (Even though the sun is clearly out in this picture and there isn’t any snow.) So I highlighted three books that encompass a few different genres that I’ve read and loved that incorporate Vikings, Scandinavia, and some Norse elements.

EAST by Edith Pattou | Have you guys ever read this one? It’s a really lovely retelling of the East of the Sun, West of the Moon folktale and it takes place–at least for a time–in parts of Scandinavia (can’t remember which, or if it’s even said). The bear is one of my FAVORITES ever. Highly recommend.

BURIAL RITES by Hannah Kent | I read this one with my On the Same Page gals last year and loved it. It’s the novelization of the true story of the last woman executed for murder in Iceland, Agnes. This nook especially reminds me of the badstofas from this book.

ICEFALL by Matthew J. Kirby | This is such a wonderful middle grade. I love it for so many reasons. One, Vikings. Two, mystery (but not a cheesy one). Three, Solveig. Four, it gets nicely meta when it talks about storytelling. Big, BIG fan of this.

Do you guys have any other books that you’d feel right at home reading in this nook? (Aside from all of them?) Share away!