Tag Italy

One Summer In Italy by Sue Moorcroft @SueMoorcroft @AvonBooksUK #NetGalley #BookReview

yvonnembee 7 Comments

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Today I am delighted to be bring you my thoughts on One Summer In Italy by Sue Moorcroft. If you are after a heartwarming summer read then this will be one of those you want to add to your list. To make it easier for you here is the link to get yourself a copy from AMAZON UK

Synopsis:

When Sofia Bianchi’s father Aldo dies, it makes her stop and look at things afresh. Having been his carer for so many years, she knows it’s time for her to live her own life – and to fulfil some promises she made to Aldo in his final days.

So there’s nothing for it but to escape to Italy’s Umbrian mountains where, tucked away in a sleepy Italian village, lie plenty of family secrets waiting to be discovered. There, Sofia also finds Amy who is desperately trying to find her way in life after discovering her dad isn’t her biological father.

Sofia sets about helping Amy through this difficult time, but it’s the handsome Levi who proves to be the biggest distraction for Sofia, as her new life starts to take off…

My Thoughts:

When Sofia follows her fathers last wishes and promises him that she will visit Italy, his home and while there to pass on a message to his brother. While there Sofia meets Amy, a young woman who has left home after finding her dad isn’t actually her real dad.

From quite an emotional start to an emotional ending this author had me hooked in this beautiful story. It is one of people not only discovering things about themselves and their families but, about finding themselves.

I liked Sophia, she has level-headed and down to earth approach, but also with a cautious nature and yet still able to take a risk. Amy I didn’t like quite as much but that was more to do with the naivety of her character, and her ability to throw temper tantrums. This however is her coping mechanism for life and it did feel right for her as I got to know her more.

As much as I liked Sophia, there were times I wanted to tell her to go and enjoy herself more as I felt that the cautious nature did hold her back at times. So with that and Amy’s petulant outbursts it made it very interesting reading as I discovered the dynamics behind their friendship. I am so glad they met as Sophia could see and help with Amy’s vulnerability.

Now then there is a romantic side to this story, and I really loved this part as well. It is not too over the top and is actually the part of the story that adds the links between the other things going on. So then I got to meet Levi mmmm, oops sorry 🙂  he has his own story to tell and he is another character I liked just a little bit 😉

There various stories that the author has weaved around theses three characters, they each have their own reasons for being in Italy and you will discover the ins and outs of their lives as you are taken around the beautiful setting. Other characters pop in and have their own opinions, some more vocal than others.

This is a book I have wanted to read for a while now and it was perfect for sitting in my garden with. The settings and descriptions were wonderful and allowed me to visualise various aspects of the Italian village. This is a book that does deal with some serious threads and scenarios running through it and for me they were dealt with sympathetically and also realistically. I was able to see viewpoints from different characters so making it possible to see various arguments.

So I really enjoyed reading this book a whole lot, it is heartwarming and beautifully written, I had grinning face at some points, teary eyes at others, there were some secrets that caught me by surprise and some that I did see coming. I felt that by the end of the story that I had got to know Sophia, Amy and Levi quite well, their stories were developed and flowed to a very satisfying ending. This is a book I would definitely recommend to readers who want to escape into a story of family, love and self discovery. Ideal for readers of general fiction, women’s fiction xx

About the Author:

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Sue Moorcroft is a Sunday Times bestselling author, an international bestselling author and has held the #1 spot in the UK Kindle chart. She writes contemporary fiction with sometimes unexpected themes.

Sue has won a Best Romantic Read Award, received two nominations at the Romantic Novel of the Year Awards and is a Katie Fforde Bursary winner. Her short stories, serials, articles, columns, courses and writing ‘how to’ have sold around the world.

An army child, Sue was born in Germany then lived in Cyprus, Malta and the UK. She’s worked in a bank, as a bookkeeper (probably a mistake), as a copytaker for Motor Cycle News and for a digital prepress. She’s pleased to have now wriggled out of all ‘proper jobs’.

