Gourmet ​Rhapsody

Anna Gavalda - Hunting ​and Gathering
Prize-winning ​author Anna Gavalda has galvanized the literary world with an exquisite genius for storytelling. Here, in her epic new novel of intimate lives-and filled with the "humanity and wit" (Marie Claire) that has made it a bestselling sensation in France-Gavalda explores the twists of fate that connect four people in Paris. Comprised of a starving artist, her shy, aristocratic neighbor, his obnoxious but talented roommate, and a neglected grandmother, this curious, damaged quartet may be hopeless apart, but together, they may just be able to face the world.

Muriel Barbery - Une ​gourmandise
C'est ​le plus grand critique culinaire du monde, le Pape de la gastronomie, le Messie des agapes somptueuses. Demain, il va mourir. Il le sait et il n'en a cure: aux portes de la mort, il est en quête d'une saveur qui lui trotte dans le coeur, une saveur d'enfance ou d'adolescence, un mets original et merveilleux dont il pressent qu'il vaut bien plus que tous ses festins de gourmet accompli. Alors il se souvient. Silencieusement, parfois frénétiquement, il vogue au gré des méandres de sa mémoire gustative. Il se souvient - et il ne trouve pas. Pas encore.

Guillaume Musso - The ​Reunion
_The ​US debut of France's #1 bestselling novelist, a thriller about a glamorous girl that goes missing in the South of France_ _A prestigious campus frozen in the snow_ _Three friends linked by a tragic secret_ _One girl taken by the night _ _The Côte d'Azur - Winter 1992_ One freezing night, as her campus is paralyzed by a snowstorm, 19-year-old Vinca Rockwell, the most beautiful and glamorous girl in her prep school, runs away with her philosophy teacher, with whom she has been conducting a secret affair. For Vinca, "love is everything or nothing." She will never be seen again. _The Côte d'Azur - Spring 2017_ Once inseparable, Manon, Thomas and Maxime -- Vinca's best friends -- have not spoken since graduation. They meet again at their reunion. Twenty-five years earlier, under terrible circumstances, the three of them committed a murder and buried the bodyin the gymnasium wall, the same wall that is about to be demolished to make way for an ultramodern new building. What really happened that long-ago winter night? Now nothing stands in the way of the truth coming out. From France's #1 bestselling author, Guillaume Musso, Night and the Maiden is a taut and suspenseful thriller that will keep readers riveted until its haunting final page.

Joanne Harris - The ​Lollipop Shoes
(In ​the U.S.A. published as The Girl with no Shadow) For all those who loved Chocolat - Vianne is back. Seeking refuge and anonymity in the cobbled streets of Montmartre, Vianne and her daughters, Rosette and Annie, live peacefully, if not happily, above their little chocolate shop. Nothing unusual marks them out; no red sachets hang by the door. The wind has stopped - at least for a while. Then into their lives blows Zozie de l'Alba, the lady with the lollipop shoes, and everything begins to change... But this new friendship is not what it seems. Ruthless, devious and seductive, Zozie de l'Alba has plans of her own - plans that will shake their world to pieces. And with everything she loves at stake, Vianne must face a difficult choice; to flee, as she has done so many times before, or to confront her most dangerous enemy ... Herself.

Muriel Barbery - Ínyencrapszódia
Pierre ​Athens a világ legnagyobb étteremkritikusa, a gasztronómia pápája, az ínyenc lakomák fejedelme. És negyvennyolc órán belül meg kell halnia. Ezt ő is tudja, de nem törődik vele, mert a halál kapujában egy ízlelőbimbói közt vagy inkább a szívében motoszkáló íz nyomába ered. Érzi, hogy ennek a gyermek- vagy kamaszkorból ismerős íznek többet köszönhet, mint élete összes pompázatos lakomájának. És emlékezik. Hol elandalodva, hol őrjöngő izgalomban kóborol az emlékek útvesztőjében, fejest ugrik a régmúlt fazekaiba, és vidékek és illatok, szagok és ízek, fűszerek, mártások, vadhúsok, halak és először ízlelt alkoholok között bejárja a gyermekkor tengerpartjait és kertjeit, séfek boszorkánykonyháit. S míg kutat, számot vet vele feleség, gyerek, barát, szerető, macska. Vajon marad-e idő, hogy meglelje, amit keres? A francia Muriel Barbery A sündisznó eleganciája című regényével vált világhírűvé, egyben a magyar olvasók egyik kedvencévé. Ínyencrapszódia című regényében is az élet egyszerű és fennkölt pillanatait ragadja meg, pálcát törve az erő és a hatalom gőgje felett.

