“Today I need a book to…” inspired the 11th EntreLinhas session
If you had to complete the sentence “Today I need a book to…”, what would you write?
This was the challenge that opened the 11th session of the EntreLinhas Reading Club, dedicated to the theme “Books for days like these,” held on July 28 at the library of the School of Communication and Media Studies (ESCS-IPL).
Each participant was invited to write their answer on a piece of paper, based on how they were feeling at that moment. After all the papers were mixed together, each person randomly drew one and read the response aloud.
Most of the answers reflected a desire to slow down as the holiday season approached. On that day, participants said they needed a book to “pause,” “switch off,” and “breathe.” Others said they needed a book to “give to someone who doesn’t read.”
Up until that point, the reason why each participant had been asked to bring a book of their choice had not yet been revealed. The purpose soon became clear: everyone was asked to present their book as a possible response to the “need” they had randomly drawn.
This is how we discovered that Before the coffee gets cold, by Toshikazu Kawaguchi (Presença), is a great book to “switch off,” as it transports readers into a surprisingly imaginative world; Jonathan Livingston Seagull, by Richard Bach, is a fitting choice for helping someone “pause,” reminding us of the importance of patience during periods of personal transformation; and Jacaranda, by Gaël Faye (Relógio D’Água), makes an excellent recommendation to “give to someone who doesn’t read,” thanks to its accessible writing style and its deeply personal and engaging story.
Other books shared during the session included Alentejo prometido [Promised Alentejo], by Henrique Raposo (Fundação Francisco Manuel dos Santos), Um livro para todos os dias [A book for everyday], by Isabel Minhós Martins and Bernardo Carvalho (Planeta Tangerina), Nem todas as árvores morrem de pé [Not all trees diesStanding], by Luísa Sobral (D. Quixote), and O funambulista, o ateu intolerante e outras histórias reais [The tightrope walker, the intolerant atheist and other true stories], by Manuel Monteiro (Objectiva).
Inspired by the books recommended by participants, the session became a moment of sharing, conversation, and good humor. The group’s recommendations also served as a source of summer reading ideas.
This was the final EntreLinhas session of the 2025/2026 academic year. The Reading Club will return in September.
EntreLinhas is an initiative of the UNESCO Chair of Communication, Media and Information Literacy and Citizenship (ESCS/LIACOM).
