Book Details:

Book Title: Kiss Carlo by Adriana Trigiani
Category: Adult Fiction, 560 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Harper Paperbacks
Release date: January 2018
Content Rating: G (For general audience. Depictions of violence are minimal. No bad language, religious expletives, sex scenes, drug use or underage drinking.)

Book Description:

From Adriana Trigiani, the beloved New York Times-bestselling author of The Shoemaker’s Wife, comes an exhilarating epic novel of love, loyalty, and creativity—the story of an Italian-American family on the cusp of change.

It’s 1949 and South Philadelphia bursts with opportunity during the post-war boom. The Palazzini Cab Company & Western Union Telegraph Office, owned and operated by Dominic Palazzini and his three sons, is flourishing: business is good, they’re surrounded by sympathetic wives and daughters-in-law, with grandchildren on the way. But a decades-long feud that split Dominic and his brother Mike and their once-close families sets the stage for a re-match.

Amidst the hoopla, the arrival of an urgent telegram from Italy upends the life of Nicky Castone (Dominic and his wife’s orphaned nephew) who lives and works with his Uncle Dom and his family. Nicky decides, at 30, that he wants more—more than just a job driving Car #4 and more than his longtime fiancée Peachy DePino, a bookkeeper, can offer. When he admits to his fiancée that he’s been secretly moonlighting at the local Shakespeare theater company, Nicky finds himself drawn to the stage, its colorful players and to the determined Calla Borelli, who inherited the enterprise from her father, Nicky must choose between the conventional life his family expects of him or chart a new course and risk losing everything he cherishes.

From the dreamy mountaintop village of Roseto Valfortore in Italy, to the vibrant streets of South Philly, to the close-knit enclave of Roseto, Pennsylvania, to New York City during the birth of the golden age of television, Kiss Carlo is a powerful, inter-generational story that celebrates the ties that bind, while staying true to oneself when all hope seems lost.

Told against the backdrop of some of Shakespeare’s greatest comedies, this novel brims with romance as long buried secrets are revealed, mistaken identities are unmasked, scores are settled, broken hearts are mended and true love reigns. Trigiani’s consummate storytelling skill and her trademark wit, along with a dazzling cast of characters will enthrall readers. Once again, the author has returned to her own family garden to create an unforgettable feast. Kiss Carlo is a jubilee, resplendent with hope, love, and the abiding power of la famiglia.

Photo Credit: Tim Stephenson

Adriana Trigiani is the bestselling author of 17 books, which have been published in 36 countries around the world. She is a playwright, television writer/producer and filmmaker. She wrote and directed the film version of her novel Big Stone Gap, which was shot entirely on location in her Virginia hometown. She is co-founder of the Origin Project, an in-school writing program that serves more than a thousand students in Appalachia. She lives in Greenwich Village with her family.

Connect with the author: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Pinterest ~ Instagram
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Book Details:

Title: Kiss Carlo by Adriana Trigiani
Publisher: Harper
Category: Adult Fiction, 544 pages
Genre: Women's Fiction, Historical Fiction
Published: June 20, 2017
Content Rating: G

Book Description:

HarperCollins | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Disclosure: Thanks to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for sending me this book for review. I was not compensated in any other way, nor told how to rate or review this product.




Adriana Trigiani is the bestselling author of 17 books, which have been published in 36 countries around the world. She is a playwright, television writer/producer and filmmaker. She wrote and directed the film version of her novel Big Stone Gap, which was shot entirely on location in her Virginia hometown. She is co-founder of the Origin Project, an in-school writing program that serves more than a thousand students in Appalachia. She lives in Greenwich Village with her family.

Visit Adriana at her website: www.adrianatrigiani.com, like her on Facebook, and follow her on Twitter and Instagram.

Yesterday I posted about my impressions of BookExpo 2017 and some of the changes I saw.
One of the best things about BookExpo is meeting favorite authors. And this year I saw Adriana Trigiani again who recently published Kiss Carlo, which I'll be reading this month. She is one of the kindest authors I've met. She has a knack for making you feel special. She is beloved by her fans because she acknowledges them and gives of her time. No haughty airs from this woman. I just LOVE that about her!


I also got a chance to meet Colleen Hoover, who was signing copies of It Ends With Us. I remember reading Hoover's first book Slammed which was originally self-published and later picked up by Atria. She is the success story of a self-published author who reached #1 on The New York Times without the help of any publishing house.


A fan gifted Hoover with mini cakes decorated with the book covers of all of Hoover's eleven books. What an original idea for a gift!


