Books from Italy

When a fake dating scheme to get a Harvard professor to fund her research goes awry, PhD candidate Olive Smith finds herself in an unlikely relationship with the notoriously cold and brilliant Adam Carlsen. What starts as a mutually beneficial arrangement quickly becomes complicated as Olive navigates the cutthroat world of academia and her growing feelings for Adam. This charming romance is perfect for anyone who loves witty banter and a slow-burn connection.

• fake dating
• grumpy sunshine

In a world where supernatural beings and humans coexist, Misery Dueña and Lowe Proctor enter into a marriage of convenience to unite their warring factions. What begins as a political alliance soon sparks an undeniable attraction between them. As they navigate the complexities of their union, they must decide if their arrangement is truly just for show or if it's destined for something more.

• marriage of convenience
• enemies to lovers

In the year 1327, a remote Italian abbey becomes the scene of a series of baffling deaths. A learned Franciscan monk, Brother William of Baskerville, arrives to investigate, but soon finds himself entangled in a dangerous mystery. The abbey's vast library holds secrets that could expose heresy and power struggles, and William must race against time to uncover the truth before more lives are lost.

• quest
• locked room
• mentor figure

Lost in a dark wood, Dante is guided by the poet Virgil down through the nine circles of Hell, where the damned endure punishments fitted to their sins. The first part of the Divine Comedy is a vivid, terrifying vision of divine justice and the start of the poet's path toward grace.

• quest

In 1861 France, a silkworm breeder named Herve Joncour travels to the exotic and forbidden land of Japan. His mission is to save his country's silk industry, but he finds himself unexpectedly drawn to a mysterious concubine. Their encounter sparks a deep, forbidden love that defies all boundaries of language and culture.

• forbidden love
• quest

When Vitangelo Moscardo's wife casually points out his nose is tilted, he becomes consumed by the realization that everyone perceives him differently. This revelation shatters his sense of self, leading him on a desperate quest to control how others see him and to forge a singular identity. As he careens from one chaotic situation to the next, Moscardo finds a strange freedom, even as his sanity is questioned.

• unreliable narrator
• multiple povs

This novel explores the complex, lifelong friendship between two girls from a working-class neighborhood in Naples. Their bond evolves through childhood and adulthood, marked by personal growth, mutual influence, and the changing social landscape. It's a story about connection, rivalry, and the lasting impact of a deep relationship.

• coming of age
• friends to lovers
• rivals

Italo Calvino's 1979 metafictional novel is addressed to "you", the Reader, who keeps starting novels and never getting to finish them.

• multiple povs
• mystery box
• quest

Embark on an extraordinary journey through the afterlife with Dante Alighieri's masterpiece, The Divine Comedy. This epic poem guides readers through the depths of Hell, the trials of Purgatory, and the wonders of Paradise, where the poet encounters historical figures and reflects on sin, redemption, and justice.

• quest
• mentor figure

In Tuscany, a mother and son have been missing for months. When the son reappears, he claims to have committed a terrible crime. An hypnotist, Pietro Gerber, is called to investigate and suspects a darker truth lies beneath the surface. As disturbing events escalate, Gerber finds himself entangled in a deadly puzzle where his life and the boy's are at stake.

• reluctant hero
• unreliable narrator

In a poor, violent quarter of 1950s Naples, studious Elena Greco measures her own life against her brilliant friend Lila Cerullo, whose gifts outrun every school that shuts her out. Marrying at sixteen looks like Lila's way free, until her wedding day shows her whose family she has actually joined.

• coming of age
• rivals

During a theater rehearsal, six mysterious individuals appear, claiming to be unfinished characters from an author's imagination. They demand that the actors bring their tragic family story to life. As the 'real-life characters' recount their past, their conflicting perspectives lead to arguments and an unresolved search for truth. This play explores the elusive nature of reality and identity.

• unreliable narrator
• family saga
• mystery box

The French edition of Donato Carrisi's bestselling debut, first of the Mila Vasquez novels. When six severed arms are found buried in a forest — but only five girls are missing — a special team including criminologist Goran Gavila and missing-children specialist Mila Vasquez hunts a manipulator who works through whispers and suggestion. A dark, twist-laden serial-killer thriller.

