Barcelona

Shadow of the Wind got me thinking. Here are other books I love about Barcelona:

Homage to Catalonia by George Orwell


This book is why I decided to study abroad in Barcelona. Orwell writes about his time fighting in the Spanish Civil War, stationed in Barcelona. It explains the Civil War extremely well, which can be particularly confusing, and the Catalan spirit that raged during the war, as well as survived the Franco years.


Barcelona by Robert Hughes

Uh yeah, I never actually finished this book, but it provides the most extensive and readable history of the city. I highly recommend it to anyone who will actually be living or visiting the city. I think it would just make me sad reading it now.

Visca Barca!

Also, if you just want to read about Spain, Hemingway has some pretty bomb books about the country. He was a reporter during the Spanish Civil War. He also liked bull fighting! Neat-o!

                      

One of his most famous short stories is "Hills like White Elephants," also set in Spain. Google it!

Hasta luego!

The Shadow of the Wind

Book #8: The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón 





Few books are so enthralling, so well written as to keep me up all night and to fill my eyes with tears once finished. This book is a love letter: to literature, to writing, to Barcelona. If you are in love with any of these things, you will love this book. It was hard to read at times because I would become so sentimental thinking of Barcelona and how much I missed the Great Enchantress. Ruiz Zafón describes the many neighborhoods and streets of Barcelona so vividly that at times I would have to stop and look at photos to remember the alleyways I had forgotten. 


When I first arrived home in California from Barcelona, I had one of the most vivid dreams of my life. I saw the city of Barcelona, and the waves of the Mediterranean slowly rising. The tides rose across the city and water began to overfill the streets. I saw the entire city flood, covered deep in water. A voice told me that the city was my memories; the water, time. 


I felt a number of emotions reading this book, ranging from joy to melancholy to utter sadness. I miss Barcelona and this book took me back there. It was a difficult journey, but I certainly do not regret it. 

Alice Walker

Be sure to check out the interview with Alice Walker, author of The Color Purple. It's wonderful and I love this woman! Also, be sure to check out her blog.

A Softer World

A Softer World is an arty comic I love. I thought I would share their recent and relevant comic.

Please check them out! A Softer World

Never Be Late Again

Book #7: Never Be Late Again: 7 Cures for the Punctually Challenged



Yeah, that's right - Sometimes I like to read self-help books!

Sometimes I do have the little problem of running late for things. This book was actually quite helpful in laying out some of the reasons why I'm late and how I can change that. For example, I thrive on deadlines, which are great motivators, but I often lose sleep staying up all night working. I recommend this book for anyone trying to get out of their running late habits.

And yeah - self-help books DO help!

Lies My Teacher Told Me

Book #6: Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong



It wasn't until I took college courses in history that I actually began to enjoy the subject. For a short while, I wanted to major in history. This book clarified why I HATED history as a subject in high school.

Loewen points out a number of outright lies that plague the teaching of American history. Did you know Helen Keller was a socialist? I didn't! Christopher Columbus was a scum bag? Well, he was. I think this book is especially relevant considering all that's been going on in Texas recently. The truth is, American history rarely teaches what students should really be learning, such as critical thinking, while students spend hours learning lists of facts and dates.

Please read this book if you've ever taken an American history class in the U.S., and especially read it if that was your last history class. There are so many things we are not taught about or glossed over or censored, it's truly embarrassing. At least Texas is doing all of this openly.

"Only in history is accuracy so political" (333).

The Brothers Karamazov

Book #5: The Brothers Karamazov





"[Eliot] Rosewater said an interesting thing to Billy [Pilgrim] one time ... He said that everything there was to know about life is in The Brothers Karamazov, by Fyodor Dostoevsky. "But that isn't enough anymore," said Rosewater."
-Slaughterhouse-Five, Kurt Vonnegut


This book certainly didn't take me one week to read. I was, however, ahead of schedule on my readings (though not on my blogging) and spent a few weeks reading it. It wasn't until about page 300 that I got drawn in.


This book is theoretical, psychological, and chock full of truths about being human. If anything, at least read the chapter, "The Inquisitor," about Jesus's return to Earth. 


I feel like there is so much to say about this book that I can't do it any justice by one blog post. I would love to check out a book of essays on it because there is so much insight and knowledge within it, which can be difficult to capture considering the book is 900 pages. 


My one complaint (ignoring the length) is that it can be difficult to love such an old book, when racism, sexism, etc., are so prevalent. For example, one child in the book asks if Jews kidnap and eat children for Easter. I suppose I should just ignore it, accept it as a sign of its times, but I always encounter this problem when I read older books. How should I react to this language, while the rest of the book is so thought provoking? Any thoughts? How do you deal with good books with a few bad ideas?