Books for Foodies

Kitchen Confidential

The classic bestseller from the star of Parts Unknown and No Reservations: 25th Anniversary edition, with a new introduction by Irvine Welsh. BEFORE THERE WAS THE BEAR, THERE WAS BOURDAIN. ‘Elizabeth David written by Quentin Tarantino’ — A.A. Gill ‘Fantastic: as lip-smackingly seductive as a bowl of fat chips and pungent aioli’ — Daily Telegraph After twenty-five years of sex, drugs, bad behaviour and haute cuisine, chef and novelist Anthony Bourdain decided to tell all – and he meant all. From his first oyster in the Gironde as a child, to his lowly position as a dishwasher in a honky-tonk fish restaurant in Provincetown; from the kitchen of the Rainbow Room atop the Rockefeller Center to drug dealers in the East Village, from Tokyo to Paris and back...

Butter

Compelling, delightfully weird, often uncomfortable PANDORA SYKES Unputdownable, breathtakingly original ERIN KELLY I have been glued to Asako Yuzuki's new novel Butter NIGEL SLATER A full-fat, Michelin-starred treat THE TIMES The cult Japanese bestseller about a female gourmet cook and serial killer and the journalist intent on cracking her case, inspired by a true story. There are two things that I can simply not tolerate: feminists and margarine. Gourmet cook Manako Kajii sits in Tokyo Detention Centre convicted of the serial murders of lonely businessmen, who she is said to have seduced with her delicious home cooking. The case has captured the nation's imagination but Kajii refuses to speak with the press, entertaining no visitors. That is, until journalist Rika Machida writes a letter asking for her recipe...

Hooked

The unmissable new novel of friendship and dangerous obsession from Asako Yuzuki, the award-winning author of the global bestselling sensation Butter. Eriko really wouldn’t mind being savaged, if it was her best friend doing the savaging … Eriko’s life appears perfect – devoted parents, spotless apartment and a job in the seafood division of one of Japan’s largest trading companies. Her latest project, to reintroduce the controversial Nile perch fish into the Japanese market, is characteristically ambitious. But beneath her flawless surface she is wracked by loneliness. Eriko becomes fascinated with a popular blog written by a housewife, Shoko. Shoko’s posts about eating convenience store food and her untidy home are the opposite of the typical Japanese housewife’s manicured lifestyle. When Eriko tracks Shoko down at her favourite restaurant...

The Strawberry Patch Pancake House

Fall in love with the brand new spring romance set in Dream Harbor, from the bestselling author of The Pumpkin Spice Cafe and The Cinnamon Bun Book Store. ‘A charming break from reality’ - Publishers Weekly As a renowned chef, single-dad Archer never planned on moving to a small town, let alone running a pancake restaurant. But Dream Harbor needs a new chef, and Archer needs a community to help raise his daughter, Olive. Iris has never managed to hold down a job for more than a few months. So when Mayor Kelly suggests Archer is looking for a nanny, and Iris might be available, she shudders at the thought. But in need of money, she reluctantly agrees. As Archer and Iris get used to their new roles,...

Call Me By Your Name

It's a deeply emotional story of a summer romance between Elio, a precocious teenager, and Oliver, a charming visiting scholar, set in the picturesque Italian Riviera. Their relationship evolves from initial desire to a passionate connection, exploring themes of love, longing, and self-discovery.

A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic

A human, a dwarf and an elf walk into a bake-off... The first in a heartwarming cosy fantasy series by J. Penner. She doesn't need to have magic in order to be magic... In the heart of Adenashire, where elfish enchantments and dwarven delights rule, human baker Arleta Starstone works twice as hard at perfecting her unique blend of baking with apothecary herbs. So, when her orc neighbour (and biggest fan) secretly enters her creations into the prestigious Langheim Baking Battle, Arleta faces a dilemma. Being magicless, her participation in the competition could draw more scowls than smiles. And if Arleta wants to prove her talent and establish her culinary reputation, she'll need more than just her pastry craft to sweeten the odds. Though Arleta may not yet...

