A selection organized and introduced by José Fanha and José Jorge Letria.

Cliffs burning sand beaches or the seventh poem of a Portuguese wanderer.

To let you have my pride
that to let you have nothing
taught you the summer the sea in July
the excitement of fishing and the morning
birds hunting the sweet lullaby
the time is passing and is everything and nothing.

To let you have the freedom
a star lighting within the no
laughter and its splendor intensity
dance of life that one summer
the glow of this brief eternity
the blue the wind the space the solitude.

To leave you nothing to leave
only one country and the adjacent islands
a rectangle and even entire sea
mountains rivers and affluent
the India that remain to be found
cliffs sandy beaches burning.

To leave you I have what I have not
to leave you no more I have
than the writing life and the strange echo
sounds and rhythms of signs and signals
metaphors that have size
Of the world I leave you. And nothing more.

Manuel Alegre

This anthology is a continuation of the project initiated by one hundred Portuguese sonnets, the two authors, researchers and writers decided to look up this time "in the word saudade as exciting as indefinable that is one of the themes present in Portuguese poetry." It's a feeling that the authors say "is our way of looking at the world and life and feel that there is a form of poetic turn into a perennial say what hurts most intimately and plagues us." It is a simple collection with several Portuguese poets and a short biography only to illustrate the path of each. To read and recite loud in the endless days. Good reading.

It is a work based on a historical event that took place at Porto Santo, written by Alice Vieira.

This work was inspired by an event that changed the course of life of the people who settled at Porto Santo and the way they are seen by the other islanders. Sounds confusing, but I will explain for those who do not know, Porto Santo is part of an archipelago that includes the island of Madera, the Desert and the Wilds. The last two sets of territory I mentioned are uninhabitable due to its geological and morphological characteristics, and Madera been more notorious somehow the local people always looked at the Porto-Santo inhabitants with certain superiority and some disdain, which generated over the centuries a series of unsympathetic anecdotes, tales and myths. One of these stories and perhaps the most importantly, described by Gaspar Fructuoso, was recreated by writer Alice Vieira that over a year, analyzed documents, wrote and lived in the first island discovered by Portuguese sailors and that spawned a nickname or alias considered derogatory by the natives of these island that remains to this day, the prophets, so why the islanders of Madera still use this term to irritate the people of Porto Santo? Well, this is an excellent reason to read this simple book, which recreates a past that they tried to bury at all costs in the golden sands, but still transpired over time in a tone of almost legend. Happy reading!

John who was called Seraphim lost a star from the sky and from that moment on, he initiates a search that will lead to unusual places and meet new friends. Take this journey written by Jorge Barroso and illustrated by Paulo Sérgio Beju, and find out what happened to this very special boy.

Tell me a bit about the creative process of this book.
Paulo Sérgio Beju: It's always a process of searching, an image that the text intends to convey and often what happens is that they get such a dimension that go beyond the text and that is the idea. We are at a time when we have access to images and I do not wish mine was one more illustration; I had to overcome this issue. It must be almost art, because that is the intention of the publisher when the asked for my work and what I want to get printed on paper and that is what I try with a team. This sharing is collective and that is why my originals are passing to the hands of the people, is a book to feel, because it has relief and shines and I think that gets printed there, in this demand of reaching the other, the viewer and the reader.

During the presentation of the book, you showed several images of photographs that you used for this book, it's always like that your creative process?
PSB: It's a mix everything in the same soup. Goes through this, I do not like to be called it photographs, are pictures. In my case the pictures becomes something else, a leaf became a house, or a wrapped blanket becomes a cloud, it is entering the world of the child that is the make-believe. Let's play with it, that is it, but it may be something else.

In this book there is a large universe of islet or of the island, it was also something you sought to express?
PSB: I want the universe of islet to go to the book, but I want also to exceed that, you also want to pass a message of cultural and heritage that is as alive on this island. That's why I have lots of color, perhaps this aspect is common to all and the idea is in line with this. You also realize what is our place here, Christmas is a time of peace and in which people are most likely to help and I want the book to have this message, it is a home that is not only here, it's the world.

What attracted you in the book of Jorge Barroso, which was the first idea that you came up?
PSB: They gave me two texts, but I fell in love with it and began to ruminate the images in this book, the magic of the story.

The house was draw by your daughter; you bring the child in you also for this book?
PSB: Also bring it, my world inside the book. It's also nice to bring his world, Jorge Barroso, to life, there is nothing to hide, I do so naturally, we sometimes have many masks, it's time to leave them aside. Art is a full and clean.

It is a novel of the late nineteenth century written by Júlio Dinis.

