2223 Too many books for Christmas........

Hi tuscanhills

Would like to take part in this but am a little worried that I am something of a lightweight (for instance the only books I've read on the list-as far as I remember- are the Annie Hawes).
I'm hoping when we get to spend more time in Italy (soon I hope) I will have more time for reading so will be looking for something also that will get me/keep me thinking.
Great idea-keep me posted,
Regards,Lesley

I can recommend the Tobias Jones one - it is an excellent insight into why Italy is the way it is ie. why everyone accepts the corrupt political system and also how this rubs onto the national psyche. I didn't take so well to the Tim Parks books at all - I found them a bit cliched "look at these funny people and customs who turn out to be lovely".... but as with most things these opinions are hugely subjective....

Happy New Year tuscanhills!

I was given four new books on Italy for Christmas, and I've just started on one.
I recieved two Annie Hawes books (Extra Virgin & Ripe for the Picking [thanks Cassini!]) and two Dennis Mack Smith books (Garibaldi & Mussolini [thanks notaio!]).

I'd like to discuss them when I'm done, though I don't know how long they will take me with the house sale and the move. It may be when we're more settled.

Salve Tuscanhills,

Further to Lisaj's recommendation, i echo her choice. For me, this work of non-fiction was an interesting insight, all be it brief, (which is how i like to start any knowledge quest), into Italy's political history, to the present day.

This prompted me to buy a book titled 'NOT A NORMAL COUNTRY' by Geoff Andrews. ISBN 0-7453-2367-7 Of which i thoroughly recommend.

Similar vein, but only covering Silvio Berlusconi's period of office to present day.......AND, you'll discover the definition of what President Anthony Blurrr refers to as the 'THIRD WAY'. A political style they both share, the politics of personality....You know, what all successful double glazing salemen have.

Saluti
Rob

[FONT="Book Antiqua"][SIZE="3"]I received the 'Abruzzo Trilogy' by this author for Christmas and have read the first part 'Fontarmara' which paints a very bleak picture of peasent life in Abruzzo at the start of the 20th century.I am now 'Tackling' Bread and Wine' the 2nd book.If anyone knows any works on the history of Abruzzo in English I would love to hear.

I love reading and would be very interested in discussing books on the forum.I've read most of those mentioned in this thread and particullary relished the Eric Newby title.he also wrote a 'Small house in Italy' which is also very enjoyable.

Tim Parks is fantastic for entertainment value and i've learnt a lot about Italian family life from reading 'Italian Neighbours'.

Great Idea!

Becky[/SIZE][/FONT]

[QUOTE=manopello][FONT="Book Antiqua"][SIZE="3"]I received the 'Abruzzo Trilogy' by this author for Christmas and have read the first part 'Fontarmara' which paints a very bleak picture of peasent life in Abruzzo at the start of the 20th century.I am now 'Tackling' Bread and Wine' the 2nd book.If anyone knows any works on the history of Abruzzo in English I would love to hear.

I love reading and would be very interested in discussing books on the forum.I've read most of those mentioned in this thread and particullary relished the Eric Newby title.he also wrote a 'Small house in Italy' which is also very enjoyable.

Tim Parks is fantastic for entertainment value and i've learnt a lot about Italian family life from reading 'Italian Neighbours'.

Great Idea!

Yes, I particularly enjoyed Eric Newby's book 'A small place in Italy'as the area is well known to us. Indeed one could say our home is a stone's throw from where it was written, so were even able to recognise some of the characters.

The picture on the cover conveys to me a once upon a time typical rural home with outside steps leading to the bedrooms Would this be the type of structure favoured by the ex-pats.....with a few mod cons and an inside staircase?

A while back I read the novel and thriller 'The Malaspiga Exit' by Evelyn Anthony and I do feel the author had this area in mind when writing the book.Definite clues I recall, eg- Malaspiga = Malaspina.

On a lighter note- What about 'The Xenophobe's guide to the Italians by Martin Solly?!

Currently though, I am nearing the conclusion of on one of my latest aquisitions -'Al dente' by William Black..... There may be many similar books on the market but I do enjoy sharing the author's experiences....so I buy, get given, or borrow!

