# what book for my vacation? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 9, 2009, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-book-for-my-vacation/495885 "2009-05-09T22:16:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lillith\_Fair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bb73d2/32.png) [@Lillith\_Fair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lillith_Fair)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2009, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-book-for-my-vacation/495885/1 "2009-05-09T22:16:13Z")
What’s a good paperback book I can take to Italy with me for light reading? I have The Shack but I don’t want to read that right now. Something with a love story or a good mystery, but not a bodice-ripper and not really violent. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2009, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-book-for-my-vacation/495885/2 "2009-05-10T00:11:11Z")
What are some other books or authors that you like? Do you like historical fiction or SF/F? ETA where are you going in Italy? It might be cool to find something with the same setting. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2009, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-book-for-my-vacation/495885/3 "2009-05-10T00:19:31Z")
Someone gave me [The Healer](http://www.amazon.com/Healer-Sharon-Sala/dp/077832544X) last year, and while it’s not my type of book at all, it was a ridiculously light, admittedly kind of fun read. It fulfills the love story requirement too, without quite being a bodice-ripper. ---
**Author:** ![Lillith\_Fair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bb73d2/32.png) [@Lillith\_Fair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lillith_Fair)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2009, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-book-for-my-vacation/495885/4 "2009-05-11T02:42:46Z")
We’ll spend most of our time in Florence. We have a hotel there. The other days we actually have no plan whatsoever. I like historical fiction. And mysteries like Dick Francis, Dorothy Simpson, Dorothy Gilman. Rosamunde Pilcher, Maeve Binchy. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2009, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-book-for-my-vacation/495885/5 "2009-05-11T03:50:12Z")
Here’s a [list](http://www.fictionalcities.co.uk/florence.htm) of novels set in Florence (scroll down for descriptions). Lots of historical novels, romances and mysteries (and combinations therof) on the list, and it’s always kind of cool to be in the city you’re reading about and be able to see the same landmarks. ---
**Author:** ![Lillith\_Fair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bb73d2/32.png) [@Lillith\_Fair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lillith_Fair)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2009, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-book-for-my-vacation/495885/6 "2009-05-12T02:50:17Z")
Thanks a zillion! ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2009, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-book-for-my-vacation/495885/7 "2009-05-12T14:06:13Z")
[Here’s](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Monster_of_Florence)one you might not want!