Bruno Blog

Héctor Garcia is an author I rarely see. He lives in Japan and, with Francesc Miralles has published several bestsellers; the most popular is Ikigai, which has been translated into 67 languages. Under the name of Kirai, he wrote Un geek en Japón, another well-known title. He is an atypical author, quiet, hard-working and one of those who is a pleasure to work with. He respects the workflow and knows very well the role of each one member that works in the  publishing world. Despite being a rational and calm person, he also takes on challenges, such as writing a science fiction novel titled La era de la eternidad, a novel that mixes thriller and romance. It is set in Japan. Although I’m not very fond of the science fiction genre but I really enjoyed this book. It has it all: culture, love, mystery and has the ability of making the reader think thanks to a thrilling story that tries to explain where our society is heading to. A novel that will appeal to those who love the genre, but also to those who do not. Totally recommended.

Nathan’s life, a lonely watch designer, takes a mysterious turn after finding an old photo with Mia. She was his platonic love when he was a teenager, but their love never went beyond the limits of his imagination. Mia moved to Japan with her family just before starting her university studies, separating them forever. Twenty years later, life leads Nathan to take a plane to Kyoto, where an adventure he could never have imagined awaits him.

La era de la eternidad is a technological thriller set in Japan and also a romance novel that brilliantly reflects on what it means to be human in an increasingly virtual society.

Those of you who already know Héctor and his nonfiction side, do not miss this novel, which is a perfect ten. And those of you who have yet to discover him, start wherever you want; one of Héctor’s charms is that whatever he does, he does it well. Happy reading!

Last week we celebrated the first “Sant Jordi” as normal as possible after the pandemic. People were not wearing masks and we could see the long-awaited smiles on a day when everyone flooded the streets to walk and enjoy this tribute to books, writers, booksellers and, of course, readers.

The truth is that we had everything: sun, wind and even hail. There were mixed feelings: sadness for a weather that we did not deserve and joy that came from seeing people who stayed on the street (despite the rain) to support culture and all those who make possible this special day.

Because of that, this week I want to recommend the book published by Ana Alcolea with Anaya, El maravilloso mundo de los libros.

Since humans began to tell stories, countless literary works have been written. This book by Ana Alcolea collects many of those stories that have survived thanks to orality, that were created by great authors, that have become legendary sagas, that were unfairly banned or that have been transformed into unforgettable films. It also opens the doors to the fascinating world built around the book: from the first alphabets to the process of creating a book or the description of the most famous libraries and bookstores in the world. A picture book for the whole family, which should be a must for everyone to know the importance of storytelling and how the history of the book began.

Ana Alcolea writes in a masterful and entertaining way to reach all audiences, and this book, with a beautiful edition, will be a reference in every home. The importance of reading is growing and once again it has been shown that books endure wars, dictatorships, pandemics… and not only persist, but also succeed in being the best traveling companion in extreme cases. So, let’s give space to books and let’s learn about everything we cannot miss in this wonderful world of books.

Most children are naturally curious and ask so many questions that parents sometimes don’t know what to answer; some of their questions are such that we would be happy to answer them if we knew the answers. As we grow older, we continue to ask ourselves many questions, which, if we were to put them on the table, would coincide with those questions we had when we were children.

Be that as it may, there are a series of questions that everyone asks himself sometime in life. For this reason, Kairós, an emblematic publishing house for non-fiction books, has published 20 preguntas existenciales, written by Francesc Miralles. The quality of our thoughts and decisions, as well as our own existence will depend on the answers we give to these questions.

Francesc Miralles, author of great international success, answers in this book the twenty questions that have marked his life through his own experience in the art of questioning, as well as with the help of philosophers, writers, and spiritual guides.

Fresh, funny and very well documented, in the author’s words, this is the book that he would have wished to have throughout his different existential crises, and I must confess that I do too. Therefore, once again, Francesc Miralles, who we know has published many books, opens a window to a self-help book. For him it is not just one more book but the book where he tries to answer in a conscious way what many of us wonder and do not know how to answer.

A great book, short, meaningful and extremely useful, because these twenty are the major questions of the issues that concern us as human beings. Thank you again, Francesc Miralles, for helping us to shed light on the great questions of this world, which seems increasingly confused and complicated. Books like this leave us with a good taste in our mouths and a sigh of hope, because those twenty questions are the big questions that concern us as human beings.

