Heading Into the Holidays: “With a bit of everything”

Birgir Kárason, a librarian at Spöngin City Library, is an avid reader, but the author Terry Pratchett is a great favorite, especially the Discworld books, which Birgir says are essential reading.

Which book did you choose for your summer vacation, and why?

“Eitt og annað by Þórarinn Eldjárn. I’ve been very fond of Þórarinn since I was a teenager, so I devour everything he publishes. He has a very special command of the Icelandic language, and his writing style and phrasing have always fascinated me. And he’s extremely funny, which doesn’t hurt.”

Are you a poetry lover?

“I’m generally not a particular poetry lover. I relate more to the poets themselves than to the literary genre. Gyrðir Elíasson and Einar Már Guðmundsson, for example, are excellent writers, so I’m more likely to read poetry by them than by poets I don’t know personally.”

Do you have a favorite literary genre?

“No, I’m a reader of everything.”

And a favorite author?

“The late Terry Pratchett. The Discworld books are essential reading.”

What are your favorite books at the moment?

“Fnæs by Lóa Hlín Hjálmtýsdóttir, The Listerdale Mystery by Agatha Christie (a short story collection featuring her main characters), and Allt frá hatti oní skó by Einar Már Guðmundsson, a special friend of ours here at Spöngin City Library.”

Below is a list of the books Birgir recommends that are available at Reykjavík City Library.

Now that many Reykjavík residents are heading off on their summer holidays, or at least starting to plan them, it's the perfect time to stop by Reykjavík City Library and stock up on books, music, board games, or anything else you might want to pack in your suitcase or simply enjoy at home during the summer. But with so many treasures on the library shelves, what should you take with you? In our Heading into the Holiday series, we ask members of our staff to share their favourite picks from the collection, perfect companions for the summer holidays.