Book Fair of Madrid (take 1)

Well, it's already here, the 2007 edition of the Book Fair of Madrid...

It's fantastic, 344 book booths, from ministries and other official places editors, editorial booths and many, many bookstores... A huge offer and lots of authors signing in their books, round tables, etc... Really stimulating!

I was there yesterday, but in the two hours I was, I barely managed to see (or should I say 'glance') 1/3 of it... I got some books for my cousin, she's going 14 next month, and one beautifully ilustrated book with tales from all over the globe for my 3 year-old nephew...

I saw lots of really interesting books, including a study of Visigothic tablets and the evolution from Latin to Romance languages all over Hispania (although pretty centered in Castilia), a couple of History books about Persia and Iran, one pretty interesting book about the islamic period in Spain (califates and Taifa kingdoms), some good ones about the History of Africa, some were general while others were a little bit more specific; a book about the Roman army and battles, written by a Spanish writer, a novel about the Varus's Disaster (also by a Spanish writer, I may get this one) and a limited, numbered special edition about the Cantar of Myo Çid celebrating the VII centenary of Per Abbat's manuscript (1207)... Oh, it was awesome! I was drooling all over the booth... ! Facsilime edition, plus a modern version and corresponding study by a modern academic, all in a nice estouche... Ah!!

It's pretty expensive, though (~ €1,200), so I think it's bye-bye for now, and being just 800 exemplars, I don't think I'll be able to get it anymore... Oh, well!

I got a book about a Tuareg's point of view of our modern world, and a couple of language books (Arabic and Italian, for me and my S.O., resp.) hehe...

Once I glance all over the catalogs and references I took, and check the rest of the booths, I'll probably have a really nice bounty for the Summer... hehehe :-)

After reading Curtis's The Sword of Attila (which was pretty good overall, although I will never buy into the 1,000,000 Hunnic army!) I'm now reading Valle's Al-Mayurqy, which is proving really interesting so far!

(Yes, I should be studying for my Irish exam, but I'm doing so as well... I ndáiríre!... After it, I plan on getting back to my books, before I get more plot-vampire-bunnies biting my ankle!)

Anyway, after a quick forth-and-back trip to my homeland, I'll surely have more to tell during the weekend, so stay tuned!

Kallisti!