"Italy for the Gourmet Traveler" (Kyle Books, $24.95)

"Almost every dish in Italy has local roots and is best eaten in its place of origin," author Fred Plotkin writes. "Though that is not always possible, what is possible — and virtually guaranteed — is that any traveler to Italy will be able to enjoy a satisfying and tasty meal.

But where? Plotkin has put together a massive and thorough guide (almost 700 pages) to eating in Italy. He describes the restaurants and discusses in depth the nuances of how Italians eat. This is not an easy thing to explain, Plotkin says, because the Italian dining experience involves "the accumulated intelligence, tradition, appreciation of flavor, understanding of texture" as well as "abbina-mento," the proper matching of flavors and textures with pairings of foods and wines.

He discusses the parts of the Italian meal with great care and delicacy: from breakfast, lunch and dinner to antipasto (appetizer), the first course, the second course, the side dish, as well as cheeses, breads and desserts. A chapter is devoted to wine.

He also points out that the way of dining is unique to each Italian town, with its own culture, festivals, traditions and special foods.

Plotkin includes the stores where you can buy local products and lists bookstores in several cities because, he reasons, "you might be lucky enough to have access to a kitchen … and, after using the recipes in this book, you might want local cookbooks that will introduce you to the recipes of a region."

He concludes with a glossary of Italian food and wine terms.

"Every Day in Tuscany: Seasons of an Italian Life" (Broadway Books, $25)

Frances Mayes is famous for her best-seller "Under the Tuscan Sun." In her new book, "Every Day in Tuscany," she continues to share her love affair with this part of Italy, its people and art, as well as its cuisine and lifestyle.

Once again, Mayes combines the personal with the universal, discussing her circumstances as part-time resident of a 13th-century house but also commenting on the art of the Renaissance and the joys of daily Italian living.

She always has been an accidental resident of Italy, she says:

"I made a home here without really meaning to — the place took a hold of me and shaped me in its image."

So in this year marking the 20th anniversary of her life in Italy, she once again celebrates her story in book form.

Mayes is an effortless writer, or so it seems, and the book is full of small delights from her often humorous commentary ("Good wine causes no problems the next day") to her talent of seamlessly combining history with the present, turning dry facts into entertaining anecdotes.

Fans of "Under the Tuscan Sun" will enjoy the insights she brings to being a (part-time) stranger in a strange land — Mayes divides her time between Italy and North Carolina — and will appreciate her comments about Italian life and culture and the rhythms that are specific to Italy.

For example, the piazza, she writes, 'speaks pure Italian — speaks of who lives here and why."

And given that this is a book about Italy, Mayes includes numerous recipes.

"Florence: A Map of Perceptions" (University of Virginia Press, $22.95)

This quirky little book offers up Florence through the eyes of an architect. Andrea Ponsi is an engaging tour guide. His Florence is a city where the light is constantly changing, a city of both symmetry and asymmetry, and of various geometric shapes: square courtyards and triangular spires, octagonal churches and the most acute of angles.

Florence, he says, is a city of walls and markets and piazzas. But it also is a labyrinth.

"I know only certain routes," he admits, even though he has lived there for many years.

He describes Florence's most famous landmarks, such as the Duomo — mesmerized by its stained glass and frescoes — and the harmony of the Chapel of the Magi. In addition, he discusses the city's parks and fountains.

Ponsi's often poetic words — he is an architect with a poet's eye — are accompanied by his own watercolors and sketches.