Rosemary

[FONT="Book Antiqua"][SIZE="2"]I note that so far no-one has admitted to reading [B]Under a Tuscan Sun[/B] by Frances Mayes.Why is that I wonder?

Could it be that this book is pure saccharine and totally unbelievable.The author not only find the perfect house in Tuscany ,with Etruscan tombs in the garden dontcha know,but has a perfect relationship with hubby and children and surrounds her self with charming intelligent Italian/expat friends who spent every hour dining on the authors perfectly cooked meals.But she has to throw in one or 2 disasters or the publishers would not have been intersted .In this case they invole dodgy Italian builders and workmen.No change there then

As if this was not enough I believe that this book has also been made into a film!

Sorry if anyone read it and loved it!

Becky[/SIZE][/FONT]

Hi Becky,

I saw the film (I like Diane Lane's work. She played Frances). I didn't read her book, "Under a Tuscan Sun", but if I did I would not care what anyone thinks
and would have listed it.

As a matter of fact, I have her interior design book, "Bringing Tuscany Home,
Sensuous Style from the Heart of Italy". I like some of the recipes, and there are some inspirational photographs of gardens too.

[QUOTE=manopello][FONT="Book Antiqua"][SIZE="2"]I note that so far no-one has admitted to reading [B]Under a Tuscan Sun[/B] by Frances Mayes.Why is that I wonder? ......
As if this was not enough I believe that this book has also been made into a film!

Sorry if anyone read it and loved it!

Becky[/SIZE][/FONT][/QUOTE]

Hmmmm I've read it. Found it ok-ish at first though it's really a quite bit on the syrupy side (not been able to take it seriously at all)... and recently watched the film - shocked!! They actually managed to make the film even more sugary than the book!! Even her picture perfect house, sorry, 'villa' was in a worse state in the book than the one shown in the film! Did it need any work done??? Doubt it very much! Looked like a decent country B&B to me! ;)

I must admit I prefer Annie Hawes. Just finished her third one (funny about life in Calabria but not as catching as the first methinks) - one of my number of Xmas pressies marked 'Italy' ... :D

I really enjoyed several of the more non-fiction Living in Italy books on tuscanhills' list and would be happy to discuss any too...

Stephanie

Looks like the book and movie were not enjoyed. I look at a film from different perspectives (not just the story, but photography and performances. I'm a director).

I like a biography, with a lot of history of the era. This doesn't seem to have much to offer. Thanks for the info.

Looking forward to reading my Christmas books!

Dee

Salve tutti,

For those with a cooking disposition, (i have), while out looking for xmas pressies, Linda came upon a recipe book with a difference.
It was written by a native Abruzzesi girl called Anna Teresa Callen, with recipes exclusively from Abruzzo and is called;

Food & Memories of Abruzzo: ISBN no;0-7645-3826-8

According to the book, she now lives in the USA & is a regular on TV cooking programmes. It's absolutely stacked with recipes, from Zuppa to Dolce. But what is nice is her Bio at the front & the memories she notes of how the meals were served to her when she was young, which are scattered throughout the book.

We thoroughly recommend it. (even if you don't like cooking)

Rob

Thanks Rob!

One of my favorite chefs, Mario Batali, raves about the genius of Anna Teresa Callen! This is one cookbook I'll have to add to my ever growing collection.:D

Under a Tuscan Sun, the film is surprisingly good, its not mind blowing stuff but it a lovely gentle film

Great list of books more for me to devour..thanks

I too have a million Italian recipe books, which is good since I can take them to my villa and try out some wodnerful recipes in Italia.

I now have all Carluccios books, all Jamies, River Cafe 2, an italian recipes bible, The Food of Italy from Heels, Twelve 'Tuscan months' which is excellent, several others I cant remember and the ltalian wine bible DOC approved which has the last 5 years rating of all italian wines...now I am the master!!!

Ciao everyone. Happy New Year to all you forum booklovers.
As some of you know we have posted in the past about books!!!!!
As members of bookcrossing we aim to encourage sharing of books rather than the slim chance of them gathering dust on our bookshelves!?
With that in mind we are about to start a bookring (book is passed on down the list of interested readers and eventually back to the perpetrator, (in this case us) So if any of you Italy lovers would like to borrow Annie Hawes Journey to the South just drop us a pm and will add you to the list.