It is one of the classics of Portuguese literature, which has as its background a village on the outskirts of Ovar, where the action will take place feuilletonistic narrative involving two loving couples, Margaret and Daniel, Clara and Peter, respectively. What stands out most in this reading are the various characters that revolve around our lovers, the physician John Week, the wealthy farmer John Dornas , the dean Father Antonio and the grocer John's Corner, some of these personalities are decals that swarmed in the countryside. Júlio Dinis masterfully describes the daily life of these large spaces, which were considered healthiest in opposition of the cities and where the social microcosm is omnipresent, everybody speaks about anybody and apparently their life is not enough, so much so that almost at the end of the book we came across a series of events that just do not end in tragedy, because in fact did not take place, the power of rumor and slander almost destroy the reputation of one of the young girl, but all is well that ends well. I disclosure the end for one reason only, it's worth reading this story of a naive Portugal lost in time. Good reading.

The deserted islands are for many centuries a refuge for sea lions. A mammal threatened with extinction has increased its numbers significantly in the archipelago of Madeira.

The colony of monk seals in Madeira Natural  Reserve is one of the youngest of all Europe. With a world population that encompasses approximately 300 individuals, therefore, are one of the most embattled species in the world, the group that currently resides in Desert Islands is considered a success due to three births per year. There currently are accounted for 30 of these aquatic animals and it is expected that the number will increase gradually. Growth which is not only resulted in the creation of appropriate legislation for the defense and protection of these mammals, is as well due to  the work carried out by scientific teams from the park and change of mindset. But it was not always so.
Populations of sea lions were once very numerous in the Autonomous Region of Madeira. Sightings of these animals are back to the time when the island was discovered in the fifteenth century. According to reports of explorers,in  a bay on the south coast will have encountered some unknown animals that stretched along the beach and howled like wolves. This resulted in the current common name of this mammal and the name of that locality Madeira, Camara de Lobos. Over the centuries monachus monachus (scientific name) were subject to a very carnage for several reasons. Firstly, the demographic pressure exerted by the man with the habitats of these animals. After fishing, the monk seal and man share the same natural resource, the ocean, and even compete for the fish. With the expansion of fishing techniques, the use of explosives and harassment of fishermen towards this species, it was natural that their number had dwindled over time.
It took five centuries to understand the importance of these beautiful specimens into the ecosystem. Therefore, the fact that they are born more sea lions is already itself a clear sign of a healthy environmental system.  Already have been spotted these friendly animals on the coast of Madeira. However, be warned though they are very cute animals, they are still wild. There is a set of rules that must be respected to avoid an unpleasant confrontation. They bite when they felt threatened. You should never feed  these mammals, they  eat several pounds of fish and shellfish per day, so the snack that you considered acceptable for this animal is notinhg and its more likely tha you may annoy him. Do not try to fondle, it is not a dog! And even from a short distance try not to turn your  back to then at  sea, you never know, they are curious and playful and they  can come out of nowhere and that is a recipe for an unpleasant incident.

http://estacaochronographica.blogspot.com/2010/10/victorinox-apoia-focas-da-madeira_22.html

http://www.madeiranature.com/index/cms/page/-/page/Ilhas%2BDesertas/lang/pt

It is the second historical novel written by Emilio Miranda.

It is a book of contrasts. Discusses the cultural differences between East and West, two deeply opposites ways of life in every sense, describing the fictional arrival of the first Portuguese to Japanese soil and it also enters into business relationships that arise from his chance encounter. It is also the personal account of John Boavida who decides to document the discovery of a civilization that feels far removed from his reality, but that constantly fascinates him. The Portuguese and the Japanese people are two completely disparate cultures and it is expressed in this historical novel. The most curious thing is that after centuries of this mutual stumbling, I believe that the writing of Emilio Miranda helps us better to understand an ancient culture, who's social and moral values ​​still cause us certain strangeness until today. The book is a fictionalized window, to be sure, but the author sought to document himself about the habits of the Japanese people and it shows in the reading, I enjoyed mainly the intention to show not only how the Portuguese saw the Japanese as well, as the other side of the mirror, what the Japanese thought about the us. The description of everyday life in the Nipponese villages, their beliefs and the way society was stratified help us understand a bit more of this oriental culture. Emilio Miranda has a clean, lean writing without too many frills, but the holds the reader by it's tell structure that seems almost real, is the diary of a Westerner in Eastern lands. Good reading.

