The Northwomen by Heather Pringle

 The Northwomen by Heather Pringle-336 pages

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Many books have been published about the Vikings, but few have focused on the women. This is a good look at the various roles Northwomen played in Viking society. At least a few bucked the norms and were warriors, voyagers, and traders. Archaeological evidence has been discovered of a potentially prominent Viking warrior woman buried in Birka. It was originally assumed to be a male, but more thorough research revealed it to be a female. I found this book to be very informative and enjoyed reading it. 

The Wolf Age by Tore Skeie

 

The Wolf Age: The Vikings, the Anglo-Saxons and the Battle for the North Sea Empire by Tore Skeie -378 pages

The author, a Norwegian scholar, presents how the Norse destroyed a prosperous Anglo-Saxon kingdom as the last Viking Age came to an end and Scandinavian kingdoms emerged alongside other European nations. The end of the tenth and beginning of the eleventh centuries saw a second wave of Norse attacks on England, motivated by the abundance of silver the Anglo-Saxon kingdom gained from the wool trade in Europe. The predatory raiders travelled swiftly and often sided with whoever could pay the most. An entertaining read on a time of great change in northern Europe.

Children of Ash and Elm: A History of the Vikings by Neil Price

 Children of Ash and Elm: A History of the Vikings by Neil Price-656 pages

This is a sweeping look at the Vikings and the Viking Age (roughly 750-1050). I have seen Vikings on screen (Vikings on History Channel, in Assassin's Creed: Valhalla the video game, and other places) and I am very interested in learning more about the "real" Vikings and how they lived. I was not disappointed with this book. It is a good, fairly easy read. Vikings did not live glorious lives nor should they be glorified or celebrated. In many ways, Vikings were a very brutal people and Price compares them aptly to pirates (especially those who operated in the Caribbean in the 17th and 18th Centuries). Vikings owned and sold slaves and a goal of many raids was to capture slaves to be sold. Slaves were called thralls at this time and were treated very poorly. Thralls had no real rights or freedom and had little recourse to attain freedom. Many thralls were even sacrificed, sometimes to be buried with their owners when they died. Viking burials are explored in great detail in a chapter and an elaborate boat/ship burial is explained. A Viking male who was almost assuredly of some prominence was buried with several different animals who had been sacrificed and butchered (which was apparently common practice, according to the author). Furthermore (and more brutal, disturbing), a female thrall volunteered herself to be sacrificed and buried with him. According to Price, the female thrall was thence repeatedly raped by males of the community before being ritually butchered and buried with her owner. It paints a pretty picture, right! Price also explores the religion of the Vikings. He explains that they didn't have any real organized religion but they did have somewhat of a relationship with the gods (Thor, Odin, Freyya, Freyr, etc.). They did sacrifice and pray to one or more of the gods at times and they did believe in an afterlife, although not necessarily in the since of heaven and hell/good and bad. Price discusses much of the politics and everyday life of Vikings. For a while, they didn't have unified countries with rulers, but they operated more in war bands and communities. What I found most fascinating in this book, though, was Price's discussion of the raids and battles that took place throughout the Viking Age. The raids started as isolated events, but became much more coordinated as the Viking Age continued. The Vikings held much of England more than once with the longest period being during the Danelaw. They left their imprint on much of Europe and even into North America, the Middle East, and Russia. By the end of the Viking Age, they had raided and/or explored/colonized Frankia, England, Ireland, Scotland, Vinland, Iceland, Egypt, Spain, and Greenland among potentially others. Some of their coordinated attacks may have included hundreds of Viking longships and thousands of warriors. It wasn't really until the 11th Century that Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, and Iceland started to become more unified and kings tried to unite and rule. This somewhat coincided with the influx of Christianity to Scandinavia. I was fascinated by reading this sweeping history on the Vikings and I have a better grasp on how they lived and their psychology. 

