A White, White Day review: Grief, toxic masculinity and familial bonds

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A White, White Day (Hvítur, Hvítur Dagur) is a 2019 Icelandic drama film directed by Hlynur Pálmason. It’s a portrait of grief, toxic masculinity and familial bonds.

The film stars an impeccable cast of Ingvar Eggert Sigurðsson, Ída Mekkín Hlynsdóttir, Hilmir Snær Guðnason and Sara Dögg Ásgeirsdóttir.

May Reading Wrap up

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A somewhat mixed bag of books this month.

The sublime Simple Passion by Annie Ernaux was a massive standout; I also read a bunch of historical things - Grettir's Saga and some old Icelandic Folktales - as well as a cute cosy fantasy Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries, which is a bit outside my realm of reading (not subject matter but writing style - "easy reading").

Saga Book Club: The Saga of Grettir the Strong Review

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So I finally finished Grettis Saga today. I say finally, not in a negative way (I loved it) but because it has taken me quite a long time to read it. Just over two months, to be precise, which isn’t ideal when you’re trying to start a book club, luckily, it’s a one-person club at the moment because that would be embarrassing!

Perhaps what I loved the most about the Saga was all the weird supernatural encounters, prophecies and curses - very spooky in places! Namely, chapter 35 which is an absolute highlight of the saga; it had me on the edge of my seat while simultaneously reeling at the horrific showdown between Grettir and Glam!

And again, how humorous the characters can be - like no one told me the Sagas would actually be laugh-out-loud funny 😆

Also, are the Sagas just the SGU (Snorri Góði universe) because he’s getting MCU levels of cameos in this one, and I know for a fact he’s in several others too!!!

TL;DR

All the books I have started but haven't finished!

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This is an almost definitive list of all the books I've started reading but haven't finished...yet.

From a questionably formative experience with Kafka's unfinished existential work The Castle, which I was reading at school at the age of 9ish, to Haruki Murakami's The Wind Up Bird Chronicle that I haven't picked up in 3 years despite getting around 2/3 of the way through!