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The Little Book of the Icelanders at Christmas
- Narrated by: Alda Sigmundsdottir
- Length: 2 hrs and 38 mins
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Publisher's summary
Christmas in Iceland is special. Ask any Icelander and they will tell you. It is a time of year when everything pulsates with vibrant activity, and the nation delights in those festive traditions that make them a tribe. Music is all around, friends gather, restaurants are filled with people partaking of festive Yuletide offerings, authors are out and about reading from their new works. Everything pulsates with a vibrant, happy energy. There is even a word for the gleeful excitement one feels when waiting for Christmas — jólaskap, literally “Christmas mood”.
In this book, Alda Sigmundsdóttir invites you on a journey of Iceland’s magical Yuletide season, all the way to New Year’s Eve, and beyond. You will learn about the special foods, traditions and customs that makes Christmas in Iceland so special, and meet a colourful cast of characters that are such an integral part of the Yule. In her inimitable style, and using examples from her own life, Alda gives you not only the modern version of Christmas, but also the historical and cultural background to many of that traditions that are still observed today.
Sample from the book:
Quick question: Did you receive this book as a Christmas gift?
If you answered yes, you will have been party to one of the best-loved Icelandic Yule traditions: giving or receiving a book for Christmas. This tradition is so entrenched in Icelandic society that it feels like it must have been around forever. Not so. It began during World War II, when there were strict limitations on imports, though for some reason the restrictions on imported paper were less severe. The Icelanders were flush with affluence at this time — WWII was referred to as the “blessed war” since the British and later American occupation had brought jobs, and therefore money — but they had few things on which to spend their unprecedented wealth.
Except, well, paper. Only, there was not a whole lot you could do with paper, except…print books? Perfect, since the Icelanders were already intensely proud of their literary heritage, associating it with the glory days of the Sagas and Eddas, before the nation was colonized and driven into poverty and humiliation. In no time at all, books became extremely popular gifts, and indeed were the gift to give at Christmas.
This custom has remained, and today Iceland publishes more books per capita than any other country in the world, almost all of them in the six-or-so weeks leading up to Christmas. This deluge of books that hits the market at that time is known as jólabókaflóðið, or the Christmas book flood.
Make no mistake: Jólabókaflóðið is a big deal. Each year the latest releases receive a massive buzz, in the media and everywhere else — folks discussing which titles are good and which are lame, which are likely to sell and which are not, which book covers are exceptional and which are horrid, which books they can’t wait to read and which they plan to skip. Indeed, one of the most eagerly-awaited publications annually is not a book at all, but rather the yearly Bókatíðindi (Book News) catalogue that lists all titles published in that particular year (provided their publishers have paid for a listing — most do) and which is delivered free to each household in the country. In recent years Bókatíðindi has featured upwards of 600 published titles, though with eBooks and audiobooks added, that number easily exceeds 700 in a given year. Which perhaps does not sound like much in countries with 1,000 times Iceland’s population, but when you factor in that Iceland’s population is a mere 350,000 souls, it is a whole lot.
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Provence, 1970 is about a singular historic moment. In the winter of that year, more or less coincidentally, the iconic culinary figures James Beard, M.F.K. Fisher, Julia Child, Richard Olney, Simone Beck, and Judith Jones found themselves together in the South of France. They cooked and ate, talked and argued, about the future of food in America, the meaning of taste, and the limits of snobbery.
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Superb Narration, Engrossing Tale
- By Robert R. on 10-22-13
By: Luke Barr
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The Midwest Survival Guide
- How We Talk, Love, Work, Drink, and Eat... Everything with Ranch
- By: Charlie Berens
- Narrated by: Charlie Berens
- Length: 6 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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Have you ever had a goodbye lasting more than four hours? Do you lack the emotional capacity to say “I love you” so you just tell your loved ones to “watch out for deer”? Have you apologized to a stranger because she stepped on your foot? If you answered yes to any of these questions, there’s a good chance you’re a Midwesterner - or a Midwesterner at heart.
