As I write this, I’m sitting in a coffee shop in Barcelona, in the midst of one of the greatest vacations of my life. I’ve journeyed here with five very good friends, all of whom are some of the best and most delightful people I know. We’re here to celebrate my 40th birthday, an occasion we all more or less decided needed to be recognized somewhere far away where we could just have fun. Hence, Barcelona, a place I have never been to before but have grown to love in the past several days.

One of my traveling companions, Louie, is as big a comics fan (if not more so) as I am, so we were pretty jazzed to discover a big comic-book store just a block away from our hotel. We’ve spent an inordinate amount of time there, especially considering that every comic they sell is in Spanish. Nevertheless, we can’t keep ourselves away. Already I’ve bought Spanish reprints of Giant Size X-Men #1 and Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes All-New Collector’s Edition C-55. Meanwhile, the other four members of our little party have grown rapidly impatient with all things comic-related.

Our trip here happened to coincide with the Sant Jordi festival, an annual Barcelona event celebrating love and Catalonian pride. It’s like Valentine’s Day and the 4th of July rolled into one, but bigger. The tradition is for men to give the women they love a rose, and in return, the women give men a book. It’s an important holiday, so most everyone was off from work and wandering the streets, which were lined with rose stands and book-selling tents. I have to say, I’m jealous of this idea and wish there were a similar holiday in America…the publishing industry could really use this kind of a boost. (Also, there were plenty of graphic novels represented at the book tents.)

By the way, my actual birthday was spent at Montserrat, an ancient monastery a little more than an hour outside of Barcelona. My friends and I spent the day there enjoying the awe-inspiring sights, including the one you see attached: This is a picture from the very highest point of Montserrat. Reaching the top was exhausting and incredible, and the view was one of the most amazing things I’ve ever experienced. If you get a chance, go. It’s well worth it.

Happy reading!

John Hogan (John@bookreporter.com)

Girl Power
The bold and vibrant No Girls Allowed is an irreverent, educational look at how girls and women have had to sometimes hide their own gender to get ahead in history. Despite the fact that they had to hide their femininity, they still serve as excellent role models for girls today. Here, artist Willow Dawson explains the reasons and philosophies behind the book. By John Hogan

BookExpo News
Coming to New York's Javits Center May 25 through May 27

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Annual event that takes place the first Saturday in May

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