March 1st is Plan a Solo Vacation Day. On short, cold days, it can be particularly fun to think about possible destinations for treating yourself. Whether you’re considering an international excursion or a house- and book-swap with a neighbor, you might want to browse your local bookstore for inspiration. Here are some books that transported …
Rebecca Serle’s One Italian Summer has family deaths, reincarnation, Italian villas, reconciliation, and the joy that is found friendship. This isn’t a morality tale set in a harsh and unforgiving climate. This is a love story about your own damn heart and about everyone needs a change of scenery now and again to shake off the …
The last novel from Italian writer Camilleri (1925-2019), who produced more than two dozen wonderful Inspector Montalbano mysteries over the past four decades, this was written years ago as a final installment and locked away until after the author’s death. In it, an early morning murder outside a bar becomes immediately complicated. As always with …
I love Donna Leon’s Brunetti mysteries! To me, her latest, Trace Elements, is one of her more “Italian” stories. There is a lot about the canals of Venice and Venetian politics, as well as a mystery that starts with the deathbed whisper, “They killed him. It was bad money. I told him no.” –Wendy B., …
A trusted source recommended Warburg in Rome to me. The author is James Carroll, who is Catholic. I mention that because I think it is important when reading this story. The setting is primarily the city of Rome just after the WWII Allies liberated that city in 1944. The story also moves to other parts …
Based on the true story of 17th century painter Artemisia Gentileschi, this beautiful novel is vivid, heartwrenching, and undeniably gorgeous. Alternating between Artemisia’s time told in stunning verse and the tales of ancient heroines Judith and Susanna, Blood Water Paint is the truly magnificent tale of a young woman battling to be heard in a …
Sometimes when I look back over the past few books I’ve read, I notice a common thread running through them. Might be a particular time period or historical event, a theme whether big or small, or frequently, a locale. And that’s why one corner of The Front Table is currently draped in the green, white …
As a reader, I have lists of authors that are favorite writers. Sometimes I like to discover authors that are “new” to me. Brad Thor is an old favorite. The last time I read a book by Mr. Thor was 5 years ago (my bad!). I returned to the world of Scot Harvath with Use …
Do you like to read military-like action thrillers? If so, you will love Brad Thor’s second book featuring the most intriguing military unit in print today. The Athena Project features a unit of Delta Force called The Athena Project, first featured in Foreign Influence. What makes this unit different? They are smart, Delta Force trained, …
“The ‘Upstairs, Downstairs’ of Mediterranean yachting, told from the chef’s point of view.” –Carol Spurling, BookPeople of Moscow, Moscow, ID Upper crust Italian locavores, gorgeous ports-of-call, elegance, and deliciousness all in one true story? Plus a forward by Mario Batali? How had we not read this before? Let’s all get our copies at BookPeople or another independent …
