Books that made me hungry

Absurd person singular: "A scathing comedy of social striving in the suburbs, [this play] follows the fortunes of three couples who turn up in each others' kitchens on three successive Christmases, to hilarious and devastating effect."--Page 4 of cover.

'I'm in story heaven with this book.' Cecelia Ahern, author of P.S. I Love You A charming tale of friendship, love and loneliness in contemporary Japan If you enjoyed We'll Prescribe You a Cat or Days at the Morisaki Bookshop , you'll love Sweet Bean Paste Sentaro has failed. He has a criminal record, drinks too much, and his dream of becoming a writer is just a distant memory. With only the blossoming of the cherry trees to mark the passing of time, he spends his days in a tiny confectionery shop selling dorayaki, a type of pancake filled with sweet bean paste. But everything is about to change. Into his life comes Tokue, an elderly woman with disfigured hands and a troubled past. Tokue makes the best sweet bean paste Sentaro has ever tasted. She begins to teach him her craft, but as their friendship flourishes, social pressures become impossible to escape and Tokue’s dark secret is revealed, with devastating consequences. Sweet Bean Paste is a moving novel about the burden of the past and the redemptive power of friendship. Translated into English for the first time, Durian Sukegawa’s beautiful prose is capturing hearts all over the world.

From the indie rockstar Japanese Breakfast, an unflinching, deeply moving memoir about growing up dual-heritage, Korean food, losing her Korean mother, and forging her own identity. 'I bawled my eyes out, but I also loved it and I hope you do too' - Dua Lipa 'Incredible . . . So, so emotional' - Natalie Portman ' Crying In H Mart destroyed me . . . It's fantastic' - Olivia Rodrigo In this story of family and food, grief and joy, Michelle Zauner proves herself far more than a dazzling singer, songwriter and guitarist. With humour and heart, she tells of growing up the only Asian-American kid at her school; of struggling with her mother's expectations of her; of a painful adolescence; and of treasured months spent in her grandmother's tiny apartment in Seoul, where she and her mother would bond, late at night, over heaped plates of food. But, as she grew up, her Koreanness began to feel ever more distant, even as she found the life she wanted to live. It was her mother's diagnosis of terminal pancreatic cancer, when Michelle was twenty-five, that forced a reckoning with her identity and brought her to reclaim the gifts of taste, language, and history her mother had given her. Vivacious and honest, Michelle Zauner's voice is as alive on the page as it is onstage. Rich with intimate anecdotes, Crying in H Mart is a book to cherish, share and reread. What readers are saying about Crying in H Mart : 'I recommend this for anyone who likes memoirs, food, and who's ever felt lonely' (*****) 'I was captivated by this coming-of-age story which resonated with mine and other friends' stories' (*****) 'A must for people looking to be hooked in memories that span between joy, sadness and love' (*****) *Crying in H Mart was a #1 New York Times bestseller w/c 17.04.2023