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Books where cities take centre stage

Books to travel from home with stories where cities are the true protagonists

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  • Éramos unos niños

    Just Kids

    Patti Smith · 2011

    A prelude to fame, Just Kids recounts the friendship of two young artists--Patti Smith and Robert Mapplethorpe - whose passion fueled their lifelong pursuit of art. In 1967, a chance meeting between two young people led to a romance and a lifelong friendship that would carry each to international success never dreamed of. The backdrop is Brooklyn, Chelsea Hotel, Max's Kansas City, Scribner's Bookstore, Coney Island, Warhol's Factory and the whole city resplendent. Among their friends, literary lights, musicians and artists such as Harry Smith, Bobby Neuwirth, Allen Ginsberg, Sandy Daley, Sam Shepherd, William Burroughs, etc. It was a heightened time politically and culturally; the art and music worlds exploding and colliding. In the midst of all this two kids made a pact to always care for one another. Scrappy, romantic, committed to making art, they prodded and provided each other with faith and confidence during the hungry years--the days of cous-cous and lettuce soup. Just Kids begins as a love story and ends as an elegy. Beautifully written, this is a profound portrait of two young artists, often hungry, sated only by art and experience. And an unforgettable portrait of New York, her rich and poor, hustlers and hellions, those who made it and those whose memory lingers near.

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  • Mis últimos 10 minutos y 38 segundos en este extraño mundo

    Mis últimos 10 minutos y 38 segundos en este extraño mundo ES

    Elif Shafak · 2020

    FINALISTA DEL PREMIO BOOKER Y UNO DE LOS MEJORES LIBROS DEL AÑO SEGÚN ELLE 300.000 LECTORES, TRADUCIDA EN CINCUENTA PAÍSES Y ENTRE LOS 40 MEJORES LIBROS DE 2020 SEGÚN ESQUIRE «Elif Shafak puede ser despiadada, lírica, política, íntima. [...] Dentro de esta novela conviven otras tantas, todas ellas conmovedoras, espléndidas y escritas con elegancia.» Juan Gabriel Vásquez El cerebro permanece activo unos diez minutos después de que el corazón deje de latir. Durante ese lapso, mientras el cuerpo de Leila yace en un contenedor de basura a las fueras de Estambul, el tiempo fluye y, minuto a minuto, le trae un nuevo recuerdo: la infancia con su padre y sus dos madres en una casa grande y antigua de una apacible ciudad de Turquía; los chismorreos de las mujeres cuando los hombres están en la mezquita; la huida a Estambul para escapar de los abusos y las mentiras familiares y de un matrimonio concertado; el amor hallado de manera inesperada en el burdel de Mamá Amarga... Y los cinco amigos que hace en el camino «su verdadera familia» y que, mientras agoniza, tratan desesperadamente de encontrarla. El Jurado del Premio Booker 2019 ha dicho: «La narrativa audaz e increíblemente original de Shafak resucita el inframundo de Estambul a través de los vívidos recuerdos de una trabajadora del sexo, Tequila Leila, cuyo cadáver yace en la basura. [...] Una obra de atrevida imaginación que empuja al lector al vertiginoso mundo de una heroína irresistible, con una terca determinación y un fiero optimismo: un personaje inolvidable cuya muerte, aun anunciada, recibimos como un golpe devastador. Valiente y enormemente cautivadora, esta novela da fe del poder de la amistad y del espíritu del ser humano.» La crítica ha dicho... «Una novela cercana a la muerte que celebra el sentido de la vida.» Begoña Alonso, Elle (Ranking final: estos son los mejores libros de 2020) «Lírica y demoledora.» Juan Manuel Freire, El Periódico de Cataluña «Esta novela no es buena: es buenísima. [...] Magnífica. [Shafak] es una escritora maravillosa y su libro está lleno de hallazgos lingüísticos y pirotecnias verbales. Benjamín Prado «Un misil contra el patriarcado, contra la violencia sexual, el abuso de menores y un canto sobrecogedor a la amistad.» Felip Vivanco, La Vanguardia «El jurado del Booker eligió esta novela como una delas seis mejores de este año. La novela se merece sobradamente el honor. Shafak escribe con vista, valentía y compasión. Su novela es un deslumbrante retrato de una ciudad, una sociedad, una pequeña comunidad y un alma individual.» Julia Phillips, El Cultural «Cuando el corazón deja de latir el cerebro permanece activo durante algo más de 10 minutos. Ese chisporroteo final de las neuronas sirve a la autora para urdir una original variante turca del Mientras agonizo de William Faulkner.» Agustín Sánchez Vidal, Heraldo «Al igual que Ferrante, Shafak se sirve de la trama para contarnos mucho más que la historia de los personajes, retrata el contexto histórico, en este caso [...] el relato de una mujer maltratada, muy valiente.» Rosa Martí, Esquire «La undécima novela de Shafak es sencillamente eléctrica y, al tiempo, el susurro disidente de todas las cuitas humanas. Un 9.» Ángeles López, La Razón «Intensa y sensual. Transforma su canto doloroso en pura belleza.» Francesca Segal, The Financial Times «Su narración es siempre ágil, con una notable fuerza visual.» Antonio Elorza, El País

