—

[Ani]

I think timers are excellent and setting yourself a goal of intense study by # of timers is the smartest way to go. I would say, if you have a day where you've accomplished your focused work but still want to study, it would be perfect to look for/listen to music, find a native language movie.. or you could just binge watch Viltu.. My experience has been that binge desk study never leads anywhere good anyway

Now I can't remember if I asked you already, but if you find a translated book + audio book in Icelandic I'd love to know about it. I'm glad I was able to find a few translated books at least, but audio to go along with it would be even better.

[Soffía]

Now I can't remember if I asked you already, but if you find a translated book + audio book in Icelandic I'd love to know about it. I'm glad I was able to find a few translated books at least, but audio to go along with it would be even better.

Hope it's OK to intercede... can I check what you're looking for? A book originally written in Icelandic, with an Icelandic audiobook available, that's been translated into English? That's relatively easy. What's your taste in reading material? I'll have a think about the options, if you'd like.

[Ani]

Now I can't remember if I asked you already, but if you find a translated book + audio book in Icelandic I'd love to know about it. I'm glad I was able to find a few translated books at least, but audio to go along with it would be even better.

Hope it's OK to intercede... can I check what you're looking for? A book originally written in Icelandic, with an Icelandic audiobook available, that's been translated into English? That's relatively easy. What's your taste in reading material? I'll have a think about the options, if you'd like.

Morgana mentioned she was looking for an originally English book, with Icelandic translation + Icelandic audio book. I think we both had our eyes on Hunger Games, but she had said the audio was unavailable.

I was really only looking for translated because I can't understand enough Icelandic to go in reverse Recommendations for Icelandic + Icelandic audio very welcome. Bonus points for English translation available, but not necessary. My preferences are probably supernatural YA fiction, but anything that is not too dark, sad or murderous would be fine. I prefer fluff and happy endings

[Soffía]

I was really only looking for translated because I can't understand enough Icelandic to go in reverse Recommendations for Icelandic + Icelandic audio very welcome. Bonus points for English translation available, but not necessary. My preferences are probably supernatural YA fiction, but anything that is not too dark, sad or murderous would be fine. I prefer fluff and happy endings

First, thanks Ani for the encouragement in your original comment!

Second, just to clarify, I am looking for any Icelandic book with an audiobook version. I don’t need there to be any English version at all. At this stage I prefer young adult fiction but if that’s not available I’ll try anything that isn’t too advanced. No real preference on content but generally I avoid gore, graphic violence, and heavy (or not so heavy) misogyny. But this is for learning so I have lower standards.

Really just Icelandic book with Icelandic audiobook would be appreciated!

And please by all means feel free to jump into my log at any time if you (or anyone) has Icelandic tips or recommendations, Soffía!

First of all, sorry for jumping into your log to respond to someone else without introducing myself first! I hadn't caught up with the rest of your log yet but I saw the question and it drew my attention.

Here are a few recs that offer various combinations of what the two of you might be looking for. Sadly there's not much supernatural YA fiction in Icelandic but I'll do what I can. You are looking for the "Hljóðbók," which will be shipped as an MP3 CD. I doubt you'll be able to get the streaming versions without a kennitala.

Looks like the third of the Hunger Games audiobooks is still available: https://www.forlagid.is/vara/hermiskadi/

This lacks an Icelandic audiobook but it is great fantasy children's literature in Icelandic: https://www.forlagid.is/vara/timakistan/

Short children's fantasy book (semi picture book) by the same author, with audiobook. I was asking myself why I haven't finished it yet but that's because I own it in Faroese, not Icelandic! https://www.forlagid.is/vara/sagan-af-blaa-hnettinum/

Mystery novel with Icelandic audiobook and English translation. Some of his are quite gory but I'm halfway through this one and so far it's just average for a murder mystery. Easy narrative, lots of dialogue: https://www.forlagid.is/vara/skuggasund/

Childhood autobiography of Reykjavik's former mayor (this is actually the third volume, the only one with an audiobook). Not an easy childhood but very readable: https://www.forlagid.is/vara/utlaginn/

I haven't read this but it's supposed to be a popular family saga (in the wider sense rather than the Icelandic sense): https://www.forlagid.is/vara/dalalif-1- ... -og-astir/

Pippi Longstocking? https://www.forlagid.is/vara/lina-langs ... -hljodbok/ (Printed book listed elsewhere.)

In general you can have a look at all the audiobooks listed here, most/many of which are available in CD form, and then buy the book to match! https://www.forlagid.is/voruflokkur/hlj ... g-tonlist/

[Ani]

Here are a few recs that offer various combinations of what the two of you might be looking for. Sadly there's not much supernatural YA fiction in Icelandic but I'll do what I can. You are looking for the "Hljóðbók," which will be shipped as an MP3 CD. I doubt you'll be able to get the streaming versions without a kennitala.

