{"id":86859,"date":"2025-04-21T06:22:41","date_gmt":"2025-04-21T06:22:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ccmagazine.es\/?p=86859"},"modified":"2026-04-12T09:49:05","modified_gmt":"2026-04-12T09:49:05","slug":"sant-jordi-2025-a-selection-of-reads-to-give-and-enjoy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ccmagazine.es\/en\/sant-jordi-2025-a-selection-of-reads-to-give-and-enjoy\/","title":{"rendered":"Sant Jordi 2025: a selection of books you can\u2019t go wrong with"},"content":{"rendered":"

At CC\/magazine<\/em>, reading is more than a passion, it’s a way of life. That\u2019s why, from time to time, we love to share with you the books that inspire us, move us, or simply remind us of the pure pleasure of reading. Books to give, to recommend, or \u2014 why not \u2014 to gift ourselves.<\/p>\n

And there\u2019s no better time to do so than 23rd April: World Book Day and Sant Jordi<\/strong>, one of our favourite days of the year. It\u2019s a magical celebration where the streets of Catalonia become a literary and emotional festival \u2014 filled with bookstalls, author signings, and roses blossoming in squares, corners, and shop windows.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a day that celebrates love for literature\u2026 and love, plain and simple. So, we\u2019ve put together this special selection of titles we hope you’ll enjoy, that will inspire you \u2014 and perhaps even spark the desire to share them with someone dear. Because giving a book (and a rose) is always an act of beauty.<\/p>\n

Our recommended reads:<\/p>\n

1. <\/strong>“Martyr!”<\/em> by Kaveh Akbar<\/strong><\/p>\n

A lyrical and heart-wrenching debut novel about faith, grief, addiction, and the search for meaning. A New York Times<\/em> Book of the Year<\/em> and National Book Award<\/em> finalist.<\/p>\n

Full review.<\/a><\/p>\n

2.\u00a0<\/strong>“The Happy Life”<\/em> by David Foenkinos<\/strong><\/p>\n

A subtle and reflective novel about reinvention, modern dissatisfaction, and the pursuit of authentic happiness.<\/p>\n

Full review.<\/a><\/p>\n

3. <\/strong>“The Spirit of Hope”<\/em> by Byung Chul-Han<\/strong><\/p>\n

A contemplative essay that reimagines hope as a radical, collective force born from despair, offering a philosophical antidote to fear and passivity.<\/p>\n

Full review.<\/a><\/p>\n

4. <\/strong>“Stolen focus” by Johann Hari<\/strong><\/p>\n

A powerful investigation into how modern life is stealing our attention \u2014 and what we can do to reclaim it.<\/p>\n

Full review.<\/a><\/p>\n

5. <\/strong>“Street-Level Superstar”<\/em>: A year with Lawrence by Will Hodgkinson<\/strong><\/p>\n

An intimate portrait of cult musician Lawrence<\/em>, frontman of Felt<\/em> and Denim<\/em> \u2014 eccentric, brilliant and uncompromising.<\/p>\n

Full review.<\/a><\/p>\n

6. <\/strong>“Faith, Hope and Carnage”<\/em> by Nick Cave<\/strong><\/p>\n

A series of honest, moving conversations about grief, creativity and transformation with the legendary musician.<\/p>\n

Full review.<\/a><\/p>\n

7.“Born a Crime”<\/em> by Trevor Noah<\/strong><\/p>\n

Trevor Noah<\/em> was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 1984 and became the first South African comedian to perform stand-up on The Tonight Show<\/em> and The Late Show with David Letterman<\/em>. He also starred in the documentary “You Laugh But It\u2019s True”<\/em>, toured internationally with his stand-up show “The Racist”<\/em>, and is now widely known as the host of The Daily Show<\/em>, personally chosen by Jon Stewart as his successor.<\/p>\n

This brilliant memoir is an absolute must-read \u2014 you\u2019ll devour it. It grabs you from the very first page and doesn\u2019t let go.<\/p>\n

Without giving too much away, we\u2019ll simply say this: Trevor is the son of a Black Xhosa<\/em> mother and a white European father, born during the height of apartheid. As such, his very existence was illegal \u2014 a child literally “born a crime”. His life was shaped from the beginning by hardship, fear, and the daily struggle to survive in a society built on segregation and injustice.<\/p>\n

And yet, “Born a Crime”<\/em> is anything but bleak. Noah<\/em> shares powerful life lessons and, even in the most painful moments, reveals his warmest, most generous self \u2014 always with a keen sense of humour and an unshakable hope for the future.<\/p>\n

\u201cA book is proof that human beings are capable of magic.\u201d Carl Sagan<\/h2>\n

8. “Foreskin\u2019s Lament”<\/em> by Shalom Auslander<\/strong><\/p>\n

Shalom Auslander<\/em> was raised “like a calf” within an orthodox Jewish community. As a child \u2014 and well into his teenage years \u2014 he unquestioningly believed everything the adults around him said about an all-powerful, vengeful God.<\/p>\n

