I don’t know about you, but in the summer heat of Italy, the best place in the middle of the afternoon, when Italians traditionally disappear from public life for their daily pausa, you will find me in my air conditioned apartment reading. And I am so grateful for the plethora of excellent books available online. What a great time to be alive!

Here are some of the best of the best of my recent reading.

A great read. Kept me in suspense to the last page. Bravo!

Fabulous writing, incredible story, all based on painful truths. Highly recommend.

A sprawling saga, well drawn, recommend! There are worse things than having an estranged adult child as you will read in this book.

Edith Wharton is one of my favorite authors and I had not read this book before. I enjoyed it thoroughly. There are all kinds of parent/child relationships in humankind. This is a short study of one type.

An easy, light read. Sweet and summery.

By the same author, The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper, an uplifting book that is as charming as it title suggests. Honestly.

A prequel to the same author’s book, Long Island, about which I posted 2 book posts back. Enjoyable, light read.

The Dressmakers of London. I was sucked in immediately and could not stop until I finished it.

And Then She Was Gone. Recommend!

Fabulous novel.

First Born Girls by Bernice L. McFadden. Liked it a lot.

The Winemaker’s Wife by Kristin Harmel. Tells a great story and educates the reader about the resistance in occupied France during WWII.