greetings, substack squad!
today i am at the Odeon, by far (so far) one of my favorite places to work in Florence:
there’s a chance you’ve seen this dreamy spot on your FYP, but if not, here’s a dollop of history: the Odeon theatre was built inside the Palazzo dello Strozzino around 1457 (!), and the palazzo was owned by the Strozzi family until the 19th century. in 1904, it was bought by the Chiari family, who first decided to build the movie theater, and the building was fully inaugurated in 1922. over the years, the Odeon alternated as a theater and cinema, and in 2023 it reopened as the Giunti Odeon — part bookshop, part movie theatre, and imo the best place to find free Wi-Fi. but be warned, the bathrooms are labeled signori (men) and singore (women), and that one tiny letter throws everyone off the first time. myself included.
also, the Odeon does Disney marathons on the weekends.
which is more or less why i’m here now.
today, i wanted to take a break from drafting my new book to share some thoughts and recommendations with you re: other books. because i’m traveling, i told myself i’m not allowed to buy ANY books until i’ve finished what i’m currently reading (a wonderful crisis to have!), so some of these are books i read before coming to Italy, and which drove me here in the first place. others are books i’m dying to read next.
so, piano piano (slowly, slowly, step by step) —
here are the books i’ve loved and recommend with every neuron of my being:
1) Eat Pray Love, Elizabeth Gilbert
what it’s about: this iconic 2006 memoir details the author’s year-long adventure traveling from Italy, to India, to Indonesia, and what she discovered about herself and the world in the process.
why i love it: it’s kind of a long story.
2) Under The Tuscan Sun, Frances Mayes
what it’s about: another memoir, this one focuses on the trials, tribulations, and magical happenings that occurred after the recently divorced Mayes decided to renovate an abandoned villa (“Bramasole”) in rural Tuscany.
why i love it: when i visited my family in Italy last summer, this was the only English book they had in the house. and when my cousin caught me with it, she laughed and told me it’s “dangerous” for Americans to read. to which i quite agree…
3) Call Me By Your Name, André Aciman
what it’s about: set in the ‘80s, this novel centers on the intoxicating summer romance between the young Elio Perlman and the visiting American scholar, Oliver, who moves in with Elio and his family.
why i love it: this is one of those times where i saw the movie before reading the book (i know, i know), but the book was I N C R E D I B L E. it’s a story you read for the way it’s written, not just the why, as Aciman’s writing is utterly poignant. devastating. and…billowy. iykyk.
4) From Scratch, Tembi Locke
what it’s about: a cross-cultural love story about one woman (and her young daughter) after the loss of her Italian husband. set against the backdrops of Sicily and Los Angeles.
why i love it: Locke’s memoir was one of our book club picks last summer, and we read it right before i came to Italy for the second time. to celebrate, we watched the beginning of the Netflix adaptation in my apartment, and i cooked dinner for everyone using recipes from the book (which i totally forgot about doing until i checked my camera roll just now):
5) One Italian Summer, Rebecca Serle
what it’s about: after the loss of her mother Carol, Katy travels to Positano on what should have been a mother-daughter trip. but while taking in the Amalfi Coast, Katy encounters what appears to be the bubbly, smiley, 30-year-old version of Carol, still very much alive and having the time of her life.
why i love it: i actually don’t want to say too much about this book and give it away. but know that i laughed, i cried, and i can’t wait for the potential movie!!!
6) A Room With A View, E. M. Forster
what it’s about: a 1908 novel about a young English woman who falls in love while traveling to Florence, and what happens when she returns home.
why i love it: as i’ve said before, i grew up watching this movie with my grandmother, and i later read the book as an adult. but it wasn’t until i was already in Florence that i decided to rewatch it. it’s odd, but i’ve realized that with a lot of beautiful things we always describe them as being “just like the movies”, and yet this is one of those cases where you can read the book and can say its “just like reality”. it’s that good.
7) My Brilliant Friend, Elena Ferrante
what it’s about: two childhood friends from Naples and how their lives converge/diverge throughout their lifetimes. the first of the four Neopolitan Novels.
why i love it: reading this book was like living in a painting. i really don’t know how else to describe it! the story stretches horizontally, creating and sharing a full world with the reader to explore. i brought this novel as my emotional support book for my flight across the Atlantic, and while waiting for my luggage i met a soon-to-be bride, her arms full with her wedding dress, who saw my copy and stopped me to say it’s her favorite.
8) Life Behind The Bar, Carolyn Chambers
what it’s about: a self-published true story about one woman’s spontaneous decision to move to Italy after falling in love with a charismatic bar owner, and the life they built together in Radda in Chianti.
why i love it: i met Chambers when our Tuscany tour group stopped by her family’s agritourismo for lunch and a cooking lesson. we started with a tasting of olive oil and balsamic vinegar (on raspberry gelato!!! divine!!!), and while many of my companions rushed to buy the homemade jam, i bought this book. as for lunch, we were introduced to our honorary “Nonna” for the afternoon, a long-time family friend of Chambers and her husband:
okay!!!! this officially brings us to the second part of my reading list, the books i want to read next. so if you happen to be looking to buy me something for my birthday (or anyone else, really), now’s the time to pay attention:
1) Every Day In Tuscany, Frances Mayes
what it’s about: that’s right, Mayes is back, baby!!! this time, she’s talking about her present-day life at Bramasole, even touching on how the success of her first book (and the movie inspired by it) changed her life.
why i want to read it: i bought this book from the Odeon on my first afternoon in Florence, but i haven’t finished it yet. i’ve been trying to read a chapter every night to stop me from doomscrolling, and there are even more recipes for me to practice with. wish me luck on both accounts.
2) Diary Of A Tuscan Bookshop, Alba Donati
what it’s about: written in the form of diary entries, the Italian poet Alba Donati chronicles her unusual idea of opening a bookshop in her tiny childhood Tuscan village.
why i want to read it: two weeks ago (ish?) i went on a tour of Tuscany! one of my old bosses had booked the trip for herself, but when she was unable to attend, and she learned the ticket was non-refundable, she gave me her spot. i was the only single (and the only 29-year-old) on the tour, as everyone else was happily married and in their 60s+. but it was stunning -- the people, the countryside, all of it. maybe i can justify this as a souvenir…?
3) You Deserve Good Gelato, Kacie Rose
what it’s about: social media star Kacie Rose offers a refreshingly honest take on navigating her new life abroad in this funny and honest feel-good memoir.
why i want to read it: i’ve been following Kacie Rose on Instagram and TikTok for literal YEARS nows, and her recommendations have become a lifeline for me while living in Florence. for example: Pino’s! need i say (or eat) more…!
4) How To Be A Renaissance Woman, Jill Burke
what it’s about: an account of society’s beauty obsession in the 15th and 16th centuries, and how women used their beauty as power.
why i want to read it: the Uffizi is open late on Tuesday nights, and back in September, i went for the first time with a new friend from school. we drifted through half-empty rooms of portraits and statues and only stopped to compare which busts we thought were the hottest, and then we spotted this particular book in the gift shop (which, if you’re anything like me, you know a museum gift shop is just as important as the museum itself). once i finish my current read, this is next in line.
well folks, that’s it for now! (phew!) i’d love to know if you’ve read any of these titles, or if there are others i should be adding to my tbr. i will say, it’s been a little strange to walk into bookshops and see how many romance novels set in Italy feature non-Italian romantic leads (?!), so if you’ve got those specifically, dimmi dimmi.
one last thing!
since we’re gabbing about books, i wanted to remind you that my ya debut KILL THE LAX BRO is now available for preorder. no, it has nothing to do with Italy, but it’s still my baby.
more soon xo