Buondì.
For the first time, almost in living memory, I had a relatively relaxing weekend.
With the Spring Sale over, with no wild animals to wrangle, and with two-thirds of my adult kids off doing their own thing, there was, surprisingly, time.
My wife went off to meet a friend, while I went for a walk, washed the dishes, and prepared her next meal. But without the usual sense of time pressure. Except…
In an idle moment over Easter (or rather, in a moment when I was too worn out to do anything productive), I used the ebook reading app provided by our local library service to browse ebooks I might want to read.
I have loads of paperbacks from my recent trip, so as I said, I was just killing time. But where to start, in a foreign language library? I racked my memory for favourite authors, but it’s been such a busy few years I could barely come up with any.
So I thought back to when we were in Britain, and titles I’d picked up to look at while browsing bookshops. Then put down again, because of the price, and because I’d already filled my trolley with charity shop bargains.
For instance, the ‘new’ Bill Bryson, The Body: A Guide for Occupants. I’ve read most of his and always enjoyed them, but it was pricey, and would have taken up space I didn’t have.
So I searched for Bryson on the library app, and there it was: Breve storia del corpo umano. Una guida per gli occupanti (don’t buy it from that link as ebooks have rights protection, meaning that you can only use them in certain countries…)
Unfortunately, the library only had three virtual ‘copies’, and they were all ‘out’. But I could ‘prenotare’ (book the book), and be informed when another reader had done with one of them. So I did, and then went on browsing, thinking nothing more of it.
A day later I got an email – my Bryson was ready for me, and I had until this evening at 9.23 pm to check it out, or it would be released to the next interested reader.
So I did, and with huge satisfaction at having obtained, albeit temporarily, something that would have cost the absurd sum of thirty-three euros and four cents using just my wits, taking advantage of the generosity of our local library service.
The only problem being, the book is 464 pages long, I only have two weeks to read it, and unlike with a ‘real’ library book, you can’t just keep it a bit longer and sheepishly pay the fine when you finally finish it. With ebooks, when your time’s up, it’s game over.
So I’m devoting every spare moment to Bill, determined to get my thirty-three euros and four cents’ worth! I’m up to page sixty , so have a way to go yet. And the clock is ticking…
Now, you might be thinking, well, it’s all right for him, he lives in Italy, he’s married to an Italian, so of course he can read Italian books! Which is a good point.
But when I first arrived, back in 1998 – when the internet had barely started, when there were no smartphones with apps, no cursed iPads ruining everything, and when I had a child on the way, two more scheduled, and not a lot of spare cash – it was an entirely different matter.
I’d always been a reader – newspapers, paperbacks, the back of breakfast cereal packets – whatever I could get my hands on.
But in a new country, where I knew virtually nothing of the language, and had little time to learn it, the options of reading IN ENGLISH were limited, and pricey. Effectively, it was read Italian, or read nothing.
Wistfully browsing Bologna’s bookshops, which were packed with interesting stuff in ITALIAN, I came across ‘easy readers’ for learners of Italian, and bought a few.
That got me started, but the selection wasn’t vast so I soon ran out of ‘easy reader’ options. And in any case, they were a little too much like studying, for my liking. I was looking for ‘reading’, a leisure activity, not a different kind of work.
I tried newspapers, but Italian newspapers are hard (even now…) Then, one day, browsing a newspaper and magazine stall, I came across ‘gialli’, which are what Italians call detective fiction, because they have or had yellow covers.
Gialli used to be published weekly, like a magazine, so idlers like me, with a few coins in their pockets, would have something light to while away time on buses or during the extended Italian lunch break.
Reading Italian authors in the original at that point was clearly going to be beyond me. But fortunately there were plenty of translations of American writers, writing in a style which was already very familiar. So I splashed a few thousand of the old lire on an author I knew I liked, and gave it a shot.
Finishing the first one took months. Later, I discovered that translations of John Grisham’s legal thrillers were both cheap and easy to read, so I went through all the ones I hadn’t already consumed.
Eventually, perhaps a few years down the line, I tried out an Italian private eye, and liked it!
Così.
If you’re not reading in Italian, or whatever language you’re learning, you definitely should be.
It’s cheap, it’s good for your brain, and it’s really, really effective at consolidating the grammar and vocabulary you learn elsewhere, while exposing you to lots of new stuff.
One vital trick is to REFUSE TO USE THE DICTIONARY. There are always going to be many words you don’t know, so you’ll need to develop your ability to ‘guess’. Reading needs to be reading, not studying. Just keep turning the pages. You want to find out whodunnit, don’t you?
But the guessing, the being motivated to keep turning the pages, is dependent on you choosing the right sort of text to begin with.
If you’re just starting out, then ‘easy readers’ will build your confidence, and help you establish a habit of reading. But as soon as you’re ready, leap into ‘real’ books, why not?