Looks like the third of the Hunger Games audiobooks is still available: https://www.forlagid.is/vara/hermiskadi/

This lacks an Icelandic audiobook but it is great fantasy children's literature in Icelandic: https://www.forlagid.is/vara/timakistan/

Short children's fantasy book (semi picture book) by the same author, with audiobook. I was asking myself why I haven't finished it yet but that's because I own it in Faroese, not Icelandic! https://www.forlagid.is/vara/sagan-af-blaa-hnettinum/

Mystery novel with Icelandic audiobook and English translation. Some of his are quite gory but I'm halfway through this one and so far it's just average for a murder mystery. Easy narrative, lots of dialogue: https://www.forlagid.is/vara/skuggasund/

Childhood autobiography of Reykjavik's former mayor (this is actually the third volume, the only one with an audiobook). Not an easy childhood but very readable: https://www.forlagid.is/vara/utlaginn/

I haven't read this but it's supposed to be a popular family saga (in the wider sense rather than the Icelandic sense): https://www.forlagid.is/vara/dalalif-1- ... -og-astir/

Pippi Longstocking? https://www.forlagid.is/vara/lina-langs ... -hljodbok/ (Printed book listed elsewhere.)

In general you can have a look at all the audiobooks listed here, most/many of which are available in CD form, and then buy the book to match! https://www.forlagid.is/voruflokkur/hlj ... g-tonlist/

Awesome thanks! Forlagið did just let me buy a streaming audio book without a kennitala so that's awesome I bought sagan af bláa hnettinum, so now I just need to track down the paper book. They have a nice clean looking app for listening. I also noticed they have borða biðja elska, so that would be easy to find the English translation too.

[Neurotip]

Maybe the unease is about Icelandic in general. This language is simultaneously harder and easier than it looks.

Yes, yes, and yes. Maybe that's part of what makes it so fascinating. It bounces you along for a while and then some innocuous turn of phrase comes and kicks you in the pomodoros.

BTW all the cool kids are learning Icelandic as you know. (Now there's a sentence you won't find in a phrase book.)

[Ani]

Anxiety is a b****. I'm really sorry you're facing that and that language learning is a compounder and not a help. I've had it both ways, where it contributes and where it's my refuge. The thing that helped the list in relation to language learning was that once I realized the problem, I dropped everything rigorous and just consumed content for a while. Take good care of yourself.

[Soffía]

One of the other things going on in my life is facing some (for me) major changes and it’s got me with heightened anxiety, and unfortunately my ability to concentrate is diminished under those conditions. In fact, things have been so overwhelming since the start of last week that I’ve been debating quitting my language study altogether. I know that sounds abrupt and an overreaction, but I am always going back and forth on quitting and it’s when the stress in other areas starts peaking that I struggle to find a reason for continuing. It’s the perpetual internal argument of “do I get enough out of this pursuit to justify the extra stress I experience from it and around it” and when times are tough the answer is a very clear no. And yet here I am unable to resist LLORG.

Just wanted to say, I know where you're coming from. I have some stressful work stuff going on, and sometimes I ask myself "why do I make my life difficult by choosing to do these extra hard things when I don't have to?" I continue somehow, but it's been with lots of breaks along the way. So maybe thinking of it as a pause rather than a quit might help?

They speak rather quickly and speak as I assume natives would, dropping consonants and sometimes entire syllables here and there... I should probably not be so worried about 100% comprehension to the audio at this point, but it’s still discouraging.

I got so cross about native pronunciation when I first started learning Icelandic! I remember hearing someone talking about the place "Kópavogur" and just thinking "but..." The weird thing is that now it generally sounds to me like they are pronouncing everything. It's just my expectations that have changed. (Having said that, I still don't like listening to the ratio because I want 100% comprehension and I still don't have it. For some reason I'm far more willing to skim over written text that I don't understand.)

[Neurotip]

In fact, things have been so overwhelming since the start of last week that I’ve been debating quitting my language study altogether. I know that sounds abrupt and an overreaction, but I am always going back and forth on quitting and it’s when the stress in other areas starts peaking that I struggle to find a reason for continuing. It’s the perpetual internal argument of “do I get enough out of this pursuit to justify the extra stress I experience from it and around it” and when times are tough the answer is a very clear no.

Wise comments on anxiety have I none, but - when you're doing something for fun, and it isn't fun, don't do it. Leave it for a bit, or indulge yourself by only doing the bits you enjoy. It'll still be there when you come back.

I got so cross about native pronunciation when I first started learning Icelandic! I remember hearing someone talking about the place "Kópavogur" and just thinking "but..."

I had that exact thing with 'atua' the other day. Actually it turned out to be 'athuga' which was doubly annoying as it was a word I knew perfectly well. And I knew, unlike the silly native speakers, that it had a g in it.

[Soffía]

Ani, Soffía, Neurotip: I don’t know how to thank you for your sympathy/encouragement/support/etc. but do know that it is so incredibly valuable and valued. Thank you. I am going to keep the common theme among your posts of backing off/taking a break in my mind as an alternate route to take.

It's good to know that pausing isn't the same as failure. I've taken many multi-month breaks in my Icelandic journey, and I've often felt like I've come back more advanced than I was when I paused. I know a lot of people don't believe in the 'bow-wave' phenomenon, but there must be something about coming back with lowered expectations of yourself that allows you to actually relax into the language again.

Not that I'm trying to get you to stop if you don't want to, obviously – for purely selfish reasons, I'm really enjoying your log!

Soffía: you’re right about pronunciation, it’s more about becoming used to it and accepting the subtle variations in some consonants, rather than grumbling about their mumbling (Thats my paraphrasing, hope I didn’t mischaracterize your words.)

Oh, I think some grumbling about language learning is inevitable. But there are so many fascinating perceptual shifts that happen along the way when you're learning languages. That was more what I wanted to highlight.