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Perfect for the Long Drive to WI
- By Amazon Customer on 01-24-22
By: Charlie Berens
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French Kids Eat Everything
- How Our Family Moved to France, Cured Picky Eating, Banned Snacking, and Discovered 10 Simple Rules
- By: Karen Le Billon
- Narrated by: Cris Dukehart
- Length: 8 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
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When she moved her young family to her husband's hometown in northern France, Karen Le Billon expected some cultural adjustment. But she didn't expect to be lectured for slipping her fussing toddler a snack, or to be forbidden from packing her older daughter a school lunch. Karen is intrigued by the fact that French children happily eat everything-from beets to broccoli, from salad to spinach - while French obesity rates are a fraction of what they are in North America.
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Can I have a snack? mais non, bien sûr - NO!
- By Marie on 03-21-15
By: Karen Le Billon
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Super Sushi Ramen Express
- One Family's Journey Through the Belly of Japan
- By: Michael Booth
- Narrated by: Ralph Lister
- Length: 10 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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Japan is arguably the preeminent food nation on earth, a Mecca for the world's greatest chefs, with more Michelin stars than any other country. The Japanese go to extraordinary lengths and expense to eat food that is marked both by its exquisite preparation and exotic content. Their creativity, dedication, and courage in the face of dishes such as cod sperm and octopus ice cream is only now beginning to be fully appreciated in the sushi and ramen-saturated West.
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Interesting material that's well-narrated
- By John S. on 11-09-16
By: Michael Booth
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Bonjour, Happiness!
- Secrets to Finding Your Joie de Vivre
- By: Jamie Cat Callan
- Narrated by: Tavia Gilbert
- Length: 6 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
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As a young girl, Jamie Cat Callan was fascinated by her French grandmother. Though she had little money, Jamie's grand-mère ate well, dressed well, and took joy in simple, everyday pleasures. As Jamie journeyed through France as an adult, she gained more insight into the differences between French and American women. French women - whether doctors, shop owners, or housewives - don't worry about being thin enough, young enough, or accomplished enough.
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a delight
- By Jan Kovac on 02-28-16
By: Jamie Cat Callan
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Breakfast in Burgundy
- A Hungry Irishman in the Belly of France
- By: Raymond Blake
- Narrated by: John Keating
- Length: 9 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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Laced with compelling writing about French food and its ways, Breakfast in Burgundy is part travel memoir, part foodie detective story, and part love song to Raymond's adopted home. This audiobook tells the story of the Blake's decision to buy a house in Burgundy. Raymond describes the moments of despair such as the water leak that cost a fortune and the fantastic times too. Blake has admitted to being fascinated by flavor and how it is created."
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surprisingly lulz and interesting
- By Amazon Customer on 12-02-21
By: Raymond Blake
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The Year of Living Danishly
- Uncovering the Secrets of the World's Happiest Country
- By: Helen Russell
- Narrated by: Lucy Price-Lewis
- Length: 9 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
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When she was suddenly given the opportunity of a new life in rural Jutland, journalist and archetypal Londoner Helen Russell discovered a startling statistic: the happiest place on earth isn't Disneyland but Denmark, a land often thought of by foreigners as consisting entirely of long, dark winters, cured herring, Lego and pastries. What is the secret to their success? Are happy Danes born or made?
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Interesting content. Unfortunate delivery.
- By Jennifer Soudagar on 11-13-15
By: Helen Russell
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Mastering the Art of Soviet Cooking
- A Memoir of Food and Longing
- By: Anya von Bremzen
- Narrated by: Kathleen Gati
- Length: 12 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
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Anya occupies two parallel food universes: one where she writes about four-star restaurants, the other where a taste of humble kolbasa transports her back to her scarlet-blazed socialist past. To bring that past to life, in its full flavor, both bitter and sweet, Anya and her mother, Larisa, embark on a journey unlike any other: they decide to eat and cook their way through every decade of the Soviet experience - turning Larisa’s kitchen into a "time machine and an incubator of memories". Together, mother and daughter re-create meals both modest and sumptuous.
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Does Pronunciation Matter?
- By Mary on 11-23-13
By: Anya von Bremzen
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At Home with Madame Chic
- Becoming a Connoisseur of Daily Life
- By: Jennifer L. Scott
- Narrated by: Amy Rubinate
- Length: 4 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
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When Jennifer arrived at Madame Chic's Parisian apartment as a foreign exchange student, Madame Chic took her under her wing and tutored her in the secrets of how the French elevate the little things in life to the art of living. Years later, Jennifer was back in California with a husband, two young daughters, a dog, and her first home.
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Sounds like a robot.
