Italian Free Books

[Fe Kittner]

Whilelooking for some of his books, I saw if I could find a title that was available in English as well, as I always do with the books I recommend here. In fact, as you may already know, the purpose of this section of the newsletter is to suggest Italian books that could also be enjoyed by people who cannot read Italian.

One thing that might be interesting to know is that all three books have been translated into English by Jhumpa Lahiri, an American author who is quite famous among students of Italian because she has written a marvelous book about her experience with learning Italian.

Domenico Starnone is one of the most acclaimed Italian writers of our time. He started his career as a journalist, mainly writing about his experience in the Italian school system. In fact, he has worked as a high school teacher for many years, teaching Italian and history.

Some of his early books are also about the topic of teaching and two of them have inspired the movie La scuola by Daniele Lucchetti. Actually, other very popular movies are based on his books: Denti by Gabriele Salvatores, Auguri Professore by Riccardo Milano, and Lacci, again by Daniele Lucchetti (based on the book of the same name).

The topic of family is a recurring theme in the work of Domenico Starnone. In Lacci, the writer tells the story of a family of four, first from the point of view of the mother, then from that of the father, and finally from the one of the kids. This gives the author the chance to unveil all the feelings that can sometimes be hidden under the surface of a seemingly normal and happy family.

Lacci is a short yet really powerful book, sharp and cruel as only some domestic behaviors can be. The topic of family is at the center of Scherzetto as well: the book tells the story of Daniele Mallarico, an illustrator from Milan who returns to his hometown Naples and to the house where he grew up to look after his grandson, Mario.

Those days in Naples, the city where he spent the first part of his life and which he left as soon as he could, and especially in the house where he used to live with his family, are a way for Daniele to think about life and to reflect on what has gone and what is yet to come. He thinks about his successes and his failures, and his overall dissatisfaction with life influences his attitude towards the grandson.

Just like Lacci, this is another book that shows how hard family ties can be. It is not as cruel as Lacci, it makes you smile many times but it makes you also reflect on your personal fears and on your choices in life. It is a very short book but is incredibly powerful and poignant.

If you sign up to Giorno dopo giorno, you will receive an email every other day for 365 days. Each email will contain a prompt, a little exercise, something to watch, read, listen or something that will gently force you to practice your Italian every day, making it part of your daily routine.

But this habit of accumulating books comes in handy when I have just finished a book and I have no new titles to read: my bookcase is literally a personal bookstore of previously selected titles where I can choose my next read.

This book is a real page-turner, even when the focus is on less entertaining topics such as the life of poor people working in the rice paddies or the careful explanation of how things worked inside the Catholic church at the time. Vassalli is a master at describing characters and events, which will remain in your mind as clear pictures. Plus, there is constant humor in his writing and this makes the read even more enjoyable.

Actually, it is not exactly a book because of its very unique format but it can absolutely be read as a non-fiction book about Rome and about what it really means to live in the city.

This peculiar series of magazines are published by Iperborea, an independent Italian publisher that specializes in literature from northern Europe and from the north in general. They publish mainly Scandinavian books but their catalogue includes titles from Baltic countries, the Netherlands, Canada, and Iceland as well.

In 2018, they launched The Passenger, a series of what they call libro-magazine, publications that collect articles, essays, and writings with the goal of depicting a genuine portrait of contemporary life in a certain country or a city. The first issue was about Iceland and it was incredibly successful. After that first one, they published issues about Japan, Portugal, Berlin, Paris, Norway, Greece, Brazil, and many other locations.

Since 2020, these cool publications are available in English as well, published and distributed by Europa Editions. The specific title I want to tell you about today is focused on Rome but you can find the English version of many other titles of this series (just check this webpage to see if there is a country or city you might be interested in).

Being an avid reader and a (once) keen traveler, I obviously am a fan of The Passenger and I own most of the titles of the series. I really like this unique format that takes you on a trip around a certain country or city without feeling like a tourist but more like a local.

More precisely, when you read these books you feel as if you are visiting a place with the guidance of a friend, who lives in that place and tells you really honestly about life there, underlying the pros without hiding the cons. So, even if these publications can be mistaken for a guidebook, they are something completely different.

The Passenger: Rome contains a series of essays by important Italian writers and journalists who live in Rome, like Nicola Lagioia, Francesco Piccolo, and Letizia Muratori (plus many others) who write about the harsh reality of the suburbs, the ruling influence of the Vatican, the excessive power of real estate speculators and of mafia gangs, and much more.

It is no secret that I have been waiting for the publication of Massimo Bottura: Never Trust A Skinny Italian Chef for the past months. Published on 6 October by Phaidon, I have to say that this book went way beyond my expectations, despite the fact that the anticipation was high.

The book, Never Trust a Skinny Chef, which I read from start to finish in two days, is an exceptional read. Having had the pleasure to meet Massimo and listen to him explain his philosophy of cooking, reading his book was actually like listening to him explain the creative process that has gone into many of his creations.

The book is divided into four main sections which reflect some of the main dishes that have been served at Osteria Francescana. The sections are Tradition in Evolution, Working Class Heroes, Image and Likeness and Come to Italy with Me. The final part of the book includes his biography and the recipes.

I would recommend this book to any person who is interested in how great artists go about the creative process. It might help if you have a fascination with food. But it is not necessary. If you are interested in creativity, this book is a must read. It is safe for me to say that this is one of the best books on creativity that I have ever read. I would say this is essential reading for chefs or aspiring cooks but even a home cook with an interest in questioning the status quo will open new horizons with this book.

I am a self-confessed cook-book junkie and even though recipes are easy to find online these days, I love the touch and feel of a book, the turn of the pages, the photography, and the tangible nature of something I love to read, cook from and go back to. My shelves are full of books from many, many fantastic cooks, filled with stories and food they have shared from their lives and kitchen. I naturally felt the need to share my own, and have written four cookbooks, specialising in easy Italian cooking designed to be shared with family and friends. You can purchase my books internationally via online bookstores such as Amazon etc.

My very first book is very dear to my heart as it compiles all my most favourite family recipes and is full of memories and stories, plus really simple food my family and I have been making over the decades:

There are fewer things more comforting than the sweet smell of a cake baking in the oven. The Sweet Life showcases the beautiful and diverse range of Italian baking and sweet treats. From biscuits and every day cakes, to rustic tarts, decadent chocolate, cupcakes, fruity treats and amazing pastries, to incredible show stopping celebratory cakes there is a recipe here for every occasion. Some are traditional, others are modern day twists on the classics, but all are delicious and easy to make.

Making something sweet gives pleasure to others, makes fond memories and is good for your soul. Liliana Battle grew up in a Calabrese family where the connection to food and the land shaped her passion for food.

Welcome to my little Italian kitchen in sunny Australia. My family originates from the Italian region of Calabria, and my food reflects my roots as well as the multicultural pot of my Australian home. I am a writer, traveller, cook and eater. My cookbooks are a collection of family recipes and twists on Italian favourites.

Using her experiences as a teacher and frequent traveller to Italy, she wrote the Conversational Italian for Travelers series of books, which follow the character Caterina on her travels through Italy, while at the same time introducing the fundamentals of the Italian language.

This series of books is truly different from other Italian language books. The Conversational books are friendly, humorous, and combine travel tips with language lessons. These books also provide a method for people to understand and remember Italian phrases so that they can create their own. Everything one needs to know to travel to Italy is in this series of books!

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