[QUOTE=greatscott]Looks like the book and movie were not enjoyed. I look at a film from different perspectives (not just the story, but photography and performances. I'm a director).

I like a biography, with a lot of history of the era. This doesn't seem to have much to offer. Thanks for the info.

Looking forward to reading my Christmas books!

Dee[/QUOTE]

That's very interesting, Dee.

From that kind of perspective, I would prefer 'My house in Umbria' with Maggie Smith. That was a lovely film to watch and the scenery is gorgeous!

On to the next Xmas book now ... Marlena de Blasi's 'A thousand days in Venice'... started off quite nicely... roll on tonight for the next reading session!! ;)

Stephanie

[FONT="Book Antiqua"][SIZE="3"]I have read the Annie Hawes book 'Journey South' but did not enjoy it as much as the other two.Did anyone else feel that her heart was not in it as much and that she was repeating a successful formula, possibly encouraged by her publishers?

Rob I have the Abruzzo cook book and loved it too.It would have been nice to read abit more about the author's childhood in Abruzzo as well as the recipies.Its availalble from Amazon.

Back to the 'Under a Tuscan Sun' book I guess this divides us up into pessismists and optimists.For instance whenever those Grand Design.Escape to the Sun progs come on TV I'm almost willing the pompous twits to fail!! of course not the 'nice' ones who do occasionally appear that would be mean.Others of a kinder,sunnier nature will look at things differently I'm sure and enjoy this book immensly!

Becky[/SIZE][/FONT]

This is a new book to be released on Feb 14th (Valentines Day). Looks like an interesting one. :D

In the Company of the Courtesan

FROM THE PUBLISHER
My lady, Fiammetta Bianchini, was plucking her eyebrows and biting color into her lips when the unthinkable happened and the Holy Roman Emperor's army blew a hole in the wall of God's eternal city, letting in a flood of half-starved, half-crazed troops bent on pillage and punishment.

Thus begins In the Company of the Courtesan, Sarah Dunant's epic novel of life in Renaissance Italy. Escaping the sack of Rome in 1527, with their stomachs churning on the jewels they have swallowed, the courtesan Fiammetta and her dwarf companion, Bucino, head for Venice, the shimmering city born out of water to become a miracle of east-west trade: rich and rancid, pious and profitable, beautiful and squalid.
With a mix of courage and cunning they infiltrate Venetian society. Together they make the perfect partnership: the sharp-tongued, sharp-witted dwarf, and his vibrant mistress, trained from birth to charm, entertain, and satisfy men who have the money to support her.
Yet as their fortunes rise, this perfect partnership comes under threat, from the searing passion of a lover who wants more than his allotted nights to the attentions of an admiring Turk in search of human novelties for his sultan's court. But Fiammetta and Bucino's greatest challenge comes from a young crippled woman, a blind healer who insinuates herself into their lives and hearts with devastating consequences for them all.
A story of desire and deception, sin and religion, loyalty and friendship, In the Company of the Courtesan paints a portrait of one of the world's greatest cities at its most potent moment in history: It is a picture that remains vivid long after the final page.

FROM THE CRITICS
Publishers Weekly
Renaissance Italy enchants in Dunant's delicious second historical (after The Birth of Venus), as a wily dwarf Bucino Teodoldo recounts fantastic escapades with his mistress, celebrated courtesan Fiammetta Bianchini. Escaping the 1527 sacking of Rome with just the clothes on their backs (and a few swallowed jewels in their bellies), Fiammetta and Bucino seek refuge in Venice. Starved, stinking, her beauty destroyed, Fiammetta despairs-but through cunning, will, Bucino's indefatigable loyalty and the magic of a mysterious blind healer called La Draga, she eventually recovers. Aided by a former adversary, who now needs her as much as she needs him, Fiammetta finds a wealthy patron to establish her in her familiar glory. Through Bucino's sharp-eyed, sharp-tongued narration, Dunant crafts a vivid vision of Venetian life: the weave of politics and religion; the layers of class; the rituals, intrigue, superstitions and betrayals. Dunant's characters-the steely courtesan whose glimpse of true love nearly brings her to ruin; the shrewd and passionate dwarf who turns his abnormalities into triumph; and the healer whose mysterious powers and secrets leave an indelible mark on the duo-are irresistible throughout their shifting fortunes.

