5 books about Italy that will make you feel like you’re there
Italy seems to attract the attention of all of the best writers, and so it’s no surprise many new books crop up any given year. Here are a few timeless recommendations:
My Brilliant Friend, Elena Ferrante
The first in a series of four books, “My Brilliant Friend,” is a touching story about two friends growing up in post-war Italy in a small town outside Naples. The series follows the two friends throughout their lives, spanning almost 60 years.
“[Ferrante’s Neapolitan Novels] don’t merely offer a teeming vision of working-class Naples, with its cobblers and professors, communists and mobbed-up businessmen, womanizing poets and downtrodden wives; they present one of modern fiction’s richest portraits of a friendship.”—John Powers, Fresh Air, NPR Click here to buy it.
Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking, Marcella Hazan
Considered the “culinary bible” for Italian cuisine, this has been my go-to book when I cook Italian. Hazan’s book is not just a collection of classic and delicious recipes, but it’s a guide to the best ingredients and techniques in Italian cooking. A 30th anniversary edition was published in 2020, and may be available from retailers.
Italy is My Boyfriend, Annette Joseph
I’m recommending this book based on the title. (And I thought Italy was MY boyfriend!) Follow Annette Joseph’s love story with Italy that spans three decades. I’m looking forward to this read because like Joseph, I’ve spent three decades living, traveling and loving Italy, it’s culture, food and wine. Note: this book will be released May 2020, but pre-ordering available. Click here to buy it.
See You in the Piazza, Frances Mayes
Recently released, “See You in the Piazza,” is a narrative of Mayes and her husband, Ed’s, travels throughout Italy in search of the country’s most unique places. The book, which also includes recipes, includes stories about many of Italy’s unique towns, villages and cities that we visit year after year. Click here to buy it.
One Hundred and One Beautiful Small Towns in Italy
This book features charming beautiful small villages and towns of Italy famous for their art, wine, food and architecture – many of the “off-the-beaten” path places Viaggi di Gusto introduces its travelers to. I own the large, hardbound coffee-table style version of this book, but is now available in a smaller, pocket size format. Click here to buy it.