Yes, I know it sounds crazy that when warmth seems to be returning to northeastern Ohio, my book choices have led me to chilly Iceland.
It all began with The Geography of Bliss: One Grump’s Search for the Happiest Place by Eric Weiner. Iceland, according to his informal research, is surprisingly a very happy place. 
Why? Well, it seems that Icelanders are not afraid of failure and so enjoy taking risks and seeking new experiences, particularly in the arts. At the same time, I began reading Voices, third in a mystery series by Icelander Arnaldur Indridason. His portrait of Reykjavik is one of gloom and desperation. Will the real Iceland please stand up?
Maybe the next book on my list, Windows of Brimnes: an American in Iceland by poet Bill Holm, will provide the answer. Returning to his ancestral land, Holm spends summers in an isolated cottage by the sea, a la Thoureau’s Walden, meditating on the contrasts between America and Iceland.
Maybe I’ll just go home and put on a little Bjork instead of trying to figure out this complicated place. Better yet, I’ll take a walk in the warm spring sunshine.
~ Dori
Read it or Weep 