What I’ve Been Reading Lately (February 2024)

Welcome to another round of “What I’ve Been Reading Lately.” I normally try to get this out mid-month, but I needed a couple of more days to wrap it up this time. I continue to move forward without a 2024 iteration of my yearly Scandinavian/Nordic reading challenge, but I aim to have something in place by the end of March.

In the meantime, I’m motivated by challenges I’ve already committed to, in particular the #DiversityAcrossGenres reading challenge, and reading off my own shelf which certainly includes Scandinavian books. This month, I also wrapped up the reading challenge that my elementary school hosts every winter in which students are encouraged to read certain books and vote for their favorite. Parents, faculty, and staff are invited to join. I participated with the 4th grade booklist this year and am very proud to add the 2024 4th grade button to my collection.

What have you been reading lately?


The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan (2018) 📖

This young adult novel has been sitting on my shelf for a while and I am relieved to finally check it off my unread BOTM selections list. It’s about high school student Leigh, half Asian and half white, whose mother dies by suicide after struggles with depression. Leigh’s mother turns into a bird and Leigh travels to Taiwan to try to find the bird and to meet her maternal grandparents for the first time. Unfortunately, the concept and execution did not land with me. I appreciated the trip to Taiwan which provided insight into sights, foods, and culture. However, the jumping back and forth in time and in and out of other people’s memories was a little disconcerting. And the writing was just too colorful for me.


Happiness Falls by Angie Kim (2023) 🎧

I went into this one knowing there were mixed feelings about it among my reading friends at work. For me, it turned out to be one that I loved. It takes place during the summer of 2020. Mia, a biracial Korean-American college student forced back home due to the pandemic, narrates what happened when her dad went missing after having gone to a local park with her 14-year-old non-speaking autistic brother. She is intellectual and honest. She analyzes and scrutinizes all leads in the case and it goes in many directions. There’s a lot going on in the book, including a discussion of happiness, understanding neurodivergent people (brother had dual diagnosis of autism and Angelman Syndrome), insight into speech therapy, and more! It is thought-provoking and would make a great book club read. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


Jakthundene by Jørn Lier Horst (2012) 📖
(The Hunting Dogs translated by Anne Bruce)

This is my fifth William Wisting installment, not read in any particular order and all except one in Norwegian. I always enjoy returning to the duo of police detective William Wisting and his crime journalist daughter Line along the coast south of Oslo. They don’t work together but their work overlaps. He’s a trustworthy and respected detective; she’s an eager and independent reporter. I like them both. In this installment, Wisting’s reputation is questioned and he’s suspended due to new evidence in a 17-year old case about a murdered missing woman. Line is investigating a recent murder. Seeing how the two cases converged made for a fun and interesting read. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


4th Grade Reads for School Reading Challenge 🎧📖

My absolute favorite of the three 4th grade selections was The Elephant in the Room by Holly Goldberg Sloan (audiobook was excellent). It was such a sweet and heartwarming story of a Turkish American girl whose mother had to return to Turkey for immigration reasons. During the mother’s long and difficult absence, the daughter formed a touching friendship with a grandfather figure, an unusual classmate, and an elephant. The other two books I read were Odder by Katherine Applegate, a very sweet novel-in-verse about a playful otter and the Monterey Bay Aquarium, and A Rover’s Story by Jasmine Warga (also a great listen), an entertaining story of a Mars rover with humanlike feelings which included letters to the rover from the daughter of the female scientist assembling it. I appreciated the Arabic heritage of the main human characters.


What have you been reading lately?

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March 2024: Virtual Nordic Events & Upcoming In Person Events

It’s a short and sweet list of online activities and events for March! However, Nordic enthusiasts in Southern California have a couple of big events they can look forward to in the next couple of months.

On Saturday, April 20, the Daughters of Norway, Turid Jespersen Lodge #44, will host the Scandinavian Heritage Fair in Mission Viejo. There will be demonstrations of traditional crafts such as rosemaling, spinning, weaving, wood carvers, and wood burners, as well as a genealogy booth. Watch the preparation of traditional foods such as aebleskiver, krumkake, lefse, and Norwegian waffles. Enjoy open-faced sandwiches, rømmegrøt, soups, kransekake, and other Scandinavian desserts. The fair will also feature products from Norrdesign T-Shirts, Norwegian Seamen’s Church, Karlsson’s Scandinavian Designs, and Joan Johnson Watercolor Cards. Admission is free. See their flier for details.

Then on the weekend of May 18 & 19, the Scandinavian Festival in Thousand Oaks returns for its 50th anniversary. Tickets are already on sale. Early bird pricing ($15) is available through March 31. Children 12 and under are free and parking is always free. Consider volunteering at the festival. For your time, you will receive an official festival t-shirt and complimentary admission. There are a variety of volunteer opportunities for adults, college students, and high school students. They need your skills to assist with children’s crafts, family activities, head wreath station, and gate entrances. Interested or have questions? Reach out to scanfestvolunteers@gmail.com.

What’s on your calendar for March?


VIRTUAL EVENTS in MARCH

Online book clubs continue to meet. Visit Nordic Book Club Meetings: March 2024 to see details about book selections and meeting dates.

Intro to Swedish (Sat., Mar. 2, 1:00 p.m. CT)

Are you curious about the Swedish language, but not ready yet to commit to a multi-date class? Are you looking for a quick and low-pressure way to get excited and prepare for an upcoming visit to Sweden? This two-hour introductory workshop taught by Jean Hanslin is the perfect way to get a feel for Swedish, pick up a bit of grammar, and learn how to pronounce some words as part of basic conversation.

Intro to Finnish (Sun., Mar. 3, 1:00 p.m. CT)

Are you curious about the Finnish language, but not ready yet to commit to a multi-date class? Are you looking for a quick and low-pressure way to get excited and prepare for an upcoming visit to Finland? This two-hour introductory workshop taught by Joona Sundström is the perfect way to get a feel for Finnish, pick up a bit of grammar, and learn how to pronounce some words as part of basic conversation.

Nordic Spirit Second Friday: History of Scandinavia Leading to the Viking Age (Fri., Mar. 8, 7:30 p.m. PT, Free)

Join the Scandinavian American Cultural & Historical Foundation for a Zoom video presentation to learn about Scandinavian history from the end of the Ice Age leading up to Viking Age. Topics include Nordic Bronze Age and amber, thriving long-distance trade and expansion, kings and longhouses, diffusion of metallurgy, bog iron and Nordic Iron Age, regional warlords viable, replacing elite of the Bronze Age, Hjortspring boat c. 350 BC, Clinker-built connection with Viking ships 1200 years later. Email nordicspiritclassics@gmail.com to receive the Zoom link.

Webinar: Exploring Numedal Style Rosemaling with Patti Goke (Thurs., Mar. 14, 7:00 p.m. CT, Free)

Come and explore with Patti Goke, Vesterheim Gold Medalist, the different looks of the painted items from Numedal Valley. It is hard for even experts in rosemaling to think of a typical Numedal piece. That is because it had so many influences from Hallingdal and Telemark painters. Patti Goke has traveled twice to the valley known as the “Valley of the Middle Ages,” both times with Vesterheim on Folk Art Study Tours. She has also done individual study of the style and painters. Registration required for this free event.

