It’s gift-giving season. Technology, clothing, perfumes, travel, experiences… Anything goes to surprise those we love. And as always, books remain the perfect gift: they last, travel alone, and change lives. Here is an unbeatable selection of titles that have appeared (or been strongly reedited) this past year, for all tastes and budgets.
Lepanto by Marcelo Gullo
The Argentine political scientist delivers the historical essay of the year. An epic and unpretentious narrative about the battle that halted the Ottoman advance in the Mediterranean and, according to Gullo, saved Western civilization. 600 pages that read like an adventure novel. Ideal for those who enjoy debunking clichés with data.
Renaissance: The Art that Conquered the World by Alberto Garin
A spectacular volume, almost an art object in itself. Garin explains how a handful of Italian geniuses from the 15th century forever changed the way we see and represent the world. Full-page illustrations, enlarged details, and texts that engage even those who “don’t understand art.” The perfect cocktail book for the coffee table.
Traditional Tales of Japan (13/20) by Kayoko Takagi
The most beautiful collection of illustrated Japanese tales to reach Spain in years. Twenty carefully selected and translated popular stories, accompanied by traditional engravings. Small format, bible paper, bookmark ribbon. A treasure for big and small children alike.
Myanmar Chronicles by Guy Delisle
The master of comic-reportage returns with his ironic and human perspective on one of the most closed countries on the planet. Delisle lived for a year in Myanmar with his family and tells it all: the dictatorship, the monks, the poverty, the hope. Reissued in hardcover in 2025, it is the comic to have.
Blacksad Stories: Weekly 1 by Juan Díaz Canales and Juanjo Guarnido
The most elegant detective cat in the ninth art returns in vintage newspaper format. Five self-contained short stories with the usual stellar graphic quality. If anyone doubts that comics are a major art form, give them this, and they’ll be silenced forever.
The Book. The Ultimate Guide to Rebuilding Civilization by Hungry Minds
Over 400 full-color pages with step-by-step instructions for relighting a fire, making antibiotics, distilling water, or building a loom if the world falls apart. The book that every prepper parent wants under the tree and that every skeptical child ends up devouring in two afternoons.
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (illustrated annotated edition)
The novel that started it all celebrates its bicentennial with the most carefully published edition ever in Spanish: annotations, original letters from Mary Shelley, illustrations by Bernie Wrightson, and a foreword by Neil Gaiman. A classic that continues to evoke both fear and tenderness in equal measure.
The great critical edition that the Royal Spanish Academy has prepared to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the publication of the Second Part (1615-2015) has been reissued in hardcover at an unbeatable price this 2025. Polished text, just notes, maps of Don Quixote’s journeys, and a new foreword by Darío Villanueva. Because gifting Don Quixote never goes out of style, and in this version – the most reliable and readable that exists – even less so. For a lifetime.
The Bible Told for Skeptics by Juan Eslava Galán
The bestseller that has been sweeping for months. Eslava Galán takes the most-read book in history and explains it in his direct, irreverent, and highly entertaining style. Perfect for believers with a sense of humor and atheists with curiosity.
The Arnolfini Affair by Jean-Philippe Postel
An exciting essay that investigates the famous painting by Van Eyck as if it were a police case. Who are the figures truly depicted? Why does that mirror reflect the impossible? 300 pages that demonstrate that a single painting can contain an entire universe.
Secrets of Luxury by César Val
The consultant who knows the ins and outs of the global luxury industry reveals in this book how the multi-billion dollar industry truly works: from the hidden workshops of the great maisons to the whims of sheikhs and oligarchs. Shocking anecdotes, real names, and unpublished photos. The perfect gift for anyone longing for a 20,000 € handbag… or for anyone who wants to understand why someone would pay for it.
The Black Dragon by Fernando Benzo
Spanish noir novel of the year. An addictive thriller set in the Spain of the real estate bubble and its hidden underbelly. Television series pacing and characters that get into your head for weeks.
It’s Raining and I Love You by Antonio Mercero
The romantic surprise of the autumn. A story of mature love, with Madrid rain and dialogues that hurt because they are so real. For those who believe that good novels about feelings are no longer being written.
Mystery in the Gothic Quarter by Sergio Vidal-Sanjuan
A retired police officer, an impossible crime in the narrow streets of Barcelona, and a secret that has been hidden for centuries. A noir novel with touches of history and Catalan humor. Ideal for devouring on the AVE while heading… to the Gothic Quarter.
And if you’re still short on ideas, remember: a book never fails. Because in the end, what you gift is not paper and ink, but hours of life that the other has yet to live. Happy reading and happy holidays.
