Larry’s Comments (group member since Nov 23, 2020)

Larry’s comments from the Nonfiction Reading - Only the Best group.

First of all, I'm glad you're here. So let's plunge right into this matter of the so-called "the best books."

What really are the best books? To be honest, I'm not sure myself. I am sure that certain books are really good books, while others are just okay or are even terrible. So let's just say that if you think a book is really good and you want to share your thoughts and feelings about that book, I invite you to do that.

One member asked me a great question when I told about my intentions to start this group. And that question was why not use the Award Winning lists, like the Pulitzers? I actually peruse those lists a lot and they are great. But when I look back at the lists, I also think about books that both may not have deserved the award or books that should have gotten the award in a given year. That's one reason why I want to call this group "Only the Best." So that our suggestions include both award winners and go beyond those award winners.

So I want to rely on members and your own reading experiences, combined with any resources you want to use, like those Award Winning lists, in making suggestions about what may be the best books.

And after we have suggestions about the Best Books in a given area, I do indeed hope that we'll have good discussions about why those books are good choices and why some other books might be just as good or even better.

John wrote: "Larry wrote: "A very productive morning here and I have to get going soon with my Daily Mix on Spotify. Lately my preference has been instrumental jazz. I found a good mix that does this with a focus on 1950s jazz, which is more my preference than the modern smooth jazz instrumentals. I find more nuance to the older songs..."

Your own tastes so much are like my own. What is lost in some recent modern jazz is melody, and I find that hard on my ears.

Three books and what books they are! One on the Louvre, one on the Vatican Museums, and one on Florence and the art of the museums in Florence, e.g. the Uffizi.

I'll start with the links first:

The Louvre: All the Paintings "The most complete collection available, the New York Times bestselling book The Louvre: All the Paintings includes all 3,022 paintings from the permanent collection of the world's most popular museum..."

The Vatican: All the Paintings: The Complete Collection of Old Masters, Plus More than 300 Sculptures, Maps, Tapestries, and Other Artifacts "Discover the artistic wonders of the Vatican, from the Sistine Chapel to Raphael's frescoes, with the New York Times bestselling book The Vatican: All the Paintings..."

Florence: The Paintings and Frescoes in the City that Invented Art, 1250-1743 "This is the most comprehensive book on the paintings and frescoes of Florence ever undertaken, with more than 2,000 beautifully reproduced artworks from the city's great museums and churches-produced in the same manner as BD&L's The Louvre and The Vatican. Every painted work that is on display in the Uffizi Gallery, The Pitti Palace, the Accademia, and the Duomo is included in the book, plus many or most of the works from 28 of the city's other magnificent museums and churches. The research and text are by Ross King (best-selling author), Anja Grebe (author or The Louvre and The Vatican), Cristina Acidini (former Superintendent of the public museums of Florence) and Msgr. Timothy Verdon (Director of the artworks for the Archdiocese of Florence). "

The first two books come with CD-Roms that contain all the paintings. To be honest, I popped them in my computer one time, made sure that they ran, and then put them away.

These books are mainly organized by the galleries of the physical museums and I like that a lot.

The last book, the one on Florence, changes things a lot and it only gets better. No CD-Rom but an reproduction of an ancient map of Florence. And what I really like is that the art is organized historically. The commentary explains how Florence came to be a center of art and discusses the paintings chronologically. Just brilliant.

I enjoyed these books so much that I corresponded with the publisher, encouraging them to consider additional volumes on the UK's National Gallery or the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. It was a nice exchange but I only learned that there were no plans to publish additional volumes this time.

Whenever I wonder what new music to listen to, I often pick up 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die by Tom Moon and just thumb through its pages. Combined with a streaming account like Spotify or YouTube Music, you'll discover new recordings that will keep you going for years. And it's really more than 1,000 recordings. At the end of each album, you'll find two or three other albums to listen to if you liked this one. The only shortcoming of the book is that it was published in 2008.

Here's what Amazon has to say about this book: "The musical adventure of a lifetime. The most exciting book on music in years. A book of treasure, a book of discovery, a book to open your ears to new worlds of pleasure. Doing for music what Patricia Schultz—author of the phenomenal 1,000 Places to See Before You Die—does for travel, Tom Moon recommends 1,000 recordings guaranteed to give listeners the joy, the mystery, the revelation, the sheer fun of great music."

About a month ago, I shared with my wife's siblings a list of books that I thought may be the best books on Italy and Sicily ... from history to food & cooking. It's a bit personal ... but I do think that they are all very good books. (NOTE: There is alot of copying and pasting from other sources.)