Genealogy Session with the Swedish American Museum: Cemeteries (Sat., Mar. 23, 10:00 a.m. CT)

Delve into ancestry and history with the Swedish American Museum at one of their educational Genealogy sessions! The topic for March is cemeteries. Genealogists love cemeteries, and headstones make a good source material. This lecture explains some important differences in burial traditions between Sweden and the U.S. and how you can use resources online to search for gravesites in Sweden.

ASI Nordic Table Event: Open Faced Sandwiches for Spring (Thurs., Mar. 28, 1:00 p.m. CT)

Nordic open-faced sandwiches are a wonderful way to highlight seasonal ingredients. Known by various names including smörgås in Swedish and smørrebrød in Danish, open faced sandwiches are often eaten singly or in combination for a light lunch or as a part of a celebratory buffet. Join Kristi Bissell of True North Kitchen for this demo which will take us right into spring flavors—from fresh and colorful produce to favorite Easter ingredients—with assemblages of simple components that make for impressive sandwiches. Kristi will share her philosophy for building beautiful and interesting sandwiches, including tips for prepping components ahead for spring gatherings such as Easter, Mothers Day, and graduations. This class is designed as a demonstration, so students can watch the entire process and ask questions before tackling the dishes at home at a later date.

Meet the Author and Bake Along with Nichole Accettola, Scandinavian from Scratch (Sat., Mar. 30, 2:00 p.m. PT)

Join the National Nordic Museum for a special edition of Meet the Author, a bake along with Kantine chef (a Scandinavian-inspired eatery in San Francisco) and author Nichole Accettola. You’re invited to bake hazelnut cookies with Accettola from her cookbook Scandinavian from Scratch: A Love Letter to the Baking of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. The cookbook brings to the page an assortment of baked goods and simple morning and midday meals rooted in Scandinavian cuisine.

ASI Nordic Table Event: Barley in the Nordic Kitchen (Thurs., Apr. 11, 1:00 p.m. CT)

Barley is one of the earliest cultivated grains in the Nordic region, and thousands of years later, it still deserves our attention! Low in gluten and high in fiber, barley was historically used for bread baking as well as brewing. In this virtual demo, Kristi Bissell of True North Kitchen will help us decode the different types of whole barley available, and also share why this is one of her favorite flours to keep on hand. Kristi will demo a delicious scone, a fresh salad perfect for spring, and discuss how she incorporates it into other dishes from breakfast to dinner. Healthy, delicious, and accommodating, barley might become your new favorite grain! This class is designed as a demonstration, so students can watch the entire process and ask questions before tackling the dishes at home at a later date.

Which events or experiences look interesting to you?

What I’ve Been Reading Lately & Reading Goals (January 2024)

It’s a new year with new beginnings, and it’s been a fun, strong start! I’ve set some reading goals and recommitted myself to reading challenges. I continue to join Modern Mrs Darcy’s Quick Lit where I join other readers in sharing what we’ve been reading lately.

A highlight of 2023 was the diversity of books I read both in regards to author perspective and genre, so in 2024, I am once again participating in the #DiversityAcrossGenres reading challenge. This year I am tweaking the genres a little. I’ll be reading General Fiction (a catch-all for all fiction that may otherwise not be included in the challenge), Romance, Mystery/Thriller (instead of Thriller/Horror), Historical Fiction (instead of Sci-fi/Fantasy), and Nonfiction.

I am also traveling around the world again using the The Book GirlsBook Voyage: Read Around the World reading challenge as a framework. Their intent with the reading challenge is to travel from region to region together, but I will be jumping around as desired. My goal is to read more books set in countries I have not visited yet.

As for my Scandinavian/Nordic reading challenge, I am still thinking about the best way to proceed in 2024. When possible, I will certainly be reading Nordic books for the other challenges I am participating in, but I do want to plan a specific reading challenge as well to keep me focused throughout the year.

And finally, always a reading goal but really this year, is reading my own book shelf, especially unread Book of the Month selections. I’ve paused my membership until I’ve made greater process on that goal. I love exploring the new books every month, but I don’t normally get around to reading my selections in a timely manner. Once I clear some space on my unread shelf, I’ll start up again.

What have you been reading lately? Are any reading challenges on your horizon this year?


Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus (2022) 📖

There was something about this book that kept me from reading it for a long time — the supposed disconnect between cover and story, the mixed reviews, etc. I finally read it now when my sister and nieces gave it to me for Christmas for a read-along. I loved it and zipped through it in no time. I admired the main character – her quirkiness and all – and loved all the supporting characters, especially the dog. The setting of the early 1960s in STEM and TV was both interesting and frustrating. The ending was very satisfying. It was a fun read with depth which I wish I had read sooner. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

  • Read My Own Shelf: Gifted

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas (2015) 🎧
Narrated by Jennifer Ikeda

This was a book club selection which I was not thrilled about reading since fantasy is not my favorite genre and I have so many other books I want to read. But I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it! I was not expecting the romance aspect of it; I thought it would be pure fantasy. I learned a new term, “romantasy.” I just let myself enjoy the ride. I did not question any world building. I appreciated the strong, independent, willful female protagonist. Listening to this book was a great escape and took me to a world I wouldn’t be surprised if I returned to when I needed another escape. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


American War by Omar El Akkad (2017) 📖

This was an interesting book. I can’t really decide how I liked it, but it intrigued and engaged me until the end. The book takes place in the near future, 50 years from now, when the second American Civil War breaks out. Political and geographical US borders have shifted. Besides the North and South being divided, Texas is part of Mexico and much of the coastal land, including all of Florida, is underwater. Oil is outlawed. It’s about Sarat, only 6 when the war begins, her father is killed, and she and her family are displaced to a refugee camp in the South. Over time, she is influenced by a mentor and plays a significant role in the war. And there’s a plague that affects the whole country (interesting after our own pandemic). This would make a great book club read to discuss with others. ⭐️⭐️⭐️(⭐️) Can’t quite decide 3 or 4!


The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb (2022) 🎧
Narrated by J.D. Jackson

I loved this book. I listened to it. The narrator was excellent and there was even music included between parts of the book. Ray, a Black boy in love with playing the violin, did not get any support from his mother or his school to pursue his dream. Luckily for him, his grandmother saw his talent and believed in him, even giving him her grandfather’s old fiddle, which turned out to be a Stradivarius. What ensued was all sorts of drama and stress for Ray as he became an up-and-coming musician in a predominantly white field, most notably his violin getting stolen and held for ransom right before he was scheduled to compete at the most important competition of his life and in the world. I was immediately sucked into the mystery of who stole the violin and then the additional drama of who really owned the violin (Ray, his mother and her siblings, or the descendents of the slave owner who originally owned it). It was a great mix of coming-of-age, family drama, mystery, and history. I highly recommend it. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

  • #DiversityAcrossGenres: Black / General Fiction or Mystery/Thriller
  • Read My Own Shelf: Little Free Library find

What have you been reading lately?

