The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning by Margareta Magnusson

Hi my fellow bookworms!

(c) Scribner, 2018

Earlier this year, I read The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning: How to Free Yourself and Your Family from a Lifetime of Clutter by Margareta Magnusson. I was under the impression it would help motivate me to clean up my home, similar to reading or watching Marie Kondo. Instead, the book took a more solemn approach to cleaning - one that cleans not only for yourself, but to rid yourself of items that your descendants (or others) will not want or have to clean up after you pass on. What a sad topic!

While an interesting, yet kind of depressing read, I did take note, however, that in the book was mentioned a tradition in Stockholm that takes place on the 14th of August. Annually, there is a large book sale that takes place in the center of the city, featuring street-wide tables with books that people want to pass onto new owners. I love this idea! A great way to offload books that no longer spark joy to you or have relevance in your life, and also a great way to find more books that interest you! 

(c) Visit Stockholm, 2023

I looked more into the festival and am not sure if this is a resident-only event, but there is an annual Book Weekend called Stockholm's Bookmässa. According to the International League of Ancient Libraries, the tradition of an annual antiquarian book fair dates back to the late 1950's, hosted in the halls of the Academy of Arts. The Instagram for the City Stockholm states that this annual, long-awaited national literary tradition occurs in late February to early March. If you plan to visit Stockholm to browse their book sale, plan to go around then, as it looks like it is a blast!

If you are interested in reading this self-help / motivational book, find it at your local library, bookstore, or online. It recently became a TV show hosted on Peacock last year, if you are interested in giving it a watch after (or before - I won't judge) reading it. She also wrote a sequel, titled The Swedish Art of Aging Exuberantly. While I enjoyed the first book, I'm not sure if I will visit the sequel any time soon. (I am craving happier reads as we near the fall season.)

What have you been up to? Any fun, new reads to share?

Until next time - Happy Reading! :)

(c) Margareta Magnusson,2022

About the Author: Margareta Magnusson

Margareta Magnusson is, in her own words, aged between 80 and 100. Born in Sweden, she has lived all over the world. Margareta graduated from Beckman’s College of Design and her art has been exhibited in galleries from Hong Kong to Singapore. She has five children and lives in Stockholm. She is the author of The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning and The Swedish Art of Aging Exuberantly.

Secrets to Being Amazing: What Confident People Don't Do by Denise Wijayaratne

(c) Denise Wijayaratne

Ever wonder what the secret is to be amazing?

Author Denise Wijayaratne wrote a book detailing her secrets on how to deal with everyday situations and how to best handle them, more confidently than you probably do now! She focuses on the importance of self-love and how you must remember to love yourself in building relationships with everyone around you. 

Ms. Wijayaratne is a classical pianist from Malaysia. Her background made me interested to read her book, as she had to cope with a particularly negative narcissistic relationship  with her mother, including dealing with emotional abuse. Psychology Today defines narcissism as "...not necessarily represent[ing] a surplus of self-esteem or of insecurity; more accurately, it encompasses a hunger for appreciation or admiration, a desire to be the center of attention, and an expectation of special treatment reflecting perceived higher status." As someone who is quite interested in psychology, this particular background called to me. It is hard to be positive with a negative influence in your life, but coming to terms with the fact that you are not the problem, pulling yourself away emotionally and overcoming the negative is an impressive and huge step towards your own well-being. Ms. Wijayaratne saw the negativity narcissism wrought out on relationships and so wrote a book on how to help others overcome such negative influences in their lives. 

I enjoyed reading Ms. Wijayaratne's tips on being amazing. Especially in this pandemic, it is pleasant to read something positive. Ms. Wijayaratne has performed her own background research in psychology and uses this research and her experiences as empirical research to develop her tips. The book is written in a self-help format, with "Amazingness Keys" at the end of each short chapter, summarizing the key points of the chapter and providing ways of improving yourself in regard to that specific chapter's points. She provides lessons of self-awareness to bring out the positive in your attitude and look for ways of growing and going forward. Sometimes you forget to tell yourself "I am good enough," and this book will provide helpful tips in remembering it. It also points out negative aspects, such as feelings of insecurity and inferiority, and how to recognize the signs and overcome them. Secrets to Being Amazing is a quick motivational book, providing a valuable reminder about how to love yourself for who you are. 

About the Author: Denise Wijayaratne

Denise Wijayaratne has a deep passion for classical music which led to her learning the piano from the age of 5 and becoming a classical pianist. She has , because of her interest in personal growth and emotional intelligence, spent many years researching and observing different aspects of human behavior and how that impacts relationships. Born and raised in a Southeast Asian culture, she has also lived in Western countries for 10 years, and has learned to take the best of both worlds and apply it to life. Other activities she loves include baking, traveling and trying new experiences.