Book and Library Words

book

Tip: plural 'böcker'

novel

Tip: not 'novell', which means short story

short story

Tip: the classic false friend

poetry

Tip: 'diktsamling' = poetry collection

chapter

Tip: 'ett kapitel till'

page

Tip: 'på sidan tolv'

cover

Tip: the outside of the book

author

Tip: same form for all genders

translator

Tip: credited on the title page

publisher

Tip: 'ett stort förlag'

library

Tip: 'på biblioteket'

librarian

Tip: ask them for a recommendation

library card

Tip: lit. 'loan card'

loan period

Tip: usually four weeks

reservation

Tip: you'll get a text when it's ready

bookshop

Tip: 'i bokhandeln'

paperback

Tip: often just 'pocket'

hardback

Tip: lit. 'bound book'

audiobook

Tip: more popular than print in Sweden

e-book

Tip: read on a phone or reader

bookshelf

Tip: the Billy, usually

bookmark

Tip: or a receipt, realistically

review

Tip: in the Saturday paper

recommendation

Tip: 'ett boktips' is the casual word

genre

Tip: pronounced the French way

crime fiction

Tip: Sweden's biggest export genre

reading

Tip: 'skön läsning' = a good read

title

Tip: 'bokens titel'

subtitle

Tip: under the main one

foreword

Tip: before the story

afterword

Tip: after it

index

Tip: at the back

table of contents

Tip: at the front

edition

Tip: 'andra upplagan'

reprint

Tip: when it sells out

paperback edition

Tip: cheaper, a year later

illustration

Tip: 'vackra illustrationer'

illustrator

Tip: credited alongside the author

narrator (audiobook)

Tip: makes or breaks it

chapter book

Tip: the first step up for children

picture book

Tip: for the youngest

young adult

Tip: a big Swedish category

non-fiction

Tip: lit. 'subject book'

biography

Tip: 'en självbiografi' is an autobiography

prize

Tip: 'Augustpriset' is the big Swedish one

bestseller

Tip: 'en internationell bästsäljare'

reading list

Tip: 'min läslista är för lång'