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February 2024: Virtual Nordic Events, Sámi Film Fest, & Nordic Spirit Symposium

February brings an interesting mix of in-person events for Nordic enthusiasts in Los Angeles, Seattle, and New York City and online events for everyone.

Of special interest this month is Sámi National Day on February 6, an ethnic national day celebrated by the indigenous Sámi people across northern Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Kola Peninsula in Russia. It is always on February 6, the date of the first Sámi congress in 1917 in Trondheim, Norway, when Sámi from Norway and Sweden met to discuss common issues. For more information on the history and culture of the Sámi, visit Life in Norway’s “The Sami People”.

If you or friends are in the New York City or Seattle areas, the 6th Annual Sámi Film Festival takes place in person February 9 and 10. Otherwise virtual screenings will be available nationwide from February 8-11. The program will include a variety of contemporary and historical Sámi features, documentaries, and short films curated by Liselotte Wajstedt, an award-winning Stockholm-based Sámi multimedia artist from Kiruna, Sweden.

This month also features the annual Nordic Spirit Symposium on February 9 and 10 at California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks, CA. This year’s topic is “Vikings: New Technology, New Discoveries.” Experts from Denmark, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden will join for an in-person symposium on recent exciting Viking Age discoveries. A top scholar from the Netherlands will embellish the program with a presentation about the Vikings in the Low Countries. Please note lunch and dinner must be ordered in advance. Registration for dinner ends February 1 and lunch ends February 4. For more details and registration information, visit the website or view the brochure.

Save the date for the Scandinavian Heritage Fair in Mission Viejo hosted by the Daughters of Norway, Turid Jespersen Lodge #44, on Saturday, April 20. There will be demonstrations of rosemaling, spinning, weaving, wood carvers, and wood burners, as well as a genealogy booth. Watch the preparation of foods such as aebleskiver, krumkake, lefse, and Norwegian waffles. Enjoy open-faced sandwiches, rømmegrøt, soups, kransekake, and other Scandinavian desserts. The fair will also feature products from Norrdesign T-Shirts, Norwegian Seamen’s Church, Karlsson’s Scandinavian Designs, and Joan Johnson Watercolor Cards. Admission is free.  See their flier for details.

What’s on your calendar for February?


VIRTUAL EVENTS in FEBRUARY

Online book clubs continue to meet. Visit Nordic Book Club Meetings: February 2024 to see details about book selections and meeting dates.

Introduction to Norwegian Genealogy (Thurs., Feb. 1 & Fri., Feb. 2)

Join the Norwegian American Genealogical Center in Madison, Wisconsin, for this online class. It is for those who are familiar with genealogy basics, but haven’t dug into Norwegian genealogical research yet. The class will focus on Norwegian naming traditions, history and geography along with strategies for reading old handwriting and finding where in Norway your ancestor may have originated. This class also includes a copy of their “Research Guide for Norwegian Genealogy: For Beginning and Experienced Genealogists.” This class is two days with different material presented each day.

Intro to Northern Sámi (Sunday, Feb. 4, 2:00 p.m. CT)

Are you curious about the Sámi language and culture? Are you looking for a quick and low-pressure way to get excited and prepare for an upcoming visit to the north of Finland, Sweden, or Norway? This two-hour introductory workshop taught by Áila O’Loughlin is the perfect way to learn some history of the nine living dialects of Sápmi, get a feel for North Sámi, pick up a bit of grammar and learn how to pronounce some words as part of basic greetings. Families are welcome!

Religion and Norwegian-American Quilts (Tuesday, Feb. 6, 7:00 p.m. CT)

Can you imagine a time and place without quilts? It may be hard to believe, but few Norwegians in the nineteenth century had ever seen quilts. Immigrants to the United States needed quilts for warmth and to help their homes look more American. Quilts from Vesterheim’s Textile Collection tell the story of the immigrant experience between 1860 and 1940. Join Vesterheim Chief Curator Laurann Gilbertson and the Northeast Iowa Quilters Guild for this presentation.

ASI Nordic Table: Scandinavian Chocolate Treats with Kristi Bissell (Thursday, Feb. 8, 1:00 p.m. CT)

Very few of us can say no to a chocolate treat, and Scandinavians regularly end up on the list of top 10 countries for chocolate consumption per capita—so let’s join Kristi Bissell of True North Kitchen for an overview of their favorite classic chocolate bakes! From kladdkaka (chocolate gooey cake) to a few beloved cookies, and even an oven free chocolate treat, the chokladboll, Kristi will share tips and tricks for working with cocoa and chocolate to create satisfying and easy treats perfect for dessert or fika.

Virtual Sámi Film Festival (Feb. 8-11)

The 6th Annual Sámi Film Festival is a partnership between the National Nordic Museum in Seattle and Scandinavia House in New York City with virtual screenings available February 8-11. Virtual selections in the lineup include seven short films, with narrative and documentary subjects spanning topics ranging from traditional ways of life and cultural practices, historical traumas and conflicts in the present day, to alternative universes.

Ædnan Virtual Book Talk with Linnea Axelsson (Tuesday, Feb. 13, 11:00 a.m. ET)

Join Scandinavia House for a virtual book talk with Sámi-Swedish author Linnea Axelsson on Ædnan, her epic, August Prize-winning multigenerational novel-in-verse about two Sámi families and their quest to stay together across a century of migration, violence, and colonial trauma. The author will be joined by moderator Matilde Augusta Huseby for a talk about the writing of the novel. This event will be followed by a related online book club meeting at 6:00 p.m. ET (details).

Knife Skills in the Nordic Kitchen with Kristi Bissell (Saturday, Feb. 17)

If you’ve ever watched a cooking show and marveled at the speed that the ingredients get prepped, this class is for you! Instructor Kristi Bissell will share tips and tricks for slicing, dicing, chopping, and mincing quickly and safely and discuss how to care for your knives. Best of all, at the end of the class, you’ll have a delicious Nordic soup and salad prepped and ready for dinner! Enrollment deadline: Feb. 3 (spots available as of publication date).

Family Handcraft at Home: Wet Felting with Laura Berlage (Registration deadline Feb. 16)

Begins March 1, available all month! Using hand-dyed wool from the instructor’s sheep, learn how to both wet and needle felt over a bar of soap. Felted soaps are beautiful, and they will help your bar of soap last much longer too! Great for all ages. The kit comes with everything you need. This program has been designed for families to experience on their own schedules. Through a detailed video tutorial, Laura will take you step-by-step through the process from start to finish, with plenty of pro tips and invitations for personalizing your bar of soap. Roll up your sleeves, prepare to get sudsy, and enjoy this tactile-rich experience!

