Recommended books about Sevilla

What sort of genre are you interested in? There is an historical novel called The Inquisitor's Wife - it's a load of tosh, but it is mostly set in Sevilla and some readers like it. Much better are the Falcon crime series which have a lot of good, gruesome murders and local colour. As I mentioned on that earlier post, Cervantes spent time in Sevilla (often in prison) and wrote about it, with his Don Quixote character possibly based on fellow inmates. Though the book isn't set in Sevilla but, perhaps, in La Mancha where they still do have windmills to tilt at. It's funny and worth reading (or listening to one of the BBC radio adaptions), even if not about Sevilla itself.

You could look for the novel "La piel del tambor" (Eng: The Seville Communion) by Arturo Pérez-Reverte. I have not read this book yet, but Pérez-Reverte is one of the most celebrated contemporary Spanish authors. The story of "The Seville Communion" apparently revolves around a small, crumbling Baroque church in the heart of Sevilla, where people have been mysteriously turning up dead. The Vatican sends Father Lorenzo who teams up with local hacker, Vespers, to investigate the string of mysterious deaths.

Thanks, Nick and Carlos, for your recommendations, I'll look into them! The books I read before our Italy trip were Brunelleschi's Dome and City of Falling Angels. Reading more about the background of the Dome and its architect was very informative and interesting (although I got lost on some of the 'technical' jargon!). And by reading City of Falling Angels, I found the Santa Maria dei Miracoli church. We loved the walk to and from the church (away from the crowds) and only 3 other people there when we visited so a nice place to have discovered.

The Ornament of the World, by Maria Menocal, is a history of medieval Andalusia ,not just Seville. It’s a great guide to understanding the culture that shaped that part of Spain.

It's not about Sevilla, but if you like mystery, there are Rebecca Pawe'sl novels that take place immediately post the civil war.
I found Spain, the Root & the Flower. An Interpretation of Spain and the Spanish People by John A. Crow to be very informative. The book ends around the time of Franco's death, so there is nothing about contemporary, modern Spain, but will give you a good historic background.

Thanks, Rosalyn and Michelle, for your recommendations!