Rating: 
Summary: Re-visiting beautiful Tuscany
Review: I have to admit that I am one of those readers who just loved Under the Tuscan Sun and was eagerly awaiting the release of Bella Tuscany, hoping for more of Mayes' stunningly poetic writing.I found Bella Tuscany a little slower, even, dare I say it, boring in some parts, however it still held all those elements I loved about UTTS. In this book we learn about the pros and cons of italian style gardens with some beautiful sentiments borrowed from Pliny about gardens, happiness and life spent in elegant, intellectual freedom. I loved the idea of this and realised that this must strike a cord with the moneyed, intellectual Mayes. Once again my mouth watered with Frances' descriptions of gastronomic feasts and then marvelled over the simpler pleasures of cooking with unfamiliar greens growing wild amongst your garden. I loved the historic feel to the book also. Ideas and thoughts borrowed from the inspiration of Roman roads, Renaissance landscaping and Sicilian/Tuscan/Venetian history. Mayes spends more time in this book acquainting us with the ever-present yet somehow elusive Ed. We get more of an idea of the things they like to do, eat, see, explore. If you bought this book because you enjoyed the renovation of the farmhouse in UTTS you may be disappointed to find that they spend a good deal of time away from Bramasole. However, if you wanted to dip back into the lives of Frances and Ed and follow and join them as they explore "their" Italy, you will find this book every bit as enjoyable as UTTS.
Rating: 
Summary: Frances Mayes should have stopped after the first book.
Review: Please tell me what vacationing in Sicily and Venice, attending a funeral in Minnesota and a wedding in California have to do with Tuscany. The reader buys the book expecting several hundred pages filled with insight into Tuscany only to be bored to tears with the ramblings of a self-indulgent author. Frances Mayes has taken her fantasy of becoming the next Martha Stewart to the pinnacle. First she's a poet and travel writer, then a chef and now a landscape designer and art historian. Even Martha wouldn't attempt this many feats as a mere mortal! This book was written for one reason, to coattail on the success of her first book and to rip the reader off!
Rating:
Summary: Well written, but not inspiring or fantastic
Review: The book is simply boring. It is well written, but boring. I ended up exchanging it after about thirty pages - I should have read this much before leaving the bookstore. I live in Lucca some 4 months a year and although this is "old hat" to me, I feel the writer, although competent, lacks the insight of what makes Italy and Italians "tick," and this shows on the pages. Italians are special because of, and for, many reasons - it is too bad this writer cannot express them. In the time it would take you to quickly skim through this troubled book, you could slowly enjoy three cups of coffee in a run down Italian café and soak up a greater feel for "Italy."
Rating: 
Summary: amazon rips off customers
Review: amazon sells book of the month quality book, indicating $25 retail value, while reader is sure few if any would pay $25 for a book bound so poorly. Poorest quality hard back binding i have ever incurred.
Rating: 
Summary: Spiritual and gastronomic ecstasy in Tuscany
Review: I could not put this book down. The descriptions of landscape, people, food, and wine were captivating. I felt as if I were there experiencing them with Ms. Mayes. I was as relaxed as she was, walking to town, having a capuccino, picking plants, buying wine. I was there with her and Ed. Maybe I should just show up as one of their guests one summer!!
Rating:
Summary: Olive Oil Ecstasy
Review: Frances Mayes just does it again. One reads Bella Tuscany with the feeling that one has caught that 24 hour stomach virus that's been going around. The rolling hills and olive groves of Tuscany come to life and actually start to speak to you in a voice that is reminiscent of Lyndon Baines Johnson. Soon, visions of Garfield appear and before you know it, you've logged on to the internet again to order Martha Stewart's new book on Hors D'Oeurves. Ah, the winemakers of Italy: so vastly underappreciated and not once mentioned in the latest edition of Goodman and Gilman. But here, Frances, just zonks you with the whole Italian winemaking craft while not once making you think about your root canal visit at the dentist tomorrow. Let your mind wander to Tuscany with the rich, harmonious prose and best poetic voice since Macgruder's Poems for an Unyear. And when you go to Tuscany, do not, I repeat, do not forget to bring along your copy of Daniel Dennett's "Consciousness Explained". This will all make perfect sense, but not in this universe.
Rating:
Summary: Reading this book was my fourth trip to Italy
Review: I have been to Italy three times and was fortunate to travel many of the same paths Ms. Mayes vibrantly takes us. This is a true treasure to read and ponder. I wish I had met her when I was at SFSU.
Rating:
Summary: Delightfully warm and inviting. A trip of the senses.
Review: Mayes again invites me into her Cortona, Italy villa, Bramsola. It has been too long between visits and it was nice to see how life has settled into a routine of enjoying the gardens, repairing the villa, and exploring more of the Tuscan region.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing and Offensive
Review: Although I thoroughly enjoyed Under the Tuscan Sun, Bella Tuscany was a major disappointment. I don't think this book should be considered a "travel narrative" as it is really a personal, opinion-filled chronicle of one woman's experience in several different parts of the world (Minnesota, California, and Sicily- not just one village in the region of Tuscany). Although I envy Mayes' financial ability to travel at will between California and Italy, I do not envy her selfishness or ignorance. I could not relate to her buying ease, or her annoyance at having to travel home for the death of her significant other's mother. Being the daughter of a native Sicilian, I was offended by her depiction of the people of the island. While the mafia is still existent there and plays a definitive role in the economic system of the country, it does not rule the lives of every man, woman, and child. If Mayes feels bad for the Sicilians, she shouldn't say so in this book. After living with a host family in Tuscany, I feel I have only begun to grip the unique warmth of the people there. However, Mayes, a stereotypical American who spends summers there and "endures" some lessons in Italian, seems to feel she has become akin to the natives. A more intelligent writer would use a "show not tell" style to avoid condescending generalizations about the land and people. This book is not a total failure thanks to some good descriptive writing and humor those still struggling to learn the language can relate to.
Rating:
Summary: An enjoyable read with less recipes and more story
Review: Yes "Under a Tuscan Sun" was better, but "Bella Tuscany" was definitely enjoyable. I found myself lost in the atmosphere of the Italian landscape, longing to travel to Italy. I laughed out loud when Mayes complained about her rude house guests. I savored the details of their trip to Venice. My mouth watered when she described their meals. And as always, I love to hear about a wedding. Give it a chance. Do not fret when Mayes steps (physically or mentally) outside the Italian border. This book is not only about a place, it is about a persons life forever changing and growing. I just loved it when she didn't recognize that certain someone. READ IT AND FIND OUT!
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