Musing Monday...I See Venice in my Future.

 Do you have a Bookish Muse?
I do!
As always, hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading...

---

Musing Mondays asks you to muse about one of the following each week…
• Describe one of your reading habits.
• Tell us what book(s) you recently bought for yourself or someone else, and why you chose that/those book(s).
• What book are you currently desperate to get your hands on? Tell us about it!
• Tell us what you’re reading right now — what you think of it, so far; why you chose it; what you are (or, aren’t) enjoying it.
• Do you have a bookish rant? Something about books or reading (or the industry) that gets your ire up? Share it with us!
• Instead of the above questions, maybe you just want to ramble on about something else pertaining to books — let’s hear it, then!

---

It is time to plan another trip. My passport is getting dusty.
So, as my Aunt Maura would say, "God Willing!" I will be returning to my beloved Venice at the end of this year.
I have airline tickets, hotel reservations...Winter in Venice, Christmas lights and acqua alta. Do they make packable high water boots?

So, in anticipation my reading too has turned to Venice.

In bits and pieces, I have been reading the Commissario Guido Brunetti books by Donna Leon set in Venice, so I purchased a few new ones for my Nook. First, was book number 10 in the series, A Sea of Trouble...

" ... offers a rare glimpse into the scrupulous Commissario's personal life. When Brunetti investigates the murder of two local fishermen on the island of Pellestrina, the small community closes ranks, forcing him to accept Signorina Elettra's offer to visit her relatives there to search for clues. Though loyal to his beloved wife, Paola, he must admit that less-than-platonic emotions underlie his concern for his boss's beautiful secretary. Suspenseful, provocative, and deeply unsettling, A Sea of Troubles is an explosive and irresistible addition to Leon?s marvelous series."

While I love these mysteries and especially their glimpse into life in Venice, at the heart of their appeal are the characters, especially Brunetti and his delightful family. Also, there are his co-workers, the good and not so good..and none is better than Signorina Elettra, clever and resourceful. To call her a secretary does not begin to explain her abilities. But Sea of Troubles left her in a terrible state as the book ended, having suffered a terrible personal loss, so, of course, I had to buy the next, Wilful Behavior, to see how she made out.
Relax, she is dealing with it OK...

"In Wilful Behavior, Brunetti is approached for a favor by one of his wife's students. Intelligent and serious , Claudia Leonardo asks for his help in obtaining a pardon for a crime once committed by her now-dead grandfather. Brunetti thinks little of it-until Claudia is found dead. Soon, another corpse and an extraordinary art collection lead Brunetti to long-buried secrets of Nazi collaboration and the exploitation of Italian Jews-secrets few in Italy want revealed."

As usual, both very good books, with more than a little ranting about how the Italian bureaucracy works...or doesn't...and now distasteful the tourists can be. Leon' books can be quite cynical, even angry at times, but I keep coming back for more.
And a have a couple of other books in my library I must look at again as I prepare my mindset, both following in Brunetti's path. There is Brunetti's Cookbook by Roberta Pianaro and Donna Leon ..

"In Brunetti’s Cookbook, Donna Leon’s best friend and favorite cook brings to life these fabulous Venetian meals. The recipes are joined by excerpts from the novels, four-color illustrations, and six original essays by Donna Leon on food and life in Venice. Charming, insightful, and full of personality, they are the perfect addition to this long awaited book."

I am hoping for some restaurants that the good Commissario might recommend.
And finally, we have Brunetti's Venice: Walks with the City's Best-Loved Detective by Toni Sepeda...

"Follow Commissario Guido Brunetti, star of Donna Leon’s internationally best-selling mystery series, on over a dozen walks that highlight Venice’s churches, markets, bars, cafes, and palazzos.."

I think I am all set!!
God willing!

---