Books: Seven Amazing Reads From Around the World

We all need to escape our everyday realities from time to time, and no better way to do that than with a good book. Check out these seven great reads that will transport you to beautiful locations around the world.

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At Least You’re in Tuscany by Jennifer Criswell

Jennifer Criswell’s move from NYC to Tuscany was not supposed to go like this. She had envisioned lazy mornings sipping espresso, penning a best-selling novel and jovial group dinners, just like in the movies and books about expatriate life in Italy.
Then she met reality: no work, constant struggles with Italian bureaucracy to claim citizenship through her ancestors, and perhaps worst of all, becoming the talk of the town after her torrid affair with a local fruit vendor.
At Least You’re in Tuscany is the intimate, honest, and often hilarious tale of Jennifer’s first year in Montepulciano. During that time, Jennifer’s internal optimist was forced to work overtime, reminding her that if she were going to be homeless, lonely, and broke, at least she would be all those things–in Tuscany.

Through all her small-town bumblings, though, Jennifer’s mantra, along with a healthy dose of enthusiasm and willingness to learn about Italian culture, helped her not only build a new, rewarding life in Italy but also find herself along the way.

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Only in Spain: A Foot-Stomping, Firecracker of a Memoir about Food, Flamenco, and Falling in Loveby Nellie Bennett 

One day, Nellie Bennett falls in love with flamenco in a Sydney dance studio. Tired of her boring job and longing to get closer to the authentic experience, she packs her suede dance shoes and travels to Seville, Spain. What Nellie didn’t realize is that flamenco is not just a dance; it’s a way of life. While there, she falls in love three times-with a smoky-eyed dance teacher, a tempestuous Gypsy, and with a handsome Basque chef-only to discover that it’s the country that’s held her heart all along.

 

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The Bitches of Brooklyn by Rosemary Harris 

From the author of Pushing Up Daisies and Dead Head comes The Bitches of Brooklyn. Are they really bitches? That depends who you ask.
Four friends await the arrival of a fifth at a secluded Cape Cod bungalow where they spend an all-girls weekend every summer. But this year the fifth woman doesn’t show. Instead she sends a note that reads – “I’ve run off with one of your men.”
The Bitches of Brooklyn has been called “a cross between Pretty Little Liars and Sex in the City.” Inspired by a classic Hollywood film, The Bitches of Brooklyn will appeal to readers of Jennifer Weiner, Cathleen Schine and Susan Isaacs and is for every woman who’s ever had a best friend and wondered…is she really??

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Lost in Hotels by M. Martin

From the founder of TheJetSetReport, follow author M. Martin around the glamourous world. Martin’s travel experience is evident in his novel that follows David and Catherine through some of the world’s best hotels as they embark on a passionate affair around the world. Sexy, sultry, seductive reading.

 

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Home Sweet Anywhere: How We Sold Our House, Created a New Life, and Saw the World by Lynne Martin 

An enchanting account of how one couple sold everything to fulfill a dream of living abroad-one country at a time. Reunited in love after 35 years and suffering from a serious case of preretirement wanderlust, Lynne and Tim Martin made a life-altering decision: they sold their house and possessions and hit the road to live internationally full-time.

Now tethered to nothing but their suitcases, each other, and their next exotic location, they’ve never looked back.

From sky-high pyramids in Mexico to monkeys in Marrakech, this delightful, inspiring memoir is a romantic tale of derring-do for grown-ups and a road map for anyone who dreams of turning the idea of life abroad into a reality.

 

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Beyond The Pasta; Recipes, Language and Life with an Italian Family by Mark Leslie 

Several years ago, on a break between theatrical gigs in Alabama, Mark Leslie traveled to Italy and fell in love with the people, food and culture. Armed with just enough courage, minimal Italian language skills, and a certain proficiency in the kitchen, he enrolled in a full-immersion cooking and language program.

He would travel south of Tuscany to Viterbo, Italy and live with an Italian family. His teachers were beyond his wildest dreams-he learned to cook from the grandmother, or Nonna, of the family, who prepared every meal in a bustling, busy household, as women in her family have done for generations. Her daughter, Alessandra, taught him the language with patience and precision. Besides culinary secrets and prepositions, they opened their lives to him, and made him a real part of their extensive family.

Though the book contains authentic, delicious family recipes Nonna shared with Mark, Beyond the Pasta delves into food memoir subject matter not found in a typical cookbook. It was the day-to-day shopping with Nonna, exploring the countryside and le gelaterie, where he truly developed his language skills, and a new, more joyful and uniquely Italian way of looking at the world.  Recipes include gluten-free dishes!

 

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A Cafe in Arcadia by Steve Kerr

Uniquely fusing a travel book with fiction, A Café in Arcadia displays the harsh reality of just what happens when a peaceful and insular Greek town is ‘invaded’ by expats. Taking readers into the clashes, misunderstandings and conundrums of the new residents’ tumultuous lives, Kerr’s celebrated new novel is resonating with readers everywhere.