by: Hanna Nakano
Born and raised in Singapore, debut author Nora Qin now finds herself navigating life (and Target aisles) in Davis, California. But before trading tapas for avocado toasts, she spent almost seven years living in Spain—an experience that left a lasting imprint on her worldview, her storytelling, and her expectations for dinner.
A self-proclaimed foodie, Nora loves discovering new cuisines and firmly believes most life problems can be improved with good food and better company.
She started writing her novel in 2019, but somewhere between Spanish sunsets and a global pandemic, inspiration, she told us, packed its bags. It wasn’t until the birth of her daughter in 2023 that she found the time, and motivation, to dive back in.
“She would only nap if I stayed completely still beside her, which meant I was nap-trapped,” Nora told The Dirt. “I started writing on my phone because the click-clack of a keyboard was apparently an alarm clock waking her up. Eventually, my husband upgraded me to a tablet—one of many ways he’s supported this book from day one.”
Between the naps and snacks, Nora finished her debut novel in January 2025. This month, she’s hosting a public book launch at the Stephens Branch Library—and fulfilling a milestone order request: stocking Yes To The Spanish Reboot at The Avid Reader.
“Holding the finished book now feels surreal. I gave up on it more times than I can count, so I genuinely didn’t think I’d ever get here,” Nora said. “Of course I’m proud, but more than that, I’m grateful. Grateful that one day my daughter would hold this book and know her mother finished something she almost walked away from. And honestly? Even if only one person ever buys it, that still feels like a win.”
Official Summary
Nadia isn’t moving to Barcelona… she’s running.
Running from expectations. From a life in Singapore that looks flawless on paper but feels like someone else wrote it. Barcelona is supposed to be her reset button: anonymity, zero pressure, and the thrill of starting over entirely on her own terms.
Instead, she’s blindsided by dinners that begin when she’s ready for bed, shops that vanish on Sundays, Spanish that betrays her at the worst possible moments, and job interviews that go nowhere fast. As her savings shrink and her confidence wobbles, Nadia learns the hard way that reinvention is not as glamorous as the Instagram version.
But then come the small wins: friendships sparked over tapas, misadventures that turn into stories, and a city that refuses to let her fail quietly. And just when she starts to find her rhythm, she meets Diego—warm, unhurried, and everything her old life wasn’t—who pulls her into hidden corners of Barcelona, secret after-parties, and the radical possibility that life isn’t something you conquer… it’s something you savor.
Yes To The Spanish Reboot is a funny, warm, full-of-heart second-chance love story about starting over, choosing yourself without apology, and falling for a life (and a person) you never planned on because sometimes the best version of your life begins when everything goes delightfully off-script.
Official Launch Party
Stephens Branch Library
February 21, 4p—5p
Joined in conversation with host Aubrey Aquino, author Nora Qin will discuss her debut novel, sign copies, and give away a surprise sweet treat (we promised not to tell!).
Yes To The Spanish Reboot is available for purchase online at noraqin.com and at The Avid Reader in Downtown Davis.
