Scannella, Francesco. Sicilian Shadows. Medina Publishing, 2014.

In this compelling memoir, the author throws open a window on the true nature of Sicilians, explains how and why they turn to the Mafia and how desperate life was at the time. He tells with wry humour and brutal honesty of tragic young love; of how a school friend became an assassin; of politics and philosophy, cookery and cryptozoology. Frank Sinatra makes an appearance, as does the father of the modern Mafia, Don Caló Vizzini. Sicilian Shadows, Francesco Scannella’s first book, is an absorbing story of the loss of innocence, a homage to a homeland, and a history lesson about one of the most misunderstood societies in the world: light years away from cosmopolitan Palermo and the paparazzi glitz of 1960s Italy.

Hooper, John. The Italians. Viking, 2015.

John Hooper’s entertaining and perceptive book is the ideal companion for anyone seeking to understand contemporary Italy and the unique character of the Italians. Fifteen years as a foreign correspondent based in Rome have sharpened Hooper’s observations, and he looks at the facts that lie behind the stereotypes, shedding new light on everything from the Italians’ bewildering politics to their love of life and beauty. Hooper persuasively demonstrates the impact of geography, history, and tradition on many aspects of Italian life, including football and Freemasonry, sex, food, and opera.

Robb, Peter. Midnight in Sicily: On Art, Food, History, Travel and la Cosa Nostra. Picador, 2007.

South of mainland Italy lies the island of Sicily, home to an ancient culture that—with its stark landscapes, glorious coastlines, and extraordinary treasure troves of art and archeology—has seduced travelers for centuries. But at the heart of the island's rare beauty is a network of violence and corruption that reaches into every corner of Sicilian life: Cosa Nostra, the Mafia. Peter Robb lived in southern Italy for over fourteen years and recounts its sensuous pleasures, its literature, politics, art, and crimes.

Benjamin, Sandra. Sicily: Three Thousand Years of Human History. Steerforth Press, 2010.

Tourists, armchair travelers, and historians will all delight in this fluid narrative that can be read straight through, dipped into over time, or used as a reference guide to each period in Sicily’s fascinating tale. Emigration of people from Sicily often overshadows the importance of the people who immigrated to the island through the centuries. These have included several who became Sicily’s rulers, along with Jews, Ligurians, and Albanians. Greeks, Romans, Vandals, Goths, Byzantines, Muslims, Normans, Hohenstaufens, Spaniards, Bourbons, the Savoy Kingdom of Italy and the modern era have all held sway, and left lasting influences on the island’s culture and architecture.

Mayes, Frances. See You in the Piazza: New Places to Discover in Italy.Crown Publishing Group, 2019.

In See You in the Piazza, Frances Mayes introduces us to the Italy only the locals know, as she and her husband, Ed, eat and drink their way through thirteen regions—from Friuli to Sicily. Along the way, she seeks out the cultural and historic gems not found in traditional guidebooks.

Tooze, Adam. Crashed: How a Decade of Financial Crises Changed the World. Penguin Books, 2019.

In September 2008 the Great Financial Crisis, triggered by the collapse of Lehman brothers, shook the world. A decade later its specter still haunts us. As the appalling scope and scale of the crash was revealed, the financial institutions that had symbolized the West’s triumph since the end of the Cold War, seemed – through greed, malice and incompetence – to be about to bring the entire system to its knees. Crashed is an original analysis of what happened and how we were rescued from something even worse – but at a price which continues to undermine democracy across Europe and the United States.

Ferrante, Elena. Translated by Ann Goldstein. The Lost Daughter. Europa Editions, 2008.

Leda is a middle-aged divorcée devoted to her work as an English teacher and to her two children. When her daughters leave home to be with their father in Canada, Leda anticipates a period of loneliness and longing. Instead, slightly embarrassed by the sensation, she feels liberated, as if her life has become lighter, easier. She decides to take a holiday by the sea, in a small coastal town in southern Italy. But after a few days of calm and quiet, things begin to take a menacing turn. Leda encounters a family whose brash presence proves unsettling, at times even threatening. When a small, seemingly meaningless, event occurs, Leda is overwhelmed by memories of the difficult and unconventional choices she made as a mother and their consequences for herself and her family.

Vittorini, Elio. Translated by Alane Salierno Mason. Conversations in Sicily. 1941. New Directions, 2000.

Conversations in Sicily begins at a time in the narrator’s life when nothing seems to matter; whether he is reading newspaper posters blaring of wartime massacres, lying in bed with his wife or girlfriend, or flipping through the pages of a dictionary, it is all the same to him––until he embarks on a journey back to Sicily, the home he has not seen in some fifteen years. In traveling through the Sicilian countryside and in variously hilarious and tragic conversations with its people––his indomitable mother in particular––he reconnects with his roots and rediscovers some basic human values.