- By Jo on 08-25-15
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Rice, Noodle, Fish
- Deep Travels Through Japan's Food Culture (Roads & Kingdoms Presents, Book 1)
- By: Matt Goulding
- Narrated by: Will Damron
- Length: 7 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
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An innovative new take on the travel guide, Rice, Noodle, Fish decodes Japan's extraordinary food culture through a mix of in-depth narrative and insider advice. In this 5,000-mile journey through the noodle shops, tempura temples, and teahouses of Japan, Matt Goulding, cocreator of the enormously popular Eat This, Not That! book series, navigates the intersection between food, history, and culture, creating one of the most ambitious and complete books ever written about Japanese culinary culture from the Western perspective.
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Starts strong tapers off
- By Craig Bryan on 01-02-21
By: Matt Goulding
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Earthly Delights
- By: Kerry Greenwood
- Narrated by: Louise Siversen
- Length: 7 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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Baking is an alchemical process for Corinna Chapman. At four am she starts work at Earthly Delights, her bakery in Calico Alley. But one morning Corinna receives a threatening note saying 'The wages of sin is death' and finds a syringe in her cat's paw. A blue-faced junkie has collapsed in the dark alley and a mysterious man with beautiful eyes appears with a plan for Corinna and her bread. Then it is Goths, dead drug addicts, witchcraft, a homeless boy and a missing girl and it seems she will never get those muffins cooked in time.
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Don't know why I waited so long.
- By S. Sarabasha on 09-13-13
By: Kerry Greenwood
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Money Secrets of the Amish
- Finding True Abundance in Simplicity, Sharing, and Saving
- By: Lorilee Craker
- Narrated by: Lorilee Craker
- Length: 4 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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Take one thoroughly modern gal with a recessionary income problem, mix with the practices of a culture that has proved to be recession-proof, and what have you got? A financial planner in a straw hat. When writer Lorilee Craker learned that the Amish are not just surviving but thriving in the economic downturn, she decided to find out why.
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Pure Listening Pleasure!
- By Yaz on 08-04-11
By: Lorilee Craker
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Consider the Fork
- A History of How We Cook and Eat
- By: Bee Wilson
- Narrated by: Alison Larkin
- Length: 11 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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Since prehistory, humans have braved the business ends of knives, scrapers, and mashers, all in the name of creating something delicious - or at least edible. In Consider the Fork, award-winning food writer and historian Bee Wilson traces the ancient lineage of our modern culinary tools, revealing the startling history of objects we often take for granted. Charting the evolution of technologies from the knife and fork to the gas range and the sous-vide cooker, Wilson offers unprecedented insights.
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For the foodie/science geek/history buff in you
- By Nothing really matters on 08-30-14
By: Bee Wilson
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Ferran
- The Inside Story of El Bulli and the Man Who Reinvented Food
- By: Colman Andrews
- Narrated by: Don Hagen
- Length: 10 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
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In his lively, unprecedented close-up portrait of Ferran Adrià, award-winning food writer Colman Andrews traces this groundbreaking chef’s rise from resort hotel dishwasher to culinary deity, and the evolution of El Bulli from a German-owned beach bar into the establishment voted annually by an international jury to be “the world’s best restaurant”.
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recasting needed
- By Marco I on 09-09-18
By: Colman Andrews
What listeners say about The Little Book of the Icelanders at Christmas
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- T Wallace
- 12-18-20
A Festive Account of Yuletide Traditions in Iceland
Alda Sigmundsdottir has done it again with this addition to her Little Book series on Iceland. Her evocative descriptions of the activities celebrating Advent, Christmas, and New Years in Iceland, and the interesting, and often hilarious traditions are fun and surprising. The mischievous Yule Lads, the delicious (and sometimes disgusting) foods, the fireworks and bonfires that usher in the New Year...I especially loved the chapter on The Hallowed Hour - it was the next best thing to being there to join in the festivities. Her reading is clear and compelling, and her voice perfectly brings to life the stories that she tells. If you are an Icelandophile like me, I heartily recommend this book for your library, as well as her other Little Books on Iceland...you’ll be doing yourself a treat.
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- K.D. Keenan
- 12-18-20
A Wonderfully Listenable Book and a Treasury of Icelandic Yule Traditions
Alda Sigmundsdottiír has built a deserved reputation for her Little Books about Iceland. Icelandic by birth, she was raised abroad, giving her a unique perspective, both loving and a little amused, on Icelandic culture.
