Italianissimo by Louise Fili and Lise Apatoff (Little Bookroom/New York Review Books, $18.95, 9781892145543/1892145545, September 2008); Venice Is a Fish: A Sensual Guide by Tiziano Scarpa (Gotham Books, $17.50, 9781592404070/1592404073, August 2008)
In spite of the still relatively weak dollar, everyone seems to be spending time in Italy this year, and why not? So much better to pay top dollar in Firenze for fabulous food rather than top dollar here for anything. If you have gone or want to go, these two little books are the perfect adjunct to more prosaic guidebooks. Italianissimo is "The Quintessential Guide to What Italians Do Best," and if what Italians do best sometimes makes you crazy (for example, waiting in line or fare la coda, but then the Italian line is a product of a natural desire to be first and a curiosity about other people's business), it is still essentially Italian, which is why we love Italy. Of course, we love Italy for things that make us swoon, too, like ceramics, il caffè, gelato: "Who could have imagined that mixing the snows of Mount Etna with sugar and the sublime local flavors--lemons, mandarini, blood oranges, citron, almonds . . . as well as the incomparable essences of jasmine and roses--would deliver such enchantment?"
Enchantment is certainly delivered by Tiziano Scarpa in Venice Is a Fish. He begins with describing what happens to your body in Venice, starting at the feet, with absolutely the best advice for visiting this city: "Where are you going? Throw away your map! Why do you so desperately need to know where you are right now? Why fight the labyrinth? Follow it for once. Don't worry, let the street decide your journey for you . . . lose your bearings. Just drift." He doesn't name shops or cafes or hotels, advising you to find these on your own, a magical treasure hunt. In Venice, it works like a charm.
Pithy Seedy Pulpy Juicy: Eleven Rhymes with Orange Books in One by Hilary Price (ECW Press, distributed by IPG, $16.95, 9781550227567/1550227564, December 2007)
This book by one of the funniest cartoonists in the newspapers has a publication date of last year, but because of printing and shipping issues, missed the gift-giving season and became in effect a 2008 book. Since it squeaks in under the publication date bar, I can extol its pleasures for this year. If you are unfamiliar with Rhymes with Orange, order this book post haste. It will make you smile and laugh and start copying panels for your corkboard. In "The Carrot," a woman throws a stick for her dog, saying, "Fetch the ball." Then, "How come you don't fetch the ball?" The answer: "How come you don't throw a squirrel?" Two bottles, in "Medicine Labels: An Overview": Yesterday, Professor Figbee's Snake Oil: "Cures headaches, nausea, dizziness, constipation & sleeplessness." Today, Figbinex tablets: "Side effects may include headaches, nausea, dizziness, constipation & sleeplessness." Many of her cartoons feature puns, not to mention allusions to other strips (a little pink sock sticks to the shoulder of a familiar alien in "Static Klingon"), and some strike an odd nerve. When she pictured King Kong inhaling from a Goodyear blimp, then sounding like Mickey Mouse, the Compressed Gas Institute sent her a stern letter about the dangers of promoting helium inhalation. Hilary Price inhalation is a lot more fun.
The Travel Book Mini (Lonely Planet, $24.99, 9781741040050/1741040051, September 2008); Lonely Planet's Best in Travel 2009 (Lonely Planet, $22.99 paperback, 9781741792430/1741792436, October 2008)
At 888 pages and 3.8 pounds, The Travel Book Mini (a compact version of a previous coffee table edition) is quite a bargain at $24.99. Touted as a bedside book, it sinks into the covers and stomach too far to turn the pages, so be warned. It covers every country in the world (231) as well as Scotland, Macau, Greenland and other entities. The format is egalitarian, and the editors have tried to evoke spirit of place--impressions rather than statistics. Each country is allotted two pages of photographs, a very short introduction and a few high points: best time to visit, essential experiences, trademarks (Costa Rica's dead-keen soccer fans, dripping rain forests and coffee), surprises (there are no permanent water features on Malta), plus what to read and listen to, what movie to watch, what to eat and drink. The writers avoid political or cautionary statements, wanting to present the best of a country. After you've finished highlighting places in this dream book, turn to Best in Travel 2009 for more practical advice. Somalia and Sudan may have looked tempting, but Travel 2009 is realistic: "Unless you're a reckless, devil-may-care sort of traveller with a particular penchant for armed conflict. . . " The book has travel trends, top 10 countries ("Bangladesh is a revelation that actually leaves India looking a little worse for wear."), top 10 travel lists (happiest places or most extreme ancient sites or best places to have a midlife crisis) and so many more lists that you are almost tempted to stay home in exhaustion. Almost. With these guides, you'll be packing soon.--Marilyn Dahl
