- The Lost Tomb by David Gibbins. For centuries, people have speculated about the fabled lost libraries of antiquity. In the treacherous waters off the rugged Sicilian coast, marine archaeologist Jack Howard and his team of scientific experts and ex-Special Forces commandos make a shocking find while searching for the legendary shipwreck of the apostle Paul.
- The House in Amalfi by Elizabeth Adler. Lamour Harrington's husband died two years ago, and her father died in a mysterious boating accident when she was seventeen. When a devastating discovery about her husband's death leaves Lamour feeling stunned and betrayed, she returns to her childhood home on the lush Amalfi coast. But the house of her memories has secrets all its own, forcing her to face new truths about another man she once loved.
- The Volcano Lover: A Romance by Susan Sontag. Set in 18th century Naples and based on the lives of Sir William Hamilton, his celebrated wife Emma, Lord Nelson, and many of the great figures of the day, this unconventional, bestselling historical romance touches on themes of sex, revolution, the fate of nature, art and the collector's obsessions, and --above all-- love.
- Amare: A True Italian Love Story by Sheila Wright. When Wright travels to Sorrento, Italy, on a whim, she knows from the moment she arrives that she has found an extraordinary place. With a certainty even she doesn't understand at first, Sheila throws herself wholeheartedly into an enchanting yet chaotic country. Amare is an odyssey that began as a trip around the world and transformed into an unforgettable journey into the heart and soul of southern Italy.
- In the Shadow of Vesuvius by Jordan Lancaster. Naples has long attracted travellers, artists and foreign rulers--from Goethe and Nelson to Dickens and Neruda. The stunning beauty of its natural setting coupled with the charms of its colorful past and lively present continue to seduce all those who explore Naples today. In the Shadow of Vesuvius is a sparkling portrait of the city--the definitive companion for anyone seeking to delve beneath its surface.
- My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante. Set in a poor neighborhood on the outskirts of Naples, this richly emotional novel from one of Italy's most acclaimed modern authors follows the story of two best friends, Elena and Lila, as they navigate the twists and turns of growing up amidst a nation undergoing its own transformation.
- The Story of San Michele by Axel Munthe. With the help of Mastro Nicola and his three sons, and with only a charcoal sketch roughly drawn on a garden wall to guide them, Munthe devoted himself to rebuilding a house and chapel in Southern Italy. Over five summers, their mad-cap project led them to buried skeletons, ancient coins, and hilarious encounters with a rich cast of vividly-drawn villagers.
- The Ancient Mediterranean by Michael Grant. A wonderfully revealing, unusually comprehensive history of all the peoples who lived around the Mediterranean from about 15,000 B.C. to the time of Constantine (306-337 A.D.). This book is part history and part anthropology, as Grant examines how the demographic factors around this deep and stormy sea caused or influenced the great periods of antiquity.
- The Duchess of Malfi by John Webster. A macabre, Jacobean drama published in 1623 and loosely based on events that occurred between 1508 and 1513 concerning Duchess Giovanna d'Aragona. The recently widowed Duchess falls in love with Antonio, a lowly steward, but her brothers, not wishing to share their inheritance, oppose the union and set events in motion that ultimately bring tragedy to all involved.
- Falling Palace: A Romance of Naples by Dan Hofstadter. Witness the centuries-old festivals that regularly crowd the city's jumbled streets, browse the countless curio shops where treasures mingle with kitsch, and meet the locals of Naples as Hofstadter weaves the vivid portrayal of a legendary metropolis with the tale of his own attempts at love in this magical place.
- Pompeii: A Novel by Robert Harris. Young engineer Marcus Attilius Primus is worried. He has just taken charge of the Aqua Augusta, the enormous aqueduct that brings fresh water to a quarter of a million people, and springs are failing for the first time in generations. His journey to Pompeii to fix the problem is complicated by the corruption and violence of this town, and Attilius soon discovers that there are powerful forces at work threatening to destroy him.
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