Sicily '43 by James Holland

 Sicily '43: The First Assault on Fortress Europe by James Holland-598 pages

This is a long-overdue popular account of a major Allied campaign that's been overshadowed by later events. The Sicilian invasion was a major test of coordination between the U.S. and British armies and their naval counterparts. The author does an excellent job of discrediting certain criticisms of the 38-day battle, such as too many German units were allowed to escape across the straits of Messina. The book gives an accurate picture of combat experiences in various parts of the sweltering island, and the overall importance of capturing the island in the Allied strategy.

Forgotten Fifteenth by Barrett Tillman

Forgotten Fifteenth: The Daring Men Who Crippled Hitler's War Machine by Barrett Tillman -338 pages

This book examines the overlooked Fifteenth Air Force that operated from North Africa and then Italy during World War II. The bomber and fighter wings played a major role in wrecking Nazi Germany's oil production capability and paid a heavy toll in the process. Besides the overall strategic view of the air campaign, there are also numerous stories of individual valor on the part of the air crews and pilots. The author also gives proper credit to the ground crews who kept these aircraft flying, even in miserable conditions.

Reasonable Doubts by Gianrico Carofiglio

Reasonable Doubts by Gianrico Carofiglio – 288 p.

Good legal suspense story translated from the original Italian. When criminal defense attorney Guido Guerrieri is called upon to defend a childhood archnemesis, he must re-evaluate long held feelings and assumptions. I especially enjoyed immersing myself in the southern Italian setting.

“Fabio Paolicelli has been sentenced to sixteen years for drug smuggling. The odds are stacked against the accused: not only the fact that he initially confessed to the crime but also his past as a neo-Fascist thug. It is only the intervention of Paolicelli's beautiful half-Japanese wife that finally overcomes Guerrieri's reluctance. Matters are further complicated when Guerrieri ends up in bed with her.”

The Girl From Venice by Martin Cruz Smith

The Girl From Venice by Martin Cruz Smith   -   352 p.

It is early 1945 and Cenzo Vianello, a simple fisherman who just wants to avoid trouble and survive, retrieves an apparently dead girl floating in his lagoon. But things are never as they seem, especially in war time. In his efforts to help someone in the wrong place at the worst time, Cenzo becomes more and more deeply involved with a select circle that includes his movie star/war hero brother, a talented forger, and even a Nazi officer, who endeavor to shape the future of Italy once the war is over.

The author of Gorky Park proves here that he is a master of international suspense told through the individual stories of unforgettable characters.  

The Agony and The Ecstasy by Irving Stone

The Agony and the Ecstasy by Irving Stone - 703 pages

Irving Stone’s classic biographical novel of Michelangelo—in which both the artist and the man are brought to life in full. 

A masterpiece in its own right, this novel offers a compelling portrait of Michelangelo’s dangerous, impassioned loves, and the God-driven fury from which he wrested the greatest art the world has ever known.

The Carnival at Bray by Jessie Ann Foley

The Carnival at Bray by Jessie Ann Foley-240 pages

I wanted to read this book because it was on a list to choose from for a YA course that I took in my last semester of library school. I didn't get a chance to read it then, but wanted to now, mainly because it is set in Ireland. I have been to Scotland and have had an affinity (and ancestors from) Ireland for a while now. This is the story of a teen from Chicago who moves to a small town in Ireland called Bray when her mother marries a local from Bray. It chronicles Maggie's relationships with her mom, Nanny Ei, and the rest of her family, including her Uncle Kevin. She travels to Rome to see Nirvana with Eoin, her Irish boyfriend who she falls in love with because it was her Uncle Kevin's dying wish (he left her a letter before he committed suicide). Maggie meets a local elderly man named Dan Sean O'Callaghan and visits him often during the story. It is a story of first love, finding one's place, and family and I enjoyed reading it.

