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[Italian Books] Mal di pietre by Milena Agus

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I have read a really good book, recently.

As you may already know if you have read other posts of the Books about Italy section of this blog, I really like reading and I strongly believe that literature is an amazing way to dive deeper into the culture of a country.

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[Italian Books] Divorare il cielo by Paolo Giordano: a tale of love, friendship and sorrow set in Apulia

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Let me first tell you that I didn’t like this book that much. 

As you may know, I am always on the hunt for good novels set in Italy to help you enrich your knowledge of Italian literature and maybe make you dream about Italy a little bit.

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[Italian Books] Resto qui by Marco Balzano, The Story of A Woman and Her Family Set in The Long-gone Village of Curon, South Tyrol

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It all began with a Netflix Tv show, a series titled Curon. 

When Netflix announced this new Tv show, here in Italy, many online magazines and websites started writing about the history of Curon, a village that was drowned on purpose to create a reservoir, which was built right after the end of World War II to produce electricity through hydro-electric power.

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[Italian Books] The Garden of Monsters by Lorenza Pieri: A Novel About Life, Human Relationships and A Beautiful Garden

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As you may already know, I am always on the hunt for good Italian books. 

This should be a very easy and entertaining task because I really love books but I have made this task a bit more difficult for myself because I want to select good Italian books that have an English translation as well.

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[Italian Books] At The Wolf’s Table by Rosella Postorino

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Feel like reading an Italian book that is not about Italy?

I have been recommending quite a few Italian books and books about Italy in this blog but I have realized this is the first time I am writing about an Italian book that has nothing to do with Italy.

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[Italian Books] The Chimera by Sebastiano Vassalli, a Story of Witchcraft and Life in 17th-Century Rural Italy

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I am a book hoarder, I have to admit it.

One of my favorite pastimes is browsing books in a bookstore and every time I do so it is really hard for me not to bring a book home.

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[Italian Books] Ties by Domenico Starnone

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I didn’t know much about this book when I started reading it.

Actually, I did this on purpose. I had read so many positive comments about the book that I decided to give it a go without doing much research about it. I just wanted to dive in and enjoy it. And that’s exactly what happened!

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From Scratch by Tembi Locke: A Memoir About Italy and About Love, Loss and New Beginnings

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This is not another memoir about visiting Italy and falling in love with an Italian man. Well, somehow it is but the book is way more complex than that. 

I have discovered this book via the lovely Jasmine on Instagram. If you have been following this blog for a while, you may remember her interview for my Expats in Italy section. She has a very interesting Instagram account, which shows her love for Italy and gives you a nice way to learn more about expat life in Italy (in her stories, especially).

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Contemporary Italian Literature: Two Books That Will Help You Understand Life in The Italian Province

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Italy is not only Florence, Rome, Venice, Naples or Milan. And most of the times life in Italy is way different from the one you can live in those big cities.

Most of Italy is made of tiny little villages that nobody knows, where life is absolutely not as glamorous as they show you on Instagram accounts about la dolce vita and sweet life in Italy. Forget about Aperol Spritz drunk at sunset by the seaside or breathtaking sceneries or memorable art and historical treasures.

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Some of my favorite Italian classic novels (available in English too)

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“Can you recommend some good Italian books?” is one of the questions I get asked the most. 

Reading is one of my most favorite things in life, so this question always makes me really happy. I try to write about books as much as I can, here on my blog, and I am always looking for interesting reads to suggest you.

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