Tomatoes, pizza, cults & dante

Sharing my summer reading list now that exams are finally over

Jul 02, 2025

My first year of Italian food and wine school is officially complete (for those new here, I’m in the midst of a two-year Master’s program at the University of Padova). As of yesterday, my spring semester exams are officially behind me, and school is quite literally out for summer. To celebrate, I’ve lined up a summer reading list that I can’t wait to dive into now that I have a reprieve from studying.

From the myths behind a glass of wine to the surprising (and not-so-Italian) story of the tomato, most of the books on my reading list revolve around food and Italy—for obvious reasons—with a few female gaze-driven detours sprinkled in.

Without further ado, my summer foodie-fem-italiano reading list. Buon letteratura!

Pomodoro! A History of the Tomato in Italy by David Gentilcore

I read an excerpt from this book for my Italian Food and Wine History, Anthropology and Society course and have wanted to revisit it ever since. This book recounts the history of Italy’s most precious ingredient: the pomodoro, literally “golden fruit,” which ironically has a very short history in Italy and does not have Italian origins, though Italians would like you to think otherwise.

The Art of Wine Storytelling by Professor Attilio Scienza

Debuted at VinItaly in April, Prof. Scienza’s new book explores how mythology and ancient history shape our experiences of wine today. I was fortunate enough to snag a free copy at an event for Italian Wine Ambassadors at Bellavista Winery and, as a former Classics major, couldn’t be more excited to dive into Prof. Scienza’s latest work.

The Italian Summer Kitchen: Timeless Recipes for La Dolce Vita by Cathy Whims

I discovered Cathy Whims here on Substack, through an interview she did with Buona Domenica. Cathy is the owner of Nostrana in Portland, a restaurant that draws inspiration from Italian cuisine and translates it with ingredients of the Pacific Northwest. I’m especially drawn to Cathy’s story as an American chef who immersed herself in Italian cooking and built her professional life around it. Her latest cookbook looks incredible and very summer-ready. One of the first recipes she shares is for Ombrellone Pâté, a spread made from oil-packed tuna, anchovies, capers, and extra virgin olive oil. The recipe instantly reminded me of a dish I ate seaside on the island of Ponza two summers ago.

A Rome of One's Own: The Forgotten Women of the Roman Empire by Emma Southon

The other side of Roman history from the POV of the bad ass women who were architecting the empire behind-the-scenes? Sign me up.

Cultish, The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell

In my way back past, I was the PR girl for a skincare brand based in KC, and Amanda Montell was an LA-based beauty editor at Byrdie. Now, she’s a best-selling author. Her book, Cultish, seems like an insightful and appropriate read given the AI-fueled propaganda that’s running rampant on the internet, but not too heavy and depressing for summer. NPR named Cultish the best book of 2021, and it’s supposedly being adapted into a docuseries.

The Body: A Guide for Occupants by Bill Bryson

My parents are big Bill Bryson readers and have read practically everything he’s written, but I’ve never picked up one of his books myself. This one I’ve had bookmarked for a while, and it seems like it would also make for a good audiobook listen.

I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman, translated by Ros Schwartz

I became aware of this book through several different recommendations I found through Instagram bookfluencers. This particular one caught my eye from the teaser: “Deep underground, thirty-nine women live imprisoned in a cage. Watched over by guards, the women have no memory of how they got there, no notion of time, and only a vague recollection of their lives before…”

This feels like the ideal post-apocalyptic novel about female kinship that could keep me up reading late into the night.

Delizia! The Epic History of the Italians and Their Food by John Dickie

I read the “Naples, 1884: Pinocchio Hates Pizza” chapter of this book for the same Italian food history course I mentioned above. Though it’s a history book, Dickie’s writing is captivating and manages to excavate interesting nuggets that stick with you. For example, in the chapter I read, he takes you back to the birth of pizza, which was once synonymous with poverty, filth, and disease (Naples suffered from a cholera epidemic from the 1830s). Dickie expertly weaves together the story of how the poor man’s flatbread, tainted by its associated with contagion, became elevated the literal symbol of Italian cuisine and the most beloved food around the world. Fascinating stuff.

In the Hand of Dante by Nick Tosches

For fellow Dan Brown fans (sheepishly raises hand), this book sounds like a fun adjunct, especially if you’re familiar with the Divine Comedy. It’s also being adapted into an indie film set to premiere later this year, directed by Julian Schnabel and starring Oscar Isaac as Dante Alighieri and Martin Scorsese as Dante’s mentor (also serving as the film’s executive producer). I know all this because, at my previous job, I worked with a product placement agency to submit Italian red wines with 1990s-era accurate labels as potential set props. And one of them made it into the movie!

These are the covers that I can’t wait to flip open now that exams are over. What are you looking forward to reading this summer?

- Emma from La Nonna Vita