Translation: Hallberg Brynjar Guðmundsson

If you are not aware, book publishing in Iceland reaches its apex in the weeks before Christmas. Getting a new book for Christmas is a stable tradition in many Icelandic homes. We in the editorial staff are extremely excited about the new books coming out this Christmas and would like to recommend the following titles, both Icelandic and foreign, to our readers.

Icelandic books:

Guð leitar að Salóme - Júlía Margrét Einarsdóttir

Guð leitar að Salóme is Júlía Margrét Einarsdóttir latest novel, but she made a memorable breakthrough in the Icelandic literary scene with her debut novel, Drottningin á Júpiter. Guð leitar að Salóme is a story about a young woman who has lost her cat and decides to sit down at Kringlukráin and write a letter to a long lost love. Júlía Margrét is known for her lovely storytelling and colourful characters, and in the book the cast of characters includes a fortune teller and a drunken organist. In a tender story, Salóme reveals herself through a series of letters that detail her horrible past and family tragedy. She writes one letter per day until Christmas, 23 in total, so the book is a perfect Christmas read!

Umframframleiðsla - Tómas Ævar Ólafsson

.Umframframleiðsla is the first book of poetry by Tómas Ævar Ólafsson. Tómas has a career as a program director at Rás 1 and is pursuing a master’s degree in Creative Writing at the University of Iceland. The narrative in the book is sensitive and touches upon various themes, including anxiety, memories, processing and the changes that take place in the human body when we die. The poems are deep and contain descriptions that call for another reading and further reflection. Tómas is one of the many exciting young authors who publish their work at Una útgáfuhús, which is one the freshest and most progressive publishing houses today, with a strong connection to the literary grassroots.

Úti - Ragnar Jónasson

Ragnar Jónasson was quick to establish himself as one of Iceland’s foremost crime novelists. He has published one book for Christmas every year for the last 12 years, and this year is no exception. His latest book, Úti, is a psychological thriller about four friends who seek refuge in a small hunting lodge when they are caught by a storm in the Icelandic highlands. The friends find out that the blizzard is not the only thing they have to worry about and not all of them will survive their stay. We are love a good Christmas crime novel and Ragnar has certainly not disappointed his readers in recent years.

Merking - Fríða Ísberg

Finally, the first novel by Fríða Ísberg has been published. Fríða is a rising star in Icelandic literary circles with her poetry books, Slitförin and Leðurjakkaveður, and the short story collection Klæða. The novel follows a group of characters in Iceland in the fifties, in the run-up to referendum on the obligation to tag or mark certain individuals. The mark allows people to know if one has passed a so-called “compassion test” and is suited for a role in a civilized society. We are huge fans of Fríða Ísberg and cannot wait to read her first full-length novel!

Foreign books:

Humankind: a Hopeful History - Rutger Bergman

The book Humankind: A Hopeful History by Rutger Bergman was published last year. Bergman had written Utopia for Realists, which was released three years earlier. In Humankind Bergman touches upon similar subjects that can be found in Yuval Noah Harari’s books Sapiens and Homo Deus. However, Bergman is more positive towards humankind in his way of thinking and writing. Humankind goes through the last 200.000 years of human history, and assumes the position that people are generally kind and good people. A very interesting read, especially in the short days of winter because the book is a spark of bright hope and positivity.

The Thing Around Your Neck - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Nigerian bestselling author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has attracted attention for her advocacy

for international women’s rights and is one of the most beloved writers in our time. The Thing Around Your Neck is a multifaceted collection of short stories and in it, the reader will find fascinating and emotional stories about the position of women in a patriarchal society, parent-child relationships, and the social instability in Africa. The stories of hardship and love of one’s homeland are intertwined as Adichie delves deep into the issues that plague today’s society.

Ilium - Dan Simmons

In Dan Simmons’ Ilium, the story of the Trojan War is told in an innovative way. The book answers questions that the reader would never have thought to ask, such as: "What if the Greek gods relied on Mars in the distant future?", "What if they used time travel to observe the Trojan War in the 12th century BC? ” and most importantly "What if the internet got mad?" The book combines ancient Greek literature, Shakespeare's plays, and Proust's philosophical ideas. Compulsory reading for readers in search of a challenging narrative.

Sjálfsævisaga Alice B. Toklas - Gertrude Stein

The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas by Gertrude Stein, is a part of the book series Classic Contemporary Works, published by Una útgáfuhús. The title alone gives a good indication why this book is as great as it is. Gertrude Stein writes the “autobiography” of her mistress, Alice B. Toklas, where Stein herself is the center of the story. It is both fun and interesting to read about life in Paris at the turn of the 20th century and to get to know writers, painters, and other artists who were active in the bohemian art movement that characterized that era in European history.

The Editorial Booknook

Icelandic books:

Foreign books: