>More News from the North

by Roger Sutton
Apr 13, 2006 | Filed in Articles & Opinion
>Thanks to Martha P. for this story on "Easter Crime" week in Norway, in which people spend their Easter vacation skiing and reading mystery novels. Sounds like heaven. The novels part, anyway.

The hands-down most transcendent confluence of reading and atmosphere I have ever had was when Richard and I were in Lutsen, Minnesota, on the far northern shore of Lake Superior. We were staying in a cozy ski condo, and one early evening I was sitting on the porch reading Smilla's Sense of Snow while I could hear the fireplace crackling and see the Northern Lights do their thing over my head. I still drank then, too, and had a nice tumbler of bourbon in hand. That was heaven.
Roger Sutton
Roger Sutton

Editor Emeritus Roger Sutton was editor in chief of The Horn Book, Inc., from 1996-2021. He was previously editor of The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books and a children's and young adult librarian. He received his MA in library science from the University of Chicago in 1982 and a BA from Pitzer College in 1978.

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shewhonowwishestobecalledportia

>Great evocative story, R. Happy Easter.

Posted : Apr 16, 2006 01:26

rindamybers

>Um, usually, when I'm really into a book, I don't notice much around me...not even when the coffee cup is long, long empty...and my toes are freezing...but the snow sounds lovely...

Posted : Apr 15, 2006 11:43

Jen Robinson

>I personally go on ski trips only so that I can sit in a nice cabin and read books. And my favorite books (well, along with children's books) are mysteries. Anything by Henning Mankell works particularly well. I love this Norwegian tradition! Thanks for writing about it.

Posted : Apr 15, 2006 10:51

Roger Sutton

>Wow, A., that is a good one. In the post where we were talking about fantasy (https://www.hbook.com/blog/2006/03/keeping-unicorns-at-bay.html), I didn't mention that I'm a big fan of HDM, which I think got better with each volume.

Posted : Apr 15, 2006 05:11

Anatidaeling

>Mine (transcendant reading experience) was similar: listening to THE GOLDEN COMPASS on tape while walking home in a snowstorm at dusk. (I was in the middle of a city, so saw no armoured bears on the streets, but felt I really might have.)

Posted : Apr 14, 2006 06:13

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