Library Journal
From the first page of Dunant's (The Birth of Venus) latest offering, there is no time to catch our breath. We are plunged into the household of the great courtesan Fiammetta Bianchini as she braces for the invaders during the 1527 sack of Rome. Chief among the servants is Bucino the dwarf, who serves as manager, confidante, entertainer, and pimp to the courtesan. Escaping Rome by the skin of their teeth, the two set up again in Venice, which emerges as lush and inviting as our heroine. Fiammetta not only excels in the arts of love but also enchants her customers with her intellect. But the real delight of this tale is Bucino, whose brilliant mind and devoted heart are those of a much larger man. Although the author begs forgiveness for any historical license taken, there is little to be found. It is rare that fiction writing and research intertwine as seamlessly as they do here. The portrait that Dunant paints of Renaissance Venice sparkles like light through Murano glass, and the story herein is perfect in its portrayal of human imperfection, like Bucino himself.

Has anyone read "Vroom With a View" by Peter Moore?

Editorial Reviews
Book Description:

Readers will fall for a side of Italy rarely seen with the just-turned-forty Peter Moore rattling around the country on the back of an ageing Vespa scooter — like himself, a little rough around the edges, and a bit slow in the mornings perhaps, but basically still OK.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, I love books and cooking and Abruzzo and Italy and have ordered the Abruzzi Trilogy and The Abruzzo cookery book from Amazon just now. I can't wait for them to arrive, Thank you so much for the recommendations. I so love this forum and the wonderful people who share their knowledge, Thank you!!!!!!!!
God I sound pathetic .......... sorry but I really love books and you just gave me the excuse to buy some more.:)

yes Becky
I,ve read all 3 of her books and liked the last one the least.It just wasnt as interesting for me and I got completely lost in the incredibly complicated descriptions of the rooms in the house she was staying in.Is she going to do another book of her life back in Liguria perhaps with bambini?

Just Released:

LEONARDO'S SWANS
Karen Essex
Doubleday
Historical Fiction
ISBN: 0385517068

A Review by Colleen Quinn

Some sisters just can't leave each other alone. Isabella and Beatrice d'Este, daughters of the Duke of Ferrara, are certainly among their number. They've competed against each other all their lives --- for husbands, status, power, and, above all, to have their portrait painted by Italy's greatest painter, Leonardo da Vinci. Da Vinci is at the mercy of his powerful patrons, yet he has a way of squirming out of assignments and a reputation for leaving work unfinished. How can either woman coerce da Vinci into painting her portrait while ensuring that her sister is unsuccessful?

It seems as if Isabella d'Este has all the advantages. She's both the pretty one and the smart one, and her marriage quickly blooms from a political arrangement into a true love match. On the other hand, Beatrice, whose only real skills are her horsemanship and her ability to annoy her sister, is betrothed to Ludovico Sforza, also known as Il Moro. As Beatrice's husband is twice her age and openly devoted to his mistress, Cecilia Gallerani, no one has any reason to think Beatrice is destined for any particular happiness. Worse yet, Il Moro takes an immediate liking to Isabella, impressed by her beauty, her intelligence, and their shared interests in art and collecting.

However, Beatrice has a formidable will. She wins her husband's love, gets him to renounce his mistress, and proves a worthy match for Il Moro as he fulfills his ambitions, accruing incredible wealth and power and collecting enemies at the same rate.

Politics was a rough game in Renaissance Italy. Karen Essex must do a little explaining in order to convey the volatile nature of the Italian city-states where pretty much any duchy could go to war with any other at the drop of a hat, and the one sure thing everyone knew was that those Borgias were up to no good.

Fortune's wheel was a popular concept during the d'Este sisters' time and the reader sees how it spins, triumph and tragedy constantly chasing each other through tumultuous times. LEONARDO'S SWANS is a fascinating glimpse into that time, with the added bonus of insights into relationships between sisters and between artists and their patrons.

