August has been my month of Italian inspiration, and I’m closing it with a literary passport: 10 books that transport you straight to Italy. From Ferrante’s vibrant Naples to Baricco’s lyrical seas, from a seamstress’s Sardinian dreams to the bold, sprawling life of Modesta in The Art of Joy, these stories capture the many faces of Italy—its beauty, its chaos, its irresistible charm.
Whether you’re craving sun-drenched piazzas, a taste of Puglia, or the quiet nostalgia of the Amalfi Coast, these books will take you there—no ticket required.
📚 Books mentioned in this episode:
L’amica geniale tetralogy – Elena Ferrante
The Seamstress of Sardinia – Bianca Pitzorno
La fougue d’Anna (Anna's Escape) – Mattia Corrente
Novecento – Alessandro Baricco
The Book of San Michele – Axel Munthe
The Imperfectionists – Tom Rachman
The Apprentice Lover – Jay Parini
Six Characters in Search of an Author – Luigi Pirandello
The Art of Joy – Goliarda Sapienza
Head Over Heel: Seduced by Southern Italy – Chris Harrison
✨ Stay tuned for next month’s series: A Parisian Autumn at The Ritual of Reading, where we’ll wander through bookshops, cafés, and stories set in the City of Light.
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