But over time, he began to drift. First it was pornography, non-kosher food, marijuana, shoplifting, and compulsive masturbation. Later came what we might call a secular life \u2014 a complete departure from the world he was brought up in.<\/p>\n

With sharp wit and dark humour, Auslander<\/em> takes readers deep into the obsessive rituals of orthodox Jewish life, delivering a personal narrative that is as irreverent as it is insightful. This book doesn\u2019t just entertain \u2014 it provokes, questions, and leaves a lasting impression.<\/p>\n

\n

9. “When the Going Was Good” <\/em>by Graydon Carter\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

Graydon Carter<\/em> \u2014 legendary editor of Spy<\/em>, The New York Observer<\/em>, and Vanity Fair<\/em> \u2014 has been a style icon for decades. Not just for his personal flair, but for his expansive vision of creative work, shaped during the golden age of American magazine publishing.<\/p>\n

In his new memoir, Carter<\/em> takes us back to that vibrant era with a brisk, brilliant narrative \u2014 a cascade of sharply told, sharply observed anecdotes about celebrities, artists, and cultural power players within his orbit.<\/p>\n

With his unmistakable New York tone \u2014 equal parts sophisticated and conspiratorial \u2014 he welcomes readers into the inner sanctum of the editorial and social elite, making us feel, at least for a moment, part of that world. And as he\u2019s done throughout his career, he knows just when to turn the mirror back on himself.<\/p>\n

“Somehow, in my case, between a fair share of blunders and a bit of good luck, things just worked out”<\/em>, he writes. It\u2019s the voice of a man who experienced the very best of the American century \u2014 and stepped away at just the right time, with his dignity and impeccable style intact.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

10.<\/strong> “Girl in a Band”<\/em> by Kim Gordon<\/strong><\/p>\n

In the early 1980s, Kim Gordon<\/em> \u2014 alongside her future husband Thurston Moore<\/em> and guitarist Lee Ranaldo<\/em> \u2014 gave rise to one of the most innovative, influential and prolific bands in the American indie music scene: Sonic Youth<\/em>.<\/p>\n

“Girl in a Band”<\/em> is her raw and riveting first-person account \u2014 a memoir from one of rock\u2019s most iconic women. Like Patti Smith<\/em>, Janis Joplin<\/em> or Marianne Faithfull<\/em>, Gordon<\/em> carved out her place in a world often dominated by men and tainted by sexism, defying expectations with intelligence, resilience and unrelenting creativity.<\/p>\n

In these deeply personal pages, she shares her life story: growing up in Los Angeles, her marriage and its unraveling after discovering Moore\u2019s repeated infidelities, her artistic journey, her childhood, and her experience of motherhood.<\/p>\n

More than just a memoir, “Girl in a Band”<\/em> is a beautifully written reflection on music, identity and vulnerability \u2014 and an electrifying window into the raw energy of New York\u2019s underground art and music scene.<\/p>\n

11. “My year of rest and relaxation”<\/em> by Ottesa Moshfegh<\/strong><\/p>\n

Dark, ironic and addictive. A scathing critique of consumerism and existential emptiness wrapped in hypnotic fiction.<\/p>\n

Full review.<\/a><\/p>\n

12.<\/strong> “Catching the Big Fish”<\/em> by David Lynch<\/strong><\/p>\n

A poetic and meditative glimpse into the filmmaker\u2019s mind, creativity, and spiritual practice through Transcendental Meditation.<\/p>\n

Full review.<\/p>\n

You can find these and other literary recommendations in the CULTURE\/Books section<\/strong><\/a> of CC\/magazine<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Also, although we\u2019ve sold out of The Unusual Travel Guides Barcelona<\/em> in our online shop, you can still find the third editions of both Madrid and Barcelona at several selected stockists, including:<\/p>\n

Lamarca Well<\/em> (C\/ Fernando VI, 10. Madrid), Veja Madrid <\/em>(C\/ Barquillo, 44. Madrid and in Paris at 16 Rue la Vieuville & 15 Rue la Poitou), Casa Bonay<\/em> (C\/ Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, 700. Barcelona), Chandal <\/em>(C\/ Tantarantana, 16. Barcelona), Terranova <\/em>(C\/ Comte Borrell, 99. Barcelona), Llibreria Finestres<\/em> (C\/ Diputaci\u00f3, 249. Barcelona), Lynk & Co Club<\/em> in Barcelona (Passeig de Gr\u00e0cia, 44) and Madrid (Gran V\u00eda, 1), Super by Dot <\/em>(C\/ Eugenio Sell\u00e9s, 6. Madrid), or Despacio Concept Store<\/em> (C\/ Bel\u00e9n, 10. Madrid), among others.<\/p>\n

(*)<\/strong> Cover photo: Pexels.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

At CC\/magazine, reading is more than a passion, it’s a way of life. That\u2019s why, from time to time, we love to share with you the books that inspire us, move us, or simply remind us of the pure pleasure of reading. Books to give, to recommend, or \u2014 why not \u2014 to gift ourselves. 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