Intro to Sámi Knitting with Laura Ricketts (Sunday, Feb. 18, 10:00 a.m. PT)

The Sámi are Scandinavia’s only UN-recognized indigenous people and have a culture rich with fiber traditions. In this virtual Introduction to Sámi Knitting class, students will be introduced to traditional Sámi knitting, which was almost exclusively used to produce hand garments. Students will view many images of mittens from the instructor’s trips to northern Scandinavia and learn about the four characteristics that set Sámi mittens apart: cuffs, thumbs, decreases, and braids (with and without tassels). Students will create a sample swatch by practicing each of these elements and leave with the knowledge to translate their skills into a full-sized pair of mittens. Click here to learn more and view the class level and required materials list.

FamilieTid: Family Cook Along – Nordic Tacos (Sunday, Feb. 18, 11:00 a.m. CT, Free)

Join chef Patrice Johnson for this fun and delicious way to experience Scandinavian food culture. Tacos are a long favored Friday evening meal across the region, and families who love this tradition are finding ways to vary their beloved tacos. In class, students will dabble in traditional Nordic tacos and an Icelandic Skúffukaka (chocolate brownie cake topped with coconut).

Vesterheim Folk Art School Registration for Summer Classes Opens (Tuesday, Feb. 20, 12:00 p.m. CT)

Registration for online and in-person summer classes (April-September 2024) opens Tuesday, February 20. Get ready to register by checking out this PDF catalog of classes. You will find classes in Rosemaling and Painting, Fiber Arts, Design and Inspiration, Heritage and Language, Music, Weaving, Nordic Cooking, Knifemaking and Metalwork, Woodworking, Youth and Family, and Jewelry.

Scandinavian Flat Plane Figure Carving: One Blank to Rule Them All with Charlie Banks (Saturday, Feb. 24, 1:00 p.m. CT)

Join carving instructor and Vesterheim Gold Medalist Charles Banks for a lecture on Scandinavian flat plane figure carving and his creative process. In this webinar, Charles Banks will talk about the different figures and characters he has made all with the same starting blank, and what that means for the development of his creative process. He will discuss how he has used this simple blank to push himself to try out new character designs and poses. Come learn about how starting with one blank, a whole menagerie of characters can be made. Leave with the inspiration to start carving yourself!

Which events or experiences look interesting to you?

What I’ve Been Reading Lately & Reading Challenges Update (December 2023)

The 2023 reading year was a good one, so many different reading experiences. I didn’t quite check off all my goals as planned but new and exciting reading opportunities came up along the way.

Once again, I traveled around the world with The Book GirlsBook Voyage: Read Around the World reading challenge. I visited 19 countries (not including the USA), three of which were new to me in reading (Albania, Argentina, and Italy), and I traveled to more of South America than in previous years. Books in translation made up 50% of the Book Voyage books.

I didn’t complete my 2023 Nordic Lit Reading Challenge as planned – a unique Nordic country for each of the six categories – but I still felt good about how it played out.

What I thought would be a simpler approach with fewer categories (in the past it’s been 12) turned out to require too much research and planning for all the pieces to fall into place. Also, I was distracted by new reading challenges.

I did read two new-to-me Nordic authors, Denmark’s Kim Leine (Reading Lately, May) and Finland’s Emmi Itäranta (Reading Lately, March). I also read three Norwegian authors long on my radar, Brit Bildøen (Reading Lately, August), Abid Raja (Reading Lately, September), and Simon Stranger (Reading Lately, February), as well as a highly anticipated Swedish Sámi novel (Reading Lately, April). Looking back now, all I needed to do for the pieces to fall into place as planned was to read a Swedish book by or about a marginalized group or another book by or about the Sámi people and their history and culture, fiction or nonfiction. Goals for 2024!

Somewhere in the middle of 2023, I picked up the #DiversityAcrossGenres reading challenge, which I greatly enjoyed participating in. I read many diverse authors and different genres that I wouldn’t necessarily have read if I weren’t on the lookout for them. Click here to see my 2023 reads. I ran out of time to complete some categories, but I have those titles on my TBR for 2024’s challenge.

What have you been reading lately?


The Good Son by You-Jeong Jeong (2016) 📖🎧
Translated from the Korean by Chi-Young Kim (2018), narrated by Johnathan McClain & Elizabeth Liang

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect with this one. It had been on and off my radar for a while as a book in translation by an Asian woman, and I finally read it now since I needed a thriller/horror by an Asian author for #DiversityAcrossGenres. It’s about a 26-year-old man who wakes up to find his mother dead in their home. He does not remember much from the night before, but as he tries to figure it out, more and more is revealed, both about what happened and about his past. The author really takes the reader inside his mind as he pieces everything together from bits and pieces of memories. It’s a dark and disturbing story (decent amount of  violence) but intriguing to see it all come together. ⭐️⭐️⭐️


People Like Them by Samira Sedira (2020) 🎧
Translated from the French by Lara Vergnaud (2021), narrated by Susan Nezami

This story by a French-Algerian author is loosely inspired by a quintuple murder that happened in 2003 in France. In that case, racist motives were completely overlooked. In this novella, the author takes into consideration race, which she believes to be an essential key to understanding that tragedy. The story begins mid-2015, a significant year for France with terrorist attacks both in January and November.

A wealthy Black man and his family move to a newly built chalet in a remote French mountain village. A little over a year later, they are murdered by a local whom everyone described as “normal”. The story opens with a retelling of the brutal murder. There is no doubt of the defendant’s guilt, just questions about his motivation. The story is from the point of view of the murderer’s wife. Reflecting on the tragedy and her husband’s role in it, she alternates between the trial and how she and her husband met and life in the village before the murder. It’s a thought-provoking look on human nature and race and class relations. The translation and the narration were both excellent. ⭐️⭐️⭐️


Our Last Days in Barcelona (The Perez Family #5) by Chanel Cleeton (2022) 🎧
Narrated by Almarie Guerra, Elena Rey, and Victoria Villarreal

I read and enjoyed Next Year in Havana, the first book in the Perez Family series. I started but had to set aside the second one, When We Left Cuba. Now I skipped ahead to the last in the series, which was not a problem, but the family tree I found in the back of the book was helpful.

This is the story of Isabel, the oldest of four sisters. She travels from Palm Beach, Florida, to Barcelona in 1964 to track down her younger sister, Beatriz. The story jumps between Isabel in Barcelona in 1964 (unhappily married in Palm Beach) and the sisters’ mother Alicia in Barcelona in 1936 (at her parents’ home after leaving her cheating husband in Cuba) with some chapters from the perspective of Alicia’s cousin in Havana in 1936 (husband went to fight in Spain). There were many similarities, too many, between the storylines which made it hard to distinguish them at times. What I appreciated the most was the historical aspect of the novel. It takes place during the Civil War in Spain and also explores the historical relationship between Cuba and Spain, both of which have been rare topics in my reading. However, at the same time, I wish there had been a stronger sense of place in Barcelona. ⭐️⭐️⭐️


What have you been reading lately? Do you have any reading challenges planned for 2024?

Disclaimer: AVikingInLA is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

Nordic Events for January 2024: Virtual & Scandinavian Film Festival LA 

Godt nytt år! Happy New Year! January brings both virtual events available to all and a couple of special events happening in the Los Angeles area that might be of interest to local readers. Additionally, online book clubs continue to meet. Visit Nordic Book Club Meetings: January 2024 to see details about book selections and meeting dates for the current and upcoming months.

