Today is the 23rd of April and here, in Catalunya, we celebrate LA DIADA DE SANT JORDI (Saint George’s Day). But this year, it’s going to be a bit different…
Usually, on this day, the towns’ streets and squares are full of people and stalls of books and roses. We celebrate this festivity by exchanging and gifting books and roses.
Legend has it that many years ago, there was a dragon which terrorised a little town. The king, in order to calm the dragon, decided to feed him with animals but once those were finished, they had to give him people. One day, the king’s daughter was elected in the raffle to be given to the dragon but, according to the legend, Saint George saved the princess by killing the dragon with his spear while riding on a white horse. The dragon’s blood caused a rosebush to grow, and he offered one of its roses to the princess.
It’s one of my favourite holidays and because this year we won’t be able to celebrate it as we usually do, I decided to make a post about some book recommendations / books I want to read. It is kind of a bookshelf update.
3 Books I’ve read recently
– Cause Celeb by Helen Fielding: This book by the author of Bridget Jones’s Diary is a mix of humour and romance. It also shows the relationship between Europe and Africa and what Rosie, the main character, must do to save the refugee camp she works in. It’s an easy read.
– City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert: I expected a bit more from this book but at the end, I liked it. The book is told from the perspective of an older woman, as she looks back on her youth during the 1940s in New York.
– Paris For One and Other Stories by Jojo Moyes: This book is your typical romance story set in the present-day. Except that it does not only have one story, but multiple. It’s a book to read if you want to have a good time reading. I don’t usually read short stories so it was a different type of lecture.
3 Books I was gifted last Sant Jordi
– Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly: I really liked this book. Even though it is a long read, it is an interesting one and one that will not disappoint you. It tells the life of three girls during World War II and how their stories cross continents.
– El millor d’anar és tornar d’Albert Espinosa: A lovely story that takes place in the future during a 23rd of April (so it’s quite fitting for today). It’s a story about love, family, forgiving, memories and LIFE. I really liked the format of the book in short chapters.
– The Last Letter from Your Lover by Jojo Moyes: A love story that connects 1960 and 2003. When a journalist named Ellie discovers a forgotten love letter, she decides to dig up deeper into it and try to find out how that story ended. If you like romance/historical books, this one is for you.
3 Books from my shelf I recommend
– To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han: After watching the first movie and loving it, I decided to read the trilogy and it did not disappoint me. I really enjoyed reading all of the three books but the last two are not as good as the first one. Even so, they were a good read.
– Inside Vogue by Alexandra Shulman: I love all things fashion, and I was intrigued about everything that goes behind a Vogue issue. This is the diary of Alexandra Shulman (former Vogue Editor-in-Chief) during the 100th year of British Vogue. It’s a good mix of everyday life and glamorous events told with a good sense of humour. If you like fashion, you must read it!
– Otoño en Londres by Andrea Izquierdo: I read this book quite some time ago but I remember because after some months of not reading many books (mainly because I had school readings), I picked up this one and I loved it. It is a young-adult romance book that explains what happens to Lily when she is admitted to a university in London.
3 Books I want to read
– Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow by Yuval Noah Harari
– An Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena
– 21 Lessons for the 21st Century by Yuval Noah Harari
What books are you currently reading or want to read next? Comment them down below!
Before ending this post, if you are from Catalunya and you are thinking of buying a book this Sant Jordi, I have something that may interest you:
Es tracta d’una pàgina web anomenada Llibreries Obertes. És una web on pots comprar llibres a la llibreria del teu poble i recollir-los un cop obrin i puguem sortir. D’aquesta manera ajudes a les llibreteres i llibreters i dónes futur a les llibreries de proximitat.
https://llibreriesobertes.cat/
FELIÇ DIADA DE SANT JORDI!
Love, M.
Marioness 