And who won? Which sister bent Leonardo da Vinci to her will? Neither, really. He got as far as a sketch of Isabella, and Beatrice was a background figure in one of his less permanent frescos. Cecilia Gallerani, Il Moro's beloved mistress, got the complete oil painting.

Thank you, greatscott!

Sounds really fascinating... just down my line! :)

Cheers,
Stephanie

[LEFT]
[B]Forza Italia: A Journey in Search of Italy and it's Football[/B]
Paddy Agnew
Release: May 2006
ISBN: 0091905613

.... promises much. Ordered it already!

[/LEFT]

Thanks for the heads up derekL!!!

Mr. Greatscott will enjoy reading this book (after the Superbowl, that is ;) )

Any other books on Italian sports to recommend?

Thanks in advance!

[LEFT][quote=greatscott]Mr. Greatscott will enjoy reading this book (after the Superbowl, that is ;) )[/quote]

What's the Superbowl? ;)

[/LEFT]

[LEFT]
[B]Calcio: A History of Italian Football[/B]
John Foot
Release: April 2006
ISBN: 0007175744

... also looks promising

[/LEFT]

Thanks again Derek!

The Superbowl is the Holy Grail for US Football fans :D

[url]http://www.superbowl.com/[/url]

[QUOTE=tuscanhills]I've received a number of books on [i]all-things-Italian[/i] for Christmas & I'm a bit daunted about how I'm going to get round to reading them(!)

In the past, I got involved in a "reading club" where there was a nominated book of the month that was then read by everyone & then discussed/reviewed. I found it a great way [i]keeping-up-with-my-reading[/i], reading something outside my [i]comfort zone[/i] and found that when the group reviewed the books just as interesting & added to my enjoyment/insight (and not like school at all!)

I know that there's been a stack of postings on holiday/ English/ Italophile books in the past & have a list of many of the recommended books.

The books recommended at various times by forum members are:

CLASSICS[list]
[*][b]Dante[/b] - Divina Commedia
[*][b]E.M. Forster[/b] - Where angels fear to tread
[*][b]Carlo Levi[/b] - Christ stopped at Eboli
[*][b]Ernest Hemingway's[/b] - A Farewell to Arms
[*][b]E.M.Forster[/b] - A Room with a View
[*][b]Henry James[/b] - The Wings of the Dove
[*][b]Shakespeare[/b] - The Merchant of Venice
[/list]CRIME[list]
[*][b]Michael Dibdin[/b] - And then you die & Back to Bologna
[*][b]Donna Leon[/b] - Doctored Evidence & The anonymous Venetian
[*][b]Magdalen Nabb[/b] - Death of a Dutchman & Property of blood
[*][b]Andrea Camilleri[/b] - The terracotta dog & The Scent of the Night
[/list]
HISTORICAL[list]
[*][b]Dennis Mack Smith[/b] - Mussolini; a biography & Italian Risorgimento
[*][b]Eric Newby[/b] - Love & War in the Appenines
[*][b]N. Kazantzakis[/b] - God's Pauper
[/list]LIVING IN ITALY[list]
[*][b]Tim Parks[/b] - A year in Verona, Italian Nighbours & Italian Education
[*][b]John Berendt[/b] - The City of Falling Angels
[*][b]Guareschi[/b] - The little world of Don Camillo
[*][b]Tobias Jones[/b] - The Dark Heart of Italy
[*][b]Leonardo Sciascia[/b] - The Wine Dark Sea
[*][b]Annie Hawes[/b] - Extra Virgin, Ripe for the Picking & Journey to the South
[*][b]George Mikes[/b] - Italy for beginners
[*][b]Dario Castagno[/b] - Too Much Tuscan sun[/list]

Would anyone be interested in selecting one of them & starting a review/discussion thread about that book?..............if anyone's up for it (RONALD, another poll for you?), we can run a poll once a month to select one book from each of the categories & then have a single thread to review/discuss it.

What do you all reckon?

...............or should I get out more?[/QUOTE]

you seem a little short on classics?

niccolo machiavelli.... the principe[the prince]
the art of war.
life of castruccio
discourses on livy
la mandragola....