• unreliable narrator
• mystery box

Three bored editors at a Milan publishing house invent a private joke: a master conspiracy linking every secret society in history to one hidden design. Real occultists believe it, and the game turns lethal for the friend who built it.

In August 1938, as Europe descends into fascism and war, Pereira, the cultural editor of a Lisbon newspaper, meticulously recounts a tragic period of his life. Obsessed with death, this ordinary man has long sought refuge in the past, avoiding the harsh realities of his present. However, a series of encounters will soon challenge his detachment, forcing him to confront the limitations of aesthetic considerations in a world on the brink.

• unreliable narrator
• redemption arc

In 18th-century Italy, a young nobleman named Cosimo di Rondò makes an extraordinary choice: to live his entire life in the trees. From his arboreal home, he witnesses history unfold, experiences love, and forges a unique existence. This is a remarkable story of a life lived apart, yet profoundly connected to the world below.

• fish out of water

Inspector Montalbano is back, diving into a perplexing case in a quiet Sicilian town. When a well-known engineer is found dead under suspicious circumstances, Montalbano must navigate local secrets and hidden motives to uncover the truth. Get ready for a classic whodunit with a distinct Italian flavor.

In 'Dreams of Dreams,' a character recounts a series of vivid and often surreal dreams, blurring the lines between reality and imagination. This introspective journey delves into memory, identity, and the nature of storytelling itself, inviting readers to ponder the meaning behind these nocturnal visions.

Finally back in print, a frighteningly lucid feminist horror story about marriage The Dry Heart begins and ends with the matter-of-fact pronouncement: “I shot him between the eyes.” As the tale—a plunge into the chilly waters of loneliness, desperation, and bitterness—proceeds, the narrator's murder of her flighty husband takes on a certain logical inevitability. Stripped of any preciousness or sentimentality, Natalia Ginzburg's writing here is white-hot, tempered by rage. She transforms the unhappy tale of an ordinary dull marriage into a rich psychological thriller that seems to beg the question: why don't more wives kill their husbands?

Antonio Porchia's "Voices" is a collection of profound aphorisms and philosophical reflections. These short, powerful statements explore the essence of human experience and the unique nature of each moment. It's a work that invites deep contemplation on life's fundamental truths.

International insolvencies are a common feature worldwide in business and finance sectors and the scale and frequency of such occurrences have caught the attention of many academics and commentators. Following on from the 2008 book, International Insolvency Law: Themes and Perspectives, this book presents up-to-date accounts of themes in the field of insolvency law. It deals with reforms in and challenges to the subject in relation to its comparative and international aspect. The cutting edge contributions include chapters from common law, civil and mixed traditions and have been conceived to increase awareness of the impact of insolvency law within domestic, regional and global contexts. Useful and thought-provoking, the chapters take an innovative approach and give new interpretations to hitherto available material.This book will be invaluable for those wishing to keep abreast of developments in jurisdictions representing all legal traditions and is a useful guide to the improvement and reform of insolvency laws and frameworks.

Quarant'anni di vita italiana e una famiglia indimenticabile sono al centro di una straordinaria autobiografia che allinea una serie di personaggi famosi, da Filippo Turati a Cesare Pavese. Un libro unico, un ritratto di famiglia dell'Italia migliore che continua a incantare e divertire anche i lettori delle nuove generazioni. Annotation Supplied by Informazioni Editoriali

Join five ordinary girls as they discover they are the new guardians of the universe, tasked with protecting the mystical Kandrakar and the Earth from evil. In these first two issues, 'Halloween' and 'The Twelve Portals,' the girls learn to harness their elemental powers and embark on their first thrilling adventures.

• chosen one
• found family

Join the Thea Sisters as they jet off to Italy for an exciting ballet competition! But when they uncover a plot to rig the prestigious event, these mouselets must turn into detectives. Can they solve the mystery in time to help their new friend achieve her dream of becoming a ballerina?

• quest

Second collected volume of the Italian W.I.T.C.H. comic in Polish translation, gathering issues 13–24: the five Guardians face new romantic entanglements and a reunion with Elyon, now ruler of a magical kingdom.

• portal fantasy