Crying in H Mart

Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner is a poignant memoir that explores the author's experiences growing up Korean American, her relationship with her mother, and her journey through grief after her mother's death. It intertwines themes of cultural identity, family bonds, and the healing power of food.

The Kamogawa Food Detectives

Legends & Lattes

A Thousand Feasts

The instant #1 Sunday Times bestseller From award-winning writer Nigel Slater comes a new and exquisitely written collection of notes, memoirs, stories, and small moments of joy. 'Nigel Slater’s prose is the rarest delicacy of all: exquisite yet effortless, filled with heart, tenderness, yearning and humour' - Elizabeth Day For years, Nigel Slater has kept notebooks of curiosities and wonderings, penned while at his kitchen table, soaked in a fisherman’s hut in Reykjavik, sitting calmly in a moss garden in Japan, or sheltering from a blizzard in a Vienna Konditorei. These are the small moments, events, and happenings that gave pleasure before they disappeared. Miso soup for breakfast, packing a suitcase for a trip and watching a butterfly settle on a carpet, hiding in plain sight. He gives...

Can't Spell Treason Without Tea

Reyna and Kianthe dream of opening a friendly book shop together, serving the very best tea and cakes. Worn wooden floors, plants on every table, firelight drifting between the rafters - all complemented by love and good company. But Reyna is an elite bodyguard to a vengeful queen, and Kianthe is the most powerful mage in existence. Leaving their lives behind seems ... impossible. Yet they flee to Tawney, a town nestled in the icy peaks of dragon country. There, they open the bookstore they'd always wanted. What follows is a tale of mishaps, mysteries, dragons, and a murderous queen throwing the realm's biggest temper tantrum. Through it, these two women will discover what they mean to each other - and their world. Can't Spell Treason Without Tea...

The Pairing

#1 New York Times bestselling author of Red, White & Royal Blue, Casey McQuiston's delicious romantic comedy The Pairing. Theo and Kit have been a lot of things: childhood best friends, crushes, lovers and now estranged exes. After a brutal breakup on a flight to their dream European food and wine tour, they exited each other's lives. Time apart has done them good. Theo is a bartender and aspiring sommelier with a long roster of lovers. Kit graduated as the reigning sex god of his pastry school and now bakes at one of the finest restaurants in Paris. All that remains is the unused voucher for the European tour that never happened. Four years later, it seems like a great idea to finally take the trip. Solo. Separately....

Uses for Obsession

'Deeply thoughtful, unflinchingly honest and heartwarmingly original. Ben's unique creativity is clearly not limited to Attica.' Hamish Blake 'Powerful, vulnerable, intense, full of love and some darkness too.'Matty Matheson, chef, author, producer and actor Chef and restaurateur Ben Shewry knows obsession well. Whether it's crispy-edged lasagne, saltwater crocodile ribs or the perfect potato, obsession is what motivates him and what makes him tick. It's also what has propelled his Melbourne restaurant Attica into the league of the most innovative, acclaimed dining experiences in the world, and one of the most vital in Australian history. In this absorbing and wide-ranging memoir meets manifesto, Shewry applies his sometimes searing, sometimes comic eye to creative freedom in the kitchen, food journalism, sexism in hospitality, the fraud of the farm-to-table sustainability ethos,...

What I Ate in One Year

From the beloved, bestselling, Oscar-nominated author of Taste — a funny, poignant, heartfelt, and deeply satisfying serving of memories and meals and an irresistible celebration of the profound role that food plays in all our lives. 'Sharing food is one of the purest human acts' Food has always been an integral part of Stanley Tucci's life — from stracciatella soup served in the shadow of the Pantheon, to marinara sauce cooked between rehearsals and costume fittings, to home-made pizza eaten with his children before bedtime. In What I Ate in One Year, Tucci records twelve months of eating, in restaurants, kitchens, film sets, press junkets, at home and abroad, with friends, with family, with strangers, and occasionally just by himself. Ranging from the mouth-wateringly memorable, to the comfortingly...