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Many thanks for reading my post, a like or share would be wonderful 🙂 xx

#Book Review : Living in Italy, The Real Deal by Stef Smulders @italie_verhalen

yvonnembee 1 Comment

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“Living In Italy : The Real Deal” by Stef Smulders is available in paperback and eBook.

Synopsis:

Would you dare to follow your dream and move or retire to Italy? Stef & Nico did, although their dog Sara had her doubts. Now from your comfortable armchair you can share in the hilarious & horrendous adventures they experienced when they moved to Italy to start a bed and breakfast.

For lovers of amusing travelogue memoirs who like a good laugh. And for those interested in practical advice on how to buy a house in Italy there is useful information along the way, pleasantly presented within the short stories.
Glossary of Italian words included! Learn the true meaning of Italian phrases and expressions like “non ci sono problemi“, “di fiducia“, “persone serie“, “tutto a norma” and many more. Learn a bit of the foreign language before going to Italy.
My Thoughts:
A while ago Stef asked me if I was interested in reading his book.  I was curious when I read the synopsis, of how Stef and Nico left The Netherlands to live in Italy running a B&B.  I had resisted the temptation to visit the website to see the before and after pictures, though I had seen a glimpse of them.  I wanted to read this book and build up my own image, from the descriptions Stef was going to describe on the pages of his book.
What started in 2007 with looking for a property to the end result of a beautiful home is remarkable, especially as you read all the hoops these two men went through to get to their dream.  All the rules and regulations seem to have been a minefield, with a lot of travelling between departments, authorities, bureaus, then there are the estate agent, owners, contractors and so many others.
2008/09 saw them in the property and as Italian residents, builders with extra unforeseen costs, weather, ground water and they still continued.  How Stef and Nico managed to remain calm and sane is remarkable.  Their patience was pushed to the limit, but they remained focused on their end goal.  They also started to build up a relationship with locals, going to see various attractions in the area.  They wanted to include a lists of places for their guests to visit.
I really liked this book, Stef has created a really great book of his  experiences.  He has the high points and the low points of the venture they embarked upon.  He has included a lot of Italian phrases and a very in-depth glossary, though as you read the phrases he has included meanings, it is very useful doing it this way as it saves flitting between glossary and story.  This is written in a very readable way, it kept me captivated from the beginning.  It is an account that is humorous at times and at others made me feel their anguish as they dealt with all the trials they went through.
So when I had finished the book I then went to look at their website ( you will find a link to this in the “About the Author” section below), and it is a beautiful house.  Did the descriptions I had read in the book match what I saw in the site ? Well yes they did actually, and I lost myself for a while looking and reading through the site.  I admit to being a little bit envious of their house, it is beautiful and in a gorgeous location.
I would recommend this book to readers who like to read about other people’s adventures in life, a non fiction, educational, reference guide to living in a different country.  It is well written, with great content and some weird and wonderful observations from Stef.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Stef for my copy of this book.  My thoughts expressed are my own and are unbiased.
About the Author:
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 Dutchman who moved to Italy in 2008 to live the good life wih husband and dog, welcoming guests in their Villa I Due Padroni B&B in the beautiful wine region Oltrepò Pavese, south of Milan.

Author of the Award winning book “Living in Italy: the Real Deal” with hilarious expat adventures.

Book Details:
  • Format: Kindle Edition
  • File Size: 949.0 KB
  • Print Length: 280 pages
  • Publisher: Babelcube Inc. (5 Nov. 2017)
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Better still, go and buy the book.

#BookReview : The Ornatrix by Kate Howard pub by @Duckbooks

yvonnembee 5 Comments

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The Ornatrix is available for purchase in Hardback, Paperback or eBook.  Published by Duckworth Overlook in July 2016.

