For the past 75 years, Icelanders have gifted books to family and friends on Christmas Eve for Jólabókaflóð. Jólabókaflóð literally translates as “Book Flood,” and it’s an appropriate holiday for Iceland. Iceland is the third most literate county in the world, and has more published authors per capita than any other country. Many of these books have been translated and have gained popularity in other countries, such as the United States. Check out a book by an Icelandic author and discover your new favorite read.
The Reckoning by Yrsa Sigurdardottir
A chilling note written by a thirteen-year-old predicting the deaths of six people is found in a time capsule, ten years after it was buried. Can it be a real threat? The discovery of the letter coincides with a string of murders. All of the victims match the initials from the note. Check out the ebook or reserve a print copy.
Burial Rights by Hannah Kent
A brilliant literary debut, inspired by a true story: the final days of a young woman accused of murder in Iceland in 1829. Riveting and rich with lyricism, Burial Rites evokes a dramatic existence in a distant time and place, and asks the question, how can one woman hope to endure when her life depends upon the stories told by others? Check out the ebook or reserve a print or Book-on-CD copy.
The Shadow District by Arnaldur Indriðason
A deeply compassionate story of old crimes and their consequences, The Shadow District is the first in a thrilling new series by internationally bestselling author Arnaldur Indridason. Check out the ebook or request a print copy.
Iceland’s Bell by Halldór Laxness
Sometimes grim, sometimes uproarious, and always captivating, Iceland’s Bell by Nobel Laureate Halldór Laxness is at once an updating of the traditional Icelandic saga and a caustic social satire. Check out the ebook or request a print copy.
The Prose Edda by Snorri Sturluson
Written in Iceland a century after the close of the Viking Age, The Prose Edda tells ancient stories of the Norse creation epic and recounts the battles that follow as gods, giants, dwarves and elves struggle for survival. It also preserves the oral memory of heroes, warrior kings and queens. These tales from the pagan era have proved to be among the most influential of all myths and legends, inspiring modern works as diverse as Wagner’s Ring Cycle and Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. Check out the ebook.
Woman at 1000 Degrees by Halligrimur Heldason
Herra Björnsson is at the beginning of the end of her life. Oh, she has two weeks left, maybe three—she has booked her cremation appointment, at a crispy 1,000 degrees, so it won’t be long. But until then she has her cigarettes, a World War II–era weapon, some Facebook friends, and her memories to sustain her. And what a life this remarkable eighty-year-old narrator has led. Check out the ebook.
The Darkness by Ragnar Jonasson
Spanning the icy streets of Reykjavik, the Icelandic highlands and cold, isolated fjords, The Darkness is an atmospheric thriller from Ragnar Jonasson, one of the most exciting names in Nordic Noir. Check out the ebook or request a print copy.
Miss Iceland by Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir
Iceland in the 1960s. Hekla is a budding female novelist who was born in the remote district of Dalir. After packing her few belongings, including James Joyces’s Ulysses and a Remington typewriter, she heads for Reykjavik with a manuscript buried in her bags. There, she intends to become a writer. Sharing an apartment with her childhood and queer friend Jón John, Hekla comes to learn that she will have to stand alone in a small male dominated community that would rather see her win a pageant than be a professional artist. As the two friends find themselves increasingly on the outside, their bond shapes and strengthens them artistically in the most moving of ways. Check out the ebook or request a print copy.
All text above from publisher’s descriptions.
