Calabrisella Mia

I’m a book lover, I always have been.

If you really think about it, books are a lot like people. They all have a story to tell.  And just like people, they can impact us in different ways.

But what’s interesting is you don’t quite know what impact each book will have on you until you’ve cracked open its cover, caressed its smooth pages, and dived into its sea of words.

Some books may be life-changing or inspirational while others are just a passing phase forgotten in a blink of an eye. But, whatever category the book falls in, they can all show us something.

With all the uncertainty that shadowed us throughout 2021, I chose to immerse myself in books that sparked inspiration. I found myself in a period of transition and wanted to focus on my personal path and development.

Over the last couple of years, I’ve been reading more Italian books, and last year, in particular, I stumbled on some really amazing Italian writers.

If you are looking for some inspiration, here are some Italian books I highly recommend checking out!

Succede Sempre Qualcosa di Meraviglioso
(Gianluca Gotto, 2021)

«È necessario stravolgere completamente la tua prospettiva. Smetti di credere che la tua vita sia una gara. La vita è come un viaggio. Ci sono migliaia di tappe.»

I absolutely fell in love with Gianluca Gotto’s writing after reading his first two books – Le Coordinate della Felicità and Come Una Notte a Bali. My discovery of Gianluca Gotto started when I picked up his second book, Come Una Notte a Bali, because I was looking for a story that would take me away, somewhere, anywhere other than where I was in that moment – and did it ever!

Gianluca Gotto isn’t a new writer, he’s been writing for years on his blog, Mangia Vivi Viaggia – a great blog worth checking out!

Gotto has without a doubt become one of my favorite Italian writers. So, as you can probably imagine, when his third book came out in 2021 – I was super excited. What story would he tell next? What inspiring life lessons would his characters learn and share with us? This story couldn’t have come at a better time!

This book tells the story of Davide, a person who, on paper, has what could only be described as a full life. But, as we all know, nothing in life is certain and Davide begins to question everything as the world around him begins falling apart. Suddenly, he finds himself at a crossroads and chooses to embark on a journey that would take him across the globe and far from everything he has ever known.

This leap of faith leads him to Guilly, a wise old man who takes Davide on a life-changing journey. This trip takes Davide out of his comfort zone leading him on an epic journey. A journey that not only takes us through Vietnam but takes us on a journey within. Life is constantly moving forward, like a flowing river, and so we can’t get caught up in the tides. Instead, we need to keep flowing and learn from every moment, trusting that something good is about to happen.

I’m sure we have all found ourselves in a sort of “dark period”, that sort of black hole that we can’t seem to escape – I know I sure have! And often we find ourselves paralyzed there, trying to figure out what to do next, trying to make sense of what went wrong in the past without acknowledging that the future is still unwritten and that anything can happen. The dark period (which unfortunately will always exist) doesn’t have to be so long and difficult – but rather a blip and a reminder to embrace the good and not feed the evil! So, let go of all those things that don’t serve you, that don’t give you a sense of calm or inner peace, and remember succede sempre qualcosa di meraviglioso.

Il Frutto della Passione (Eva Giusti, 2021)

«Ero giovane, fresca e vitale. Dalla mia parte avevo il tempo, ma non gli strumenti. Eppure il tempo scorre, imperterrito e indifferente; la vita continua nell’unica direzione possibile, avanti. È la sua crudeltà e anche il suo miracolo.»

It was thanks to Gianluca Gotto that I discovered this book. He had mentioned it in one of his Instagram stories and it immediately caught my attention. While in one of my local bookshops, I happened to see it sitting on the shelf and decided to pick it up. I didn’t know much about the story or the author, but I had a feeling I would really like this book, and I wasn’t wrong.

Do you have dreams? Have you suffered a loss? I think we all have, it’s part of life, right? This autobiographical book is a deep and honest look into Eva Giusti’s journey. But it’s more than that! I think anyone can relate to this book because it’s a book about life – in all its beautiful parts, but also its ugly ones.

Eva Giusti tells her story, of a young vibrant Italian woman who moves to Brasil with the man of her dreams. Ready to start a family, she discovers that having children wouldn’t be as straightforward as you thought. But her dream is to have a family, and so she does whatever it takes to make that dream a reality – even if it’s not in the way she expected. With a strong will and love, she plays against the odds as she tackles obstacle after obstacle, including one of life’s most fatal enemies, cancer. Eva’s story is a testament to how life doesn’t always give us the cards we want, but we do have a choice on how we play them out.

This is a powerful book, at times difficult to process. I cried tears of pain and tears of joy for Eva. There were moments in the book that triggered personal feelings from my own past or present situations. But I kept turning the pages. Do you know why? Because Eva is a warrior, a fighter, an inspirational force of nature. This book is a rollercoaster of emotions, much like life. But her determination and persistence and her unwillingness to back down are what make this book so compelling. Life will throw some pretty awful stuff your way, but we have it in us to face whatever comes our way. Never lose sight of what’s truly important – life, hope, love!

Io e (Il) Mostro (Roberta Guzzardi, 2021)

«No ho mai creduto troppo alla questione del ‘bisogna stare da soli’. Siamo esseri relazionali, anche quando abbiamo una predisposizione all’introversione, e per questo motivo la solitudine può fare male, può diventare anche dannosa, facendoci chiudere in noi stessi ed esasperando il nostro cinico ed egoista.»

Roberta has done something amazing – she has married her profession, as a psychologist/psychotherapist, and her passion for illustration. It was the explore page of Instagram that brought Roberta to my attention a year ago. I instantly fell in love with her characters: la ragazzina and her monster.

Some books seem to come into your life at just the right time. That was the case with Io e (il) Mostro. We all have a “monster” inside us, that part of us we don’t understand or accept, the uncertainties and delusions that we try and ignore, hoping it will just vanish. But this book shines a light on this so-called interior monster and reveals that if we confront “the dark side”, we open ourselves up to a precious source of wisdom that not only helps us to confront the daily dramas that make up our lives but also allow us to follow our true path – without fear, without uncertainty.

The book is divided into four parts: la vita (life), l’amore (love), le emozioni diffcili (difficult emotions), and also covid. Within each part, there are smaller sections on certain ideas and through the two adorable protagonists of this book, you are given a unique perspective. I often saw myself in la ragazzina, relating to her experiences, her thoughts, her self-sabotage. How many times do we complicate things more than they need to be? How many times do we overthink something? And how often is that overthinking just wasted energy?

This is without a doubt a special book, like nothing I’ve ever read before. It is powerful, enlightening, and at times emotional. I think anyone who reads this book will come away with something – a new outlook, a new appreciation for our inner “monster”.

If you are learning Italian or want to explore some new Italian authors, I would suggest picking up these Italian books.

What are some of your favorite Italian books? 

If you want to find out what I’m up to, you can keep up with my daily life and musings over on the Calabrisella Mia Facebook Page and Instagram!