Summer reading
Is there anything better than getting lost in a good book when the days are long and the pace is slow? Whether you’re lying in the grass, sitting on a porch, or resting in the shade by the sea, summer is the perfect time to read. The team at QB Gallery have shared their favorite picks – from novels and poetry to books that invite your thoughts to wander. Check out the list and let yourself be inspired for a season of reading.
Mikaela's picks
The Hills (2018) by Matias Faldbakken
A great novel about life in the service industry, made me think of Theatercafeen or other renowned restaurants from a different time.
Violet Bent Backwards Over the Grass (2020) by Lana Del Rey
Poetry. If you like Lana Del Rey, you'll like this.
On Behalf of Friends (2009) by Kristoffer Schau
As a big fan of Kristoffer Schau, I bought this book a few years ago. When it says "on behalf of friends" under an obituary, it means that there are no next of kin of the deceased and that the municipality is organizing the funeral. Schau decides to go to these funerals and sometimes be the only witness to the ceremonies. Beautiful about death, lives lived, loneliness and being a fellow human being.
Camilla's picks
All About Love - New Visions (1999) by bell hooks
The author challenges how and what we think about love. A wise, heartfelt, and moving exploration of love in all its forms – perfect for long, quiet summer days that invite reflection and a renewed belief in love.
War with the Newts (1936) by Karel Čapek
A sharply satirical and surprisingly relevant novel about human greed and racism, wrapped in a fable about intelligent newts – entertaining and thought-provoking reading for the curious mind in a hammock.
Parissyndromet (2013) by Heidi Furre
A quiet, intimate, and poetic coming-of-age novel about loneliness, identity, and the weight of expectations in early adulthood – like reading the diary of a stranger-friend in the summer heat.
King Kong Theory (2006) by Virginie Despentes
Raw, honest, and unapologetic feminist writing that tears into societal norms – a bold book for sweltering days when everything feels a bit too tight.
Journey by Moonlight (1937) by Antal Szerb
A beautiful, dreamlike, and melancholic journey through Italy and the human soul – the perfect companion for holiday thoughts about the life that could have been.
Grown-ups (2019) by Marie Aubert
Sharp, painful, and deeply relatable story about sibling tension, jealousy, and the awkwardness of being an adult without feeling like one – an easy yet unsettling read, like a sunburned family vacation.
Katia's picks
Nothing Holds Back the Night (2013) by Delphine de Vigan
Nothing Holds Back the Night is Delphine de Vigan’s tender attempt to understand and write her mother—a story woven from memories, darkness, love, and what always slips just out of reach.
The Girl on the Sofa (2003) by Jon Fosse
This play, with its poetic and mysterious tone, portrays a girl arguing with her mother, feeling jealous of her sister, and longing for her absent father, a sailor—it was my first encounter with Jon Fosse, and one I will remember for a long time.
The Photograph as Contemporary Art (2020) by Charlotte Cotton
A book I recently read to deepen my understanding of photography as contemporary art—both inspiring and easy to read, perfect for relaxing in the sun while noting down names of artists to explore further.
A Woman Looking at Men Looking at Women (2018) by Siri Hustvedt
This collection of eleven personal essays by Siri Hustvedt explores art, gender, and identity, examining how bias shapes our perception of art—from a feminist perspective enriched by neuroscience, art criticism, and philosophy. A thought-provoking and inspiring summer read.
Hannah's picks
Maken (1976) by Gun-Britt Sundström
A Swedish cult novel about Stockholm and love in an endless conflict of values.
Walking Through Clear Water in a Pool Painted Black (1991) by Cookie Mueller
A collection of stories from the life of the seemingly fearless Cookie Mueller.
Melissa's picks
An intense and sensual epic about inheritance, power and human cruelty in the French countryside. Zola writes with precision and linguistic weight in a novel that still feels physical and uncompromising.
Søsterklokkene (2018) by Lars Mytting
A detailed and quiet novel about faith, technology and belonging in a Norwegian mountain village in the 19th century. The narrative is carried by strong female characters and a language that allows for both silence and meaning.
Et liv forbi (2020) by Helga Flatland
A sober and intimate portrait of a family in crisis, written with linguistic calm and ethical seriousness. Flatland weaves together generations and relations with an unrest that gradually intrudes.
Til mote (2021) by Morten Langeland
A playful and reference-rich collection of poems that draws on both the catwalk and the archive. Aesthetically sharp and linguistically conscious, with a mix of distance and affection that makes it an unexpected entry into the cultural history of fashion.
