Janet Posted June 16, 2015 Share Posted June 16, 2015 A friend of mine who is not a great reader is off to Italy soon and asked me about books set there, and preferably Rome. I think she'd like something light that doesn't take too much effort - maybe a chick-lit. It would ideally be available in Kindle. Does anyone have any recommendations please? Edit - not chicken-lit, silly autocorrect Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted June 16, 2015 Share Posted June 16, 2015 chicken-lit I don't know of any chick-lit books taking place in Rome (I'm sure they exist though, I just haven't read them), but I did like Belinda Jones - I Love Capri which takes place on an Italian island if I'm not mistaken. There is also Love Academy by the same author, which I own but haven't read yet, that one takes place in Venice. My parents have read several books that take place in Italy, during their holiday there. I only remember Jess Walker - Beautiful Ruins but I think that's not chick-lit but is a deeper story (which it seems isn't available on Kindle, or is that just because I'm browsing it from NL) . I'd be happy though to ask my mum when I see her tomorrow, she might be able to tell me which other books she read, if any of them fit what you're looking for. She does read chick-lit sometimes. Based on a quick search (see here), Holly Chamberlin - Tuscan Holiday might also be of interest, I own two books by this author but I haven't read them yet so I can't say if they're good or not. Sorry I can't be of more help. I'd love to know it though if anyone else has a recommendation. A lot of my chick-lit books are written by American or English authors and are mainly set in the US and the UK, so I'd be interested in finding some books that took place in other countries, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrissy Posted June 16, 2015 Share Posted June 16, 2015 Off the top of my head, the only ones I can think of are Patricia Highsmith's The Talented Mr Ripley, Dan Brown's Angels & Demons, and another Dan Brown style book, Galen Watson's Psalter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted June 16, 2015 Author Share Posted June 16, 2015 Thanks, Gaia and Chrissy. I'll will pass those suggestions on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted June 16, 2015 Share Posted June 16, 2015 Although Ciao Bella: In Search of New Relatives and Dante in Italy by Helena Frith Powell is non-fiction, it's a nice, easy read. It's set in various places in Italy, but I can't remember if it goes to Rome off the top of my head, but I really enjoyed it, and it would be the sort of book I'd like to read on holiday. I loved Vivien's Heavenly Ice Cream Shop by Abby Clements which is mostly set in England, but there is a section where the heroine travels to Italy (although not Rome), but the follow up is due out in a few weeks, and is called The Heavenly Italian Ice Cream Shop and is set on the Amalfi coast … it's near the top of my wish list as I loved the first one so much. Will definitely fit into the romcom (can't bring myself to call it chick-lit any more) category, and again, are exactly the sort of books I love to read on holiday. Not sure if this would appeal as it's probably better to read the first book before the Italian one, but I couldn't resist mentioning them! Finally, this one is definitely set in Rome - The Food of Love by Anthony Capella. More in the general fiction category, but I found it a good read, a romantic story and fantastic descriptions of food! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted June 16, 2015 Author Share Posted June 16, 2015 Thanks, Claire. I'll pass those on too I came across The Food of Love earlier when Googling and thought it sounded good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 I loved Vivien's Heavenly Ice Cream Shop by Abby Clements which is mostly set in England, but there is a section where the heroine travels to Italy (although not Rome), but the follow up is due out in a few weeks, and is called The Heavenly Italian Ice Cream Shop and is set on the Amalfi coast … it's near the top of my wish list as I loved the first one so much. Will definitely fit into the romcom (can't bring myself to call it chick-lit any more) category, and again, are exactly the sort of books I love to read on holiday. Not sure if this would appeal as it's probably better to read the first book before the Italian one, but I couldn't resist mentioning them! I've got the first book of that on my TBR, I'm glad to know you'd recommend it . I guess romcom is a better name than chick-lit, I've been using the word so long though, it's hard to get used to a change. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaliepud Posted June 18, 2015 Share Posted June 18, 2015 The Villa in Italy by Elizabeth Edmondson was a good light read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted June 18, 2015 Share Posted June 18, 2015 Oh I've just remembered, an older book, but I absolutely adored it - The Enchanted April by Elizabeth Von Armin. Again, not set in Rome, but set in an Italian villa in the early twentieth century (1920s). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted June 18, 2015 Share Posted June 18, 2015 I've got the first book of that on my TBR, I'm glad to know you'd recommend it . I guess romcom is a better name than chick-lit, I've been using the word so long though, it's hard to get used to a change. It's been a while since I stopped calling it chick-lit, as when you think about it, it's a pejorative term ... Marian Keyes: Please can we stop saying 'chick-lit'? These Female Writers Want To Stop “Chick Lit” Being Used To Describe Work By Women (Sorry for going off topic here. ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted June 19, 2015 Share Posted June 19, 2015 It's been a while since I stopped calling it chick-lit, as when you think about it, it's a pejorative term ... Marian Keyes: Please can we stop saying 'chick-lit'? These Female Writers Want To Stop “Chick Lit” Being Used To Describe Work By Women (Sorry for going off topic here. ) I agree, calling it 'romcom' seems much better. It'll take me a bit of time to get used to, but that's very true. Great links (okay, that was enough off topicness ). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblybear Posted June 20, 2015 Share Posted June 20, 2015 Although not set entirely in Italy, I'd have to suggest A Room With A View. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itsmeagain Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 Giovannino Guareschi has had his Don Camillo omnibus translated into English for many years now. Available on Amazon, it tells the tale, in short story comedy form, of Don Camillo, priest of a small Italian town, and his battles against Peppone, Communist mayor of the same town. Quite amusing, light read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.