What’s on your calendar for January?


LOS ANGELES AREA IN-PERSON EVENTS

A reminder that Thomas Dambo TROLLS: Save the Humans is on display at South Coast Botanic Garden on the Palos Verdes Peninsula through January 14. Danish artist Thomas Dambo is considered the world’s leading recycle artist and is known internationally for his larger-than-life, folklore-inspired, whimsical troll sculptures made from reclaimed materials. I’ve been fascinated by Dambo’s work found around the world and was thrilled to be able to see it for myself here in Southern California. I highly recommend a visit to see the collection of trolls before they leave.

The Scandinavian Film Festival LA with BalticFilmExpo @SFFLA celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. The festival will be back at the Writers Guild Theater in Beverly Hills for two weekends, January 13 & 14 and 20 & 21, with films from Scandinavia and its Nordic and Baltic neighbors. The festival program features a wide variety of films, including the Oscar entries for Best International Feature from each of the Nordic countries. Will any of these Oscar entries make it onto the list of nominations announced on January 24?

🇳🇴 Norway: Songs of Earth, written and directed by Margreth Olin (Saturday, January 13, 1:30 p.m., view trailer)

🇸🇪 Sweden: Opponent, directed by Milad Alami (Sunday, January 14, 4:30 p.m., view trailer)

🇩🇰 Denmark: The Promised Land, directed by Nikolaj Arcel (Sunday, January 14, 7:00 p.m., view trailer)

🇫🇮 Finland: Fallen Leaves, directed by Aki Kaurismäki (Saturday, January 13, 7:00 p.m., view trailer)

🇮🇸 Iceland: Godland, directed by Hlynur Pálmason (Sunday, January 14, 2:00 p.m., view trailer)

Festival goers can purchase a festival pass which includes access to all screenings as well as the opening gala on Saturday, January 13, or buy individual tickets. Buy passes and tickets now.

Save the date! The annual Nordic Spirit Symposium will take place February 9 and 10 at California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks, CA. This year’s topic is “Vikings: New Technology – New Discoveries.” Experts from Denmark, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden will join for an in-person symposium on recent exciting Viking Age discoveries. A top scholar from the Netherlands will embellish the program with a presentation about the Vikings in the Low Countries. For more details and registration information, visit the website or view the brochure.


VIRTUAL EVENTS

The History of Norwegian Sweaters (Thursday, Jan. 4, 6:30 p.m. CT)

Learn about the history of different types and styles of Norwegian sweaters, including Setesdal, Fana, Marius, and Olympic from textile expert and Vesterheim Chief Curator Laurann Gilbertson. Laurann will also discuss the symbolism behind some of the patterns and colors on sweaters made today. This is an open online meeting of Sons of Norway Lodge 1-001 Nidaros, from the Minneapolis, Minnesota, West Area. Laurann will join the meeting remotely to share the presentation. Visitors wishing to attend the meeting may sign up for the Zoom link here.

Intro to Finnish (Sunday, Jan. 7, 12:45 p.m. CT)

Are you curious about the Finnish language, but not ready yet to commit to a multi-date class? Are you looking for a quick and low-pressure way to get excited and prepare for an upcoming visit to Finland? This two-hour introductory workshop taught by Joona Sundström is the perfect way to get a feel for Finnish, pick up a bit of grammar, and learn how to pronounce some words as part of basic conversation.

Intro to Swedish (Sunday, Jan. 7, 1:00 p.m. CT)

Are you curious about the Swedish language, but not ready yet to commit to a multi-date class? Are you looking for a quick and low-pressure way to get excited and prepare for an upcoming visit to Sweden? This two-hour introductory workshop taught by Jean Hanslin is the perfect way to get a feel for Swedish, pick up a bit of grammar, and learn how to pronounce some words as part of basic conversation.

Sámi Histories, Colonization & Today Lecture 1 (Wednesday, Jan. 17, 6:30 p.m. CT)

This is the first of a three-part lecture series held on the third Wednesdays of January, February, and March over Zoom. The Sámi are the only recognized Indigenous people in Europe, whose lands, Sápmi, are claimed and divided by the Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish and Russian nation-states. Despite the central roles they’ve played in Fennoscandia, the Sámi are commonly rendered as marginal, ahistorical wildlings whose lands are a mismanaged frontier, ripe for the taking. This lecture series illuminates how untrue those renderings are. In this first lecture, students will learn about Sámi oral and archaeological histories, diversity, and land tenure.

ASI Nordic Handcraft: Stamped Tea Towels with Kayla Ann (Thursday, Jan. 18, 6:30 p.m. CT)

Create your own stamps and print a tea towel in just an evening. Kayla will guide students through the process of carving a simple stamp or two, then printing a tea towel right at home. These skills will work for all kinds of future printing projects on paper or fabric, plus you’ll keep your reusable stamps and all the tools you need to keep printing. Suitable for ages 18+.

ASI Nordic Table: Easy Finnish Flatbreads with Kristi Bissell (Thursday, Jan. 18, 1:00 p.m. CT)

Join Kristi Bissell of the True North Kitchen food blog for two easy Finnish flatbreads featuring whole grains for flavor and nutrition! Kristi will start by demonstrating ruisreikäleipä, or Finnish ring bread. Originally hung from the rafters, Kristi’s version of this yeasted rye bread features honey and a cereal soaker, which creates sweet grainy flavor and a soft texture. Kristi will also share her un-yeasted version of rieska, a quick bread that uses buttermilk, baking powder and baking soda for rise. This bread can be made after work for dinner, and uses barley flour and oats for wholesome nutrition, texture and flavor. Students will be ready to start their ovens immediately after class!

ASI Nordic Handcraft: Scandinavian Loom Beaded Folk Band (Fridays, Jan. 19 – Feb. 9, 2:00 p.m. CT)

Explore the beauty and fun of beading on a loom in the Scandinavian tradition! Inspired by designs from Nordic bandweaving, this class will take you from start to finish to make your own red and gold beaded bookmark. Learn about the historic use of loom beading and how a remarkably simple process can transform glass seed beads into delightful designs. Over the four sessions, students will practice warping their own loom, reading a chart, and various finishing options; they should also plan to work on their projects outside of class. Suitable for ages 16+.

Immigration Stories – From Closed Doors to Open Doors (Saturday, Jan. 20, 1:00 p.m. CT)

Artist Arna Rennan will give a presentation about emigration from central Norway featuring songs, images, and anecdotes that she collected in Bøverdalen, Norway. Between 1900 and 1920, half of the population of Bøverdalen immigrated to the United States. Another portion of the population left around 1950 to join relatives who had settled in the United States. Economic and social conditions were among the primary reasons for leaving. Arna takes a closer look at the existing class system found in Norway at the time and how the rural communities dealt with poverty. She will share some of these stories to bring the immigrant experience to life. This is a hybrid presentation. Watch from home on Zoom as Arna presents at Vesterheim.