Easter is here which means a well-deserved rest for everyone. We are happy because the market is active again and we hope it doesn’t stop. On our return we have Sant Jordi, one of my favorite days of the year, and then, we need to prepare for the Madrid Book Fair, which I am also looking forward to. Everything that I have missed so much these two years seems to return so fast and nonstop, is making me excited. Although I need this break more than ever, I hope this doesn’t stop and that we can all continue to enjoy this illusion that invades us.
 
With everything that is coming, we must recharge our batteries even if it is only for four days. However, those of us in the sector do not go on vacation without a book and that is why I must recommend everyone to do so, since reading is therapeutic and revitalizing. Here are some of the books we have already talked about to keep you company during these short but intense vacations, which will surely be better with a book:
 
For those who love stories about history: La otra orilla by Elena Moya, La alquimia de la vida by Coia Valls and Nos recordarán by Carla Gracia.
For those who want a good nonfiction book to get to know themselves: El cerebro de la gente feliz by Ferran Cases and Sara Teller, El geniotipo by Tony Estruch, La fuerza de ser altamente sensible by Meritxell Garcia and Storycoaching by Gabriel García de Oro.
For those who want to reflect: 20 preguntas existenciales by Francesc Miralles and Te amarás sobre todas las cosas by Sonia Rico.
For those who want to find a solution: De darlo todo a pedir lo que te dé la gana by Silvia Bueso and Límites by Miriam Tirado.
For those who want to find both a solution and a smile: Coi de criatures by Sebastià Bennasar and Reír y vivir by Imma Rabasco.
For the little ones at home we recommend: El país de los pájaros sin alas by Nadia Ghulam, En tus zapatos by Meritxell García, Un cerezo by Alejandro Palomas and Sofia y la palabra salvaje, by Purificación Hernández.
For those who want intense novels: Un país con tu nombre, by Alejandro Palomas, Tándem by María Barbal and Algún día volveré a buscarte, by Javier Arias.
For everyone, we recommend: Cuentos para tener valor, by Àlex Rovira and Francesc Miralles and 101 cuentos emocionantes by Gabriel García de Oro and Purificación Hernández and El maravilloso mundo de los libros, by Ana Alcolea.
 
I wish you happy holidays, I hope they will be accompanied by one of these books or any other that you feel like reading because, as Borges said:
“One is not what he is because of what he writes, but because of what he has read”. So, let’s keep on reading which will always make us better. Reading is living.
 
Happy holidays.

When we talk about HSP people, many still do not know what they are, but there are 30% of the population who are HSP: highly sensitive people like Meritxell Garcia Roig, author of the book. After writing El arte de la empatía and En tus zapatos, Meritxell publishes with Penguin Random House La fuerza de ser altamente sensible. Thanks to this book, we will find if we are HSP and if this is the case or we know someone around us who is (which could be very likely) Meritxell teaches us how to embrace this personality trait, which is not at all negative but quite the opposite: if we embrace it, we can turn it into a superpower.

Do you have a keen sense of smell and hear the slightest noise? Do you get overwhelmed in crowded places? Do you notice subtleties that go unnoticed by most people? Are you bothered by the price tag on your clothes?

If you answered yes, you may be a highly sensitive person (HSP): your neurological wiring is different, you perceive more information than other people through your senses, and you are often overwhelmed by this flood of stimuli. When you understand how your HSP machinery works, you will discover that high sensitivity can work in your favor if you know how. This book teaches you how to tap into your sensitive and creative nature, discover your potential, shine, and build a fulfilling life in accordance with your personality.

Meritxell recommends you to get to know yourself. She affirms that your sensitive nature is valuable and knowing how your inner machinery works is essential to find solutions to everyday obstacles. If you take the HSP test to find out if you are highly sensitive, what you see as a problem today can be changed with information, knowledge, and management. After that, your creativity and sensitivity will shine like never before; being HSP is a superpower that must be taken cared for and nurtured as well. This book is a tool to be able to live better with this personality trait and to know how to deal with those who are also HSP.

In an interview with Meritxell in Sintentia, the journalist said “The power of being highly sensitive is a must read for anyone who wants to understand what they feel, how they live, how to relate to a PAS. Your way of educating, working, and relating to a PAS will change after reading this book. What appears to be a weakness (sensitivity and vulnerability), Meritxell helps you understand it as a strength”.

Practical, useful, and highly recommended book to embrace this gift that so many people have and do not dare to bring it to light.