Bogormen

Title: Wavewalker: Breaking Free
Author: Suzanne Heywood
Genre: Memoir, non-fiction
Rating: 4/5
# pages: Audiobook ~13hrs
Date read: April 2024

‘A seven-year old girl on a seventy-foot yacht, for ten years, over fifty thousand miles of sailing. Wavewalker is the incredible true story of how the adventure of a lifetime became one child’s worst nightmare – and how her determination to educate herself enabled her to escape.

Aged just seven, Suzanne Heywood set sail with her parents and brother on a three-year voyage around the world. What followed turned instead into a decade-long way of life, through storms, shipwrecks, reefs and isolation, with little formal schooling. No one else knew where they were most of the time and no state showed any interest in what was happening to the children. Suzanne fought her parents, longing to return to England and to education and stability. This memoir covers her astonishing upbringing, a survival story of a child deprived of safety, friendships, schooling and occasionally drinking water…


Captivating read. I know Suzanne only presents one point of view of what happened, and I'd love to read her parents' take on things, because as presented here (and with a whole lot of armchair diagnosing) her parents come across as having borderline narcissistic tendencies. I am impressed by Suzanne's self-discipline, and her determination to study and get an education despite all the obstacles her parents threw in her way.

Title: Kongeord
Author: Jens Andersen
Genre: Non-fiction
Rating: 4/5
# pages: 109
Date read: January, 2024

"Forbundne, forpligtet, for Kongeriget Danmark" ("Connected, committed, for the Kingdom of Denmark"). King Frederik 10's motto, or "royal words" contain his personal visions for the kingship. In this book, Denmark's new king tells Jens Andersen about his thoughts and considerations behind the royal words.

About his relationship to the royal line, Danish history, Christianity and the commonwealth. About family, marriage and the journey through life – from a young, reluctant crown prince to a mature man, father and monarch.


Short, but well worth reading. It took me about an hour to read, and I enjoyed this insight into what King Frederik actually meant by his motto and why he chose the exact wording that he did. An interesting read, and it left me with a sense of ... pride? affection? can't find the exact right word for it... for our new king.

I especially enjoyed the last few pages on how he plans to follow up on his mother's legacy and which of her traditions he intends to make his own. That was lovely to read, and strengthened my opinion of him as "a man of the people".

Title: Undervejs: Erindringer fra 1940-1972
Author: Dronning Margrethe fortæller til Tom Buk-Swienty
Genre: Memoir, non-fiction
Rating: 4.5/5
# pages: 496
Date read: September, 2022

Hvem var den unge kvinde, som i sørgedragt en frysende kold dag i januar 1972 trådte ud på balkonen på Christiansborg Slot for at blive udråbt til Danmarks næste regent? Det spørgsmål har været omdrejningspunkt for 14 bevægende samtaler mellem Hendes Majestæt Dronning Margrethe og forfatteren Tom Buk-Swienty. Værket udgives i anledning af Dronningens 50-års regeringsjubilæum, men det er ikke regentperioden, der er værkets ærinde. Bogen handler om tiden, før Dronningen blev dronning.

Det er historien om at være barn af Besættelsen, om at vokse op i en familie, der kan føre anerne tilbage til Gorm den Gamle og samtidig er forbundet med Europas store kongehuse. En verden af barnepiger, kammerherrer, adjudanter, kabinetssekretærer, hofchefer og med tre slotte, et jagthus, Kongeskibet Danmark, en pigeskole i København og en kostskole i England som ramme om opvæksten.

Undervejs viser et sansende og videbegærligt ungt menneske, der går til livet med et åbent og nysgerrigt sind, som studerer på universiteter i København, Aarhus, London og Paris, og som forelsker sig i arkæologien og tager på udgravninger under eksotiske himmelstrøg. Før sin 25-års fødselsdag har den kommende dronning været på dannelsesrejser verden rundt og dele af rejsebrevene offentliggøres her for første gang. I bogen udfoldes også historien om den store kærlighed, der begynder, da Prinsessen møder den franske diplomat grev Henri de Monpezat i London.

Under samtalerne har Tom Buk-Swienty leveret hundredvis af spørgsmål, som Dronningen har besvaret med blik for selv de mindste detaljer, altid boblende fortælleglæde, humor, selvironi, men også stor alvor, en gang imellem med tårer i øjnene og til tider med forbavsende bramfrihed.


Interessante vignetter fra Dronning Margrethes liv, hvor man lige så tydeligt kan høre hendes stemme. Tom Buk-Swienty har virkelig forstået at træde i baggrunden, og lade dronningens stemme tone igennem. Kapitlerne er korte, hvilket gør det nemt liiiige at tage et til, så jeg endte med at læse bogen meget hurtigere end jeg havde forventet - dens længde taget i betragtning.

Ligesom mange andre fik jeg ikke det store ud af rejsedagbørgerne, men de var heldigvis nemme at skimme. Jeg var til gengæld glad for de mange billeder og skitser rundt omkring.

Klart en bog jeg er glad for at have læst, og som har bekræftet mit tidligere indtryk af vores dronning som en kvinde med ben i næsen.

