Jólabókaflóðið is an Icelandic tradition which translates as “Christmas Book Flood”. It’s a practice that perfectly blends the magic of literature with the festive season. Each year, as the holidays approach, many people in Iceland embrace the gift of books, exchanging them on Christmas Eve and spending the evening immersed in stories, often over a cozy cup of cocoa. Jolabokaflod started during World War II, when paper was one of the few things not rationed in Iceland and, because of this, Icelanders gave books as gifts while other commodities were in short supply.
This cultural phenomenon highlights the country’s deep-rooted love for reading and fosters a sense of togetherness, as families and friends gather to celebrate the joy of storytelling. We asked our library team to bring some warmth to the shortest days of the year with their own recommendations.
Books about books are catnip to librarians, and Sara J. Charles’ The Medieval Scriptorium: making books in the Middle Ages (Reaktion, 2004), is a cracker. Charles, who has experimented with making her own parchment, quills, and inks, knows what it is like to construct a medieval codex, and that it is dirty, smelly, laborious, and time-consuming work. The book, with illustrations that remind jus of the beauty of the output of all this effort, takes the reader on an entertaining and illuminating journey through the stages of book production, from the flaying of animal skins to the collecting of oak galls and the international trade in gum arabic and other rare minerals, such as lapis lazuli from modern-day Afghanistan, as well as explaining why, where and how books were written and read. The Library also benefitted from a workshop earlier this year led by Charles, including the smashing of oak galls and mixing of the aforementioned gum, water, iron shavings and vitriol to make some syrupy black ink. Perhaps something to do after Christmas Lunch?
Matthew Shaw, Librarian
A book I often find myself returning to, and a book I gift frequently, is J.B. Priestley’s Delight, a charming collection of very short essays on topics that pleased the author. Something I really enjoy about this book is that each chapter is so short that if you’re feeling low on energy or short on time (as seemingly everyone does at this time of year) you can still get enjoyment from reading just a few pages. If you like reading aloud with friends or family this can also be a really lovely book to share excerpts from and enjoy together. A good reminder during the darkest days of the year of the little things that make life enjoyable.
If you want to lean in to the Jolabokaflod tradition, a great Christmas Eve read is The Night Before Christmas, the poem which opens with the lines ‘twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house, nothing was stirring, not even a mouse’ and goes on to describe a visit from St. Nicholas. We had a particularly charming version growing up with interactive moving pictures (my brother and I were still fighting over who got to make Santa come down the chimney when we were far too old to be doing so) but moving pictures or no, this poem is a great way to get into the festive spirit.
Sarah Arkle, Deputy Librarian
For some truly wholesome gifting, I suggest Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree. It follows Viv the orc as she retires from questing to open a coffee shop, in a city where no one is quite sure what coffee actually is. Along the way she gathers a motley band of folk who are also looking to walk a different path than might be expected of them. Together they bring Legends & Lattes to life, though they have to face something from Viv’s past first. It’s the perfect low-stakes slice of life read to get cosy with on a winter evening; there’s a soothing feeling to reading about the details of carpentry going up, a coffee being carefully made, or a sign being delicately painted, making it easy to be completely absorbed in the world of Viv’s shop. Though there are lots of high fantasy touchstones, Baldree isn’t interested in worldbuilding beyond the small scale which keeps the book from feeling overwhelming, and so much genuine warmth radiates from the character interactions.
Lauren Ward, Assistant Librarian
In the spirit of Jólabókaflóðið, I recommend giving a book by a native Icelander, Halldór Laxness. The Fish Can Sing (Brekkukotsannáll)was published in 1957, two years after Laxness was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, and is a charming and magical-realist picture of a boy‘s adolescence in early twentieth century Iceland. The parentless Álfgrimur lives in the village of Brekkukot, and loves the pleasures of rural life, but at school he is exposed to the enormity and variety of the world. Encounters with Garðar Hólm, an internationally famous singer, fill him with hunger for a career beyond Brekkukot. The novel is short, and a perfect entryway into Laxness, whose books can seem daunting in their size.
Felix Taylor, Library Assistant