"In a far galaxy , 20,000 light years away, an unknown planet came to an abrupt end after millions of years of evolution. Five alien creatures that miraculously survived the extinction, are now on Earth. They live among us. They call themselves ... Noidz. "

This is how this Portuguese band presents it self on their official website, where, in a universe of video games and science fiction, you can hear the full CD "The Great Escape."
But who are the Noidz afeter all? And what makes them different?
Let's start by answering the last question everything. First, the music. Alien Metal Trance, according to their own. Translated, this means the fusion of rap and trance electronic guitars with metal and hard rock, incorporating distinctive sounds of traditional Portuguese folk, as in "Root Sounds from Earth" or "The Shepherd" very alternative version the original of Madredeus.
In addition to innovation teconológica and undeniable musical creativity, the Noidz bet the mystery. Each of its members took an alien identity. Zork, Monkka, Dr. Zee, Zdion Lunattika and the characters are a real piece of science fiction. Created in 2006, only last year became public the true identity of Zork, leader and mentor of Noidz: nothing more, nothing less than Rodrigo Leal, son of Luso-Brazilian Roberto Leal.
The mystery goes on on stage. More than simple concerts, Noidz offer the public an almost galactic experience through a visual scenario that, in Portugal, matched only in Blasted Mechanism. Hidden behind elaborate masks alien, the band delivers doses of trance metal explosive power in a super-stage which includes a cage where Monkka drums and wildly alienated, a swivel seat for Zonk, and ten video screens.
And if at first the audience was mostly composed of students - were the first to recognize their potential, with constant presence in the Burning of the Ribbons - quickly set off to conquer the world, YouTube and social networking to the stage in Brazil , United States, Canada, Russia or Japan in the country have led to his Tour Trance Metal Age to the Aula Magna in Lisbon, last February. Were, once again, surprising and devastating.
However, among more than 15,000 participants from 115 countries were selected as finalists in the International Songwriting Competition in the instrumental category, with the theme "Root Sounds from Earth." The world is ready. The Noidz are ready for the invasion ... of Portugal to the world!

www.noidz.net

It is one more collection of the charming writer Maria Alberta Menéres.

My next book suggestion is advised by the national reading plan and as you may have guessed this is a children's book, "Stories and songs for 4 Seasons" is an excellent start to instill good reading habits in children and is a pleasure redoubled address this publication or any other of the gender, due to the fact that I read in my childhood this author, Maria Alberta Menéres. I believe that all people who love to read know what I'm talking the feeling we experience when we discovered a book, the magic that happens when we turn the page, when we discover the adventures, misadventures, the joys and misfortunes of fantastic characters and wonderful creatures this writer helped create over the years. Herself, incidentally, in the preface advises, "go, come on, try walking, first slowly and then see if you can run at will. Books like these endearments, this confidence that our enthusiasm transmits them "and these stories are an excellent example of it, not only by the delicacy of the writing, but also by the beautiful illustrations and the songs that go together with the audio accompanying this collection. You can get the volume you want, as you may now there are four, but I advise you to enjoy the momentum and start with winter before it ends. Good reading.

It is one of the novels of a Madeiran author who was recently awarded.

It is a book where not everything is what it seems and appearances are deceptive. These could be the mottos of a story that is not in sight at first, let's just say it appears as insidiously thru the cold fogs of Inverness and is this unexpected turn of the page which makes it an addictive read. Ana Teresa Pereira in an interview said her book is a metaphysical novel, we understand shy, but as she points out, and I agree, eventually is not the most important thing. The author's writing pushes us gently, without major shocks or philosophical considerations, for an epilogue populated of almost ghostly characters, and the curious thing is that almost all of them are, the writer, the actress, the wife and the lover have something unattainable which makes them almost ethereal and diaphanous. It is of a disquieting strangeness the way the narrative unfolds, is a play staged for the microcosms where our characters live and it's frightening in a way, because no one questioning anything, it is as if time had just stopped by seconds and had resumed its pace smoothly again. The end is at least unusual, but I won't tell you to not spoil the surprise. Happy reading

It is a historical novel written by Miguel de Sousa Tavares

It was the debut of the journalist and chronicler Miguel Sousa Tavares as a writer of fiction. This is a historical novel that takes us into the personal journey of Luis Bernardo Valenca, the new governor of the island of Sao Tome and Principe. Ecuador has the backdrop of the fall of the Portuguese monarchy; the author describes a period dominated by social upheaval, due to a deep economic crisis and at the same time draws a portrait of a colonial society dominated by the owners of the plantations. It's a bustling new world we are peeking through the crack of the door and that is well described by the author. I liked the way he recreated the epic lunches of King, Don Carlos and the tense environment that people live on the islands, because of an impending slave revolt. The characters, however, are another matter entirely different, I would say they are fragile in terms of narratives, have very little depth, some I say, are somewhat clichéd, predictable and superficial in every way, especially the female ones, easily identified, the cast maid, the gossip matron, the mysterious one and of course the lover, that could only be English and the unbridled passion of Luis Bernardo. Even the ending is baffling, but it is said that when a writer does not know what to do with a character ... Good reading.