"Books can tell different things to different readers." Valentina, who is an avid reader, currently lives in Bangkok. During this discussion, we discussed the book: Bangkok Wakes to Rain by Pitchaya Sudbanthad, one of the Thai contemporary writers. Books for Vale is a way to get to know other cultures; a way for symbolic and real travelling, meeting "the other" and know yourself better. Therefore, she has a deep connection with plenty of books. Just to name a few: The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas, The Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte, everything by Verne or Jane Austen; furthermore Italian writers, such as The Desert of the Tartars by Dino Buzzati and Separated Chambers by Vittorio Tondelli. Besides Asian and Western literature, Vale is fond of Anglo-African writers and literature, too, such as: Memory of Love by Aminatta Forna; Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Paradise by the Nobel prize-winning Abdulrazak Gurnah. As Vale said: books are very much alive, they are not dead things and "Our meaningless lives get a new meaning through these stories." She was reading Four Reigns by Kukrit Pramoj at the time when this interview was recorded. We guarantee that through her passion, the dear listener will also pick up a couple of recommendations from Vale to increase their tbr pile! :-)
If you speak Italian and interested in her mission and life in Bangkok, too, check out her blog here: http://rivalutandoleminevaganti.blogspot.com/
