Alumni Travel Reading: Exploring Iceland

From the publisher -- "Tales of Iceland is the indispensable travelogue and required reading for anyone wishing to visit this strange, beautiful, and remarkable country. ... It's the anti-guidebook--a fun, engaging story with useful cultural context to compliment your own travels."

Eyglo Arnarsdottir 'Iceland Review' -- "A devoted fan of all things Icelandic - and particularly Icelandic music - Edward Hancox has shared his amusing anecdotes the world over through his colorful columns on 'Iceland Review' online. His readers will be sure to welcome his publishing debut."

From the publisher -- a "compelling, beautiful and very funny account of living in a country poised on the edge of Europe, where modernization clashes with living folklore."

Jon Gnarr describes his path from self proclaimed anarchist and founder of the Best Party to becoming the mayor of Iceland's only major city. . .
PopMatters -- “Gnarr! is an entertaining reflection on life, politics, and human nature by an original and creative individual...It’s a tribute to, and manifesto for, participatory democracy in the 21st century. And above all, it’s a call for us all to be nicer to each other."

From the publisher -- "Award-winning wildlife photographer Mark Sisson has spent several years photographing Puffins and this new book combines images that beautifully encapsulate their charm and visual appeal with an accessible text written by leading wildlife writer Dominic Couzens. The book covers the birds' life cycle, behaviour, habitats and the current and future challenges that they face, along with many surprising facts and anecdotes."

"In Wasteland with Words Sigurdur Gylfi Magnússon presents a wide-ranging and detailed analysis of the island's history that examines the evolution and transformation of Icelandic culture while investigating the literary and historical factors that created the rich cultural heritage enjoyed by Icelanders today." From the Publisher

Bjartur of Summerhouses, the book's protagonist, is subsistence sheep farmer whose determination to achieve independence can seem self defeating and cruel. Written with a sometimes grisly realism, this will be a rewarding read for all travelers to Iceland.

An Icelandic mystery novel set in Rekyavik: Following an earthquake, the water level of an Icelandic lake suddenly falls, revealing a skeleton that is weighed down by a heavy radio device bearing inscriptions in Russian. The fourth in a series of mystery novels by Indridason.

Americans make an offer to buy Icelandic land for the purposes of building an atomic war base. This does not sit well with the Icelandic populace. Laxness tells his story from the point of view of a country girl from the north who works as a maid in the house of her Member of Parliament. She finds herself in an environment very different from that of her upbringing, shedding light on urban-rural divides and conflicting world views.

From the publisher -- "In these 50 miniature essays, Alda Sigmundsdottir writes about the Icelanders in centuries past in a light and humourous way, yet never without admiration and respect for the resilience and strength they showed in coping with conditions of adversity that are barely imaginable today. ... Today’s Iceland is a modern, cosmopolitan place, with one of the highest standards of living in the world. Yet less than a century ago, this paragon of equality and peace was the poorest society in Europe. The conditions of life described in this book are therefore not very distant from the Icelanders today, and many of the aspects described are still very much reflected in Iceland’s unique culture."