Vianne

MILLION-COPY BESTSELLING AUTHOR JOANNE HARRIS SENSATIONALLY RETURNS TO THE WORLD OF CHOCOLAT! 'Joanne Harris's long-awaited prequel to her immensely successful novel Chocolat is a feast of the senses full of intrigue, magic, love and, of course, chocolate. I devoured it with as much relish and joy as I devoured the original. Delicious!' SANTA MONTEFIORE Secrets. Chocolate. A touch of magic... On a warm July evening, Sylviane Rochas scatters her mother's ashes in New York and lets the changing wind blow her to the French seaside town of Marseille. For the first time in her life, Vianne holds the future in her own hands. Charming her way into a job as a waitress in a local bistrot, she knows that she is not here to stay—when her child is...

Cooked

Cooked by Michael Pollan explores the transformative power of cooking through four elements: fire, water, air, and earth. Pollan delves into the history, science, and cultural significance of each method while sharing personal stories and insights on how cooking influences our health and communities. It’s an engaging journey into understanding and appreciating food preparation.

The Ex-Boyfriend's Favourite Recipe Funeral Committee

What ingredients do you need to cure a broken heart? Twenty-nine-year-old Momoko has been tragically dumped. She thought her boyfriend was her soulmate. She believed he was going to propose. Instead, he broke things off at a love hotel. So Momoko does what many broken-hearted people do – she gets incredibly drunk. So drunk that she passes out in a nearly empty café. When she wakes, she pours her heart out to Iori, the curious and impossibly handsome manager, and Hozumi, a Buddhist monk in training and café regular. As Momoko describes how her ex loved her cooking, the manager decides to allow her to slip into the kitchen and cook up his favourite dish: a delicious butter chicken curry. Momoko realises that this combination of cooking and...

All You Can Eat

A celebration of how we eat now, Benton captures a Britain in flux' Matthew Ryle 'Ben writes about food in Britain with love, curiosity and joy' Max Halley Isn't British food meant to be bad? Stiff sandwiches, limp vegetables, dry roasts crying out for gravy. We've come a long way from the bad old days. Modern Britain is a vibrant culinary home to the world's most diverse range of foods, constantly evolving with every restaurant opening and new viral trend - and Ben Benton has been in hot pursuit, eating his way across Britain to discover what our national cuisine really tastes like today. Join the chef and food writer on a hungry odyssey in search of Britain's best (and worst) foods, travelling around the country to meet...

Famous Five: Five On A Treasure Island

Famous Five: Five On A Treasure Island follows siblings Julian, Dick, and Anne who meet their cousin George and her dog, Timmy, at Kirrin Cottage. Together, they embark on a thrilling adventure to uncover the secrets of Kirrin Island, fascinated by the possibility of buried treasure and hidden mysteries. Their holiday transforms into an exhilarating quest filled with discovery and excitement.

Peach Street to Lobster Lane

Peach Street to Lobster Lane is described by Tim Spector as "a glorious freewheel through the culinary quirks and delights of the USA – an unmissable treat!" When the nation’s ‘taster-in-chief’ Felicity Cloake announced her dream to cycle across America, the reactions were… mixed: “You’ll get squashed,” warned a Californian colleague. “You’ll be murdered,” added her mum. Friends panicked: “But… what will you eat?” Determined to prove there’s more to American food than the cartoonish glamour of burgers and doughnuts (though she tries those too), Felicity embarks on the ultimate coast-to-coast adventure, tackling highways, byways, and pieways by bike in an unforgettable election year. While the news cycle spins with outrage, what she discovers on the ground is far richer: a wildly varied place of warm hospitality, local...

Sweet Bean Paste

Sweet Bean Paste by Durian Sukegawa is a heartwarming story centred around a struggling street food vendor and an elderly woman who applies to be his assistant. As they work together, they form an unexpected friendship that reveals personal stories and life lessons. This touching tale explores themes of redemption, compassion, and the healing power of human connection.

Milk Fed

Milk Fed by Melissa Broder is an intriguing exploration of hunger, desire, and self-discovery. The story follows Rachel, a lapsed Jew with an obsession over calorie intake, who begins an affair with a woman named Miriam. As she navigates this new relationship, Rachel experiences a journey of personal growth and emotional awakening.

