I Doff My Cap to Frances

It's that time of the year when I pick a theme for my summer reading list. I've grown to love this little ritual of mine that grew out of reading a whack of Italian-themed books one summer. I was out on the patio one lazy July afternoon listening to "Under the Tuscan Sun"(Frances Mayes) on audio tape. Frances was describing a simple pasta dish she was making for some unexpected guests that showed up at her Italian villa. There was something about the way she described the
fresh ingredients( in her Southern Belle drawl!) that just drew me in. So much so , that I actually
became interested in cooking! This delighted my BeLoVeD who had , reluctantly, grown used to my throw-it-together-not-so-tasty
meals. (I knew I was becoming a good cook when my two dogs actually began showing up in the kitchen while I cooked dinner!) It was right then and there on the patio that my interest in All Things Italian blossomed and my themed summer reading list was born...so hats off to Frances!

Past summer themes and favorite summer book:
*South Africa. "My Traitor's Heart" (Rian Malan) Not an easy read, but enormously fascinating account of Apartheid from Malan, whose ancestors were the architects of Apartheid. This is one of the best books I've ever read!
*Ocean Storms. "Isaac's Storm: A Man, A Time, and a Hurricane" (Erik Larson) Listen to it on audio tape...it's riveting! It's about the hurricane that hit Galveston, Texas, in the early 1900's.
*Girly-girl. (tough summer=light reading!) "The Devil Wears Prada"(Lauren Weisberger) Come on, admit it. You thought it was a fun read, too;)
*Afghanistan. "The Kite Runner" (Khaled Hosseini) Also not an easy topic, but richly written!
*Strong Women. "Without Reservations" (Alice Steinbach) Oh MaN...I'd like to BE this woman! It's a great summer book that will re-awaken any curiosity and adventurousness that you may have lost along the way!

Nature is this summer's theme, and I can hardly wait to get started! I've made a preliminary reading list...which may change upon a whim...or a good recommendation! Here it is:
*A Practical Guide for the Amateur Naturalist(Gerald Durrell)
*The Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne(Gilbert White)
*A Country Year: Living the Questions(Sue Hubbell)
*Walden(Thoreau)
*The Country of the Pointed Furs(Sarah Orne Jewett)

A good British mystery and one sea-related book rounds out the summer, usually coming to an end during Labor Day weekend. I'm always a bit melancholy when I read the last page of a summer book, but I find that my summers are more memorable now. Sort of like a song that
triggers a special memory...

Ciao!