No one's mentioned Christobel Kent (A Party in San Niccolo and Late Season)? Or in lifestyle who is that woman who's written the two books set in Montalcino, isn't one Vanilla Beans & Brodo? I don't suppose she can be personally held responsible for the ever increasing number of tourists in what was a lovely town but there are comparisons with Peter Mayle and Menerbes.

I don't think it sold enough to ruin the Val d'Orcia but Allan Parker's, Seasons in Tuscany is very enjoyable, especially if you know that stunningly beautiful corner of Tuscany. (Not sure if it's still in print though.) And the brilliant Lisa St Aubin de Teran's tale of finding and restoring a massive palazzo in Umbria, A Valley in Italy, is also a good read.

Imogen Edwards-Jones has written a hilarious book about two very different women running two very different B&Bs in the same village in the Chianti, it's called Tuscany for Beginners. I laughed until I cried in places (one runs the B&B from hell). Warning though, it's lightweight stuff, the poster recommending all the classics would probably be mortified. Perhaps he'd prefer Henry James's, Italian Hours or Goethe's, Italian Journeys? Both are interesting travelogues that you can dip into if you don't want to read in entirety.

Finally, how about John Mortimer's, A Summer's Lease? I love this book so much I have two copies, one here and one in Italy. Another terrific writer with an unputdownable story of a family renting a villa in the Chianti. It will probably put you off taking your father in law on holiday for life...

Agree with you Violetta - Christobel Kents books are good lightweight reads - brill for holidays and journeys. Wished she would write more.
Pamela

those who like the south of italy may enjoy Old Calabria by norman douglas.written around 1915,it is very evocative and descriptive.combining historical detail and personal impressions.i really enjoyed it.

[LEFT]Just finished reading Eric Newby's 'Small Place in Italy' for the first time.
A very enjoyable and interesting read; made more so since this is the area I'm buying in. Very sad last few chapters, however (I won't go into detail just in case).
About to start a book I picked up at the weekend - 'Shelley's Boat' by Julian Roach. About Percy Bysshe Shelley's last few weeks in the Golfo di Spezia.
Anyone read this one?

[/LEFT]

....no but I might like to borrow it when you're done ;)

[LEFT][quote=tuscanhills]....no but I might like to borrow it when you're done ;)[/quote]

I'm sure that can be arranged. Fees dependent on who wins the Calcutta cup!! ;)
[/LEFT]

[QUOTE=derekL][LEFT]Just finished reading Eric Newby's 'Small Place in Italy' for the first time.
A very enjoyable and interesting read; made more so since this is the area I'm buying in.

[/LEFT][/QUOTE]

We enjoyed that too, Derek. We're huge fans of his and can recommend another Italian themed book, Love & War in the Appennines, which details his escape from POW camp, life on the run from the Germans and how he met his wife. (The long suffering soul who later went down the Ganges with him on that boat.)

I found "Love & War" better than "Small Place"....maybe it was more of an adventure.

Either way, bith were wonderful.......

[QUOTE=derekL][LEFT]

I'm sure that can be arranged. Fees dependent on who wins the Calcutta cup!! ;)
[/LEFT][/QUOTE]

Ooooh, I love a bet; do I get to keep it longer, the more we win by?
(set myslef up for a fall now!)

[LEFT][quote=tuscanhills]do I get to keep it longer, the more we win by?[/quote]

Hope you're a fast reader! :)
[/LEFT]

[LEFT][quote=Violetta]We enjoyed that too, Derek. We're huge fans of his and can recommend another Italian themed book, Love & War in the Appennines, which details his escape from POW camp, life on the run from the Germans and how he met his wife. (The long suffering soul who later went down the Ganges with him on that boat.)[/quote]

Thanks Violetta. That's on my ever expanding list!

[/LEFT]

The rise of the Roman Empire, Polybius
Good allround history written at the time Augustus as alive (he come up good not surprisingly)

I Cladius, Robert Graves
Fantastic bruital and vivid book to be read ideally on Capri

The Leopard
The last of the Italian Kings, feel the sun fade from the dynasty

The Bad Popes
Dirt, gossip and all the nasties from the people who gave you god!

The Medici
Such a shame that the princes of Tuscany and Florence were so ugly. Their lives, their deaths, their and our inheritance. A fasinating family that dared to bring back classic art and create the rennassance.