Legend of the Lost Legend (Goosebumps #47) by R.L. Stine

Legend of the Lost Legend (Goosebumps #47) by R.L. Stine-122 pages

Honestly, this has been my least favorite Goosebumps that I have read. It isn't bad, but it isn't as good as the others I have read. Marissa and Justin are with their dad on a trip to Brovania, a fictional country in Europe, to find the Lost Legend. Justin and Marissa get separated from their dad while following a white dog named Silverdog along the way and must pass a survival test to get the silver chest that will supposedly contain what they seek. Everything is not what it seems in this forest Justin and Marissa are lost in. Will they pass the survival test or will they be forever lost in this strange forest? Will they indeed find the Lost Legend (and do they really want to)?

Who Was Leif Erikson? by Nico Medina

Who Was Leif Erikson? by Nico Medina - 108 pages

Leif Erikson was born to be an explorer. His father, Erik the Red, had established the first European settlement in present-day Greenland, and although he didn't yet know it, Leif was destined to embark on an adventure of his own. The wise and striking Viking landed in the area known as Vinland almost five centuries before Christopher Columbus even set sail! "Leif the Lucky" and the other fierce, sea-fearing pirates were accomplished navigators who raided foreign lands for resources.....

Actually enjoyed this very much.  Just strange to me that no one knew when he really died.

Viking Ships at Sunrise by Mary Pope Osborne

Viking Ships at Sunrise by Mary Pope Osborne-71 pages

I actually read the newest edition of this book (and most of the series). I enjoyed reading it, as I have the entire series thus far. Jack and Annie are tasked with finding a lost manuscript on an Irish island inhabited by Christian monks, including Saint Patrick. While there, Vikings arrive to raid the island, so Jack and Annie must escape back home in the Magic Tree House. Overall, I am enjoying reading the Magic Tree House books again.

Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman and The Norse Myths by Carolyne Larrington

Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman --- 297 pages

Gaiman, one of our master storytellers, here presents his own idiosyncratic and compelling re-telling of the great Norse myths, in a voice both contemporary and resonate with their Eddic origins.
The only thing better than reading this book is listening to Gaiman read the audiobook version.

The Norse Myths: A Guide to the Gods and Heroes by Carolyne Larrington --- 208 pages including a bibliography and index

Larrington is professor of Medieval European Literature at Oxford University. She has written guides to various mythologies geared to the general reader, as well as books connecting popular fantasies like Game of Thrones with their folkloric and mythological roots.

Her book tells about the Norse myths and what is know about their origins and connections to the history and culture of the people who inhabited ancient Scandinavia and Iceland, and their continuing influence on western culture.

Both books are highly recommended. Click HERE to read a joint review of both books from the Washington Post and HERE from Library Journal, and HERE from The Economist (UK).

Gunslinger by Jeff Pearlman

Gunslinger: The Remarkable, Improbable, Iconic Life of Brett Favre by Jeff Pearlman- 448 pages

This was an interesting, enthralling read. It was hard to put down at times. The Packers are my second favorite NFL team (behind the Chiefs) and I always enjoyed watching Favre play. Pearlman seemingly holds nothing back in this all-encompassing biography of Favre from his birth until now. He lays Favre, the person and Favre, the quarterback out for all to see, flaws included. I didn't know about Favre's one-time addictions to Vicodin and alcohol (and to womanizing). He, seemingly, has matured into a good father and husband since shedding those addictions, though. It was cool to read about Favre's high school days (and the fact that he threw a total of 32! passes his entire high school career) and college days at Southern Miss (including his first game action while still being intoxicated from drinking 18 beers the night before). Overall, this was a great read about a great football player and icon/legend. He will always be remembered for his cannon arm and tendency to improvise (and, often, make ill-advised throws).

How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell

How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell - 214 pages

Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III is a truly heroic Viking known as the "dragon whisperer".  But it wasn't always so.  Once, Hiccup was merely a Viking boy worried that he would fail his Viking initiation by being unable to tame a dragon.

I love the first How to Train Your Dragon movie.  I think it is one of the best kids movies in the past years.  This is the book that the movie is based on -- although very, very loosely.  I enjoyed listening to the book on audio as narrated by David Tennant.  He is a wonderful narrator who used various accents / dialects to distinguish the characters.  I'm looking forward to listening to the rest of the series.