Books from Iceland
86 popular icelandic books
Travel the world without leaving your chair.
The target of the Read Around The World Challenge is to read at least one book written by an author from each and every country in the world.
All books that are listed here as part of the "Read Around Europe Challenge" were written by authors from Iceland.
Find a great book for the next part of your reading journey around the world from this book list. The following popular books have been recommended so far.
21.
Fish Have No Feet by Jón Kalman Stefánsson EN
Description:
Longlisted for the Man Booker International Prize 2017 Keflavik: a town that may be the darkest place in Iceland, surrounded by black lava fields, hemmed in by a sea that may not be fished, and site of the U.S. military base, whose influences shaped Icelandic culture from the '50s to the dawning of the new millennium. Ari - a writer and publisher - lands back in Keflavik from Copenhagen. His father is dying, and he is flooded by memories of his youth in the '70s and '80s, listening to Pink Floyd and the Beatles, raiding American supply lorries and discovering girls. And one girl he could never... continue
22.
Gallows Rock by Yrsa Sigurdardottir EN
Description:
On a jagged, bleak lava field just outside Reykjavik stands the Gallows Rock. Once a place of execution, it is now a tourist attraction. Until this morning, when a man was found hanging from it... The nail embedded in his chest proves it wasn't suicide. But when the police go to his flat, a further puzzle awaits: a four-year-old boy has been left there. He doesn't seem to have any link with the victim, his parents cannot be found, and his drawings show he witnessed something terrible. As detective Huldar hunts the killer, and child psychologist Freyja looks for the boy's parents, the mystery u... continue
23.
Gnarr : How I Became the Mayor of a Large City in Iceland and Changed the World by Jón Gnarr EN
Description:
Following the collapse of the Icelandic banking system in 2008, comedian Jn Gnarr was inspired to invent a political party and run for mayor of Reykjavik. He decided to satirise the current political parties and instead promised voters that he wanted to make their lives more fun. In this entertaining memoir Gnarr recounts his experiences with admirable candour, describing his career, his visions and the mistakes he made, while also sharing some lessons from his campaign and his time in office.
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Heaven and Hell by Jón Kalman Stefánsson EN
Description:
In a remote part of Iceland, a boy and his friend Barður join a boat to fish for cod. A winter storm surprises them out at sea and Barður, who has forgotten his waterproof as he was too absorbed in 'Paradise Lost', succumbs to the ferocious cold and dies. Appalled by the death and by the fishermen's callous ability to set about gutting the fatal catch, the boy leaves the village, intending to return the book to its owner. The extreme hardship and danger of the journey is of little consequence to him - he has already resolved to join his friend in death. But once in the town he immerses himself... continue
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Hotel Silence by Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir EN
Description:
A funny, wistful and utterly beguiling novel about a man whose life is falling apart, and how he learns to put it back together JÓNAS FEELS LIKE HIS LIFE IS OVER. His wife has left him, his mother is slipping deeper into dementia, and his daughter is no longer who he thought. So he comes up with a foolproof plan: to buy a one-way ticket to a chaotic, war-ravaged country and put an end to it all. But on arriving at Hotel Silence, he finds his plans - and his anonymity - begin to dissolve under the foreign sun. Now there are other things that need his attention, like the crumbling hotel itself, ... continue
28.
Hotel Silencio by Auður A. Ólafsdóttir ES
Description:
La demencia de su madre no hace ms̀ que avanzar. Acaba de descubrir que su hija no es su hija biolg̤ica. Visto que sl̤o su particular habilidad para las reparaciones y las chapuzas domšticas sigue teniendo algo de sentido, Jn̤as decide agarrar su caja de herramientas y hacer un viaje sl̤o de ida a un pas̕ extraǫ y devastado por la guerra para desaparecer y darle un fin definitivo a esta triste existencia. Pero los desperfectos en el Hotel Silencio en el que se aloja comienzan a requerir sus atenciones, y tambiň lo hacen los hušpedes, y los habitantes de la ciudad, y su plan se aplaza una y otr... continue
29.
How Iceland Changed the World : The Big History of a Small Island by Egill Bjarnason EN
Description:
"[A] joyously peculiar book." -- The New York Times ‘Bjarnason’s intriguing book might be about a cold place, but it’s tailor-made to be read on the beach.’ –New Statesman The untold story of how one tiny island in the middle of the Atlantic has shaped the world for centuries. The history of Iceland began 1,200 years ago, when a frustrated Viking captain and his useless navigator ran aground in the middle of the North Atlantic. Suddenly, the island was no longer just a layover for the Arctic tern. Instead, it became a nation whose diplomats and musicians, sailors and soldiers, volcanoes and fl... continue
30.
I Remember You by Yrsa Sigurdardottir EN
Description:
A terrifying ghost story from the queen of Icelandic crime writing.