Bruno Blog

[Bullying, why me? by Montse Doménech]

Today, the word Bullying is commonly used in our society and most of the people understand its meaning. I remember the first time I heard the word Bullying or Mobbing, and I did not quite understand what was it. A lot of books talk about this subject and it seems there is no much more to say. However, bullying keeps increasing and every day, more children and teenagers suffer it, which is disturbing, given the fact that sometimes we lack the tools to fight bullying. The definition would be: “type of aggressive behaviour that hurts intentionally another person, repeatedly and that implies an imbalance of power between the bully and the victim, who is not capable to defend himself.

I cannot really understand why someone can hurt another intentionally and repeatedly, and much less to a child, but there are two sides of the same coin – the victim and the bully – and this last also have a problem. So reading the Montse Doménech’s book was not easy, since most of the cases have deeply moved me that my reaction would not be appropriate, because we cannot forget the two sides: the bully is someone “sick” who had o has also a problem. We all put ourselves in the victim’s shoes and this books offers the right tools to fight the bully. Thanks to Montse’s reputation, graduated in Pedagogy and Psychology , and her way to focus the problem, the book is very useful for those parents whose children suffer from bullying, those parents whose children happen to be the bully, and those parents whose children fortunately are not going through any bullying situation but that also need to be aware, because as Montse says, most of us can identify and understand intuitively a bullying situation. It is in our power to help children and teenagers who are suffering it. The big question is: are we capable of identifying bullying? With this book, you get the right tools to be, so I truly believe it is a model that needs to be read even if we are not big fans of the non fiction: there are some topics that, when you have children, are indispensable to understand and learn, and thanks to books like this one, it is easier for us.

 La Epidemia de la Primavera – Empar Fernández

Today, flu is controlled and most of us when we catch a cold, we feel pain in our body and our fever rising up, that we quickly state “I have the flu”. However, this October is the centenary of the gravest flu epidemic ever suffered in Europe, in which between 20 and 40 millions of people died. Even though it is said the flu began in the United States, it is Europe where the first evidence was registered, concretely in France, from where it spread to Spain, a neutral country during the First World War. As Spain did not censor the public reports about the epidemic and its consequences, it was called “The Spanish Flu” despite being an international issue, but the data revealed that Spain was the only affected country.

Empar Fernández publishes La Epidemia de la Primavera (The Spring’s epidemic) with SUMA, where she talks about this specific era, the life in the trenches and the Barcelona of the first social riots leaded by women. Gracia Ballesteros is forced to abandon Barcelona and arrives in Burdeux, where she meets Carter Irvine, a young American man that has enlisted as voluntary to fight in the Old Continent. They fall into a relationship that will need to get over distance and the dangers ahead. In the midst of all, more and more people that are apparently well start dying because of the flu, an epidemic that will terrorize the world.

A truly hard novel but that emits affection at the same time, since the historic frame is devastating but we will live the love story between Garcia and Carter.  It will be impossible to put the book down because as a reader, you will need to know how, in such critical moment, people can fight until the end, especially the women who started playing an important role in society. A love story with spirit of achievement and values that will move all kind of readers, thanks to Empar’s style who has combined both topics flawlessly. A highly recommended novel to commemorate an autumn that a hundred years ago was fighting to survive against the uncontrollable flu and a World War that, in my opinion, was more controllable and provoked by the power abuses and the absence of conversation between parties. Cruelty and love in the same volume make the book a very compelling story that deserves to be read and promoted.

Happy holidays: a suitcase and a book, at least.

