I love books. I love walking into a bookstore and wandering about the aisles, the smell of books, and the feel of a physical book as I make my way through its pages. While it’s always been a pleasure to lose myself in a story for hours on end I can’t say the same thing for when I’ve tried to tackle reading a book in Norwegian. The going is slow and at times I skip over large chunks of type simply because I don’t want to take the time to fetch a dictionary and try and figure out what’s happening. But still, over the last couple of years, I’ve been picking up books in Norwegian at the bookstore, at the Salvation Army store and other used stores. Compiling a stack (a small one) that I hope will inspire me to keep trying. I try to find books that I’ve already read in English as I think knowing the story beforehand will help with the translating as I go. That’s not always easy but I’m always on the lookout. If anyone knows where to find Norwegian versions of Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series I’d be very much grateful.

Books from left to right are:

• Harry Potter og Ildbegeret (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire) – J. K. Rowling
• Harry Potter og Fangen Fra Azkaban (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban) – J. K. Rowling
• Harry Potter og De Vises Stein (Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone) – J. K. Rowling
• Morder Uten Ansikt/Hundene I Riga (Faceless Killers/The Dogs of Riga) – Henning Mankell
• De Levende Døde (Pet Sematary) – Stephen King
• Steppevandringen (The Plains of Passage) – Jean M. Auel
• Det Brennende Landet (The Burning Land) – Bernard Cornwell
• Menn Som Hater Kvinner (Men Who Hate Women, better known as The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo) – Stieg Larsson
• Den Hvite Løvinnen (The White Lioness) – Henning Mankell
• Frelseren (The Redeemer) – Jo Nesbø
• Bridget Jones’ Dagbok (Bridget Jones’ Diary) – Helen Fielding

I’ve read the English version of six of these books so, in theory, I shouldn’t have that much trouble getting through the Norwegian versions. And I’d like to say that I resolve to make my way through half this stack by the end of the year but resolutions and me don’t get along too well.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I think I’ll go see what a certain young wizard is getting up to…