FEBRUARY: TOO MUCH TUSCAN SUN

Hi Everyone, Another great discussion last night! There is some interest in changing the week we meet so in February we are going to try the 2nd Thursday. If anyone has a strong opinion on this change, please feel free to email me. Since this shortens our time between meetings, I've decided to invoke executive privilege and choose the book for February. I will open nominations for March's read shortly. I thought I'd get us out of the cold with a little non-fiction. February's book is: Too Much Tuscan Sun: Confessions of a Chianti Tour Guide -- Dario Costagno Unlike Under the Tuscan Sun and the flood of cookbooks touting the delights of the Tuscan table, this endearing, lightweight memoir was written by a native of the area. The author recounts the history and character of ChiantiÂÂ-the famous wine region at Tuscany's geographic and cultural heartÂÂ-and shares his most unforgettable experiences working as a Chianti tour guide for more than 12 years. Raised in Britain, Castagno began exploring Chianti's countryside as a teenager and fell in love with its dilapidated farmhouses, abandoned in Italy's post-WWII period of industrialization; for him, their stone walls, terracotta roofs and chestnut beams formed "well nigh irresistible" windows into Tuscany's romantic past. As a guide, he shared these journeys with his clients, most of them Americans, including T.T., an overly curious businessman for whom a winery visit "was like taking a child to a chocolate factory"; and an Alabama couple who, sweetly, tried to set Castagno up with their daughter. The farmhouses were also the site of Castagno's startling encounter with a couple of teenage artists and subsequent discovery about Tonio, a local, 94-year-old love machine. Castagno delivers his life story in simple, honest, heartfelt terms, though, unfortunately for readers, there are few true surprises or insights. It's brain candy to be enjoyed with a bottle of red. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.