... og så er jeg altid glad for at finde en anden Tom Lehrer fan ;-)

Title: Outer Order, Inner Calm
Author: Gretchen Rubin
Genre: Non-fiction
Rating: 3/5
# pages: 165
Date read: August, 2021

For most of us, outer order contributes to inner calm. In a new book packed with more than one hundred concrete ideas, she helps us create the order and organization that can make our lives happier, healthier, more productive, and more creative.

In the context of a happy life, a messy desk or crowded coat closet is a trivial problem–yet Gretchen Rubin has found that getting control of the stuff of life makes us feel more in control of our lives generally. By getting rid of things we don’t use, don’t need, or don’t love, as well as things that don’t work, don’t fit, or don’t suit, we free our mind (and our shelves) for what we truly value.

In this trim book filled with insights, strategies, and sometimes surprising tips, Gretchen tackles the key challenges of creating outer order, by explaining how to “Make Choices,” “Create Order,” “Know Yourself–and Others,” “Cultivate Helpful Habits,” and, of course, “Add Beauty.”


A very quick read - it's only 165 pages, and pages with very little writing on them at that. It was a decent enough book, and made some solid recommendations, but for somebody who's read both "The Happiness Project" and "Happier at Home" as well as FlyLady's "Sink Reflections" and Marie Kondo's "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up", there was very little new information.

Title: This is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor
Author: Adam Kay
Genre: Non-fiction
Rating: 4/5
# pages: 273
Date read: October, 2019

Adam Kay was a junior doctor from 2004 until 2010, before a devastating experience on a ward caused him to reconsider his future. He kept a diary throughout his training, and This Is Going to Hurt intersperses tales from the front line of the NHS with reflections on the current crisis. The result is a first-hand account of life as a junior doctor in all its joy, pain, sacrifice and maddening bureaucracy, and a love letter to those who might at any moment be holding our lives in their hands.


A fun, interesting and poignant book that gave me a newfound appreciation and respect for those who choose to take up medicine. It is NOT an easy life!

This book had a lot going for it - it's told via diary entries, which has always been my jam; it describes the every day life of somebody in the medical profession, which I've been interested in pretty much ever since I first read "Sue Barton: Student Nurse"; and it has a quirky main character, who'd occasionally remind me more than a little of JD of "Scrubs" fame... but unlike the last two, it's non-fiction, which lent a certain weight to the stories.

I really enjoyed it, and am glad to have gotten my hands on it.

Title: I'll Be There for You: The One about Friends
Author: Kelsey Miller
Genre: Non-fiction
Rating: 3/5
# pages: 305
Date read: April, 2019

When Friends debuted in 1994, no one expected it to become a mainstay of NBC's "Must See TV" lineup, let alone a global phenomenon. In the years since, Friends has gone through many phases of cultural relevancy, from prime-time hit to 90s novelty item to certified classic. Ross, Rachel, Monica, Chandler, Joey and Phoebe have entered the pantheon of great television characters, and millions of people around the globe continue to tune in or stream their stories every day.

I'll Be There for You is the definitive retrospective of Friends, exploring all aspects of the show from its unlikely origins to the elusive reasons why we still watch it. Journalist and pop culture expert Kelsey Miller relives the show's most iconic moments, analyzes the ways in which Friends is occasionally problematic and examines the many trends it inspired, from the rise of coffee-shop culture to "Friendsgivings" to the ultimate 90s haircut, The Rachel.

Weaving incisive commentary, revelatory interviews and behind-the-scenes anecdotes involving high-profile guest stars, I'll Be There for You is the most comprehensive take on Friends, and the ultimate book for fans everywhere.


I saw this at a bookstore and was immediately fascinated. It was the Danish translation though, and thus really expensive, so I waited a bit and bought the (MUCH) cheaper kindle version instead.

I'm glad I made that decision, because while I enjoyed reading it, it's just not good enough to warrant the 250DKK price-tag it had in the Danish bookshop. I'm glad to have read it, and loved revisiting the show in this fashion, but parts were also really dry and I ended up skimming pretty much anything that wasn't specifically about the filming of the show itself.

It was a good read, and I'm glad I got my hands on it, but at the end of the day, it contained fewer anecdotes and more dry facts than I had expected, and is not really a book I'm likely to reread.

Title: Refuel: An Uncomplicated Guide to Connecting With God
Author: Doug Fields
Genre: Christian non-fiction
Rating: 4/5
# pages: 132
Date read: June, 2018

As a Christian, you know you need to have devotions. You've heard it from your pastor; you've seen the study guides; you may have even made a dent in the One Year Bible. Some of you have valiantly set your alarm clocks back an hour for morning quiet time, only to find that life creeps back in to steal your resolve. It isn't because you don't love God. You quit because you "bought into" someone's unsustainable habit at an unreasonable pace.

But you don't have to keep running on empty. Bestselling author Doug Fields offers an uncomplicated, practical plan that you can carry out. This book won't teach you how to "cram God" into your already-full schedule. Instead, Doug will show you a practical, doable way of setting God first, and then letting everything else in your life fall into place. You will experience the fullness God has for you-just take some time to refuel.