ITALY

Derek Aust with Mike Zollo - World Cultures: Italy (Teach Yourself series) 2010. - Great overview of Italy and all aspects of Italian culture. (Look for a used copy on Amazon.)


Peter Nichols - Italia Italia 1973. Almost 50 years old and still a good explanation of how modern Italy works politically. And he does really explain the differences between different Italian provinces.


Bill Emmott - Good Italy, Bad Italy: Why Italy Must Conquer Its Demons to Face the Future. 2012. "In this lively, up-to-the-minute book, Bill Emmott [editor of The Economist] explains how Italy sank to this low point, how Italians feel about it, and what can be done to return the country to more prosperous and more democratic times. With the aid of numerous personal interviews, Emmott analyzes "Bad Italy"—the land of disgraced Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, an inadequate justice system, an economy dominated by special interests and continuing corruption—against its contrasting foil "Good Italy," the home of enthusiastic entrepreneurs, truth-seeking journalists, and countless citizens determined to end mafia domination for good."


Tobias Jones - The Dark Heart of Italy 2003. "An Incisive portrait of Europe's most beautiful, most disconcerting country."


Douglas Preston & Mario Spezi - The Monster of Florence2008. True crime … a genre that I just rarely read. A serial killer in the Florence area. That’s terrible, but the prosecutor who was willing to charge almost anyone with his crimes seems almost as monstrous. (Later this same prosecutor would go on to charge Amanda Knox with murder for a crime that she probably didn’t commit.)


SICILY


Frank Viviano - Blood Washes Blood: A True Story of Love, Murder, and Redemption Under the Sicilian Sun 2001. A personal story of the author's search for the truth about his great-great-grandfather, "who traveled the countryside of Sicily by night in the robes of a friar" until he was murdered.


Mary Taylor Simeti - On Persephone's Island: A Sicilian Journal 1995. "Mary Taylor Simeti arrived in Sicily in 1962 to do volunteer work. Freshly graduated from Radcliffe College after growing up in a distinguished and privileged New York City family, the last thing she expected was to fall in love and marry a Sicilian. On Persephone's Island: A Sicilian Journal is the ambivalent love story of an intelligent, complex, and self-reflective woman. The book recounts the events of 1983, the year Simeti turned 42. Her narrative alternates between Palermo, where her children attend school and her husband Toninno is a professor of agricultural economy, and Bosco, in eastern Sicily, where she shoulders demanding responsibilities on the working farm that has belonged to her husband's family for three generations. … Simeti feels the isolation of being an expatriate and outsider, although she claims to welcome this perspective when faced with frustration and disgust at the pervading political corruption and corrosive effects of the Mafia on everyday life. Despite her natural diffidence, she shares personal insights that makeOn Persephone's Island as compelling as her prose. Simeti intersperses rich helpings of Sicilian history and culture with mundane events and insight into what motivates the peasants essential to the survival of the family farm. And she makes pessimistic observations about the complexity of changing times in a society where the persistent reliance on feudal relationships and agriculture is finally crumbling."


John Julius Norwich - Sicily: An Island at the Crossroads of History 2015. A great historian looks a the history of Sicily from the coming of the Greeks through the end of World War 2. "John Julius Norwich’s engrossing narrative is the first to knit together all of the colorful strands of Sicilian history into a single comprehensive study. Here is a vivid, erudite, page-turning chronicle of an island and the remarkable kings, queens, and tyrants who fought to rule it. From its beginnings as a Greek city-state to its emergence as a multicultural trading hub during the Crusades, from the rebellion against Italian unification to the rise of the Mafia, the story of Sicily is rich with extraordinary moments and dramatic characters. Writing with his customary deftness and humor, Norwich outlines the surprising influence Sicily has had on world history—the Romans’ fascination with Greek civilization dates back to their sack of Sicily—and tells the story of one of the world’s most kaleidoscopic cultures in a galvanizing, contemporary way."


John Keahey - Seeking Sicily: A Cultural Journey Through Myth and Reality in the Heart of the Mediterranean 2011. "Seeking Sicily explores what lies behind the soul of the island's inhabitants. It touches on history, archaeology, food, the Mafia, and politics and looks to nineteenth- and twentieth-century Sicilian authors to plumb the islanders' so-called Sicilitudine. This "culture apart" is best exemplified by the writings of one of Sicily's greatest writers, Leonardo Sciascia. Seeking Sicily also looks to contemporary Sicilians who have never shaken off the influences of their forbearers, who believed in the ancient gods and goddesses."


