Read See You in the Piazza New Places to Discover in Italy Frances Mayes 9780451497697 Books

Product details Hardcover 448 pages Publisher Crown; First Edition edition (March 12, 2019) Language English ISBN-10 0451497694

See You in the Piazza New Places to Discover in Italy Frances Mayes 9780451497697 Books Reviews

• Great read, can’t wait to visit some of these places. Hope they don’t become “Rick Steve’ed“ before we get there. One of my all time favorite travel books
• Always enjoy this author’s travel memoirs. The descriptions of the towns, people, and food give me a vicarious trip to Italy. I never really thought about Italy or wanted to go there before reading her books about it. I’m looking forward to trying some of the recipes.
• I really liked this travelogue. The author starts north in Torino and moves south geographically instead of her actual chronology. She is very descriptive and tells some stories about their travels in many cases but in some instance just lists restaurant and places to go. I would have like more detail in those spots. I like that she has added recipes and plan on trying a few. This book makes me want to get online and book a trip right now. I also like that she included links to reading material related to the place so that I can get further information on interesting topics. However, I have two major gripes with this book. The first is a lack of a map of any kind. I know, I can go to google maps and look something up but it is tedious, time consuming and breaks the flow of the book. The second is a lack of photos. I wanted photos of some of the specific places or foods she talked about but I also wanted pictures of the finished product in the recipes. When she described an egg stall at a market, I wanted to see the multishaped, multicolored eggs. When she described a carved, green marble ambo in a church, I wanted to see it. This book would have been much more powerful and interesting with photos. I think these are major flaws that hopefully will be fixed by publication. I’ll give it three stars now but would give it four of five if maps and photos are added. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
• Italy. What a wonderful place to visit! Simply the word conjures up the famous landmarks – The Colosseum, the Roman Forum, The Grand Canal of Venice, Michelangelo’s David, and much more. But, Frances Mayes latest book, See You in the Piazza, goes beyond these well-known places and takes the reader to the areas seldom mentioned in travel brochures or guidebooks.
  
  Ms Mayes lives in Italy part-time so she has the ability and the time to take the roads less travelled. As a result, the reader will enjoy the historic and cultural places she explores. The prose is delightful even when describing a flat tire north of Bologna and, especially, when describing the sights, smells and sounds of Italy. She often includes details of their meals, along with some very tempting recipes.
  
  See You in the Piazza takes the reader off the beaten path. It’s a wonderful book for anyone who has visited Italy or contemplates a trip in the future. And, be sure to have a map handy so you can visual the areas and plan your own adventures. Thumbs up, Ms Mayes. Thank you for taking me to Italy with you!
  
  Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.
• newbie author to me, France Mayes ... i look forward to reading more from her soon enough!! love the cover!! now i have seen the movie " Under The Tuscan Sun" with Diane Lane a billion times, love that movie, i am curious if it follows the authors read to the tee or what? I was super lucky to get an ARC ...not sure if this was a Goodreads giveaway or? no literature was in the book when i got it shipped to me??! love that when that happens but wish i knew who to thank??! thanks!! i love cooking, recipes ... i would love to see Italy and Australia ...yet to get to travel overseas. we have many locations in the US and Canada. so it was like this book was meant for me ... to tide me over a bit ..while i wait to see Italy ... i know i am part Italian ... i just gotta be ...not that i have been told so but i feel it. lol! no clue. just wish i was. i am not the only one to feel it was really a great trip to Italy ... like u were there ... will they make it a movie?
• 4.5 stars
  
  Mayes brings her delectable writing style to the pages of this travelogue/memoir/guide for all of us who wish we could take two weeks to walk in her shoes. Italy isn't just a place but an attitude and way of living, something Mayes makes clear through gently describing the distinctions between one little town and another.
  
  This is not a book you pick up with your map in hand to help you plan your trip to Italy so much as it is like a first date (or first date in a long time) with the Italian way to spend your day. Yes, she has the book organized in such a way that you could look up the province and town you want to visit to see her recommendations. However, she doesn't cover every little town (nor should she, as this isn't Frommer's) and she presents them in a well-organized tapestry of anecdotes of her experiences there. Mayes implies so much about what it means to be Italian and live like one without having to hold your hand to communicate it.
  
  Read it because I have a feeling you'll learn how to appreciate Italy after you travel through it with her. Perhaps you'll even find a way to sit in a cafe around your own corner and ponder with peaceful quiet the way she can in Italy. You'll get both story and guide in this book. Thank you, Frances Mayes! Now I'm saving up for another trip to Italy!