What I'm Reading: La Bella Lingua

Travel literature is one of my favorite genres to read- especially if it is set in Europe.

Right now I am reading La Bella Lingua  by Dianne Hales.

I purchased this book because I expected it to be centered around the Italian language in relation to her travels around the country and interactions with everyday Italians. Instead, it is more focused on the historical origins and evolution of Italian.

Though the book does not meet my original expectations, it is quite interesting and offers entertaining lessons in Italian vocabulary. I enjoy how she explores using the many Italian suffixes to subtly change the meaning of a word. I also discovered a word I can relate to- Goloso: a lust for food. Italians would have a word dedicated for this purpose- I will be using this one in the future!

You really can't go wrong if you talking about Italians if you ask me!  I would recommend this book to anyone interested in languages, travel or the lovely country of Italy.

Have you read or heard of this book? Let me know!

Buy it on Amazon!