Summer in the city means iced coffee walks in the morning, a dip in the water, late-night dining outdoors, and, more recently, hot guys reading. Everyone from Jacob Elordi to a guy you swipe past on Tinder seems to be posting pictures of what they’re reading—in a bay window, at the bar, on the metro, or shirtless on the beach.
Summer brings bibliophiles and casual readers alike out of the woodwork–the sunshine and water are the perfect place to spend a day lounging with a book. Pond checked in with Isabella Smith at Copenhagen’s Books & Company to ask what summer reading looks like for her, dream about warmer days, and discuss book recommendations.
Can you tell us about your work at Books & Company––how did you get your start there, and what do you love about your job?
I have a background in Human Rights and Refugee law, so that was my field for many years, until 10 years as an expat family shifted ideas and dreams, and I returned to Denmark and decided to open Books & Company in 2009 and have never looked back. So while I continue to keep a hand in my former work, I feel very fortunate to have what I see as the best job in the world.
There are so many things I love about my work. The books, as I love to read and am a strong admirer and proponent of the power of books to tell stories that can open hearts and minds and make you experience every single emotion. What I love equally as much, and perhaps had not foreseen when I opened, is the community we have been able to create over the past 16 years. It is vital that every single person who walks in the door is welcomed, included, and feels, if not immediately, then shortly thereafter that we are a community they can rely on to learn, to laugh, to relax, and to enjoy.
What's your favorite thing about Copenhagen?
Copenhagen has changed immensely in the past decade, mostly due to the insane elevation of the food scene and the further enhancement of our public transportation system through the Metro. I love the location by the sea, I love the biking culture, and I love the fact that while the city is not huge it has very distinctively different neighborhoods that cater to many moods.
What does Copenhagen in the summer mean to you? What makes the city so special?
The main reason why Copenhagen is so wonderful in the summer is because the weather for much of the rest of the year can be quite gloomy. The spring and summer literally feel like the city and its inhabitants open the doors to sunshine, life, enjoyment, and just a sense of possibility.
As a bookseller, what do you think people gravitate to in their summer reading? What other kinds of books might they consider?
“Summer reading” has a certain ring to it, and while lots of people prefer lighter books that are not too difficult to read outdoors, in the sun, while also napping, the truth is that summer reading means very different things to different people.
Some people prefer a nice, easy romance or thriller, while others want to catch up on books they haven’t had time to read throughout the year or books that can enhance their skills, bring them up to date with current events in a bigger picture sense, one that goes deeper than their daily newsfeed, be it in the political, economical, or social realm.
What’s the ideal summer reading setup?
I very much enjoy the fact that a few days off allows me to read one or more books without interruptions. Preferably outside with coffee. It is such a luxury not to have to fit your reading into the daily grind of a work schedule.
Isabella’s Summer Reading List
Literary fiction
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Dream Count by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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Long Island Compromise by Taffy Brodesser-Akner
Nonfiction
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Moral Ambition by Rutger Bregman
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Abundance by Ezra Klein & Derek Thompson
Romance
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Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry
Crime
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The Summer Guests by Tess Gerritsen
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Society of Lies by Lauren Ling Brown