Exploring Numedal Style Rosemaling with Patti Goke (Sunday, Jan. 28, 1:00 p.m. CT)

When you hear of the style of painting that comes from Numedal, Norway, what image comes to mind? It is hard for even experts in rosemaling to think of a typical Numedal piece. That is because it had so many influences from Hallingdal and Telemark painters. Come and explore with Patti Goke, Vesterheim Gold Medalist, the different looks of the painted items from Numedal Valley. She has traveled twice to the valley known as the “Valley of the Middle Ages,” both times with Vesterheim on Folk Art Study Tours.

Wellbeing Workshop: Embracing Winter with Norwegian Friluftsliv (Tuesday, Jan. 30, 11:00 a.m. PT)

In 2024, the National Nordic Museum is prioritizing their personal well-being! Join health psychologist Kari Leibowitz, PhD in this one-hour interactive workshop to learn about the Norwegian concept of friluftsliv; the psychological and health benefits of getting outside, connecting with nature, and practicing friluftsliv; and how you can incorporate the practice into your own life to make the most out of the winter.

Introduction to Norwegian Genealogy (Thurs., Feb. 1 & Fri., Feb. 2 (10:00 a.m. CT)

Join the Norwegian American Genealogical Center in Madison, Wisconsin, for this online class. It is for those who are familiar with genealogy basics, but haven’t dug into Norwegian genealogical research yet. The class will focus on Norwegian naming traditions, history and geography along with strategies for reading old handwriting and finding where in Norway your ancestor may have originated. This class also includes a copy of their “Research Guide for Norwegian Genealogy: For Beginning and Experienced Genealogists.” This class is two days with different material presented each day.

ASI Nordic Table: Scandinavian Chocolate Treats with Kristi Bissell (Thursday, Feb. 8, 1:00 p.m. CT)

Very few of us can say no to a chocolate treat, and Scandinavians regularly end up on the list of top 10 countries for chocolate consumption per capita—so join Kristi Bissell of True North Kitchen for an overview of their favorite classic chocolate bakes! From kladdkaka (chocolate gooey cake) to a few beloved cookies, and even an oven free chocolate treat, the chokladboll, Kristi will share tips and tricks for working with cocoa and chocolate to create satisfying and easy treats perfect for dessert or fika.

Virtual Sámi Film Festival (Feb. 9-12)

The 6th Annual Sámi Film Festival returns to the National Nordic Museum this February. Presented as a partnership between the National Nordic Museum in Seattle and Scandinavia House in New York, the festival will take place virtually from February 9-12 and in-person at both venues. The program will include a variety of contemporary and historical Sámi features, documentaries, and short films curated by Liselotte Wajstedt, an award-winning Stockholm-based Sámi multimedia artist from Kiruna, Sweden.


Which events or experiences look interesting to you?

Cheers to a holiday full of Norwegian Christmas streaming!

In the last few years, Norway during wintertime has become a popular setting for Christmas movies. If watching Christmas movies is on your list of favorite Christmas activities or you just want to armchair travel to Norway for some wintery, festive fun, then there’s a whole list of options to explore. Have you already seen any of these?


Christmas As Usual (Netflix Film, Released Dec. 6, 2023)

This is a new romantic comedy from Norway inspired by the true love story of the writer/director’s sister. Netflix’s description: To celebrate their engagement, Thea takes Jashan home — but his Indian roots and her Norwegian traditions clash in a chaotic Christmas. The story was filmed from February to March 2023 in and around Rauland, a rural area in Southern Norway.

 

My Norwegian Holiday (Hallmark Channel Movie, Premiered Dec. 1, 2023)

Hallmark’s description: JJ, grieving the loss of her grandmother and seeking dissertation inspiration, stumbles upon an unexpected holiday destiny. Meeting Henrik, a Norwegian from Bergen, their connection deepens when he discovers she has a troll figurine from his hometown. To explore the troll’s history and her grandmother’s ties, JJ agrees to join Henrik on a journey to Norway. In Bergen, they’re drawn into Henrik’s family Christmas and wedding traditions, with his sister’s wedding the day before Christmas Eve. JJ embarks on a holiday adventure, uncovering the troll’s origins and finding her own path to healing, love and family.

Home for Christmas (Netflix Original Series, 2 Seasons, 2020 & 2021)

I really enjoyed both seasons of this one! It’s a fun and atmospheric rom-com set in a Christmasy, winter wonderland in Norway. (It’s a bit raunchy at times, so beware if watching with young children.) Frustrated by all her friends being part of couples and families and her family constantly commenting on her single status, Johanna rashly and falsely announces at a family dinner on the first Sunday of Advent that she has a boyfriend. Now she has to find one to introduce on Christmas Eve.

A Storm for Christmas (Netflix Limited Series, 2022)

I was hoping for a third season of Home for Christmas, but instead came a spin-off of sorts with this limited series. The main character and her father from Home for Christmas return but in totally different roles. The story takes place at the airport in Oslo. Per Netflix’s description, “Destinies collide when extreme weather traps travelers and workers at an airport, forcing them to spend the final hours leading up to Christmas together.” I enjoyed this one as well.

Three Wishes for Cinderella (2021) (Available through Amazon Prime)

Apparently, it’s a Christmas tradition for many Norwegians to watch the Norwegian dubbed version (one voice for all characters!) of the 1973 Czech movie Three Wishes for Cinderella (entire film in Norwegian available on YouTube). In 2021, an updated Norwegian retelling was made by director Cecilie A. Mosli. The movie features spectacular shots of Norwegian winterscapes and architecture as well as glimpses of Norwegian culture. When Cinderella meets the Prince in the woods, they feel immediately attracted to each other, but he is expected to find a suitable bride at the next royal ball. Equipped with three magical acorns, Cinderella decides to determine her own fate.

The Crossing: Flukten over grensen (Released 2020, available through Kanopy)

This is not a Christmas movie, but it takes place during December during Christmas time. It tells the story of the adventurous 10-year-old Gerda and her brother Otto, whose parents are in the Norwegian resistance movement during the Second World War. One day, just before Christmas in 1942, Gerda and Otto’s parents are arrested, leaving the siblings on their own. Following the arrest, they discover two Jewish children, Sarah and Daniel, hidden in a secret cupboard in their basement at home. It is now up to Gerda and Otto to finish what their parents started: To help Sarah and Daniel flee from the Nazis, cross the border to neutral Sweden, and reunite them with their parents. Written by Maja Lunde and directed by Johanne Helgeland.

Journey to the Christmas Star (2012) (Available through Amazon Prime Video)

This is a remake directed by Nils Gaup, a Sámi film director from Norway, of the 1976 classic with Hanne Krogh. In this Norwegian fairy tale dubbed in English, a courageous girl sets out on a hazardous journey to find the Christmas Star in order to free the kingdom from a curse and bring back a long lost princess, but some mighty foes try to stop her.

