Bruno Blog

Today we had to celebrate the Sant Jordi that we could not do last April 23. However, the resurgence of this damned virus has prevented us from doing so. Despite everything, the publishers, the authors, and the other agents of the publishing sector continue to support reading and we will not let this silent virus rob us of the important things in life. I refuse to give up, but for the time being we must be careful and follow the recommendations. I will continue to support culture and sport, because without these two things, my life, and that of many, would not be life. For this reason, today I present to you my selection of those non-fiction books that have helped me during my confinement.

LA LIBERTAD INTERIOR (“Inner Freedom”), by Gaspar Hernàndez, has been an essential book for me at this time. If we do not learn, we will never be free. RABIETAS (“Tantrums”), by Míriam Tirado, is an important title to fight, with love, those tantrums of the youngest that are so difficult to assume. CUENTOS PARA NIÑAS Y NIÑOS FELICES (“Stories for Happy Children”), by Àlex Rovira and Francesc Miralles, is a wonderful book to read as a family and learn that happiness depends on oneself. NOS ROBARON LA JUVENTUD (“They Stole Our Youth”), by Víctor Amela, is a work that explains in its own voice what the “Quinta de Biberón” was. TE QUIERO, ¿Y AHORA QUÉ? (“I Love You, Now What?”), by Nika Vázquez, is a revealing book that will help us to enjoy our relationships more. TODO SALDRÁ BIEN (“Everything Will Be Fine”), by Francesc Miralles, presents us with different views on how to deal with this pandemic and what we should do to combat what it has caused. To finish UNA LUZ DENTRO DE TI (“A Light Inside You”), by Andrés Martín Asuero, is a book that tells us in a novelized way, the benefits of a spiritual retreat.

All the books have a double reading, what it is and what it brings us. For me, each one of the titles that I have mentioned have been points of support to be able to fight against specific moments of my life. Books help the soul, so today, more than ever, let’s choose one to bring something to our daily lives, because reading is life.

It’s already the middle of July. We haven’t had a spring this year and this summer is being very strange. As much as we want everything to go back to normal, we still have this silent virus among us, and we cannot let our guard down. This has caused many of us to cancel trips and choose to stay close to home and enjoy local tourism, which is never a bad option. And if we can also complement it with reading, so much better.

Spending a day on the beach reading Xulio R. Trigo’s novel, LA NOIA DE LA RESISTÈNCIA (“The Girl of the Resistance”), can be an ideal plan. Who doesn’t like to read a good love story set in a turbulent period?  You can also spend a quiet afternoon in the mountains lying in a hammock in the shade and get to know the life of the French poet Rimbaud by reading Miquel Esteve’s latest novel, EL MISTERI D’ARTHUR RIMBAUD (“The Mystery of Arthur Rimbaud”). For those who choose to stay in the city, I recommend any of Carla Gracia’s works, such as EL ABISMO (“The Abyss”), a thriller that leaves no one indifferent, or SET DIES DE GRÀCIA (“Seven Days of Gràcia”), a historical novel that explains the Revolution of the Quintas led by the brave women of the time.

Another option is to travel through the books.For that reason I recommend you SAKURA LOVE, by Francesc Miralles, a book that points directly to the heart that proposes us a trip to Japan from the hand of an expert, an ideal reading to share and to comment in family. To finish, I recommend two exciting novels with intrigue and mystery. The first is EL TIGRE Y LA DUQUESA (“The Tiger and the Duchess”), by Jordi Solé, a work that tells us about the Pink Panthers, one of the most dangerous criminal gangs in the world. The other is UNA BALA CON TU NOMBRE (“A Bullet With Your Name on it”), by Susana Rodríguez, a thriller that will keep you up all night.

Summers without sun, without sea and without meeting friends are not summers. Neither are they without books. A book is the great companion in those moments of relaxation that help us to disconnect. How magical reading is and how nice it is to be able to enjoy it. Don’t miss out on one of the great pleasures and choose that novel that will make you vibrate this summer. Happy July full of books.