“The Little Book of the Icelandic Yule” is narrated by the author. When an author has a knack for narration, it really adds to the impact of the words. Alda Sigmundsdottir has a good, clear voice that she uses to inform her listener that much more—especially when she is being humorous.
Humor is found throughout the book, tucked here and there like the delicious treats of the Yuletide season. The author loves her country’s traditions, but is not immune to the fact that citizens of other countries might find eating rancid skate less than exciting.
The Yule season in Iceland takes up the better part of two months or more, starting with Advent. Each part of the celebration has its own traditions, decorations, and special foods. Alda Sigmundsdottir details these, along with the older traditions that linger from the grim past, like the 13 mischievous Yule Lads and the Yule Cat that eats anyone who isn’t wearing new clothes they got for Christmas.
“The Little Book of the Icelandic Yule” is a real treat for anyone interested in Iceland, or in Christmas traditions around the world. It was informative—but I also found myself laughing out loud at times.
Full disclosure: I accepted a free copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review. Honestly, I loved the book.
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- Jutta Müller
- 12-28-20
Christmas time, the crazy time
Now is the best time to relax and especially this year, we won’t be disturbed by too many family members. Time to read or listen to a book. Alda Sigmundsdóttir “The little book of the Icelanders at Christmas” is perfect to learn and enjoy this crazy time.
Do you know Icelanders? Do know Christmas? Now combine both elements plus 13 trolls 100.000 cookies and one million lights – you might already recognize this is an adventuress mixture. I can tell you I like Christmas in Iceland, 26 days of craziness and already in November are the first preparations.
The most important ingredient is light: at home and allover the town. Alda concentrates to describe the situation in the capital Reykjavík. Even in the time without the Christmas light it is a very shiny town, but during Christmas is great. Have you ever been to the US during the Holidays? All these decorations in the front yard and around the houses, all the figures, wow. In Reykjavík you will see kilometers of light lines around balconies, trees, houses, over the streets and squares. Light is important for the Icelanders during the four, relatively dark winter months. Alda mentions the history and how horrible the living conditions have been in the tiny dark farmhouses in old days. That explains very well how important light for the Icelanders is. In the houses and apartments are candles from the first of advent.
Besides light is food the second – or the first? – important ingredient for a perfect Christmas. The cookies are baked during December, but some women – perfect housewives – start already in November, the more the better. How many kinds of cookies did you bake? This is an important question. Alda’s grandmother baked five kinds, housewives do seven and up to eight kinds. You can imagine there is a lot of competition between mothers. The next question is: What do we eat at Christmas? There is a long tradition of ptarmigans for the traditional dinner, but times have changed. Alda talks about all these traditions, the importance of meat and the family conflicts and discussions about the “real, and only meal”. Her talks are funny and very informative. If you read the book you will also enjoy the lovely drawings.
And now of course the “Yule lads” thirteen trolls. From the 12th of December they come down from the highlands and visit the people. If you haven’t heard about them, listen to Alda, she knows their characters and tricks.
Finally, the 24th of December has come, and the families are celebrating the next days. After all the stress now is time 25th to relax and read. The best-loved Icelandic Yule traditions: giving or receiving a book for Christmas. During the following days is the best time to read and talk about the new books. There is only one break - New Year’s Eve, again a crazy day of bonfires and firework. Reykjavík is famous for its celebration, every year join thousands of tourists the parties on the hills.
So, now just order the audiobook and enjoy, listen to Alda’s soft and gentle voice, learn about history and traditions, and learn a little bit more about the Icelanders.
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- Peter
- 12-12-23
There is no story here and author seems almost annoyed at half of her customs.
So this isn't a story about a family or anyone spending Christmas in Iceland. It is just a mundane telling of things Icelanders do at Christmas. Author and narrator is almost obnoxious in her telling of the traditions. she seems pretty much bothered by all the things that are customs and culture. There are constant woke comments thrown in how we should be vegan to save the animals and earth, how the firework NYE tradition is more then horrible for the earth, etc. She almost sounds like she talks down about her culture and customs. The information was just boring and not a huge difference from other European customs, so for anyone familiar with the European culture this is redunadant. Granted, there are some specific to the country that are different, it is not worthy of a whole book. This book was a waste of time and my positive opinion on Iceland has now been slightly skewed based on this woman and her snippy naration.
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