This year’s bestseller at Libros de Vanguardia, the Godó Group’s non-fiction publishing house, has been Si la mòria no ens falla, a conversation between Quim Monzó and Sergi Pàmies, hosted by Julià Guillamon. Published shortly before Sant Jordi, it summarizes more than twelve hours of talk about books, television, cinema, design, places… but also about his family memories and his obsessions. A reading as addictive as the works that have made them famous, even more fun and carefree if possible.
Previously, two important books had been published. The first was Negotiating: from mediation in an elite corps to the management of emotions, empathy and personal growth by David Corona, a former agent of the French geos, who threads a vibrant story of the tough tests to enter the corps. and his vocation for dialogue more than for combat. Among the cases in which he participated, the Charlie Hebdo attack.
The second, with wide reception in the world of sports, was I am a superhero. ‘Vuelta y Vuelta’, sports journalism as you have never been told, in which Sergio Heredia compiles a selection of his magnificent interviews, with sharp dialogues and continuous surprises, from his section of La Vanguardia, which shows us behind the scenes of that that shows so much power and that we call competitive sport.
Finally, in this last quarter, three excellent titles with very diverse themes have appeared. The first was The First Millionaire of Barcelona. And other stories from the Roman Barcino, by Fèlix Badia, which aims to capture what the first inhabitants of that newly established city were like in the 1st century BC. Based on the latest discoveries, the author immerses us in a journey through time in which we see notables, former legionnaires, freedmen, women, immigrants or Iberians parade through a street structure that still exists. We will verify the importance of the estates where wine was produced for export, whose families have left their names in memory in towns such as Cornellà, Lliçà, Premià or Vallirana.
The second is an invitation to travel and spirituality, two realities that are usually dissociated but that here intertwine to illuminate enriching experiences. The author is Alexis Racionero Ragué. The title is The View of the East: Spiritual Routes through Asia. Browsing just the index takes the reader to distant regions and little-known corners, from India to Japan, passing through Tibet, Thailand and China. They are proposals to visit cities, valleys, monasteries, caves…, even start itineraries that recall the Camino de Santiago, such as the Japanese Kumano Kodo or the detour to Mount Kailash in the Himalayas, which no one has ever climbed. It is complemented by a few pages, a book within a book, on the main traditions of the East: Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, Shintoism, Zen…
The third anticipates the great event that will take place in Barcelona in 2024, between August and October, the Copa del América. It is the work of Piergiorgio M. Sandri and is titled Formula 1 of the Sea. The subtitle expresses the informative idea that inspires it: Why the America’s Cup of sailing should interest you even if you have never been on a boat. Its rich history is discussed, since its beginning in the 19th century due to a challenge between an American sailboat, the America, and fourteen Englishmen, at a time when all kinds of tricks were used to gain advantage. But there is also talk of the magnates who finance the ships, of the evolution of design, of how Barcelona managed to welcome it…
