The Book Flood
Clayton and I traveled to Iceland in 2016 during our RTW trip. Inspired by many things the country had to offer we decided to instill one favorite Icelandic tradition as our own: the Jólabókaflóð. Don’t ask me how to pronounce it, but it translates to Book Flood, and it’s exactly that.
The idea is to exchange books as gifts and spend the evening reading together. (You can read the history and specific details about the tradition here in a write up from NPR).
We find one evening around Christmas time and exchange between two-three books. Usually wrapped in brown paper grocery bags, the books to each other remain a secret. We intend to get each other something that we know the other will like, whether it be driven by interest, story line, or something that will be good for our long-term family library. Nothing is off the table. The search (for me),is always intimidating as Clayton takes his reading seriously!
I’ve also been notorious for purchasing a book Clayton’s already read, despite him publishing a detailed list of all of the books he reads on his website. Oops. Thankfully, he didn’t have a hard copy of the one I got him this year, and now has one for the shelf, so we will still consider that a success.
The tradition is a nice way for us to celebrate in a shared love of reading and has been something we look forward to each year. It also takes the stress out of ‘what to get each other.’
Below is a list of the past few Book Flood’s. We used to do 3-4 books, but it was a bit overboard. Now we spend more time trying to really hone in and find the best options. Less is more in this circumstance.
And now, with Caroline as a part of the crew, she experienced her very first book flood! We purchased her Epoca the Tree of Ecrof, a story by Kobe Bryant & Ivy Claire. It’s a few notches above her current reading level but we hope she enjoys it one day. More than that, we hope Caroline shares the same love of reading- if not, she may have to move out 😉
Here’s a look at what the past few book floods have brought us. Happy reading!
2018 from Clayton to Emma
**Need to go back and look! :)
2018 from Emma to Clayton
**Need to go back and look! :)
2019 from Clayton to Emma
Devotions- Mary Oliver
Once Upon a River
Normal People
2019 from Emma to Clayton
The New York Times, Footsteps
Rise of the Ultra-Runner
The X-Ray of Writing
Travels in Alaska
2020 From Emma to Clayton
The Three Marriages
The Art of Community
2020 from Clayton to Emma
What Kind of Woman
The Garden of Good & Evil
About Grace