Finished off Terry Pratchett before perhaps some relaxing Vanilla Beans and Brodo next

Currently reading The Medici by Paul Strathern (elainecraig - is that the same as yours??). Very interesting and quite adventurously written. Agree on the ugly bit though... perhaps that's the reason they promoted art so much... ;)

Elaine, who wrote the one about The Bad Popes? I like the reference in the Medici books about popes being imprisoned, deposed, etc, so that would be an ideal follow-up reading project for me... :)

Cheers!

[I]On to the next Xmas book now ... Marlena de Blasi's 'A thousand days in Venice'... started off quite nicely... roll on tonight for the next reading session!! ;)

Stephanie[/QUOTE][/I]

Stephanie
what did you think of this book? Did you enjoy it ? I think it made me just think about food, food and more food ! (not that I need any encouragement on that front !)
Karen

Karen,

Always think of food when reading or hearing the word 'Italy' ... ;)

Must admit I got stuck just after when she moved to Venice... it seemed to run out of steam a bit. Will pick it up again when I'm done with the Medici.

Apart from the 'food', how did you like it?

S :)

Stephanie
It was okay and I quite enjoyed it - but nothing to write home about! Still do try and finish it - even if only for the recipes ! (I'm starting to realise I have a food problem - whenever we go out and the kids cant see me they just look for the nearest food shop and find me in a sort of drooling trance in front of the windows - maybe I need therapy :)
Karen
(PS: one of my favourite books - unfortunately nothing to do with italy, so forgive me, is Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet)

[QUOTE=Karen]Stephanie
It was okay and I quite enjoyed it - but nothing to write home about! Still do try and finish it - even if only for the recipes ! (I'm starting to realise I have a food problem - whenever we go out and the kids cant see me they just look for the nearest food shop and find me in a sort of drooling trance in front of the windows - maybe I need therapy :)
Karen
(PS: one of my favourite books - unfortunately nothing to do with italy, so forgive me, is Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet)[/QUOTE]

Karen,

Yup I'll finish it... just bought another medieval novel though so might be a bit later ...

We're just waiting for the Silver Spoon to be delivered...plenty of thought for food there methinks!!! ;)

~whispers~ 'Pillars of the Earth' is one of my two all time fav books!'~

I enjoyed a Thousand Days too and plan to read the sequel, A Thousand Days in Tuscany. A summer visitor left it behind at our place and I picked it up and starting reading it at Christmas. I thought it was beautifully written and must confess that being around a similar age the romance of it all captivated me too. I admire her courage, envy her in a way too.

Two more: Paul Johnson's, The Renaissance and Christopher Hibbert's excellent, The Rise & Fall of the House of Medici. Is ugly the right word for them? Think of all those extraordinary looking faces one sees in paintings. But the women were certainly beautiful. Or is that artistic licence?

[QUOTE=Violetta]......
Two more: Paul Johnson's, The Renaissance and Christopher Hibbert's excellent, The Rise & Fall of the House of Medici. Is ugly the right word for them? Think of all those extraordinary looking faces one sees in paintings. But the women were certainly beautiful. Or is that artistic licence?[/QUOTE]

Yup artists had a tough job in those days... making sure that the paintings of the ladies did indeed look charming (whether they were or not was another question) ... while the gents may look a little more rougher around the edges, of course, as a sign of having lead an interesting life ... :)

I have just read the new Sarah Dunant booK -IN THE COMPANY OF THE COURTESAN -it is set in Rome and Venice and it is really good. Unfortunately it is not published until the middle of March - I managed to get a proof copy as I work in a bookshop!! I am reading the Borgia Bride by Jeanne Kalogridis at the moment which is set in Naples and Rome - again am really enjoying it. Another one that has not been mentioned on this thread is Angels of the Flood by Joanna Hines - set in Florence in the 1966 flood. Also the colour of Heaven by James Runcie- this is another historical one set in Venice. As you can imagine working in a bookshop I am constantly finding new books set in Italy -I have even got my colleagues looking out for them now!! I am aways open to new suggestions though !

You have the job of my dreams, Jane. Envy, envy. V