Shelf Control is a weekly meme created by Lisa at Book Shelf Fantasies where bloggers feature books they own and would like read. It’s a way for readers to take stock of what they own and get excited about the books on their shelves and on their devices.
This week’s book was made into one of my favorite movies. I bought it shortly after reading Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert.
My pick for the week:
Title: Under the Tuscan Sun
Author: Frances Mayes
Genre: Nonfiction, travel memoir
Published: 1996
Length: 291 pages
Goodreads overview:
Frances Mayes—widely published poet, gourmet cook, and travel writer—opens the door to a wondrous new world when she buys and restores an abandoned villa in the spectacular Tuscan countryside. In evocative language, she brings the reader along as she discovers the beauty and simplicity of life in Italy. Mayes also creates dozens of delicious seasonal recipes from her traditional kitchen and simple garden, all of which she includes in the book. Doing for Tuscany what M.F.K. Fisher and Peter Mayle did for Provence, Mayes writes about the tastes and pleasures of a foreign country with gusto and passion. 
How I got it: Barnes & Noble
When I got it: July 2013
Why I want to read it: I bought it shortly after reading Eat, Pray, Love for the first time because I wanted something similar to Gilbert’s book, another story in which I could experience new places vicariously though the author. When a co-worker told me the Under the Tuscan Sun movie was based on a book “that’s way better than Eat, Pray, Love,” I went to B&N and bought a copy. But when I got home and read the first page, I wasn’t as entranced as I was with Gilbert’s book so I didn’t continue reading. However I’d like to revisit Under the Tuscan Sun to see if I prefer it to the movie.
Zezee with Books 