There’s nothing better than a good summer read. At least to some of us, the idea of sitting under an umbrella in the warm summer air, all the while sipping delicious homemade concoctions and turning page after page is pure bliss. Whether you’re reading the latest best-seller or turning your attention to the classics, time spent reading a good book is relaxation and entertainment in its simplest form.
Since before we can remember, story telling has been a part of our culture, and has continually evolved. Sometimes the stories told in our favorite books become so admired that they are then featured in the cinemas. This summer’s example is Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love, which was published in February 2006, and the movie, starring Julia Roberts, was released to theaters on August 13, 2010. Both the book and movie have people raving about this woman’s journey through Italy, India and Indonesia. It’s fun to feel a sense of adventure through someone else’s eyes sometimes. It can also be fun to read a book and delve into the details, imagining the characters in that time or place.
So if you are looking for a little relaxation and a hint of adventure, sit under the umbrella in your own backyard with a book in your hand. You may ask, “Adventure in my own yard?” You never know. Maybe the book is set in Italy, and you can imagine all the beautiful textural stone work, chiming church bells and delicious meals served with savory wine. Though maybe it’s not so difficult to imagine when you are sitting in your own little getaway surrounded by stunning paver stones and a softly trickling water feature. Either way, enjoy your summer read in bliss.
Looking for books based in Italy? Here are a few selections we thought you might like to add to your reading list:
Eat, Pray, Love – Elizabeth Gilbert
A Room with a View – E.M. Forster
Under the Tuscan Sun – Frances Mayes
Bella Tuscany: The Sweet Life in Italy – Frances Mayes
A Farwell to Arms – Ernest Hemingway
A Venetian Affair – Andrea Di Robilant
Summer in Tuscany – Elizabeth Adler
Angels & Demons – Dan Brown
The Agony and the Ecstasy – Irving Stone
Giacomo Casanova: The Story of My Life – Giacomo Casanova
New Moon – Stephanie Meyer
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