This is the last Bruno’s post until September. It is always a pleasure to write a post every week and recommend a book, because it is truly a privilege to recommend a reading. However, it is not an easy job: this is why in this last post I made a collection of the different books that I wrote about in this blog. A collection classified into genres and above all, very visual, so you can easily remember the covers of each of the stories, books that we presented with the goal to discover new readers and publishers from other countries who wish to find extraordinary stories without thinking too much of the numbers. Literature moves you, it claims you, it makes you feel and at the end, this is what you get. The publishing world is a business but we cannot afford to lose the best of the values: giving the opportunity to each great story that is capable of moving you, like all the books we have here, so I hope you enjoy more than one on these holidays. As Bruno says, there is no better company than a book. Happy holidays and on our return, new books to finish an extraordinary trimester, indispensable to keep growing as a persons.

A good thriller in which the reader is the protagonist trying to make all the pieces of the puzzle fit together, or even a psychological thriller.

An extraordinary story, I need no more, with amazing characters and a lot of love, in all senses.

A historical novel that would help me to discover more of this world through a proper use of fiction.

A book for the little ones, who will enjoy a funny story, learn new things and discover new worlds.

A book that will help me this September with new healthy lifestyles to put into practice.

A funny book to disconnect from reality or a one-day read story full of deep thoughts and love.

Enjoy your holidays!

[Book launch: September 2018]

Reading the last Nuria Pradas’ book Contando nubes (counting clouds) has reminded me of my summers when I was a teenager, where the beach, the friendship and the laughter were the protagonists of these fifteen days I used to spend in Sant Pol, where the problems did not exist, or at least I am not able to remember them. Not only did I find true friends that I still keep, but also it became a place of first experiences: first loves, family meetings in our terrace by the sea with my parents, my siblings and my granparents that I will never forget. Moments that filled this little box in which we all keep our memories and that they are already part of our life.

Maria, the main character, decides to spend the summer with her grandmother in the little village where she used to enjoy her childhood, but now it’s different: Maria’s decision to move there is to try to get over a tragedy. With only nineteen years old, Maria had a terrible car accident in which her boyfriend lost his life and she almost did. She is now depressed and going back to that little village with her old friends will help her even more than going to theraphy, and without realizing, she will find herself in love again and counting clouds as she used to do when she was a child. However, things are not always so easy and a new conflict blows up due to a love triangle full of regrets.

The novel is extraordinary, ideal for any teenager who may feel identified with the pages of this book, and wishes to never stop counting clouds. Actually, after reading it, I will start counting clouds again from my terrace so I can connect with the most pure and real happiness, the one you feel when you are a child. Thank you Nuria for such a tender and loving story, that will move you regardless of your level or taste in reading. Once again, you proved yourself to be a great writer both for teens and adults books, and with your three novels ‘La noia de la biblioteca’, ‘Sueños a medida’ and ‘El aroma del tiempo’ you reached a loyal audience who asks for more. In my opinion, Nuria Pradas is one of the best writers nowadays, so I encourage everyone to include one of her books in your summer list. You will not regret it.

Football is not over, not yet…

I know that books do not see eye to eye with football and the other way around but this week, that the World Cup is still on, I would love to recommend you a thriller about the football scandals that have never been revealed before: Football, sex, business and other lies.

A thriller that begins with the death of a centre-forward player in which everyone seems to have enough reasons to have murdered. A fresh style, with no restrictions and an extraordinary gift to hatch a plot that will catch the attention for both football lovers and those not very keen on that sport. “Football, sex, business and other lies” tells the story of a football club where the death of the centre-forward player is the smaller of the scandals.

Homophobia, drugs, wins through deceits, dirty business and a murder, turn this novel into the Cursed Football Book. After all… Who knows what is going on in the football club offices? I do not know if I am prepare to discover the truth but this journalist, under pseudonym, has based the story on real facts and also a pinch of fiction, but the barrier between reality and fiction is so thin that you will be surprised by all the components that take part in the football world.An entertaining novel for this summer that I truly believe that will catch the attention of a lot of readers who enjoy fast and frenetic books. As the back cover states, “a thriller about football not suitable for readers with a lack of critical thinking”. Is that you?

Sandra Bruna

<<Football, sex, business and other lies>> by R. Rocamora, Umbriel Ediciones