A quick read, full of examples of how to establish a habit of connecting with God on a regular basis, without pushing any guilt about not doing so already. I really appreciated how specific the examples were, and how easy they would be to incorporate in a busy lifestyle.

Title: Fervent: A Woman's Battle Plan to Serious, Specific, and Strategic Prayer
Author: Priscilla Shirer
Genre: Christian non-fiction
Rating: 4/5
# pages: 211 pages
Date read: June 2018, December 2020

You have an enemy... and he’s dead set on destroying all you hold dear and keeping you from experiencing abundant life in Christ. What’s more, his approach to disrupting your life and discrediting your faith isn’t general or generic, not a one-size-fits-all. It’s specific. Personalized. Targeted.

So this book is your chance to strike back. With prayer. With a weapon that really works. Each chapter will guide you in crafting prayer strategies that hit the enemy where it hurts, letting him know you’re on to him and that you won’t back down. Because with every new strategy you build, you’re turning the fiercest battles of life into precise strikes against him and his handiwork, each one infused with the power of God’s Spirit.


A really good book with some concrete examples of how we can pray specifically and strategically for the areas in our lives where the devil is most likely to attack us. Priscilla uses personal examples to make the issues relatable to the reader, and offers verses from Scripture to use in our prayers.

I don't think I learned so many new things from this book, but I appreciated the specific examples of how to apply her ideas to my existing prayer-life. Especially the part about praying specifically and individually for family and friends rather than just the litany of "bless him and her and her and...". Prayer blesses both the one being prayed for and the one praying, and this tactic allows me to focus more distinctly on whoever I'm praying for. Not that there's anything wrong with the other method - and sometimes that is indeed all I have time for - but it's good to be reminded of alternatives.

Title: 4 Keys to Hearing God's Voice
Author: Mark Virkler
Genre: Christian non-fiction
Rating: 4/5
# pages: 310
Date read: December 2017.

The keys that are examined, discussed in detail, and can be immediately applied to your life are:

How to recognize God's voice as spontaneous thoughts. Learning how to become still before the Lord. Looking for vision as you pray. Realizing the importance of two-way journaling. Filled with insights from years of hearing from God, 4 Keys to Hearing God's Voice also includes visual aids that enhance the teaching and learning experience. Very reader-friendly, you will find that the concepts and principles are easily adapted to your personal circumstances and lifestyle.


Nina recommended this book to me, and I am so glad she did! It's a fascinating book that took me a LOT longer to read than it should have - and for a really stupid reason to. At chapter 10 I was still only at 24% of my kindle book, and though it was excellent, it seemed rather daunting that it was THAT LONG!!! So imagine my surprise when it turned out that the next chapter was Appendix A!

Turned out, the book itself finished at 27% or so and ALL THE REST was the New Testament, which had been included in the ebook version. I felt slightly stupid not to have realized this in advance, and would probably have finished the book ages ago if I had.

That said, I really enjoyed how Mark Virkler took a practical approach to hearing God's voice - giving concrete examples and suggestions of what to do and how to train yourself to open your ear to the voice of God. Between his suggestions and Nina's advice I finally found a method that worked for me, and for the first time ever was able to consciously talk with God, rather than merely to Him.

I don't entirely agree with everything Mark Virkler wrote, but I thought it awesome to read this account from a person who's as left-brained as I am. Most other books I've read on the subject have been from a more right-brained perspective leaving me with almost more questions than I started out with.

A really excellent book, that I want to read again before too long, in order to make sure the messages "stick".

Title: The Shift: One Nurse, Twelve Hourse, Four Patients' Lives
Author: Theresa Brown
Genre: Memoir
Rating: 4/5
# pages: Audiobook ~9hours
Date read: July, 2017

n the span of 12 hours, lives can be lost, life-altering medical treatment decisions made, and dreams fulfilled or irrevocably stolen.

Every day Theresa Brown holds patients' lives in her hands. On this day there are four: Mr. Hampton, a patient with lymphoma to whom Brown is charged with administering a powerful drug that could cure him - or kill him; Sheila, who may have been dangerously misdiagnosed; Candace, a returning patient who arrives (perhaps advisedly) with her own disinfectant wipes, cleansing rituals, and demands; and Dorothy, who, after six weeks in the hospital, may finally go home. Prioritizing and ministering to their needs takes the kind of skill, sensitivity, and, yes, humor that enable a nurse to be a patient's most ardent advocate in a medical system marked by heartbreaking dysfunction as well as miraculous success.


From Sue Barton to Scrubs, I've always been fascinated by life at a hospital, so when I heard of this book, I knew that I had to read it. And fortunately it didn't disappoint. After having watched so many episodes of Scrubs, it was interesting to follow a real nurse during a shift (and actually also served to explain some things I'd been wondering about), and though I was slightly sad that I got to know all these patients, but was never told what happened to them, I still think following a day in the life of a nurse was a really good way to write the book, as it gave the reader insight into not just the highlights of a nurse's job, but also all the small extra tasks they have to do, in order to keep the ward running smoothly.