{"id":22165,"date":"2017-07-14T08:30:45","date_gmt":"2017-07-14T12:30:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.publishersweekly.com\/blogs\/shelftalker\/?p=22165"},"modified":"2017-07-14T08:30:45","modified_gmt":"2017-07-14T12:30:45","slug":"while-visions-of-trolls-dance-in-my-head","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/blogs.publishersweekly.com\/blogs\/shelftalker\/?p=22165","title":{"rendered":"While Visions of Trolls Dance in My Head"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hello again! Returning from a two-and-a-half-week vacation is overwhelming and comforting at the same time, between getting caught up and getting back into a routine. I admit I had grand plans of posting from the road, but between my kids\u2019 unpredictable sleep schedules and computer issues, my various plans all fell apart. But I had a great time off, and as with any good vacation, books played a big role.\"\"<\/a>
\nFor just over a week of our trip, my husband Samir and I went to Iceland to drive the famous Ring Road. Inspired by a stack of books in a remote gas station gift shop, I decided that the best way to while away the 30+ hours was to read the brutal (and lengthy) Nj\u00e1l’s<\/em> Saga <\/em>aloud. Trapped in the car, Samir couldn\u2019t exactly stop me, but he ended up warming to the literary adventure.
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\nI\u2019d never read any of the Icelandic Sagas before, and the spectacular landscapes of our drive set an excellent scene for this harsh and bloodthirsty tale of serial vengeance punctuated by the careful deliberations and negotiations of lawyers. Not being very steeped in Icelandic traditions, I admit I wasn’t expecting the substantial narrative energy spent on parsing the law. But it provided a fascinating juxtaposition to a saga filled with high drama and passion, and reading it certainly made our visit to the ancient site of \u00deingvellir and the Law Rock much more interesting.
\nIn the larger towns we visited, I stopped in a few bookstores where I was greeted by some familiar book covers (although I admit that I return no better at pronouncing Icelandic, despite my best efforts). The selection was not huge, but it\u2019s always fun to see what books make the translation cut! I was personally excited to see one of my favorites, Bear\u2019s Sea Escape<\/em>,<\/strong> on the table.
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