“What are the best books for learning Italian?” We looked at 85 different titles, aggregating and ranking the entries in an attempt to answer that very question!

Part 6 of our Italy week is the best books to learn Italian!

The lists we made are:

• Literature
• Nonfiction
• Popes & the Vatican
• Cookbooks
• Art & Renaissance
• Learning Italian
• Roman History

Below you can find the top 12 books, all appearing on 2 or more lists, with images, summaries, and links. The remaining books, as well as the articles we used are at the bottom of the page.

Happy Scrolling!

The Top Books To Read When Learning Italian

12 .) 501 Italian Verbs by John Colaneri & Vincent Luciani

Lists It Appears On:

• Omniglot
• Italy Chronicles

“The bestselling 501 Verbs Series is the #1 reference source for verb usage in virtually every major language. It’s printed in two colors, features tinted page edges for ease of reference, and comes with extra help for students in the form of a CD-ROM.
This edition presents the most important and most commonly used Italian verbs arranged alphabetically with English translations in chart form, one verb per page, and conjugated in all persons and tenses, both active and passive. The accompanying CD-ROM gives students extra practice with crossword puzzles and games.
This combined book and software package is a comprehensive guide to verb usage with a wealth of reference material and language tips, including a bilingual list of more than 1,250 additional Italian verbs, helpful expressions and idioms for travelers, and verb drills and short tests with all questions answered and explained.”

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11 .) English Grammar for Students of Italian by Sergio Adorni and Karen Primorac

Lists It Appears On:

• Italy Chronicles
• Fluent U

Each chapter covers a grammar point: i.e., a part of speech (noun, verb, pronoun), a word’s function in a sentence (subject, direct object, indirect object), a grammatical term (tense, conjugation, gender, agreement). Each chapter is divided into two sections. 1. In English: grammar is explained as it relates to English, anticipating concepts necessary for Italian. 2. In Italian: grammar is explained as it relates to Italian, with examples and explanations of the rules applied. Points out similarities, differences, and alerts students to pitfalls. Available online: 1. Review booklet with Answer key 2. Correlation to Oggi in Italia indicating the pages to be read in preparation for each lesson. This self-study guide is part of the O&H Study Guide series for students of foreign languages. Experience has shown that students using the O&H Italian Study Guide improve their performance in Italian grammar thanks to a better understanding of English grammar. Teachers can devote more class time to developing communicative skills.

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10 .) First Italian Reader: A Beginner’s Dual-Language Book (Dover Dual Language Italian) by Stanley Appelbaum

Lists It Appears On:

• Italian Brave Heart
• Italianolingo

“Beginning students of Italian language and literature will welcome this bilingual anthology edited especially for their needs. Ranging from the fourteenth to the twentieth centuries, it features the works of Dante, Boccaccio, Pirandello, and fifty-two others in both the original Italian and expert English translations on the facing pages. Selections include excerpts from poetry, fiction, history, and philosophy.
This is a “”first reader”” in the sense of its introduction to Italian literature from the 1300s to the 1920s. A solid background in Italian grammar is necessary for the fullest appreciation of the original text. The excerpts are unadulterated, not retold or simplified. Readers can sample the works of men renowned for other talents, such as Michelangelo and Galileo, and discover the original language of The Decameron, The Prince, and even Pinocchio. This self-contained anthology can be used with or without an instructor. It will thrill anyone seeking a fast-paced survey of a vital body of literature from one of the world’s greatest cultural legacies.”

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9 .) Italian Grammar (Barron’s Grammar Series) by Marcel Danesi

Lists It Appears On:

• Take Lessons
• Fluent U 2

Titles in Barron’s Grammar series are small in size but filled with helpful fast-reference information for language students and translators. Barron’s Italian Grammar makes a handy supplement to classroom textbooks. Topics covered include parts of speech, sentence structure, punctuation, idioms, and advice on pronunciation. Books in this series are printed in two colors to highlight important study points and help students find specific information quickly and easily

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8 .) Italian Short Stories: Racconti Italiano by Nick Roberts

Lists It Appears On:

• Italian Brave Heart
• Italianolingo

Including stories by Calvino, Benni, Sciascia and Levi, this volume gives a fascinating insight into Italian culture and literature as well as providing an invaluable educational tool.

