Guy18

Thanks, LoveItaly. I do need to read Italian Neighbors. I think it's one of the last of this genre for me to read. I'd recommend Ferenc Mate's The Hills of Tuscany. A little less precious than Frances Mayes. For those interested in Sicily, I liked On Persephone's Island and Daphne Phelps' A House in Sicily.

Since France is my special love, I enjoy Peter Mayle. But also the following titles of this genre: On Rue Tatin (house in Normandy), French Dirt (garden in the south of France), French Spirits (a presbytere in Burgundy), At Home in France (Dordogne to be exact), and A Castle in My Backyard (also the Dordogne).

Guy18

LoveItaly--Have you read Barbara Grizzuti Harrison's Italian Days? Now there's a book for you!

LoveItaly

Hello Guy.."Italian Days", no I haven't read it nor heard about it. Thank you, I have added it to my small notebook where I list books and movies.
Even the title sounds interesting!!

BTW, have you read the book "I'm Not Scared"? In Italian the title is "Io Non Ho Paura". The author is Niccolo Ammanite and it is translated into English by Jonathan Hunt. A movie was produced also although I have not seen it yet. I was quite interested in this novel as it takes place in the hot summer of 1978 in the countryside between Naples and Bari. We drove through there area in the summer of 1978..and although this book is a novel the descriptions of the area brought back so many memories. Not a fun and fluffy book but since you are interested in books about Sicily you may really enjoy this suspense and dramatic story also. Personally I couldn't put it down!

Thanks for all the book recommendations, imagine a lot of book lovers will appreciate your recommendations.

And thank you again susanna, for starting this thread!

mcnyc

Yes, thank you susanna! Now I have a slew of new books to read thanks to other's recommendations. And since I've been picked as a juror for a case, I'll have loads of time to read during recess! Yay!

chicagolori

So it wasnt just me? I read "Falling Angels" and I was also disappointed. I seemed to start out good and then went down hill. It was sort of all over the place and none of it tied together very well. Almost like the Fenice plot was too thin so he had to throw in the Ezra Pound and Guggenheim dirt.

I found it mildly entertaining.

Tim Parks wrote a sequel to Italian Neighbors but I havent read it.

I also just read, "A Year in the Merde" by Steven Clarke. About a brit who gets a job in Paris for a year and his adventures. Lots of humor and quite a few jabs at the French. Not sure the French would appreciate his viewpoints but its an easy read and gives you your Paris fix a bit.

Brahmama

LoveItaly, I think you will really enjoy "Italian Days" (Barbara Grizzuti Harrison). It's not a new book and I had to wait some time to get it from Amazon.com a couple of years ago. I just wish it were longer and devoted some time to northern Lazio/southern Tuscay where we are going in 12 days!

My edition was copyright in 1989 and it is arguably my favorite Italian book read - as I keep going back to it.

Hope you can find it easily,

Brahmama / Carol

susanna

I'm glad that some of you enjoy her books also. I must say that I loved UTTS and liked BT but didn't buy the last two either...too much the same.

What I like about this one is all the new places that she writes about. It has a few chapters on Italy(Taormina, Capri, Mantova, Naples), but the rest of the book is about new places(Spain, Portugal,Fez,Burgundy, Greece,Scotland). If you don't like her style of writing you won't like this book either, but if you do like her and her style it is a most enjoyable read.
I too now have some new books to check out...thank you!
I am always amazed that people can make such a negative judgement call about someone they have never met, I can see critizing the work, but not the person.