 

Synopsis:

Flavia was born with a birthmark covering her face, in the shape of a bird in flight. A dyer’s daughter, she grows up in a little house in the woods, far away from prying eyes. Ashamed of the mark, her mother makes Flavia hide her face behind a veil on the rare occasions she is allowed to be seen in public. But on the night before her younger sister’s wedding, Flavia does something drastic, something that will draw her into a much wider and stranger world than she could have imagined: the convent of Santa Giuliana, just outside the city walls.

There she meets Ghostanza, a courtesan turned widow, whose white-lead painted face entrances Flavia, and whose beauty and cruelty are unmatched. Flavia becomes her ornatrix: her hairdresser and personal maid. But as white-lead paint rots the flesh below it, the bustling city, and Santa Giuliana, is rotting below the shimmer of wealth and privilege. And Flavia is drawn into a world of desire and jealousy that has devastating consequences.

Set in sixteenth-century Italy and rich in description and character, Kate Howard’s stunning debut novel is perfect for fans of Patrick Süskind’s Perfume, Kate Mosse’s The Taxidermist’s Daughter and Jessie Burton’s The Miniaturist. Painted against a vivid historical landscape with themes and characters relevant today, it tackles issues of belonging, female identity and the perception of beauty and cannot fail to move.

My Thoughts:

This book delves into the world of beauty and how beauty is perceived.  It is set in 16th Century Italy, at a time when it was fashionable for women to paint their faces in a lead based white paste called “cerussa” and the aim for the perfect face was all consuming.

This is something that Flavia, the main protagonist, would love to achieve.  Having been born with a birthmark in the shape of a bird on her face.  It was looked upon by her parents as being shameful and a mark of the devil, therefore Flavia spent most of her childhood hidden inside, or when going to church, wearing a veil.  Her life changes in many ways, one of the most significant is her meeting and working for Ghostanza.  Falvia becomes her personal hairdresser and maid, she becomes her “Ornatrix”.

This is a story I really enjoyed.  It’s a story that has a message.  It gave me something  to think about after reading.  Also I have learnt something from reading it.  I really liked the character of Flavia, at times she was petulant, jealous, and wilful, but given her history and her experiences it fitted well. It also fitted in with peoples perceptions of those who are different.  Difference seemed to give people the right to ridicule, mock and be extremely prejudiced.  The story also discusses the way cerussa was made, the long processes of having make up applied and the health dangers that came with using the products.  Also there is a character, I will not mention the name, who offers a voice of reason along with his views of beauty being on the inside and not on the outside.

Initially I found Flavia a little difficult to warm to, but this actually makes sense, she is a defensive, guarded character, but as her story comes out  I found myself understanding her and liked her, though not at all times.  There are several other characters from different backgrounds, these give a nice balance and show the the various opinions of society and class distinctions, giving a diverse range of viewpoints.  The settings were wonderfully described, giving me a indicators of sights, sounds and smells that helped build a vivid picture.

This story captivated me and kept me turning the pages.  Many themes discussed are still relevant today, particularly the lengths people will go to for beauty though the methods are different, also the prejudice shown for people who are considered different by society, we all know this still occurs though not to the lengths discussed in the book.

I would definitely recommend this book to readers of historical fiction.  I really liked the  inclusion of society, class and a girl trying desperately to find her place in the world.  I also think it would make a really good Book Group discussion read, there are some great talking/ debating points here.

 

I was sent his book by the publisher Duckworth Overlook , my views expressed are my own and are unbiased.

 

About the Author:

Kate Howard has lived in Italy for many years, but now lives in Brighton. She works at the University of Sussex.
The Ornatrix is her first novel.

 

Book Details:

  • Paperback: 272 pages
  • Publisher: Gerald Duckworth & Co Ltd (14 July 2016)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0715650971
  • ISBN-13: 978-0715650974

Purchase from : Amazon UK   | Amazon US |

 

Many thanks for reading my post.  If you liked it, please give it a share.  Better still go and buy the book.