The Little Books of Hygge and Lykke by Meik Wiking

A couple of years ago the buzz word seemed to be happiness. How does one find it, or even feel it? Meik Wiking, the CEO of The Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen, took on the task of trying to explain happiness through a Danish perspective in his books ‘Hygge’ and ‘Lykke’. I chose to listen to the audiobooks, read by Wiking himself. It was a quick listen. It wasn’t bogged down by too much jargon or dense facts. It was explained in a simple down to earth way, helping the listener to realize that by taking simple steps happiness can be easily  achieved. Wiking’s personality definitely comes out in both books. It was like listening to a friend talk about his passions. To me, it doesn’t matter the order in which you read or listen to these books. I started with ‘Lykke’ and then moved on to ‘Hygge’. They both gave good reminders to be mindful and present in our everyday lives.

I recommend you read these two books if you want to bring a little happiness into your life, are looking for ways to create a closer community, or like to learn about different cultures.

Meghan McCabe

Youth Services Librarian

The Little Book of Hygge is available at the Langley Adams Library
The Little Book of Lykke is available on Libby in eBook and audio book format.