Alba Donati worked as a book publicist in Italy until she decided to open a bookstore in her hometown Lucignana. Here, she built a business, developed friendships and discovered a community amongst the 200 people who reside in this small town. This book shares details of her daily business life from a few months in 2021. She adds in a few details of her personal life, too.
As I read, I could picture the floral and mountain scenery and see the people she mentions. I want to visit!
I skimmed the list of books she sold every day. Those sales matter to the author but didn't impact my book reading selection.
Written during Covid lockdowns, the pandemic plays a central role in sales and is mentioned quite a few times.
Note: some strong profanity

I appreciate being given an advanced reading copy of this book. This was not the charming book I thought it would be. It was a slow read. I felt like I was reading someone's private diary and I just couldn't relate to the entries and all the Italian names and places in the book. I admire her for her knowledge of books and authors. She knows about many different authors. Authors I had never heard of. I did find it interesting to see how the pandemic affected others around the world because her diary takes place in the midst of that.

A fun story I got lost in reading. I absolutely loved the story. It was a fast read for me! A great read!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

I had a very hard time getting into this book. It was very slow.

I gobbled up this delightful little book about a woman who opens a little bookstore in a tiny town in Tuscany. Right before the pandemic hits. Written like a diary, she details little bits of her life, family, books she’s reading and the bookshop, including lists of books sold online each day. I added a few to my tbr!

There are two kinds of diaries: the ones that have all the salacious details and the ones that are an everyday account of life; both have their merits. This one is the second one and highlights the author’s journey into starting a bookstore just as Covid is about to hit a small Italian town. The language is very flowery as she is a poet and it’s not my thing at all. There are snippets about the residents and her family but they’re so short, I found it difficult to connect to anything. At the end of each day, she presents a list of what books were sold (there are a lot of Fannie Flagg fans in her small town). In fact, all of the observations are very short so even getting a true picture of what was going on during the lockdowns was difficult. This was just so disjointed that I had a tough time even really following it. This just wasn’t the book for me.

This was an enjoyable book written like a diary. I felt sometimes r was spying into someone's secret place. The location was delightful and because I have traveled to Tuscany, I felt like I knew the exact location and I was one of the locals. Each character was well described and I felt like the bookstore itself was one of the characters. I love a cozy bookstore anytime of year and the author made sure to include all the seasons. One interesting piece of the diary was that the author included her book orders. I think I actually owned The Alice B. Toklas cookbook back in the day! I enjoyed this read very much.

Diary of a Tuscan Bookshop was a beautiful and original memoir of a small-town Italian bookshop. In this story you take a trip through space and time, trial and error, hardship and blessings. The story of the conception of this bookshop was inspiring for all the readers out there.

I loved how the author gave voice and personality to each of the characters. How she built and rebuilt her bookshop out of love. The vibrant, tiny Tuscan town has a personality of its’ very own.

This is not a fast-paced book. It is more a slow burn love story to books. It is a slightly disjointed tale, which is to be expected from a compilation of journal entries. If any of these things do not sound appealing, then I wouldn’t suggest you read this memoir.

Overall, I loved this. It makes me want to visit this small-town bookshop. I wish there were more bookshops like this, and stories about them. It was lovely reading about someone that loves books as much as I do.

The Diary of a Tuscan Bookshop was a pleasure to read. This book took me a while to finish, however, because it was a journal of Ms. Donati's everyday life in Lucignana, Italy, and at the end of each day's entry, she included a list of books that were sold that day. At that point, I had to stop and look up any book that looked like it could be written in English, and add them to my "want to read" list. I loved the simple, train of thought writing in the diary, and felt like it gave me a bird's eye view into the author's life in this little town in Italy. But, the books that were listed as sold throughout the book were the real treasure to me, as there were so many that I have not read, and also wasn't familiar with the authors, thus opening up a whole new world of books to me. Ms. Donati is a publicist, and so her lists were really interesting, with all sorts of books on all types of subjects. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves books, and /or has an interest in Italy. Thank you Simon and Schuster and Netgalley for the priviledge of previewing this book in exchange of an honest review.

