A little Iceland with that?

I recently found myself in the midst of an odd coincidence...  I somehow managed to read two Icelandic-themed novels back-to-back (this despite having never read a book set in Iceland before).

The first book was called The Tricking of Freya and although I'd had it on my to-read  list for quite some time, I was drawn to it recently because it was partially set in the Manitoba town of Gimli.  I recently had the opportunity to visit Gimli for my sister's wedding, so was keen to learn a bit more about this wee, beautiful community.  The Tricking of Freya describes the story of one girl's yearly visits from Connecticut to the shores of Gimli every summer from the time she is seven until she is fourteen.  She catches up with family while there, but her aunt's ultimate betrayal when the girl turns fourteen halts these visits.  It's not until she is thirty that she goes back and becomes intent on finding a cousin that she believes to exist (having been born to her aunt).  This journey takes from Gimli to Iceland, where things are ultimately resolved.

While the writing of this book was good and I really enjoyed the story, I did find the ending to be quite predictable.  If you can get past that, it is an enjoyable book.  3/5 stars.

I next picked up a "modern" re-telling of Jayne Eyre, called the Flight of Gemma Hardy.  It takes place primarily in Scotland, but we again find this heroine ultimately ending up in Iceland.

I particularly enjoyed the early parts of this book, where Gemma encountered much strife before she meets here "Mr. Rochester".  This book is a great adventure and would make a wonderful book to read while on holidays--either on a beach or curled up in front of a fire. 4/5 Stars.

Four More...

And here I find myself again with four books to review at once.  With that in mind, the goal of this blog post is succinct!!

The Cookbook Collector - Allegra Goodman.  This book was neither good, nor bad--it just was.  It tells the story of two sisters living in Berkeley/San Fransisco during the dotcom boom (and then bust).  As with many sisterly tales, the sisters are opposites in taste and manner.  One is a dotcom "genius", while the other is a somewhat flaky philosophy major.  The book follows the sisters' mutual relationships during this rather turbulent time.  3-stars.

The Informationist - Taylor Stevens.  This book was fine and is likely an appropriate beach/holiday read.  However, I have grown somewhat weary of seeing versions of the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo character cropping up all over the show.  Give me something new!!!  2-stars.

The High Road - Terry Fallis.  I really enjoyed Fallis' previous novel "Best Laid Plans" and while "The High Road" isn't quite as good, I still rather liked hanging out with these characters.  From the unconventional Scottish politician Angus McClintock to his assistant Daniel Addision, these characters are all great.  Well worth picking up.  4-stars.

The Glass Room - Simon Mawer.  This was an interesting take on World War 2 and the Nazi Regime.  The house (which holds the glass room) is the focal point for this novel and we follow the home's story as its original builders are forced to flee due to the influx of Nazi troops.  Beyond just its original role as a domestic residence, the home becomes a home to Nazi experiments, and later to a physical therapy facility.  I liked the fact that Mawer found a way to breathe new life into the World War 2 genre.  4-stars.