March 2021 – Page 3 – Down the Rabbit Hole

Series: Love & Gelato #1

“I made the wrong choice.”

Lina is spending the summer in Tuscany, but she isn’t in the mood for Italy’s famous sunshine and fairy-tale landscape. She’s only there because it was her mother’s dying wish that she get to know her father. But what kind of father isn’t around for sixteen years? All Lina wants to do is go back home.

But then she is given a journal that her mom had kept when she lived in Italy. Suddenly Lina’s uncovering a magical world of secret romances, art, and hidden bakeries. A world that inspires her, along with the ever-so-charming Ren, to follow in her mother’s footsteps and unearth a secret that has been kept for far too long. It’s a secret that will change everything she knew about her mother, her father—and even herself.

People come to Italy for love and gelato, someone tells her, but sometimes they discover much more.

You ever feel transported to the place your books take you, whether that be some fantastical land that exists entirely in a collective imagination or a place that you can literally touch and feel? Well, Love & Gelato has swept me off my feet to land safely on the grounds of an American Cemetery outside of Florence, Italy. I never wanted to travel more than right now (not a great thing to feel in the midst of an ongoing pandemic and travel restrictions).

There are so many things in my head and heart with this novel. It can be summarized in 3 parts.

Setting and Travel

Italy is a gorgeous place, and I wish I had the chance to visit its Tuscany charm or walk the big cities at my own pace. While this book is solidly a cute romantic story (more on this later), it also does an amazing job taking you to a place you may not have ever gone to in your life. I most certainly googled a bunch of locations and famous sights mentioned throughout, almost feeling that tangible sense like I can close my eyes and pretend I’m tasting gelato on my tongue and hear the sights of a crowded piazza. It shines through that the author has spent time in this beautiful country and know it by more than mere research. There is a deep sense of love and respect for this place that shines through every word describing the next sight Lina takes in.

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top ten tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday: Fun(ny) Book Titles

March 23, 2021March 21, 2021 Andge @ Down the Rabbit Hole

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

Good morning friends! I hope this Tuesday finds you all well and that spring is coming around the corner for everyone.

I am excited to share today’s TTT topic, which was rather hard at first to think on the spot. I want to first say that I don’t think any of these book titles are necessarily ha-ha kind of funny. It is not my intention to make fun of any of these titles because that is not the point being made here, and I’m sure the authors are proud of their work, title and all. Instead, I have chosen to list titles that are unique and fun for various reasons that make me smile.

Let me know if any of these titles put a smile on your face too!

1. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

When I first saw this title at the time it came out, I was thinking “what kind of a book is this?”. And later realizing what it is all about, I’d say there’s nothing more unique than this novel in title and content (did you see those photos inside??).

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musings, recommendations

Celebrating Asian Authors

March 22, 2021March 28, 2021 Andge @ Down the Rabbit Hole

Hey everyone! If you have been following the news these last several days, or even just looked around on social media, you may have caught up with what’s been going on in America regarding racist and totally abhorrent acts against Asians. Unfortunately, this isn’t something found in America alone either.

As Fives and I are both Asian ourselves, I can personally say it’s been hard looking at video clips of elderly abuse or verbal slurs used against people who were just minding their own business and going about their day. I see in them my grandparents, my mother and father, my friends, myself.

So we are here today to uplift our own voices and celebrate Asian authors and their stories. Because we have important things to say, and these words have just as much value and place in this society as anyone else’s. Hopefully this is the time for people to learn more about the experiences that make us who we are.

I have listed below Asian authors I have read and/or want to read, and a few of their titles including the most recent one published. If you have any other Asian authors I have missed (this is by no means a comprehensive list), please share with us and everyone else so we can continue to support and uplift one another.

Would you celebrate with us today?