What a dream! Not only to open a bookstore, but to do it in such a beautiful setting in Italy! The author gave up her career in the publishing business to go back to here tiny home town in the mountains of Tuscany. It seems like this was more of a favor to the town than an actual money-making endeavor. And what a great thing! She doesn't seem to sell a lot of books, but the difference she makes in peoples lives and in the town are immense.
The book is laid out in a diary form, describing each days events, the people, and the actual titles of the books she sold (in which I found several to add to my "to-be-read" list). Her descriptions and stories pull the reader in, the result being you feel like you are sitting on her little patio, reading and smelling the flowers and enjoying the scenery.
I loved the descriptions of the landscape and of the people in her lives. I honestly felt for her during her setbacks (a horrendous fire and Covid). I admire her perseverance in keeping going forward.
I read this while flying home from Seattle to Wisconsin, and again on the flight back. It's a quick read, and very enjoyable. I couldn't wait to get home to look the author up on Instagram and view her amazing pictures! Well worth it.
I will definitely be taking the time to visit this little shop on my next trip to Italy!

This was a delightful read the authors diary of her life as a bookstore owner was so interesting so charming.Love how she listed the books that were ordered each day.Following her back to her small hometown to fulfill her dream of opening her bookstore in Tuscany made a fascinating read for me.#netgalley #scribner.

This was a great book to get lost in curled up on the couch. I really enjoyed this and had a wonderful experience reading this.
I just reviewed Diary of a Tuscan Bookshop by Alba Donati. #NetGalley
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I loved this memoir and now know where to visit for books when I visit Tuscany. I felt like I was there the entire time reading.

"Diary of a Tuscan Bookshop" by Alba Donati is a charming and heartwarming novel that will transport readers to the picturesque Tuscan countryside. The story follows the daily life of protagonist Elisa, who runs a small independent bookshop in a quaint village.

Donati's writing is warm and inviting, with vivid descriptions of the Tuscan landscape and a cast of lovable and quirky characters. The use of diary entries adds a personal touch to the narrative, giving readers an intimate look into Elisa's thoughts and feelings.

The character of Elisa is a relatable and likable protagonist. Her struggles to keep her bookshop afloat in the face of competition from larger chain stores, and her growing feelings for a local journalist, make for a compelling and emotional journey. The other characters in the book are also well-drawn and interesting, each with their own quirks and motivations.

One of the standout aspects of the book is its celebration of the power of books and reading. The importance of independent bookshops and the role they play in fostering a love of reading is a central theme of the novel, and will resonate with book lovers everywhere.

Overall, "Diary of a Tuscan Bookshop" is a delightful and heartwarming novel that will appeal to anyone who loves books, small towns, and charming characters. Donati's writing is warm and inviting, and her characters are well-drawn and relatable. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a cozy and uplifting read.

This truly reads like a diary (translated from Italian). There are some wonderful insightful sections and many sections that are confusing (because there are so many people mentioned). Parts are long winded or boring parts mostly because it’s just a snippet of a story. Lots of book recommendations list which was fun.
Recommended For: Those who want a quick look into a personal diary of an Italian woman who owns a bookstore during Covid.

A translated book of a diary of day to day running a bookstore in Tuscany. Skimmable, and must admit the names and such are unknown to me so meant little. I enjoy reading about other places, but struggled a bit here as it gave me little to visualize. If you are more familiar with the country and Italian customs this would be a more fun read for you. If so, I would recommend.

I was under the wrong impression about this book. I thought it would be about the author's quest to have a bookshop and getting the business started and her love of books which made her want to do this. Instead it truly is a diary of her every day. It is very reminiscent of Shaun Bythell's books about his bookshop in Scotland. However, Mr. Bythell's books were actually interesting and funny. This book, for me, was neither.