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  • DORAYAKI

    Sweet Bean Paste

    Durian Sukegawa · 2024

    Sentaro has failed. He has a criminal record, drinks too much, and his dream of becoming a writer is just a distant memory. With only the blossoming of the cherry trees to mark the passing of time, he spends his days in a tiny confectionery shop selling dorayaki, a type of pancake filled with sweet bean paste.But everything is about to change.Into his life comes Tokue, an elderly woman with disfigured hands and a troubled past. Tokue makes the best sweet bean paste Sentaro hasever tasted. She begins to teach him her craft, but as their friendship flourishes, social pressures become impossible to escape and Tokue's dark secret is revealed,with devastating consequences.Sweet Bean Paste is a moving novel about the burden of the past and the redemptive power of friendship. Translated into English for the first time, Durian Sukegawa's beautiful prose is capturing hearts all over the world.

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  • La librera de parís

    The Paris Bookseller

    Kerri Maher · 2022

    INSPIRED BY AN EXTRAORDINARY TRUE STORY... 'A novel I long to live in' Kate Quinn, author of The Alice Network PARIS, 1920. On the bohemian Left Bank, Sylvia runs a little bookshop called Shakespeare and Company. Here she welcomes the greatest writers of the day - and from the moment James Joyce finally walks through her door, the two become friends. When Joyce's controversial novel Ulysses is banned, Sylvia is determined to publish it herself. But championing the most scandalous book of the century will come at a cost - and Sylvia finds herself risking ruin, her reputation and her heart, all in the name of the life-changing power of books. Set in post-war Paris, The Paris Bookseller is a sweeping story of love, courage and betrayal - and a breathtakingly beautiful love letter to books. *** 'A worthy homage to Sylvia Beach and a love letter to all bookstores, libraries and the passionate and committed women who run them' New York Journal of Books 'I was completely enthralled' Natasha Lester, author of The Paris Secret 'An intriguing story, beguilingly told' Mail on Sunday 'Absorbing and beautifully written... transports you to 1920s Paris - and keeps you utterly captivated with its vivid cast of characters and their bohemian lifestyles' Heat 'A compelling coming-of-age tale, in addition to an impressive piece of historical fiction' Culturefly 'A book for the bookshop lovers . . . an absorbing novel about the life changing nature of our favourite reads' Belfast Telegraph 'A compelling and fascinating look at the world-changing mavericks who bonded, bickered and triumphed in the realm of literature' Nuala O'Connor 'A compelling portrait of a remarkable woman, who steps from the pages in all her charm, courage and vulnerability' Gill Paul 'Intelligent, fierce and filled with reverence for a fascinating epoch in literary history... a delight for readers and writers' Whitney Scharer, author of The Age of Light

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  • La artista de henna: Una mujer en busca de sus sueños en la ciudad de Jaipur

    The Henna Artist

    Alka Joshi · 2021

    A NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER A REESE WITHERSPOON x HELLO SUNSHINE BOOK CLUB PICK "Captivated me from the first chapter to the final page."—Reese Witherspoon Vivid and compelling in its portrait of one woman’s struggle for fulfillment in a society pivoting between the traditional and the modern, The Henna Artist opens a door into a world that is at once lush and fascinating, stark and cruel. Escaping from an abusive marriage, seventeen-year-old Lakshmi makes her way alone to the vibrant 1950s pink city of Jaipur. There she becomes the most highly requested henna artist—and confidante—to the wealthy women of the upper class. But trusted with the secrets of the wealthy, she can never reveal her own… Known for her original designs and sage advice, Lakshmi must tread carefully to avoid the jealous gossips who could ruin her reputation and her livelihood. As she pursues her dream of an independent life, she is startled one day when she is confronted by her husband, who has tracked her down these many years later with a high-spirited young girl in tow—a sister Lakshmi never knew she had. Suddenly the caution that she has carefully cultivated as protection is threatened. Still she perseveres, applying her talents and lifting up those that surround her as she does. “Eloquent and moving…Joshi masterfully balances a yearning for self-discovery with the need for familial love.”—Publishers Weekly Look for The Secret Keeper of Jaipur and The Perfumist of Paris from New York Times bestselling author Alka Joshi!

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