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Travel/Planning Guides:
Pauline Frommer's Italy- Limited
places but with unusual recommendations.
Rick Steves' Italy- A down to
earth guide to travel in Italy, limited coverage
in the
Southern areas.
Lonely Planet Italy- This guide covers
more places than Rick Steves but not as entertaining.
Walking & Eating in Tuscany & Umbria
by James Lasdum & Pia Davis-
Some great
walking for all abilities with all the details
you need.
Italy by Bike from the Touring Club of
Italy- A little more difficult to find,
this is an
excellent guide for the cyclist. Complete with
where to rent and fix your bike.
Karen Brown's Italy & Italy B&B
- Every listing I have used from her
has been amazing
although some are on the more expensive side.
Non Fiction:
Too Much Tuscan Sun, Dario Castagno
- A hilarious book about life as a tour
guide in Chianti. A great book to help understand
cultural differences.
Eat, Pray, Love, Elizabeth Gilbert
- A woman search for herself spanning
across three different countries. Although Italy
is only the first stop, this
book is worth reading because of the way she
makes Italy come alive, as if
you were right there with her.
Under the Tuscan Sun & Bella Tuscany, Frances
Mayes - A story about an
American writer making a home in Italy.
A Thousand Bells at Noon, Franco Romagnoli
- Experience Rome through the
authors eyes as he returns to the place of his
youth.
Travelers' Tales Guides: Italy - A collection
of stories about Italy from dozens
of authors.
Italian Affair, Laura Fraser - A young
woman struggling after her divorce
finds love and so much more in Italy.
As the Romans Do, Alan Epstein - Rome
through the eyes of an American
family as they struggle to set up roots. Very
accurate view of Roman
culture.
Stolen Figs, Mark Rotella - The author
re-discovers the land of his parents in
Southern Italy.
Italian Days, Barbara Grizzuti Harrison
- A journal of the author's traveling
across Italy.
A Thousand Days in Venice, Marlena de Blasi
- A story about finding love
and a new life in Venice. Complete with real
recipes.
A Thousand Days in Tuscany, Marlena de Blasi -
The author takes another
leap of faith as she and her new Italian husband
move into a renovated .
house in Tuscany.
The Reluctant Tuscan, Phil Doran - Burned
out with life in Hollywood and
close to losing his marriage, the author moves
to Italy to restore a
farmhouse and find his inner Italian.
Songbirds, Truffles and Wolves, Gary Paul Nabban
- Join the author as he
walks the sacred Franciscan Way to Assisi.
Italy Fever, Darlene Marwitz
- 14 ways to satisfy your love affair with Italy,
written by a self proclaimed Italian addict
Desiring Italy, Susan Cahill
- A collection of stories written by women to
celebrate the passions of the country and the
culture.
La Bella Figura, Beppe Severgnini
- The author helps to reveal the essence of
being Italian.
Extra Virgin, Annie Hawes - A
young woman's adventures along the
Italian Riviera and her experience with living
among a different culture.
Fiction:
The Broker, John Grisham - A
fast paced book about a man on the run, set
mostly in Bologna. A great peak into the language
and food of the area.
Playing for Pizza, John Grisham -
A cute story about a washed up NFL quarterback
who finds himself playing football in Italy.
Angels & Demons, Dan Brown
- Before the Da Vinci Code, there was this
book. Set in Rome and features most of the great
sites in the city.
Biographical Novel:
The Agony and the Ecstasy, Irving Stone
- A beautifully and very detailed
account of the life and works of Michelangelo.
This book will make Florence
and Michelangelo's work come to life.
Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling, Ross
King - Recounts the amazing four
years Michelangelo spent painting the Sistine
Chapel.
Brunelleschi's Dome, Ross King
- Recounts the incredible story of the
completion of Florence's Duomo, an architectural
wonder. Reading this will help you
appreciate the true genius of this landmark.
Food and Wine:
Savoring Italy, Michele Scicolone- This is my
Italian cook book. I found this
in Florence and packed it all the way home, only
to find it on sale in Costco.
Marcella Says, Marcella Hazan
- A great collection of recipes from a native
Italian chef.
The Italian Wine Guide, Touring Club of Italy
- A very complete, although at
times confusing, guide to the wines and wineries
in Italy.
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