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7 .) Italian: A Self-Teaching Guide by Edoardo A. Lèbano

Lists It Appears On:

• Italy Chronicles
• Take Lessons

Learn Italian the quick and easy way! Whether you re learning Italian for the first time or just brushing up on your skills, this updated edition of the bestselling Italian: A Self-Teaching Guide is the ideal way to master the language at your own pace. In fifteen simple lessons, you ll learn how to engage in everyday conversations from ordering at a restaurant to asking for directions to making special arrangements with a hotel concierge. Written in a lively, personable style by a native Italian, this practical guide combines the quick-reference virtues of a phrasebook with the learning tools of a full-fledged language course. Designed to acquaint you with the basic skills you need to speak, read, write, and understand the language, Italian: A Self-Teaching Guide, Second Edition demystifies grammar, common usage, and pronunciation with step-by-step lessons on numbers, days of the week, telling time, and special rules of speech. It also includes extensive vocabulary and culture notes. Mini-dialogues from real-life situations provide a vibrant introduction to Italian culture and customs while a fun assortment of exercises, self-tests, and practice activities constantly reinforces your reading and conversational skills.

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6 .) Mastering Italian Vocabulary: A Thematic Approach by Luciana Feinler-Torriani and Gunter Klemm

Lists It Appears On:

• Take Lessons
• Italy Chronicles

This Italian word-power builder presents more than 5,000 words and phrases with translations into English. The feature that makes this vocabulary book distinctive is the way words are divided into themes, grouped together so that the foreign traveler or language student can find words related by subject. The subject themes include business terms, medical terms, household terms, scientific words and phrases, units of measurement, clothing, food and dining, transportation, art and culture— 24 separate themes in all.

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5 .) Read and Think Italian with Audio CD (Read & Think) by The Editors of Think Italian! Magazine

Lists It Appears On:

• Italian Brave Heart
• Italianolingo

Read & Think Italian is an innovative, non-intimidating approach to learning Italian. Compiled by the expert editors of Think Italian! magazine, this audio package brings together more than 100 engaging, fully illustrated readings and articles about the life and culture of Italy. The 70-minute audio CD features many of the articles read aloud by native speakers, as well as questions for review and reinforcement of new vocabulary.

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4 .) Rick Steve’s Italian Phrase Book & Dictionary by Rick Steves

Lists It Appears On:

• Fluent U
• Via Fontanelle

Buon giorno! From ordering calamari in Venice to making new friends in Tuscan hill towns, it helps to speak some of the native tongue. Rick Steves, bestselling author of travel guides to Europe, offers well-tested phrases and key words to cover every situation a traveler is likely to encounter. This handy guide provides key phrases for use in everyday circumstances, complete with phonetic spelling, an English-Italian and Italian-English dictionary, the latest information on European currency and rail transportation, and even a tear-out cheat sheet for continued language practice as you wait in line at the Sistine Chapel. Informative, concise, and practical, Rick Steves’ Italian Phrase Book and Dictionary is an essential item for any traveler’s zainetto.

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3 .) Soluzioni! : A Practical Guide to Italian Grammar by Denise De Rôme & Paola Tite

Lists It Appears On:

• Omniglot
• Fluent U

Focusing on the essentials, Soluzioni! is an accessible grammar guide for all beginners of Italian. This comprehensive handbook provides Italian grammar-at-a-glance, using numerous tables to help facilitate learning and reviewing. Complemented by an appealing visual layout, Soluzioni! uses real language examples to help expand students’ vocabulary knowledge, while plenty of varied and imaginative exercises show how the grammar works in practice.

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2 .) Easy Italian Reader by Riccarda Saggese

Lists It Appears On:

• Fluent U
• Italian Brave Heart
• Italianolingo
• Italy Chronicles

Easy Italian Reader Premium is based on the premise that the best way to learn a language is to start reading it, immediately. Suitable for raw beginners to intermediate-level language learners, the new premium edition of this bestselling title features engaging readings of progressive difficulty that allow you to rapidly build comprehension. Available online the flashcard sets of new vocabulary for every reading and a 1,500 entry digital glossary.

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1 .) Practice Makes Perfect: Complete Italian Grammar by Marcel Danesi

Lists It Appears On:

• Take Lessons
• Fluent U
• Omniglot
• Italy Chronicles

The only way to boost your confidence in a second language is to practice, practice, practice. From the present tense of regular verbs to direct object pronouns, this comprehensive guide and workbook covers all aspects of Italian grammar that you need to master.Focusing on the practical aspects of Italian as it’s really spoken, each unit features clear explanations, numerous realistic examples, and lots of engaging exercises.

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The Remaining Best Books For Learning Italian

The Top Italian Phrase and Word Dictionary Lists