Bookworm Friday: Five Books Recommendations from Petru Todoran

Today's Bookworm Friday is special because we went beyond the borders of the Grand Parade and Krakow office, and we moved to William Hill in Gibraltar. Petru Tudoran, Senior Solutions Architect for Sports channel in Gibraltar, prepared for us a selection of his top five book recommendations. 

Petru started from a short introduction:

"I consider myself a true European. Born in Romania, studied in Italy, married in Italy, moved to Gibraltar in and living there since, crossing the border to Spain every weekend and working with the Krakow friends from Grand Parade and hoping to get back there soon. I feel like a traveller in the world and books also help me wander around other worlds. Science fiction books have been since always the way to escape to new realities.

Social justice and freedom to be what one feels to be is also something books help me to envision. And also to be kept in guard about what oppression is no matter how nice it sounds outside. Books at the end are about hope and to make us better.

1."Oryx and Crake", Margaret Atwood

A dystopian novel written by probably the most important contemporary female English speaking author. Margaret Atwood projects us into a near post-apocalyptic future that is both all too familiar and beyond our imaging.

2."The world according to Bertie", Alexander McCall Smith

Meet Bertie, Angus, Cyril, Domenica the unique and hilarious characters that inhabit 44 Scotland Street in Edinburgh and enjoy with them the Scottish lifestyle and culture. When I travelled to Scotland it was so funny to see places and also try foods described in the book.

3."All creatures great and small", J. Herriot

The incredible adventures of James Herriot, the Scottish vet that finds himself in the beautiful Yorkshire countryside surrounded by all kinds of animals and Yorkshire characters. The innocence of a lost world (countryside) through the eyes of the animals living there and cared for by Mr. Herriot.

4."Pereira Maintains", A. Tabucchi

Awards winning author Antonio Tabucchi takes us through the eyes of the journalist Pereira to Lisbon during the Antonio Salazar dictatorship. A masterpiece about small people resisting the oppression.

5."Hydrogen Sonata", Iain M. Banks

A complex yet so pure description of a "Culture" universe which has helped me to "travel" to new places. Nice description also of the future of the AI (omniscient "Minds")