Every year, since 2013, I have launched the solidarity campaign LA LITERATURA ALIMENTA (“The Literature Feeds”) to raise money for some NGOs. During the last few years, we’ve done this with EDUCO, which guarantees a meal a day for those children who can not afford it at home. This year we wanted to organize our literary festival for solidarity again, but the pandemic has paralyzed us. It was clear that this time we couldn’t organize the party in person nor order the gadgets that moved people to make their donations. However, seeing the news and the long queues of those people who need help, we decided to launch the campaign anyway and take advantage of social networks so that everyone can participate. For that reason, this year we have decided to continue with our initiative LA LITERATURA ALIMENTA (LITERATURE FEEDS) in favor of FUNDACIÓ BANC DELS ALIMENTS, which globally helps all those families who need this support to have the basics to eat.

I have always believed that thinking about others is basic, since there are people who live in very precarious conditions and this confinement has made them fall into a pit that no one would like to be in. Our duty is to support each other so that as many people as possible can recover and not fall into poverty. For this reason, thanks to the help of MiGranoDeArena, we have started the challenge of raising 3,000 euros for FUNDACIÓ BANC DELS ALIMENTS. No matter how little you can donate, I hope that you can collaborate and help us to achieve our goal, because life goes round in circles and maybe one day it’s you who needs help. I know this is not a good time for anyone, but let’s think that those of us who have something can share it with those who have nothing, because life is about giving and receiving.

To finish, I just have to say that I hope to have the challenge accomplished in a short time, because I trust all of you who read my posts every week and I know that we all fight for a better world. So, we are waiting for your donation, even if it is small. In return, you will receive an eBook with 9 never-seen-before stories by our authors talking about the different emotions that move us in this life. Our authors have always participated in this initiative, for which I am very grateful. They know that it is true that literature feeds the soul, but also the heart, and they encourage you to participate in this beautiful challenge that consists of helping others. So, go to https://www.migranodearena.org/reto/la-literatura-alimenta and contribute your little grain of solidarity, because there’s only one life, but if you share, everything is always better. Thank you for believing that together we can make a better world. I believe it, and I try to do things like this to make it happen, will you help me?

I can’t believe it’s already July. This year, spring has been stolen from us and we have gone from winter to summer without being aware of it. Without a doubt, reality has surpassed fiction. That’s why reading Ana Alcolea’s latest book, EL ABRAZO DE LAS AMAPOLAS (“The Hug of the Poppies”), gave me goose bumps. Sometimes the real world is scary, but we must learn to accept it. That’s what happens to the protagonists of this wonderful children’s novel.

Miguel and Sabina have imagined many fantastic stories that would explain why their parents don’t let them visit the forbidden forest next to the park where they walk Gustavino.  Both decide to discover the mystery and investigate what is hidden in that forest. Their teacher Carmen, when interrogated by the children, decides to take them on an excursion to the forbidden forest. There she explains to them that in that forest there is an old war camp that is now covered with red poppies, in honor of the blood spilled there in the past. The kids discover that sometimes reality is scarier than any ghost story.

EL ABRAZO DE LAS AMAPOLAS is a children’s novel in which, through words, the courage of the little ones, their curiosity, and the fear of the adults to uncover the truth are shown. These three fundamental ingredients make the story round and remind us how important it is to accept reality. Thank you Ana Alcolea for, once again, telling us such a magical and real story. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate you on the Aragonese Letters Award you have received this week, which is so well deserved.

On June 23rd a very special book will be released for me. It is a work that my great friend and writer Francesc Miralles has done during this confinement. Since the beginning of the quarantine, every Tuesday Francesc and I made a video call to catch up and find out how we were handling this exceptional situation. I will never forget those calls where we encouraged each other and gave each other advice so that we would not be overcome by fear. We are two fighting, active, and hard-working souls, so to keep our minds active, we set out to create various projects throughout the confinement. This is how TODO SALDRÁ BIEN (“Everything Will Be Fine”, Libros Cúpula / Ara Llibres) was born.

TODO SALDRÁ BIEN is a title in which Francesc interviews great “gurus” from different disciplines: psychologists, economists, scientists, artists, experts from the world of personal growth… These are professionals who give us their positive visions to face the world after the COVID-19.  I assure you that reading the words of the authors who have collaborated on this book, such as Álex Rovira, Gaspar Hernández, Sonia Fernández-Vidal, Manu Guix and Salvador Macip, have helped me to alleviate my anguish and look ahead without fear. 

Without a doubt, TODO SALDRÁ BIEN is a useful book that will help us discover the keys to facing the so-called “new normality”. Let’s try to learn from TODO SALDRÁ BIEN and try to live intensely every day. Thank you Francesc for always thinking of others and publishing books that bring us so much positivity. I’m sure this is your IKIGAI.