Norwegian Television Julekalender: Snøfall (NRK, Premiered Dec. 1)

Does your family understand Norwegian? If so, then watch this year’s Norwegian julekalender, a TV series doled out daily in 24 short episodes leading up to Christmas. Start with Season 1 first released in 2016: “A wonderland full of magic and love. An orphan girl in a sad world. A secret portal separates them. Can Selma find the way?” Or join with Season 2 releasing this year: “Noah is 10 years old and has a very important Christmas wish, but what if the letter to Santa doesn’t arrive?” Interested in more Norwegian Christmas series? See a list of shows year for year starting with 1979 when the tradition first started.


I look forward to watching both of the new releases this holiday season. What will you watch? Are there other Norwegian Christmas films and series that I missed that should be on this list?

What I’ve Been Reading Lately (November 2023)

This past month, the quantity of books was lower than I had hoped (I try to aim for at least 4 books a month) but the quality of the reading experiences certainly exceeded expectations. They were all extremely enjoyable books. I continue to slowly check off unread Book of the Month selections, which is an ongoing reading goal. Unfortunately, my Nordic Literature Reading Challenge has fallen off my radar as I’ve pursued the Diversity Across Genres and Book Voyage: Read Around the World reading challenges. I will have to rethink that one for next year.

What have you been reading lately?


The House of Eve by Sadeqa Johnson (2023) 📖🎧

This book takes place in the 1950s in Philadelphia and Washington, DC, and follows two young Black women in separate storylines that converge over time. High school student Ruby hopes to be the first in her family to attend college through a program for young, promising Black students. Eleanor is at Howard University thanks to sacrifices by her working class family. Both women fall in love with men which threatens their planned futures and leads to some hard choices. I loved the insight into the time and place of the stories, much of it unfamiliar to me. In particular, it was fascinating and eye-opening to read about DC’s elite wealthy Black community. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


The Survivors by Jane Harper (2021) 📖

This book was my first introduction to Jane Harper as well as to Tasmania, an island state of Australia. The story takes place in a small fictional seaside town very popular with tourists during the summer season, but otherwise very quiet. At the heart of the book are some dangerous ocean caves and a tragedy that happened 12 years ago and still haunts the locals, especially when a visitor to the area is found dead. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


Nothing to See Here (2019) by Kevin Wilson 🎧
Narrated by Marin Ireland

I’ve always been turned off by the cover and the premise of kids spontaneously combusting. When it was selected as a book club pick at work, I decided to listen to it. Lillian, a scholarship student, and Madison, from a wealthy family, were best friends at boarding school until a scandal separated them. Years later Madison needs Lillian’s help taking care of her 10 year old step-kids who erupt into flames when agitated. The story is from Lillian’s perspective. I loved her personality and relationship with the kids. The narration was fabulous, the delivery and tone of the narrator were spot on. Those of us who listened to it, seemed to enjoy it much more than those who read it. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


What have you been reading lately?

By the way, if you’re interested in purchasing Scandinavian ebooks at a great discount, visit my Scandinavian Ebook Deals page. Some offers stay around for a long time, others only a short period. If anything looks intriguing, grab it before it’s gone.

Disclaimer: AVikingInLA is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

December 2023: Nordic Events, Christmas Edition

Happy December and all that this month brings! This month I share both virtual events available to all and a few special events happening in the Los Angeles area that might be of interest to local readers.

Last month I shared the news of the arrival of Thomas Dambo TROLLS: Save the Humans to South Coast Botanic Garden on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, and since then, I’ve seen them for myself and the experience didn’t disappoint. Danish artist Thomas Dambo is considered the world’s leading recycle artist and is known internationally for his larger-than-life, folklore-inspired, whimsical troll sculptures made from reclaimed materials. I’ve been fascinated by Dambo’s work found around the world and was thrilled to be able to see it for myself now here in Southern California. I highly recommend a visit to see the collection of trolls on display through January 14, 2024.

 

On Saturday, December 2, the SWEA Los Angeles Christmas Fair returns after a few years’ hiatus, this time to Santa Monica, to celebrate Swedish heritage and Swedish food. Highlights include a diverse selection of Swedish vendors, Santa Claus ready to spread festive joy and listen to holiday wishes, Saint Lucia Celebrations, and Swedish delicacies such as Swedish pancakes, glögg, and baked goods.

The Norwegian Church in San Pedro hosts many Christmas events this time of year, the first of which is their annual Christmas Luncheon on Tuesday, December 5 (registration required). Visit their Facebook page for updates on Christmas events.

And finally, have you marked your calendars for the 25th anniversary of the Scandinavian Film Festival LA with BalticFilmExpo@SFFLA? The festival will be back at the Writers Guild Theater in Beverly Hills for two weekends in January 2024 (January 13 & 14 and 20 & 21) with films from Scandinavia and their Nordic neighbors. Details about the programming will be released soon.

Online book clubs continue to meet. Visit Nordic Book Club Meetings: December 2023 to see details about book selections and meeting dates for this month and into the new year.

What’s on your calendar for December?


Norwegian Television Julekalender: Snøfall (Premieres December 1)

Does your family understand Norwegian? Tune in to this Norwegian julekalender, a TV series doled out daily in 24 short episodes leading up to Christmas. Start with Season 1: “A wonderland full of magic and love. An orphan girl in a sad world. A secret portal separates them. Can Selma find the way?” Or jump ahead to Season 2: “Noah is 10 years old and has a very important Christmas wish, but what if the letter to Santa doesn’t arrive?”

Hallmark Christmas Movie: My Norwegian Holiday (Premieres December 1)

Hallmark Channel’s original Christmas movie My Norwegian Holiday premieres December 1. Grieving her grandmother’s death, JJ seeks dissertation inspiration. Henrik, drawn to her troll figurine, invites her to Bergen, Norway, to trace its origins.

Mindekirken’s Norwegian Language & Culture Program Winter Registration Opens (December 1)

Registration for Mindekirken’s Norwegian Language & Culture Program for the next trimester of classes (January – March 2024) is now ope. Each trimester, they offer a range of Norwegian classes for beginning learners to those that are more advanced, many of them online. Culture classes are designed to expand learners’ knowledge of traditional and contemporary Norwegian culture.

Scandinavian Fest: Virtual Holiday Market (Friday & Saturday, Dec. 1 & 2)

Scandinavian Fest: Virtual Holiday Market returns Friday, December 1, and Saturday, December 2, on Facebook. Scandinavian Fest brings Nordic shops and businesses from around the globe together in one online location. Join the Virtual Holiday Market to discover unique Nordic products, take advantage of discounts, and win giveaways. To participate, mark that you are “Going” or “Interested” in the event and then follow the Discussion tab on the event page for products, discounts and giveaways and shop Nordic by visiting or contacting the businesses. For more information, visit their website.

Exploring Møre og Romsdal Style Rosemaling (Sunday, Dec. 3, 1:00 p.m. CT, Free)

Come learn about the various examples of rosemaling from the area known as Mǿre og Romsdal Fylke (County) in Western Norway! Join Nancy Odalen, Vesterheim Gold Medalist and a recipient of one of the 2022-2023 Folk Art Residency grants, for a lively discussion about the rosemaling that was created within the county of Mǿre og Romsdal. Odalen will have examples from the Vesterheim Collection and from the museum in Romsdal.