Pick something ‘light’, something you think you’ll enjoy, rather than something aspirational. If you were learning English, you probably wouldn’t start with Shakespeare.
A reading habit will pay back big time, IF you can establish one. Making silly choices of text at the outset makes that less likely.
Boredom and demotivation are your enemies. Always choose something that you actually want to read. Bryson’s not a bad option, actually. His writing is always interesting and fun, and the style is uncomplicated.
Any author you already know is worth a look. Pick up an Italian translation and read the first page. If it seems impossible, put it down. If not (without a dictionary, remember), then maybe start there.
But do start.
A mercoledì!
3 Half-Price eBook Easy Readers from 2016
This week we’re doing the half-price ebook offer on three titles we published in 2016. Any of them will cost you just £3.99 until Sunday 23rd April 2023.
These three are all around intermediate/upper-intermediate. Check the FREE sample chapters to see if they might be right for you.
(I liked the first one best…)
Galileo, Pisa e la luna (B1/2) 
Pisa, 1690. Academic and university teacher, Galileo, is re-thinking Aristotle’s idea that the heavier an object is, the faster it will fall to earth. With the help of his reluctant assistant, Valerio, and the city’s famous leaning tower!
This original easy Italian reader, ‘Galileo, Pisa e la luna’ allows us to join the Reniassance scientist for a day while he conducts one of his most famous experiments…
- .pdf e-book (+ audio available free online)
- .mobi (Kindle-compatible) and .epub (other ebook readers) available on request at no extra charge – just add a note to the order form or email us
- 8 chapters to read and listen to
- Comprehension questions to check your understanding
- Italian/English glossary of ‘difficult’ terms for the level
- Suitable for students at intermediate level or above
- Download your Free Sample Chapter (.pdf)
Buy Galileo, Pisa e la luna just £3.99 | FREE sample chapter (.pdf) | ‘A Day in the Life of…’ | Catalog
Vivaldi e la chiesa della Salute (B2) 
A misty Sunday morning in Venice, 1703, and there goes Sig. Vivaldi, part-time violinist and composer, hurrying off to his day job taking mass in one of the city’s famous churches…
This original easy Italian reader, ‘Vivaldi e la chiesa della Salute’ allows us a glimpse into the life of the famous Italian composer while providing fascinating details about some Venice landmarks.
- .pdf e-book (+ audio available free online)
- 8 chapters to read and listen to
- Comprehension questions to check your understanding
- Italian/English glossary of ‘difficult’ terms for the level
- Suitable for students at intermediate level or above
- Download your Free Sample Chapter (.pdf)
Buy Vivaldi e la chiesa della Salute just £3.99 | FREE sample chapter (.pdf) | ‘A Day in the Life of…’ | Catalog
Un giorno con Raffaello (B1/B2) 
Who hasn’t now heard of Raffaello, one of the most famous Italian painters? But he wasn’t always so well-known.
This original easy Italian reader, ‘Un giorno con Raffaello’ introduces us to Raffaello early in his career when, one morning, he receives an unexpected letter…
- .pdf e-book (+ audio available free online)
- 8 chapters to read and listen to
- Comprehension questions to check your understanding
- Italian/English glossary of ‘difficult’ terms for the level
- Suitable for students at intermediate level or above
- Download your Free Sample Chapter (.pdf)
Buy Un giorno con Raffaello just £3.99 | FREE sample chapter (.pdf) | ‘A Day in the Life of…’ | Catalog
How do I access my ebooks?
When your order is ‘completed’ (normally immediately after your payment), a download link will be automatically emailed to you. It’s valid for 7 days and 3 download attempts so please save a copy of the .pdf ebook in a safe place. Other versions of the ebook, where available, cannot be downloaded but will be emailed to people who request them. There’s a space to do that on the order form – where it says Additional information, Order notes (optional). If you forget, or if you have problems downloading the .pdf, don’t worry! Email us at the address on the website and we’ll help. Also, why not check out our FAQ?
P.S. 
Did you see Saturday’s bulletin of ‘easy’ Italian news?
I haven’t read/listened to it yet, because I’ve been busy with the library book.
But I’ll get to it. Probably today, as there’ll be another tomorrow morning, and I don’t like to fall behind.
Subscribers get each bulletin, via email, three times a week on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
+++
OnlineItalianClub.com | EasyItalianNews.com | Shop (ebooks) | Shop (online lessons)
Wendy Hartnell says
I’m lucky enough to live fairly close to the Italian Cultural Institute in London. The library there has hundreds of books in Italian, including easy readers. You can borrow books for a month and renew for a second month. Cost £20 to join but well worth it. Also has a DVD collection. The librarian makes recommendations and they even have an online reading group.
Daniel says
Sounds great, Wendy. Anyone in London should check it out!