There’s nothing like combining two things that you love, and for me the opportunity came with the Italy in Book reading challenge.  I love to read.  I love Italy.  Hey, this is a no-brainer!

The challenge is to read 12 book that are set in Italy during the year.  They don’t need to be entirely set in Italy, just that Italy needs to figure prominently in the plot.  The book can be fiction or nonfiction, and can be about any topic.  Now doesn’t that sound like fun?  And, as an extra bonus, there will be prizes for participants!

Everyone can participate – you don’t need to have a blog – so check out the details about signing up and joining the challenge.  After you’ve read the book, you can write a review on your blog if you have one.  If you don’t have a blog, you can click on a link and add your review of the book in an alternate method.  You won’t have to worry about running out of ideas on what to read – you’ll get lots of ideas from reviews written by others.

My first review was on the book Beyond the Pasta, a combination cookbook-travel book-food memoir, about spending a month living with an Italian family and learning the language and cuisine.  Talk about fun!  It’s a bit zany, full of life, with some great recipes as well.  You can read my review of Beyond the Pasta on Traveling with MJ.

If the book interests you, it is available from Amazon for $32.95.  It is not currently available for Kindle.

C’mon – don’t you want to participate too?  Who will join with me?

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In no particular order, here are some of the things that I’ve come to love about Italy, and why I’m looking forward to a return trip again next year.

Fields of sunflowers in Tuscany, July 2009

1. Sunflowers
2. Gelato
3. Lake Maggiore
4. Isola Madre
5. Isola Bella (and yes, I know it’s gaudy and over-the-top)
6. Latte de Luna (with wild mushroom soup that’s to-die-for)
7. Brunello wine
8. Giuseppe and La Montalla
9. Florence (so much beautiful art)
10. Trevi Fountain in Rome (I threw in 3 coins, just to ensure my return)
11. Vatican (history and art, religion and politics)
12. Fashion and fashionably dressed men and women
13. Cafes and cappuccino
14. Hills towns in Tuscany
15. Beautiful churches (every town has a dozen)
16. Pecorino cheese
17. Stopping the car to let sheep cross the road
18. The beautiful language (that I must learn)
19. Limoncello
20. Tomato and onion salad
21. Wild boar pasta (actually, any kind of pasta at all!)
22. Vineyard and olive orchards
23. Cypress trees
24. Internet access (yes, in the middle of a vineyard, there’s still wi-fi)
25. History and a sense of how very young the U.S. is

What do you love about Italy?

Photo credit:  Mary Jo Manzanares

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