A Swedish Meatball Dinner with Kristi Bissell (Thursday, Dec. 7, 1:00 p.m. CT)

A Swedish meatball dinner ticks every box for a winter meal: cozy and comforting, balanced and delicious! Join Kristi Bissell of the True North Kitchen blog for an afternoon demonstration of her dream meatball dinner menu – Swedish meatballs with a creamy gravy and lingonberries, an elegant celery root puree, and essential pickled cucumbers. Plus, learn the secrets of Kristi’s truly satisfying vegetarian meatball recipe, too! Whether you tackle the whole menu at once, or pull just a few of the recipes straight to your Christmas smörgåsbord, these are classic, fail safe recipes that will impress your loved ones this holiday season.

Norwegian Christmas Cookies Workshop (Saturday, Dec. 9, 1:00 p.m. ET)

Join Sunny Gandara of Arctic Grub to bake some of the most popular Norwegian Christmas cookies and to learn about the cookie evolution in Norway from the old times until today. Get your apron on and get in the Christmas spirit with this baking class! (And yes, you’ll be making krumkaker!) After registering and a few days ahead of the class, you will receive an email with the recipes so you can prepare if you’d like to bake along.

Online Cooking Class: Holiday Food (Monday, Dec. 11, 4:00 p.m. CT)

Join the Swedish American Museum for an online cooking class to learn how to make holiday food. You will receive the recipe in advance. You can then either cook alongside or watch and try later. This is an interactive Zoom so you will be able to ask questions.

Family Book Adventure: Now That Night is Near by Astrid Lindgren (Register by Dec. 16)

Beginning January 1 and available all month, join Vesterheim for this family-fun reading and outdoor adventure! Your family can be any combination of folks as long as there’s at least one adult to help navigate the online portion. Decorah schools librarian Shannon Horton will get you reading, thinking, creating, and even up and moving – indoors and out! A kit delivered right to your home contains supplies for book-reading, a fun craft, a snack, and a scavenger-hunt-type adventure.

Knit a Norwegian-Inspired Hat (Four Saturdays, January 6-27, 11:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m. CT)

Register by December 21 to join this online knitting class for intermediate knitters. Join Kate Running to learn how to work with two colors of yarn to make this patterned hat. Work with a Nordic-inspired motif and learn the cultural tradition of stranded knitting. Intermediate level, no colorwork experience necessary. Yarn is provided.  Students may choose to provide their own yarn to swap out with the yarn that is sent in the kit. A kit of materials including Strikkegarn yarn (a $40 value included in the cost of registration) will be shipped to your home. Enrollment Deadline: December 21.

Knitting Selbu Mittens (Three Sundays, January 7-21, 12:00-1:30 p.m. CT)

Register by December 21 to join this online knitting class for intermediate knitters. Dating back to 1857, Selbu mittens are one of the most iconic Norwegian garments. They have existed as currency, as souvenirs, and as a source of financial independence for women who had few options. In this intermediate knitting class, you will make a pair of Selbu mittens with live demonstrations as well as a prerecorded tutorial to reference on your own time. The instructor will discuss history, tips and tricks, and easy modifications as you knit a pattern inspired by pieces in the Vesterheim collection.

Which events or experiences look interesting to you?

 What I’ve Been Reading Lately (October 2023)

This was such an interesting diverse reading month for me which feels so satisfying. Of the four books I read, they were all different genres (autobiographical novel, crime thriller/supernatural horror, short story collection, and memoir). Two of them were books in translation (from France and Argentina) and the other two by voices that I don’t read very frequently (Indigenous and Muslim). This is all thanks to the #DiversityAcrossGenres reading challenge that pushes me to read diverse genres and perspectives. Sadly, it’s to the detriment of my personal Nordic Literature Reading Challenge which I will have to revisit and revise for next year.

What have you been reading lately?


The Postcard by Anne Berest (2021)
(Translated from the French by Tina Kover, 2023) 🎧

I loved this autobiographical novel based on the author’s own family history. The story’s seed was an anonymous postcard the author’s mother received in 2003 with only the names of Berest’s maternal great-grandparents and their two children killed at Auschwitz in 1942. That seed sprouted 15 years later when the author’s daughter experienced anti-Semitism at her elementary school.

From there began an ongoing dialogue between the author and her mother and an investigation into their family history that spanned five generations starting in Moscow in 1918. I really enjoyed getting to know the family members throughout time and place (Russia, Latvia, Palestine, France), getting insight into various aspects of life in France during World War II (Jews, Resistance fighters, and collaborators), and observing the relationship between the author and her mother throughout their investigation. I loved the structure of the novel. It jumped back and forth from contemporary to past times and included letters and emails. It kept the suspense going as the mystery around the postcard continued.

I highly recommend the book. The translation by Tina Kover was seamless. I listened to the audiobook wonderfully narrated by Barrie Kealoha. It’s not always an easy read with the atrocities against Jews during WWII and the resulting trauma upon survivors and descendants. But the fact that this book has been written and will forever keep the deceaseds’ memories alive is powerful. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


Shutter by Ramona Emerson (2022) 📖

Rita, the protagonist, is an Indigenous forensic photographer with the Albuquerque Police Department. Not only does she have a great talent for capturing crime scene details, but she is also able to see and communicate with spirits of the dead. The story jumps back and forth in time between her upbringing by her grandmother on the Navajo Nation reservation and the present when the ghost of a murdered woman won’t leave her alone until the killer is brought to justice. I definitely enjoyed the Indigenous own voice narrative and Navajo cultural details. Might there have been too much graphic detail at some crime scenes and a couple of crime plot points that were too convenient, yes, but overall a great read. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


Things We Lost in the Fire: Stories by Mariana Enríquez (2016)
(Translated from the Spanish by Megan McDowell, 2017) 📖🎧

This collection of short stories from Argentina certainly delivered a strong sense of time and place, which I love about books, especially books in translation. The twelve stories are set in the recent past with Argentina’s troubled history in the background, and they take place in various areas around Buenos Aires and beyond. The characters in each of the stories are all generally going about their regular business, but there’s always something unsettling and disturbing that happens. A very captivating read, but not for the faint of heart. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

 


Hijab Butch Blues by Lamya H. 📖

This is the coming-of-age memoir of a queer Muslim immigrant to the US. It begins with the author’s childhood in the Middle East (after having moved there from the South Asian country of her birth so her father could provide a better life for his family) and continues through her years at an elite college in the US and into her early adult life in New York City. She has always felt out of place. Her queerness would be intolerable and ostracizing to her Muslim family and community. Her journey to make sense of her identity is interspersed with her interpretations of stories from the Quran. This book was a very engaging read that provided insight into so much that is unfamiliar to me. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


What have you been reading lately?

By the way, if you’re interested in purchasing Scandinavian ebooks at a great discount, visit my Scandinavian Ebook Deals page. Some offers stay around for a long time, others only a short period. If anything looks intriguing, grab it before it’s gone.

Disclaimer: AVikingInLA is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.