The Swerve: How the World Became Modern by Stephen Greenblatt

The Swerve: How the World Became Modern by Stephen Greenblatt -356 pages

The author is a humanities scholar intrigued by the philosophical ideas of an ancient Epicurean-inspired poem and its influence on the Renaissance.  On the Nature of Things was composed in the First Century B. C. by the Roman author Lucretius, and was rediscovered in a monastic library in 1417 by a papal secretary.  The ancient Epicureans did not believe in the intervention of any gods, and thought only a physical world made up of tiny atoms existed. The poem’s surprisingly modern view of nature and its beautiful writing made it a subject of interest to Renaissance elite in a world dominated by Church doctrine.  Some readers may conclude the author overestimates the poem’s impact on a movement as varied as the Renaissance, but this an interesting book on how Renaissance figures were dedicated to preserving ancient writers.

The Broker by John Grisham

The Broker, by John Grisham 432 pages
"In his final hours in office, the outgoing President grants a controversial last-minute pardon to Joel Backman, a notorious Washington power broker who has spent the last six years hidden away in a federal prison. What no one knows is that the President issues the pardon only after receiving enormous pressure from the CIA. It seems that Backman, in his heyday, may have obtained secrets that compromise the world’s most sophisticated satellite surveillance system.

Backman is quietly smuggled out of the country in a military cargo plane, given a new name, a new identity, and a new home in Italy. Eventually, after he has settled into his new life, the CIA will leak his whereabouts to the Israelis, the Russians, the Chinese, and the Saudis. Then the CIA will do what it does best: sit back and watch. The question is not whether Backman will survive—there is no chance of that. The question the CIA needs answered is, Who will kill him?"   
Oh my goodness. This was my first Grisham novel (that I can recall) and I couldn't wait to get to the end. Absolutely loved it. 

Very Valentine By Adriana Trigiani

Very Valentine by Adiana Trigiani-371 pages

The first novel in a trilogy, "Very Valentine", takes you on a journey from Greenwich Village to Tuscany, Naples, and the Isle of Capri.  It also gives you insight into Italian family dynamics and their zest for life.  We meet the main character Valentine Roncalli; a 33 year old, single Italian woman who is struggling to find a way to reinvent the financially strapped family owned Angelini Shoe Company.  As she is learning the trade from her grandmother of making exquisite wedding shoes they travel to Italy to find new materials to enhance their line of shoes.  Along the way there is love that is lost and a family secret that is reavealed.  All the time we are secretly screaming at Valentine to drop the deadbeat and go for the luscious Italian that she meets at the tannery in Italy.  We shall have to wait and see how it all progresses in book two..."Brava, Valentine".

The Light in the Ruins by Chris Bohjalian

The Light in the Ruins by Chris Bohjalian - 309 pages

I have seen the novel reviewed on here before, so I will keep my summary short.  The story alternates between two time frames in the lives of the Italian Rosati family.  During World War II, we see the choices the family made in their dealings with the Germans.  In the 1955 storyline, we see members of the family murdered and the investigation into the crimes.  The storylines merge at the end in an unexpected twist.

I found the novel enjoyable, even if disturbing at points, and well written.  Of the storylines, I preferred the war years (history undergrad, what can I say?) and its vivid depictions of life, hardships, and harsh choices.  One theme throughout the book is how decisions made affect people and how those people react, both in the short- and long-term.

Blood & Beauty by Sarah Dunant

Blood & Beauty:  The Borgias by Sarah Dunant- 528 pgs.

Blood & Beauty begins with Rodrigo Borgia being elected Pope Alexander VI and follows his life and the lives of several of his illegitimate children:  Cesare, Juan and Lucrezia Borgia.  Not having a lot of knowledge of the Borgias, I think it was a good introduction to the family.  It seemed to give a softer side to the family than is often portrayed.  The politics, power and wealth are on display, there is also a family life and there is no doubt that Rodrigo loved his children.  Dunant hopes to continue the story in another book and it does leave you with a bit of a cliffhanger.  This book definitely made me want to read more about the family.