Lagom by Niki Brantmark

Lagom by Niki Brantmark is a non-fiction book following the lifestyle often lived in Sweden which centres on the word ‘lagom’, meaning ‘just perfect’ or ‘the right amount’. This idea is the foundation for Swedish living, from their relationships to travel, to how they interact with the environment and their home décor.

This was definitely a needed light read for me to pair with my other current read, Winter by Ali Smith, and I was very appreciative of the gifts of knowledge this book hands outs throughout the book. As someone who already tries to practice as much minimalism, practicality and moderation in life as I can, I thought this book might be a great supplement for this journey and to remind me of the reasons why I started on this path nearly 5 years ago, centring myself on wellness, intentionality and positive interaction with the environment.

The book does a good job of covering a range of topics, all neatly categorised, so it’s definitely easy to dive in and out of this book to read whatever you might want for the moment. Even if you’re only looking to make small changes, to minimise stress or to declutter your space this book provides quite useful and succinct advice that is accessible to everyone.

I also found the inclusions of facts and statistics presented in bitesize chunks really smart, providing information regarding Sweden’s transport system and how energy saving it is. Rooting her book in these facts was really informative for the reader and highlighted how advanced Sweden is in the fight against the climate crisis. By pairing these facts with her advice, Niki excellently highlights how easy it is to make changes in your life that will positively impact the environment and how as a society we should ensure that these become everyday habits.

The only downfall with this book is it is very surface-level and doesn’t necessarily dive deep into the themes she discusses. This is a great book if you’re just starting out, but if you’re looking for more nuanced conversations about mindfulness, the climate crisis and thrifting your clothes and furniture there are some other recommendations which I’ll leave below.

Similarly, because the book is focused on lagom, sometimes I think it became a little repetitive because it would only briefly mention a theme and then end it with “make sure its lagom” or “the perfect lagom way”, which sometimes felt a little pointless considering that’s what the book was explaining.

Overall, if you’re new to learning about the environment, or want to destress your life by simplifying your food or cleaning routine, this book is especially helpful! Though I would have loved for some topics to be discussed in greater depth.

Other Recommendations:

Minimal: How to Simplify Your Life and Live Sustainably by Madeleine Olivia

Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer

No One Is Too Small to Make a Difference by Greta Thunberg

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐/5