By chance I met the lovely Laura Morelli who stopped by for the day. She spotted me speaking with an author and came to greet me. Laura Morelli is the author of The Gondola Maker and the upcoming title The Painter's Apprentice: A Novel of 16th-Century Venice, which I can't wait to read!



I also met two authors whose books were highlighted by their publishers on Friday during the Book Group Speed Dating session.

Canadian author Christopher Meades, who wrote Hanna Who Fell from the Sky, was super friendly as he took the time to talk to me about his book. I was fascinated by his story of how he had suffered a traumatic brain injury while playing hockey and later managed to write the manuscript one hour at a time. Writing the novel was therapeutic and a dream come true for this author.


I also met Brendan Mathews, author of The World of Tomorrow,  historical fiction that is already causing a buzz and is considered a tour de force. He took the time to tell me how he researched his novel. He was kind and friendly as he chatted with me after his signing was over. I actually snagged the last copy and was happy I did!

Sheila and me

I missed Book Expo last year when it was in Chicago and I'm happy it's back in New York. I look forward to attending once again in 2018!

The Supreme Macaroni Company by Adriana Trigiani
Harper
Note: This book is rated C = clean read.

About the author:
Adriana Trigiani is an award-winning playwright, television writer, and documentary filmmaker.She lives in New York City with her husband and daughter. Find out more about her at www.adrianatrigiani.com.

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Reviewed by Sandra 






Disclosure: Thanks to Laura Fabiani from Italy Book Tours for sending me this book for review. I was not compensated in any other way, nor told how to rate or review this product.

Ciao, miei amici del blog! (Hi, my blogger friends!)

After a great night sleep--which I didn't think would happen on a hotel bed--I headed early to Javits Center on a cool but sunny morning to get a ticket to see Adriana Trigiani, who will be touring her book The Supreme Macaroni Company with my new company Italy Book Tours in August. (Yippee! But more on that later next week.)

Me with Adriana Trigiani

Adriana is an author who knows how to connect with her readers. She is funny, unpretentious and has a vibrancy that is palpable. By the time she was scheduled to sign her books, the line was very long. Adriana came out and greeted every single person in the line with a handshake. Then she stationed herself at her table and signed books for all of them. She's just awesome! No other author did that.

I met up with Laura Morelli, author of The Gondola Maker, and we sat down for a chat. She's currently on tour with iRead Book Tours and will be doing another tour with Italy Book Tours in the fall. She was at BEA to accept her Silver IPPY Award for Best Adult Fiction in Ebook. She's such a lovely person and a real pleasure to work with.

Me with Laura Morelli

I was so pleased to see great middle-grade titles that are perfect for my son, and I can't wait to share the books with him. I was happy to meet Artie Bennett, who in the past, has sent my son and me his funny children's books to review and we loved every single one. With titles like Poopendous! and The Butt Book, Artie quickly became one of my son's favorite authors. I got the chance to meet Artie and even chat with him after the signing. He quickly remembered me and my son when he saw my badge. He thanked us several times for our reviews. My son will be thrilled when I give him another signed book from Artie! This one is titled Belches, Burps, and Farts, Oh My! And it came with a whoopee cushion! Heh...heh...do you think my son will love this one too?

Artie Bennett

I spent a good part of the day networking and talking to publishers, authors and other bloggers. I was pretty beat when I made my way back to the hotel, but what a fulfilling day it was!

Brava Valentine by Adriana Trigiani
Harper Audio
Released: February 9, 2010
Narrator: Cassandra Campbell
Length: 11 hrs 24 mins
Unabridged

After reading Very Valentine a few years ago (read my review), I knew I wanted to read Brava Valentine, the second book in the trilogy. However, I never got around to it. But then Trigiani herself sends me the third book and I knew I just HAD to read the second before I dug into The Supreme Macaroni Company. So I borrowed the audiobook at the library. I loved this second book!

In anticipation of the paperback publication of The Shoemaker's Wife by Adriana Trigiani (that's coming out today actually), Harper has decided to give away one copy of this fabulous historical saga to one of my readers. I read this book earlier this year and loved it. It made it to my list of best reads for 2012.

You can read my review of The Shoemaker's Wife and see why "I was transported from the fresh Italian Alps to bustling Little Italy in New York City at the turn of the century, to the glamorous Metropolitan Opera House and later to Minnesota. I enjoyed every setting and found the events flowed smoothly in this novel. Rich with details and believable characters, I was transported to a different era, to a time when my own great-grandfather sailed a ship that took him from Italy to Boston."

How to enter: