every book I read in 2021

The list is in chronological order. 

Marina by Carlos Ruiz Zafón 

Fili, one of my best best friends, lended it to me. I love a good overly descriptive narrative and this was definitely one of them. The story involves a girl, a boy and a very curious adventure. I wasn't expecting it to get as science fictional as it did but it was fun to try to picture the whole thing in my head. The ending definitely surprised me. I learned a lot of new Spanish vocabulary which is always good. 

Nietzsche para estresados by Allan Percy 

My grandmother gifted me this book about four years ago. I had never developed a genuine interest to read it because I didn't want to classify myself as a stressed person but the true is: we all get fucking stressed sometimes. I decided I wanted to keep a book in my locker at work so I would have some entertainment before starting my shifts. I realized this piece of work was perfect for this role because each page is an "advice" based on Nietzsche's ideologies. There are 99 in total. Overall, it was really good food for thought. On the other hand, it really bothered me that he repeatedly used the word "men" when referring to humans in general. Can everybody just stop doing that? Thanks. 

La sombra del viento by Carlos Ruiz Zafón

This was my fourth attempt to read this book from cover to cover. If you are stuck in a reading don't be afraid to put it aside and come back to it at another time in your life. But when you do come back, make sure to start it from the beginning all over again. A good book deserves your full immersion. I fucking love this book. It is definitely one of my all time favorites. The first two times I tried reading it was the Portuguese version. I'm happy to have read the whole thing in Spanish, its original language. The story takes place in Barcelona which made it extra special and tangible for me. I really like the way he writes. One of the main characters is sexist. Apart from that, I have no other bad criticism.                                                                                                

Everything I know about love by Dolly Alderton

Clarinha, one of my best friends lended it to me. She said it was cool because it touched upon many types of love. I bet most people would presume by the title that she focuses on romantic love. That is definitely not the case here. This book made me both laugh out loud and have emotional tears come down my cheeks. I definitely missed many inside jokes from a lack of British culture and London city knowledge but I feel I didn't have to really get it to find it humorous. Dolly is funny, unapologetic and deep. Her anecdotes are a perfect reminder that everyone's life is chaotic in their own personal way. People just tend to keep the messy part of it private. This piece of work made me become much more fearless with what I write and especially with what I share. I want to own my shit and that's what we all should do. Nobody cares about your shit like you do. Most people don't give a shit about your shit and neither do you about theirs. If you can make art out of it, good for you. 

The body is not an apology: the power of radical self-love by Sonya Renee Taylor

I found out about this book on a podcast called Skinny Dipping. They made it sound like a must read and it really is. It taught me what 'radical self-love' stands for and it's an information I will never forget. One day, while reading this book I felt the urge to give myself a tight hug. It was a beautiful action that came organically as a consequence of the content she presents. The reading produced a gentleness towards my own body and other people's bodies that I hadn't had in my system. Also, I stopped separating my brain from my body which made me feel much more present, connected and appreciative.  

Irresistible forces by Danielle Steel

I bought this one at a second hand book shop because I really liked the cover. It is the most heterosexual novel I have ever read. The writer was a bit too repetitive for my taste. I already knew how the story was going to unfold by the third chapter. 

milk and honey by Rupi Kaur

I entered a book shop to buy a feminist book but I wanted it to be in English and there weren't any. I ended up picking this one up because I liked that the title doesn't have capital letters, the cover is simplistic and the texture of the print is nice to touch. I wish some of her poems would leave more up for imagination. But it is clear that Rupi knows her ways with words. I kind of hoped I had read this right after a breakup. It would definitely make it more emotionally impactful. This book motivated me to write more poems and "poem structured" texts, which is something I've been really enjoying doing.

Kafka i la nina que se'n va anar de viatge by Jordi Sierra i Fabra

My mom gifted me this book because she had read it in Portuguese and really liked it. It was the first whole book I read in Catalan, which was fun. I highlighted a few words that I didn't understand. I have to remember to look them up or ask someone to translate them to me. I only realized by the middle of it that it was based on a true story. This made the narrative much more interesting. It's very cute and delicate so if you want to read something cute and delicate this is a good recommendation.  

La loca de la casa by Rosa Montero

Fili also lended me this one because she thought I would like it and she was right! Rosa talks about the act of writing and being a writer in a very personal way and using many interesting references. I related to a lot of things she said because I also love writing and want to have a career as a writer. It made me want to read uncountless books during my human experience. While having it as my current book, I dreamed that I had a genius idea and I was sure I had to write a book about it. I can't remember what was the idea, just that it involved a changing-size jacket (?).