Books About Spain – Our Faves and Raves

By Nancy Todd

Here is the Spain Scoop on some of our faves, both fiction and non-fiction books about Spain in English and castellano.  Write us about your favorite books on Spain.

GUIDE BOOKS:  LONELY PLANET SPAIN.    Lonely Planet authors continue to tell the truth.  Funny, frank, and full of info.  From sleeping in a palace to a hostel, this Guide covers all wallets. 

THE ROUGH GUIDE TO SPAIN – My favorite guide book with unusual photos, honest info, quotes from artists about towns accompanied with little drawings.  Transports you right there-your sofa to Spain. 

LIVING ABROAD IN SPAIN – Nikki Weinstein left New York City to make her home in Spain.  Info on jobs, housing, health, culture, etc.  Some info on visas, jobs, etc. may be dated. Email your Spain Scoop authors for the latest info.   

HISTORIC WALKING GUIDES – MADRID – This book takes you on a journey through centuries of Madrid’s history via a series of  eight walks.  Each is themed from medieval buildings to where artists gathered.  Maps, times and distances included.  To purchases check out Destin World Publishing Co. on line store.

HISTORIC WALKING TOURS – GIBRALTAR – Across the border in Southern Spain is the small British colony of Gibraltar.  The compact size of Gibraltar allows the visitor to see all areas with spectacular scenery along the way.  Eight themed walks are oulined including the Upper Rock Nature Reserve and the history of the Royal Navy.  Visit Destin World Publishing Co.’s on line store. 

HISTORY:  BARCELONA – Robert Huges, writer extraordinaire, writes again with intelligence and wit.  History books usually put me to sleep.  This one is a well researched page turner.  If you don’t want to read cover to cover,  the excellent index will allow you to read in random snatches and have it make sense at the same time.  Enticing read for lovers of Barcelona.

 BARCELONA, THE GREAT ENCHANTRESS – Robert Hughes.  The author has been coming to Barcelona since 1966 and creates a fascinating painting of this Catalan capital.  His commentaries on architecture, people he knows, and people he wants to know like, Wilfred the Hairy, makes it a passionate read.  Today, you could meet Wilfred the Hairy at a singles bar.  No index.  I love a book where I have to look up new words.

HOMAGE TO BARCELONA – Colm Toibin.  As witness to the Franco Era and the heart breaking Civil War, Tolbin writes with authority and passion.  Picasso, Miro, and the boys are covered and their impact on art.  I found the section on the expansion of the city limits of Barcelona in the late 1800’s especially intriguing.  I now live in the Art Nouveau neighborhood of L’Exaimple ( The Expansion),  the “new”  Barcelona beyond it’s medieval City walls.

SPAIN IN MIND – This anthology is a great read for the metro, a cafe, or snuggling in front of your fireplace for armchair travel.  Alice Leccese Powers weaves Wharton, Hemingway, Orwell, etc. in a diverse collection.

A DAY WITH PICASSO – by Susanne Pfleger.  The man, Picasso, got around.  He was born in Spain and there is one of his retrospectives in The Picasso Museum in Barcelona.  Spain influenced his art in politics, bulls, women, women, and in women.  A great read about a great artist. 

http://www.travelerstales.com/links.html - Traveler’s Tales are publishers of stories, wit, and wisdom from travel writers around the world.  My favorite books are the  ‘Best American Series’  which is a collection of travel stories for each year starting in 2000.  Editors include Tim Cahill, Jamaica Kincaid, etc, and my hero Bill Bryson.  Transporting you to different niches on the planet including Spain, you can always be on the move with a Traveler’s Tale book in hand. 

LANGUAGE:  LAROUSSE POCKET  STUDENT GUIDE TO SPANISH-ENGLISH, ENGLISH-SPANISH - Whatever dictionary you buy, make sure it is Spanish-English, English-Spanish.   For really bizarre words, go to www.spanishdic.com .  No, it is not a porn site.  It has saved my booty many a time when struggling with my Taco Bell level of Spanish.  Larousse dictionaries also come in pocket size.

NOVELS:  CATHEDRAL OF THE SEA - Ildefonso Falcones.  This book is the big Spain Scoop on life during the  middle ages.   As historical fiction, it takes place on streets you can stroll today.  Centered around Santa Maria Del Mar, a grand cathedral well worth the visit in Barcelona, is a story of a family’’s transcendence from serfdom to wealth.  One of our top favs! Our friend Dana stayed up three nights in a row to read this book.

SHADOW OF THE WIND -  Carlos Ruiz Zafon.  Translated from Spanish, Shadow Of The Wind is a buzz book among our friends in Barcelona.  A thriller without blood and gore, the story takes place,  in part, in a bookstore in Barcelona.  Today, you can meander the late 1800 streets that the author describes.

THE ANGEL’S GAME - Carols Ruiz Zafon.  Eagerly awaited by Zafon fans, the author  explores the world of writing by taking the reader on a literary trip of romance and mystery.  Takes place in Barcelona.

OUR LADY OF THE SEWERS AND OTHER ADVENTURES IN DEEP SPAIN – Paul Richardson.  Witty, eccentric, with sharp view of people and places.  Will add idiosyncratic info to the sights and sounds of surprising Spain!