Delicious

Delicious by Nicky Pellegrino is a heartwarming tale centred around a young woman named Kat, who embarks on a journey to Italy. Set against the backdrop of vibrant Italian life and cuisine, Kat discovers love, friendship, and her own passion for cooking. As she learns to embrace the culture, she faces personal challenges that test her resilience and open her eyes to new possibilities.

Greedy

A gambling addict lands a job working as a private chef to a Japanese billionaire with... unusual taste. A shocking and unputdownable read for fans of Lucy Rose's The Lamb and Asako Yazuki's Butter. Not Suitable For Vegetarians 'Sinister, stylish and utterly addictive' Lucy Rose Ed is in trouble with the yakuza. He's gambled away all his money and his family is at risk. But just as he's about to lose everything, he receives an offer he can't refuse. A reclusive billionaire is looking for a private chef. The only catch - she has some... unusual tastes. As he prepares delicious dishes—fresh crab salad with a panko crumb, lamb shank dripping in red wine juice, sweet, fluffy souffle pancakes—he realizes that each meal is a test, a challenge...

Eat A Peach

Eat A Peach is a deeply personal memoir by celebrity chef David Chang, where he explores his journey from modest beginnings to culinary stardom. The book delves into his experiences with restaurant openings, the pressures of running a business, and his battles with mental health. It offers an honest and insightful look into the challenges and triumphs of a high-profile career in the food industry.

Lonely Planet's Best Places to Eat in Every Country

Lonely Planet's Best Places to Eat in Every Country serves as a comprehensive guide for culinary adventurers, detailing the ultimate dining experiences in various countries. This book offers insights into local flavours, hidden culinary gems, and must-try dishes from each destination. It's perfect for travellers eager to explore the world through its diverse and delicious cuisine, making every journey a gastronomic adventure.

Piglet

A claustrophobic novel - like a pot boiling over - Piglet charts the gap between how people see themselves and want to be seen. Discover a deliciously dark and piercing story of food and secrets, a Stylist Best Debut Novel. 'A sharp, dark, must-read story about appetite, ambition, secrecy and shame' - Daily Mail 'If I owned a bookstore, I'd hand-sell Piglet to everyone' - New York Times Book Review 'A dark, weird, satisfying tale about greed and desire' - i News Her life is so full, so why is she hungry? For Piglet - an unshakable childhood nickname - getting married is her opportunity to reinvent. Together, Kit and Piglet are the picture of domestic bliss - effortless hosts, planning a covetable wedding... But if a life...

Mari the Unwonderful Witch

A charming, cosy and thought-provoking tale about a wonderfully unconventional little witch, by bestselling author of BUTTER, Asako Yuzuki. Perfect for fans of WICKED, KIKI'S DELIVERY SERVICE, and THE HATMAKERS series by Tamzin Merchant - and anyone who likes an enchanting adventure with just a hint of mischief. Mari the Unwonderful Witch introduces us to Mari, an eleven-year-old witch who loves her life. Indeed, what's not to love about spending time with her amazing mothers, hanging out with her clever friends, eating delicious food and experimenting with fashion? But, if you ask any of the other witches in town, Mari loves her life a little too much. After all, a wonderful witch puts the needs of others before herself. Magic should be used to help humans - not...

You Made a Fool of Death With Your Beauty

You Made a Fool of Death With Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi is a romantic tale of love and healing centred around a young woman named Feyi. She navigates her grief and complex relationships while pursuing a vibrant new life. Set against a backdrop of lush settings, the story explores themes of empowerment, self-discovery, and the complexities of moving forward after heartache.

Family Meal

Family Meal, by Bryan Washington, explores the intertwined lives of two best friends who navigate love, grief, and the complexities of friendship. Set in a vividly depicted city, the narrative delves into personal and family relationships, examining how individuals find comfort and identity amidst challenging circumstances. Its warmth and authenticity bring out the emotional nuances of human connections and the power of shared meals.