If you’re not familiar with the Ubik Café in Ruzafa, then you’re missing out on one of the coolest hangouts in the city.

The Ubik is more than just a bar or café… it’s also an incredible used & new book store, with a great selection of titles; mostly Spanish, though there are a few English boxes. The prices are great, especially on old, beat-up books, and the vibe in the café is unbeatable. Dogs run around freely, there’s an area for kids to play, and everyone seems chilled and probably a little bit cooler than you are. I recently picked up an old Agatha Christie for €1,50, ordered an Alhambra, and spent a couple hours on an old couch.

In celebration of the Feria del Libro currently going in the Turia Riverbed, the Ubik is holding a little fiesta of its own on Friday evening: The Tapa del Libro. For €3, you get a used book, a tapa, and a glass of wine. Not bad!!

The Ubik is popular anyway, and it’s almost impossible to find a spot to sit on Friday nights. So, I’m assuming that it’s going to be packed full for the Tapa del Libro. But for a deal like that, I’m willing to submit myself to a crowd. Besides, I’m already done with that Agatha Christie book. Maybe I can find an old Sherlock Holmes…

Tapa del Libro at Ubik
Friday, April 23rd at 8pm
C/ Literato Azorín 13
Location on our Valencia Map
963 741 255
http://www.facebook.com/ubikcafe

Used books for 1 Euro, 1 Pound or one dollar!

There are a number of book fairs in the city, but perhaps the biggest and best of them all is the Fira del Llibre in the beautiful Viveros Gardens. This year’s festival kicks off today, and runs through the 2nd of May. Plenty of time to get there, find a good summer read, and then spend a couple of hours with it in the park.

We like it almost as much as the Wine Festival! Oh oh, now I’ve done it. Don’t be upset, Book Festival… we like you, too! We like you both, just in different ways. You’re more the type we’d eventually like to settle down with, but it’s just that… the Wine Festival is a little more fun, you know? And we’re still young!

For the next 13 days, the stands will be open from 11 to 14h and 17 to 21h. Considering the amount of programs, reading-related activities for kids, and a huge list of book signings, you might want to check out their website before heading over.

www.firallibre.com
Location on our Valencia Map

Used books for 1 Euro, 1 Pound or one dollar!

Until March 21st, the 32nd Annual Antique Book Festival is being held on the Gran Vía Marqués. There are a surprisingly large number of vendors set up, and if you like books, this is an event you really shouldn’t pass up. It’s not just “antique” books either, despite the name — you can get really good deals on second hand novels and comics. Browsing is a blast, especially on a sunny day.

- Come for Fallas

Valencia’s old city center has a starring role in a new 48-page comic by Ana Miralles and Emilio Ruiz, called De mano en mano. The story follows a €20 bill as it passes to various people throughout the city’s streets and homes.

The comic has received good reviews from the few sites I’ve looked at, and uses its central gimmick to explore the social and economic issues of the city. Valencia is the setting, and the artists recreate a lot of city highlights, such as the Plaza de la Virgen.

Currently available for order, the book costs €18 from publisher Edicions de Ponent. Or wait until it comes to the library!

[Via Levante]

- Spanish Comics Here

Until May 3rd, the annual book fair, the Fira del Llibre de València will be held in the Viveros Gardens (location). We went last year and can report: there were a lot of books! And unless some crazy surrealist group has taken over the book festival’s organization, I’m sure you can count on a lot of books this year, too.

The fair is open from 11 to 14h, and in the eventings from 17 to 21h. There are numerous activities and events scheduled throughout each day, though they’ll all be in Valencian or Castellano.

They have a website, firallibre.com, but as of the time of writing this post, it is extremely busted. Come on, guys!

Pics & Information from Last Year’s Fair
Location on our Valencia Map

I like books. And since it was time to buy a new one, I decided to check out the store which had been passing out free paperbacks during the recent Book Fair in the Viveros Gardens. (Free stuff: Marketing that works!)

FNAC is a popular French bookstore chain that has expanded to Spain. It’s actually more of a media store, as I realized immediately upon entering the outlet on Guillem De Castro (location). The facade is pretty nondescript — just a simple black and white sign. I’ve walked by a thousand times, and never noticed it before; I probably just assumed it had something to do with finance.

The store’s interior resembles a train station, with a glass roof spilling light onto 2 floors of books, music, films and electronics. It makes extremely pleasant browsing… and the prices are nice, too.

And what does FNAC stand for? Who knows?! Probably something French.

FNAC
C/ Guillem De Castro 9-11
Website: FNAC.es
Location on our Valencia Map

In Valencia, Libreria Patagonia is the only bookstore you’ll ever need for maps, travel guides or hiking supplies. I stumbled upon this wonderful shop last week, and nearly dropped a hundred euros. Trembling, I forced myself to set down the stack of maps and books I had gathered, and left empty-handed.

3 days later I came back and emptied my wallet

The shelves are full of books about Valencia and the surrounding area. There’s an entire section just for books on the Pyrenees. And the whole back wall is stacked with travel guides.

Slobber

The shop is found in the city center, at Calle Hospital, 1 (location) Their website exists, but is still under construction.

Juergen and I caught the hiking bug during our time in Ireland, so I have a feeling we’ll be frequent patrons of Libreria Patagonia.

Feed your inner geek!

Gotham Comics has a great selection of original American comics and merchandise — DC, Marvel, Dark Horse and other popular publishers. They’re also really friendly, and the store is small and has a laid-back vibe. I had no problem finding what I wanted and, when I asked him where a particular comic was, the guy working there immediately jumped up and helped me find it.

Location on Our Valencia Map
Web Page: http://webs.ono.com/gothamcomics/

No comics from the US, but if you want a huge and interesting selection to browse, this is the place to go. Futurama is actually two shops side-by-side, one housing more alternative comics and old editions, and the other with more recent and popular titles. I didn’t actually buy anything here, but it was fun to meander around.

Location on Our Valencia Map
Web Page: http://www.libreriafuturama.com

I’ve found comics to be a great way to improve your Spanish — the pictures help you to understand what’s going on when your vocab fails you.