Still perched on a lake in rural Illinois, waiting to be issued an Italian long-term residence Visa, I am reading my weight in books.

Probably the best novel I’ve read set in Renaissance Italy. And I’ve read them all!

One can read this novel and know that it accurately portrays the events and figures of the time in which it is set. I hate it when books, movies or tv series say they are historically based and then take all kinds of licenses with the actual facts of the stories. The Medici comes to mind. I couldn’t watch it, it was so ill-informed.

And another great read is the following. It has an entirely different flavor and is connected to the unsolved art heist at the Gardner Museum in 1990. Loved this book too!

And then there was Maestra! This book is exactly up my alley, down my street, whatever you like. I loved it! Highly recommend!