Sant Jordi is here once again! First of all, for the uninitiated:
"Sant Jordi is the patron saint of Catalunya and the Diada de Sant Jordi is a festive occasion that has become a celebration of Catalan culture. It is a celebration of culture and love, represented by books and roses. The main meeting point in Barcelona is the Rambla, which is packed from end to end with book and flower stalls."
Since 2020, ICMAB Researchers share some recommendations of books that they have enjoyed that can inspire you or help you choose a gift for someone else!
Here are our recommendations this year:
Ruta gráfica. El diseño del sonido de Valencia / Moy Santana y Antonio J. Albertos / 2022
Recommended by Laura Cabana Jiménez:
"Aquest llibre posa en valor la subcultura relacionada amb la ruta (coneguda com la ruta del bacalao). Durant molts anys, la ruta ha viscut amb un estigma que ha fet que se l'hagi menyspreat. Sovint, aquesta altivesa no ha deixat veure la riquesa i importància que va tenir el moviment. A través dels seus documents gràfics: pòsters, flyers, logos...descobrirem el seu nivell artístic. Molt recomanable per tothom a qui li agradi tot el que estigui relacionat amb el món visual i el disseny (a part de la música). A més, l'edició està molt cuidada, amb imatges d'alta qualitat i molt ben seleccionades."
Limonov / Emmanuel Carrere / 2011
Recommended by Rossella Zaffino:
"A friend of mine reccomend it to me and in general we always agree on what to read. Moreover, it is based on the figure of the controversial Russian politician, poet and writer, Eduard Limonov, and could be useful in understanding recent events."
Contes de la becada / Guy de Maupassant / 2021
Recommended by Anna May Masnou:
"Contes curts, aparentment simples, però punyents, de temes que encara, avui en dia, ens toquen de ben a prop. "Els clàssics són clàssics perquè són bons", diuen, i Guy de Maupassant és un clar exemple d'autor que perdura."
C3PO en la corte del rey Felipe / Pedro Vallín
Recommended by Mario Villa Navas:
"I really enjoy how the author explains the current socio-political context supporting the info in the cultural facts happened during the last dacade (movies, music, etc)"
Nights of plague / Orhan Pamuk / 2021
Recommended by Lourdes Fàbrega:
"M'agrada molt l'autor, de qui he llegit altres obres. Aquesta, a més, conté una barreja d'història i context actual."
La ciència en la literatura / Xavier Duran / 2015
Recommended by M. Rosa Palacín:
"I think it's important to put books in context, historical, social... and the scientific side looks new to me, so I am curious to learn about it!"
Demasiada felicidad / Alice Munro / 2010
Recommended by Alejandro Santos Botana:
"Me gusa porque es una colección de relatos magistrales, realistas y delicados, en la tradición de Chejov."
Handmaid's Tale / Margaret Atwood / 1985
Recommended by Paolo Sebastiano Floris:
"I recommend this book because Margaret Atwood is a great writer!"
Notes to Self / Emilie Pine / 2018
Recommended by Anna Roig:
"Touches subjects such as fertility, feminism and academic life. It is honest and brave."
Como polvo en el viento / Leonardo Padura / 2020
Recommended by Nora Ventosa:
"El recomano perquè parla de la història recent de Cuba, que és un país que m'agrada molt."
El lunes nos querrán / Najat El Hachmi / 2021
Recommended by Mariona de Palau:
"Premi Nadal novel·la 2021. Història colpidora que parla de la llibertat de la dona."
Panza de burro / Andrea Abreu / 2020
Recommended by Carmen Ocal:
"I was struck by the cover (I always need to be caught by the front or back cover, or both, before buying/reading a book) and interested by the brief biography of author and editor (both women). Written in an oral, Canarian, generational and contemporary language surely is really weird for reading but ....is relatively short (about 130 pages, big letters...) and seems to deal with issues one is not used to talk about. Enjoy in case you get it! Then, we can comment on it :)"
Fahrenheit 451 / Ray Bradbury / 1953
Recommended by Elies Molins:
"Temes sempre molt actuals: censura, poder, llibertat, literatura."
We hope some of the recommendations caught your eye! If you still want more, check the recommendations that we got from previous years!