BORGARBÓKASAFNIÐ
Guttormur Þorsteinsson, a specialist at Kringlan City Library, describes himself as an early middle-aged librarian and cat owner who, as he jokingly puts it, was destined to become chairman of his homeowners’ association. He is also an avid reader. He has read The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien several times and always feels the urge to read it again whenever he heads out to the countryside.
“The Hobbit was first read aloud to me during lunch breaks in sixth grade. I then read it myself after receiving it as a Christmas gift in 2001, and I managed to finish it before seeing the first Lord of the Rings film on Boxing Day. I’ve read it at least twice since then, and whenever I go out into the countryside, I always feel the urge to reread it. There’s something about Bilbo’s journey with the dwarves that is both so exciting and so cozy, and it reminds me of summer cottages.”
Guttormur says he could be better at combining reading with vacations and travel, but he still considers it essential to bring at least two books on any trip, something to pick up on the plane or in the car.
Do you read different kinds of books in the summer than in the winter?
“In the winter, I tend to read more literary fiction and perhaps pick up something I come across here at the library that people are talking about. But in the summer, I just want to read something fun, so I gravitate toward fantasy and science fiction.
Like many people, some of my reading has perhaps shifted from books to smart devices, but I still feel it’s absolutely necessary to read at least one novel a month.”
Do you have a memorable or favorite summer reading memory?
“I remember trips abroad as a teenager, to Strasbourg and Corsica, where there was no air conditioning where we were staying, but temperatures were above 30°C. I would seek out shade so I could read Vonnegut, Philip K. Dick, and William Gibson. Classic literature for a certain type of teenage boy, but very memorable.
These days, I most enjoy dark and strange works of weird fiction, or sweeping, large-scale history.”
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.