Di Lampedusa, Giuseppe Tomasi. The Leopard. 1958. Penguin Random House, 2007.

Set in the 1860s, The Leopard tells the spellbinding story of a decadent, dying Sicilian aristocracy threatened by the approaching forces of democracy and revolution. The dramatic sweep and richness of observation, the seamless intertwining of public and private worlds, and the grasp of human frailty imbue The Leopard with its particular melancholy beauty and power, and place it among the greatest historical novels of our time.

Siddons, Anne Rivers. The Girls of August.Grand Central Publishing, 2014.

For fifteen years, four "girls of August" would gather together to spend a week at the beach, until tragedy interrupts their ritual. Now they reunite for a startling week of discoveries. The ritual began when they were in their twenties and their husbands were in medical school, and became a mainstay of every summer thereafter. Their only criteria was oceanfront and isolation, their only desire to strengthen their far-flung friendships. They called themselves the Girls of August. But when one of the Girls dies tragically, the group slowly drifts apart and their vacations together are brought to a halt.

First Words – Italian: 100 Italian Words to Learn.Lonely Planet Kids, 2018.

Bring the Italian language to life with this beautifully illustrated children's book from Lonely Planet Kids, an imprint of Lonely Planet, the world's leading travel guide and phrasebook publisher. Perfect for the whole family, First Words Italian features 100 words to use while traveling, from food and transport, to animals and weather. Each word is accompanied with a bold illustration and a simple pronunciation guide to make the vocabulary fun and easy to learn. Plus, its small size makes it a handy addition to any trip to Italy.

Blashfield, Jean F. Italy. (Enchantment of the World series). Scholastic, 2014.

With settlements that date back thousands of years, Italy is home to some of the oldest cities on Earth. Readers will explore this fascinating nation and take a close look at everything from its many recognizable landmarks to its world-famous cuisine. They will travel back to the days of ancient Rome to get a glimpse of Italy’s origins and then zoom forward to see how the country’s people live today.

Simmons, Walter. Italy.Bellweather Media, 2012.

Sticking out into the Mediterranean Sea, Italy has some of the nicest weather in Europe. It is famous for its art, architecture, and cuisine. Readers will discover the physical geography of Italy through descriptions of the landscape, waters, and coasts. They will also learn about the cultural geography of Italy, reading about Italian schools, businesses, and communities.

Matson, Morgan. Second Chance Summer.Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2012.

Taylor Edwards's family might not be the closest-knit—everyone is a little too busy and overscheduled—but for the most part, they get along just fine. Then, Taylor's dad gets devastating news, and her parents decide that the family will spend one last summer all together at their old lake house in the Pocono Mountains. Crammed into a place much smaller and more rustic than they are used to, they begin to get to know each other again. And Taylor discovers that the people she thought she had left behind haven't actually gone anywhere.

Welch, Jenna Evans. Love & Gelato. Simon Pulse, 2016.

A summer in Italy turns into a road trip across Tuscany in this sweeping debut novel filled with romance, mystery, and adventure. Lina is spending the summer in Tuscany, but she isn't in the mood for Italy's famous sunshine and fairy-tale landscape. She's only there because it was her mother's dying wish that she get to know her father. But what kind of father isn't around for sixteen years? All Lina wants to do is get back home. But then Lina is given a journal that her mom had kept when she lived in Italy. Suddenly Lina's uncovering a magical world of secret romances, art, and hidden bakeries.

Runyon, Brent. Surface Tension: A Novel in Four Summers.Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2009.

The cottage on the lake is always the same, but Luke is changing. At thirteen he's excited. At fourteen he's cool. At fifteen he's pissed off. At sixteen he's in love. Through four summers' worth of trips to the emergency room, campfires and house fires, parties and feuds with neighbors, Luke is doing his best to navigate life. He makes discoveries, makes mistakes, freaks out, and comes to see things in a new light. Brent Runyon has crafted a remarkable portrait of a boy at four distinct points in his life and literally shows us his coming of age.

Tamaki, Mariko and Jillian. This One Summer. First Second, 2014.

Rose and her parents have been going to Awago Beach since she was a little girl. It’s her summer getaway, her refuge. Her friend Windy is always there, too, like the little sister she never had, completing her summer family. But this summer is different. Rose’s mom and dad won’t stop fighting, and Rose and Windy have gotten tangled up in a tragedy-in-the-making in the small town of Awago Beach. It’s a summer of secrets and heartache, and it’s a good thing Rose and Windy have each other.