By Crystal King
When I can't be in Italy, I want to write about Italy, and read about Italy. I want to live vicariously through the words of others; walk the streets that Michelangelo walked; sit in the same cafe that Goethe, Keats and Byron frequented; and admire the walls that Raphael painted. I want to hear the stories that families like the Borgias, Barberini, Colonna and Orsini inspired. I want to read about the artists that the Medici and Farnese bankrolled. I want to read the fairy tales of the land that I love with all my heart.
And if I can introduce these books to others? Even better. The following list contains some of my favorite books set in Italy. It will change and grow over time. It is arbitrary, it is subjective, and it is a list of my own making. Note that I'm not taking requests for additions to it.
Crystal King
Paperback
$21.99
$20.45
I'm rather partial to this book, for obvious reasons. :-) It's a love story, a mystery and a tale of decadent popes, princes and the chef that fed them all.
Crystal King
Paperback
$19.99
$18.59
This book was my first labor of love. Apicius was the world's first famous gourmand. He lived a luxurious life and had a wild, tragic death. I tell the story of how he got there.
Laura Morelli
Paperback
$16.99
$15.80
The Night Portrait is an astonishing, epic tale that seamlessly spans centuries of history and art, encompassing the beauty of the Renaissance and the horrible truths of Nazi Germany. Masterfully imagined and unforgettable, this riveting novel shows us the power of art to bring hope in a world of despair.
Stephanie Storey
Hardback
$24.99
$23.24
A delightful first-person story from one of Rome's most famous painters.
Alyssa Palombo
Paperback
$20.99
$19.51
The latest from Alyssa Palombo, in which she turns our notion of bad-boy Cesare Borgia on its end.
Margaret George
Paperback
$18.00
$16.74
Was Nero really as horrible as we think him to be? Or just misunderstood? Margaret George paints a fascinating new look at the emperor who watched Rome burn.
Olivia Kate Cerrone
Other
$12.00
$11.16
Sicily's past is a tough one, particularly for the boys working in the sulfur mines. A short book, but one that will remain long in your memory.
Anthony Doerr
Paperback
$17.99
$16.73
You may know Doerr from his other stunning novel, but lovers of Rome will love his poignant observations from the time he spent in the Eternal City after winning the Rome Prize.
Kate Quinn
Paperback
$16.00
$14.88
Kate Quinn has a number of books out, but I'm partial to this series, which features a different take on Bartolomeo Scappi, the famous chef I wrote about in my novel, THE CHEF'S SECRET. Intrigue, mystery, scandal and love affairs galore.
Jessie Chaffee
Other
$16.00
$14.88
A young woman's quest to find herself emotionally--and physically--in a city where food is means more than just sustenance.
Laura Morelli
Paperback
$16.49
$15.34
The first book I read by Laura Morelli, about a young gondola maker. It's a love story with an eye-opening dash of Venetian history on the side.
Lori Nelson Spielman
Paperback
$17.00
$15.81
A book about love and sisterhood set against the backdrop of il bel paese.
Elle Newmark
Paperback
$24.99
Sadly, the world is without Elle Newmark now. She was a brilliant food writer and one of the people who dipped deep into Italy's past and left a lasting mark on me.
Ovide,
David Raeburn,
Denis Feeney
Paperback
$12.00
$11.16
The Roman myths that inspired countless other tales. This translation is absolutely beautiful and brings out Ovid's mastery of story.
Melodie Winawer
Paperback
$18.99
$17.66
A time-traveling love story that takes place in the midst of the Black Plague that nearly wipes out Siena.
Elena Ferrante,
Ann Goldstein
Hardback
$26.00
$24.18
Ferrante's newest novel is a page-turner and a deep look into the life of a young girl discovering the layers of lies her father and his family have developed around them.
Robert Graves
Paperback
$19.00
$17.67
A masterpiece of fiction that has inspired movies, television and plays. Once you pick it up, you won't be able to put it down.
Petronius,
P. G. Walsh
Paperback
$12.95
$12.04
The world's first "novel," this is a raucous, wild, sex-filled novel about the bizarre exploits of retired gladiator, Encolpius, and his slave and boyfriend Giton, a handsome sixteen-year-old boy.
Phyllis T. Smith
Other
$14.95
$13.90
A look at the world of Ancient Rome through the eyes of Livia, one of the most infamous women in history.
Steven Saylor
Paperback
$25.00
$23.25
Roma is a sweeping novel that spans centuries of la bella citta.
Robert Harris
Paperback
$19.00
$17.67
Robert Harris takes the reader through the days leading up to, and through the eruption that buried the city.
Italo Calvino
Paperback
$18.99
$17.66
A heady, romantic, avant-garde novel that takes a bit to wrap your head around. Each word Calvino writes is a joy.
Sarah Dunant
Paperback
$17.00
$15.81
One of the first historical books set in Italy that I read. Dunant's works are an inspiration for me and my writing.
Lindsey Davis
Paperback
$22.99
$21.38
If you love historical mystery, Davis is one of the true masters. This is the book that began them all, the love story of the Emperor Vespasian and Antonia Caenis.
Visit my site at crystalking.com for more on me, my books, Italy, and food history.