John Keahey - Sicilian Splendors: Discovering the Secret Places That Speak to the Heart 2018. "Sicilian Splendors explores the history, politics, food, Mafia, and people which John Keahey encounters throughout his travels during his return to Sicily. Through conversing with natives and immersing himself in culture, Keahey illustrates a brand new Sicily no one has ever talked about before. Villagers, eager to welcome tourism and impart awareness of their cultural background, greet Keahey for meals and drink and walk him through their winding streets. They share stories of well-known writers, such as Maria Messina, who have found inspiration in Sicily’s villages. Keahey’s never-ending curiosity as a traveler shines light on Sicily’s mythical mysteries and portrays the island not only through his eyes but also through Sicily’s heart."


Sandra Benjamin -Sicily: Three Thousand Years of Human History 2010. "The first and only history of Sicily for the general reader, this book examines how location turned this charming Mediterranean island into the epicenter of major historical conquests, cultures, and more. Complete with maps, biographical notes, suggestions for further reading, a glossary, and pronunciation keys, Sicily is at once a useful travel guide and an informative, entertaining exploration of the island’s remarkable history."


Two books on Italian food and cooking


Marcella Hazan - Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking (This combines The Classic Italian Cook Book and More Classic Italian Cooking) You can buy it as a hardback for $25.00 but why? it's a steal at $6.99 as a Kindle book from Amazon.


This blurb gets it right: "The most important, consulted, and enjoyed Italian cookbook of all time, from the woman who introduced Americans to a whole new world of Italian food. Essentials of Italian Cooking is a culinary bible for anyone looking to master the art of Italian cooking, bringing together Marcella Hazan’s most beloved books, The Classic Italian Cook Book and More Classic Italian Cooking, in a single volume, updated and expanded with new entries and 50 new recipes. Designed as a basic manual for cooks of all levels of expertise—from beginners to accomplished professionals—it offers both an accessible and comprehensive guide to techniques and ingredients and a collection of the most delicious recipes from the Italian repertoire. As home cooks who have used Marcella’s classic books for years (and whose copies are now splattered and worn) know, there is no one more gifted at teaching us just what we need to know about the taste and texture of a dish and how to achieve it, and there is no one more passionate and inspiring about authentic Italian food."


John F. Mariani - How Italian Food Conquered the World … Just great writing: "Not so long ago, Italian food was regarded as a poor man's gruel-little more than pizza, macaroni with sauce, and red wines in a box. Here, John Mariani shows how the Italian immigrants to America created, through perseverance and sheer necessity, an Italian-American food culture, and how it became a global obsession. The book begins with the Greek, Roman, and Middle Eastern culinary traditions before the boot-shaped peninsula was even called "Italy," then takes readers on a journey through Europe and across the ocean to America alongside the poor but hopeful Italian immigrants who slowly but surely won over the hearts and minds of Americans by way of their stomachs. Featuring evil villains such as the Atkins diet and French chefs, this is a rollicking tale of how Italian cuisine rose to its place as the most beloved fare in the world, through the lives of the people who led the charge. "


And finally, one book on Sicilian food and cooking


Fabrizia Lanza with Kate Winslow - Coming Home to Sicily: Seasonal Harvests and Cooking from Case Vecchie – I got this book when it was published for about $22.00. Used copies now are $60, and some new copies are selling for $500.00. It's a beautiful book, but maybe not worth $500.00.


"Case Vecchie is the most notable cooking school in Sicily, a place where life is lived and food prepared the same way it has been for centuries. And this delectable cookbook from owner Fabrizia Lanza is the definitive source of authentic seasonal Sicilian foods. Co-authored with former Gourmet magazine editor Kate Winslow, it tells Fabrizia's story of coming home to the family estate, Regaleali, to assist her aging mother with the cooking school that she founded in 1989. Fabrizia writes eloquently and in detail about the seasonal harvests, the foods produced--cheeses, jams, olive oil, vin cotto, estratto, and more--and the loyal and talented staff who make it all possible. Along the way, she offers more than 100 family recipes that she shares with her students. Guy Ambrosino's stunning color photographs bring the beauty of Case Vecchie to life."

Good to see you here, John.

And I was also glad that Sher also directed others in the direction of the Non Fiction Book Club for continuing ongoing discussions. It's a great place. Carly, who just joined us here, is a moderator there!

The LargeHeartedBoy blog maintains a list of lists of the best books of 2020. It's updated regularly.

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