Reflecting on Reading

It seems that a good part of each day now is spent reading. I always manage to slip some time in for this very pleasant task(?).. And a winter’s Sunday, with nothing planned, is the perfect time to devote a day to reading.

Today I read “The Mist” by Ragnar Jonasson, another writer new to me. I picked up the book on the way out of the library the other day and I am pleased that I did.

Jonasson is an Icelandic writer and from Mr Google, I learned “Ragnar is the co-founder of the Reykjavik international crime writing festival Iceland Noir. From the age of 17, Ragnar translated 14 Agatha Christie novels into Icelandic. Ragnar has appeared on festival panels worldwide and lives in Reykjavik. Ragnar has a law degree and works as an investment banker in Reykjavik, in addition to teaching law at Reykjavik University.

“Ragnar is the co-founder of the Reykjavik international crime writing festival Iceland Noir. From the age of 17, Ragnar translated 14 Agatha Christie novels into Icelandic. Ragnar has appeared on festival panels worldwide and lives in Reykjavik. Ragnar has a law degree and works as an investment banker in Reykjavik, in addition to teaching law at Reykjavik University.”

So to the book. A truly scary story, set in Iceland in the deep midwinter and the author has one (or at least me) panting for what could possibly come next.

If you are into horror and mystery stories, I recommend you get your hands on a copy of this book.

But having read the book I wanted to find out more about this far-off land.

Again, thanks to Google, I found that Iceland is “a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland’s capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its surrounding areas) is home to over 65% of the population.” And in 2020 its population was counted at 366,000 with 237,900 being residents in the capital..

I was particularly interested to note how alike this island is to the island on which I choose to live. For instance, it has a dramatic landscape with volcanoes, geysers, hot springs and lava fields. Massive glaciers are protected in Vatnajökull and Snæfellsjökull national parks. We have what has been described as one of the most dramatic landscapes in the world. We have mountains, fjords, glaciers, lakes, hot springs, geysers, mud pools national parks, and beaches.

The population of New Zealand in 2020 was 5.084 million and currently, in Wellington, our capital it is set at 419,000.

To find out more about Iceland click here.

Postscript – I have reviewed The Mist on my book review blog. Go here http://Booksandmorebooks2017.wordpress.com to read it

So as the sun and the temperature fall on a winter’s Sunday,

Mary Oliver says
“Instructions for living a life.
Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.“

And Judith Baxter says
“Sunsets are the prelude to another beautiful day.
And whatever happens, the sun will rise tomorrow.“