A gift from my parents, this particular book is not only beautiful (sporting gorgeous cover artwork and roughly cut pages) but also chock-full of personality. It’s a slightly updated retelling of many classic Norse myths, from creation up through Ragnarok and its aftermath. The stories themselves are meticulously researched and then retold in a tone that balances humor with gravitas. I kept this book close by me while I was writing my undergraduate thesis, as a reminder of what I was trying to accomplish and my abiding affection for the subject matter. Given how far it has traveled and how often I’ve flipped through it, this book ought to bear significantly more battle scars than it does, but it has somehow stayed stubbornly lovely and fresh.
by Julie Winspear