I apologize for the lateness of this post. It’s been a difficult month. But hopefully things will get back on track & to help with that, we’ll shorten our book suggestion & voting process to just 3 days each.
Ivor chose the country we’ll be reading next month. It’s perfect timing for those of us in the northern hemisphere since this country is often associated with the cold & winter.
Can you guess where we’re adventuring to based upon the following facts from Life in [Country]?
The world's most remote island is a territory of this land.
This country introduced salmon sushi to Japan. (Sushi is a Japanese invention, but salmon wasn’t used in it until this country suggested it in the 1980s.)
It’s capital city is nicknamed the City of Tigers or Tiger City.
The income & wealth of all its residents is on public record.
The world's longest tunnel—an astonishing 15 miles (24.5 km)—is located there & it cost 1 billion in its local currency to build (equal to around $110 million USD).
This country gave the world the cheese slicer.
The Brigadier of this country’s King's Guard is a Scottish penguin.
If you haven’t yet guessed the country, maybe you will if I note some more commonly known facts:
Europe's biggest herd of wild reindeer lives there.
Skiing was invented there.
This nation has won more medals than any other country at the Winter Olympic Games despite having little more than 5 million residents.
So what country are we reading next?
It’s Norway! Wondering why it’s capital city of Oslo has the nickname of the City of Tigers? In 1870, poet Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson described a fight between a horse & a tiger—the horse representing the safe countryside with the tiger being the cold & uninviting city. And if you’re curious about the knighted penguin who’s the Brigadier of the Norwegian King’s Guard, click here for the cute story & video.
While many think of Norway as being cold, that’s not what I think about when I hear Norway. Instead, my mind immediately goes to this gorgeous cookbook compiled by a native Norwegian. The baking is so creative & beautiful! I’m not a big baker, but this cookbook really inspired me & includes treats perfect for the December holidays.
“Hovland's striking debut brims with unique nature-inspired sweets... With its artful, moody aesthetic, this book will inspire cooks who love to bake and decorate.” —Library Journal
“Hovland draws ideas from nature to create a new approach to baking... Bakers looking to expand their repertoires will find provocative inspirations to get in the kitchen and fire up their ovens.” —Booklist
HAVE ANY BOOK SUGGESTIONS?
Just let us know your Norwegian suggestions by Sat., Nov. 28 11PM ET. (That’s NYC time. See it converted to your time below.)
You can comment with your suggestion below or in our online book club in Facebook.
We'll use 2 suggestions from book club members, 2 suggestions from Ivor (the moderator), 1 suggestion from Mia (the book club co-admin), & 1 of my suggestions to compile a list of 6 books on which book club members will provide their thoughts. The book judged as best from the list will then be read.
Please note - We're specific in our books, they must:
Largely occur in the location specified unless the world described is an alternate reality
Be written by an author born there who has spent a good portion of their life there
Exist in paperback & ebook available on both Amazon & Kindle at least in the US & hopefully elsewhere