Books for when longing for Italy

Dear reader,

I'm back from my ten-day honeymoon in Milan and Florence. I feel like this trip has made a deep impresson om me and I dream of sneaking in some parts of Italy in my home to keep this feeling from fading. And what better way than sharing some book recommendations with a scent of Italiy?

Normal People- Sally Rooney

I don't keep count of how many times I’ve read Normal People. It’s one of those books that feels like an old friend—familiar but always saying something new, depending on when you happen to pick it up. You’ve probably read it already (because of course you have), but if not, consider this your nudge. There’s a sun-drenched little holiday to Italy tucked inside too.

The Marriage Portrait- Maggie O'Farrell

I have a quiet fascination with the Medici family— power, poison, politics and a lot of art. The Marriage Portrait slips you into the silk-trimmed (fictional) world of Lucrezia de Medici. It’s a story about leaving childhood, taking control of your life during the Renaissance where women's lives were restricted, to say the least.

Call Me by Your Name- Andre Aciman

Also, a book I've picked up and read several times, Call Me by Your Name is summer slowed down—ripe peaches, sun-warmed skin, and the love that sneaks up on you in the quietest moments. Even though it is a slow story there is an urgency to speak up about one's feelings as the summer weeks tick by.

My Brilliant Friend- Elena Ferrante

I read this during my honeymoon. The story of Elena and Lila begins in the 1950s in a poor but vibrant neighbourhood on the outskirts of Naples. Growing up on these tough streets the two girls learn to rely on each other ahead of anyone or anything else, as their friendship, beautifully and meticulously rendered, becomes a not always perfect shelter from hardship.