Joanne Harris - Blackberry ​Wine
Everyday ​magic, he called it - the transformation of base matter into the stuff of dreams, layman's alchemy. Jay Mackintosh is trapped by memory in the old familiar landscapes of his childhood, more enticing than the present, and to which he longs to return. A bottle of home-brewed wine left to him by a long-vanished friend seems to provide both the key to an old mystery and a doorway into another world. As the unusual properties of the strange brew take effect, Jay escapes to a derelict farmhouse in the French village of Lansquenet, where a ghost from the past waits to confront him, and the reclusive Marise - haunted, lovely and dangerous - hides a terrible secret behind her closed shutters. Between them, a mysterious chemistry. Or could it be magic?

Louis-Sébastien Mercier - Memoirs ​of the Year Two Thousand Five Hundred, Tr
This ​historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1772 edition. Excerpt: ...convulsions; and; instead of maintaining, destroyed the connections; mournful humanity sent forth the cry of grief, and saw too late, that the tortures of the executioner never inspire virtue (a)." CHAP. (a) When we examine the validity of that right which human societies have assumed of punishing with death, we are terrified at the imperceptible point which separates equity from injustice. It is to little purpose here that we accumulate arguments; all our lights serve but to lead us astray; we must return to the law of nature only, which has far more regard than our institutions, for the lise of a man; that teaches us, that the law of retaliation is, of all others, the most conformable to right reason. Among rising governments, which have yet the signature of nature, there is scarce any crime punished with death. In the case of murder there is no doubt; for nature tells us, that we should arm ourselves against assassins CHAP. XVII. Not so far off as we thought. WE conversed a long time on this important subject; but as we became earnestly engaged, and our debate wanted that serenity which is so necessary in an inquiry after truth, I thus bluntly sins; but in the cafe of robbery, the inhuinanity of inflicting death is notorious; it is a punishment that bears no proportion to the crime; and the voice of millions of men, worshippers of gold, can never make that authentic, which is in its nature invalid. It will be said, " The robber made a contract with me to be punished with death if he invaded my property;" but no man has a right to make such a contract, as it is unjust, barbarous, and senseless; unjust, as his lise is not his own; barbarous, as no proportion is observed; and senseless, as it is incomparably more eligible that two men...

Alice Feeney - Sometimes ​I Lie
My ​name is Amber Reynolds. There are three things you should know about me: 1. I'm in a coma 2. My husband doesn't love me anymore 3. Sometimes I lie

Haruki Murakami - Norwegian ​Wood
When ​he hears her favourite Beatles song, Toru Watanabe recalls his first love Naoko, the girlfriend of his best friend Kizuki. Immediately he is transported back almost twenty years to his student days in Tokyo, adrift in a world of uneasy friendships, casual sex, passion, loss and desire - to a time when an impetuous young woman called Midori marches into his life and he has to choose between the future and the past.

Whitney G. - Reasonable ​Doubt Full Series
The ​complete New York Times Bestselling serial, now available in one book! My cock has an appetite. A huge and very particular appetite: Blonde, curvy, and preferably not a fucking liar...(Although, that's a story for another day.) As a high profile lawyer, I don't have time to waste on relationships, so I fulfill my needs by anonymously chatting and sleeping with women I meet online. My rules are simple: One dinner. One night. No repeats. This is only casual sex. Nothing more. Nothing less. At least it was, until "Alyssa"...She was supposed to be a 27 year old lawyer, a book hoarder, and completely unattractive. She was supposed to be someone I shared law advice with late at night, someone I could trust with details of my weekly escapades. But then she came into my firm for an interview--a college-intern interview, and everything fucking changed...

Agnès Desarthe - Chez ​Moi
Myriam's ​decision to open a restaurant in her Paris flat is characteristically unexpected and transforms her life in a curious way. For six years, Myriam has been living in self-imposed exile, cut off from her cool, reserved husband and from her son, and the opening night of Chez Moi is typically desolate. But little by little, Myriam's mouth-watering dishes draw people in, first the florist from across the road, followed by the school children tempted by a four-euro lunch, and then Ben, the most unflappable and devoted of waiters. As the restaurant sizzles towards success, figures and feelings from Myriam's past also begin to emerge, gradually re-awakening her appetite for life, both the bitter parts and the sweet. Simmering with stories, recipes, observations and dreams, "Chez Moi" serves up a painfully adult story, with an irresistible sprinkling of wonder and magic.

Marc Levy - All ​Those Things We Never Said
A ​romantic comedy set in a world that is larger than life... A story that entices the reader to believe the unbelievable... As far back as Julia Walsh could remember, she always had a difficult relationship with her father. They hardly ever saw each other. Hardly ever spoke, and on the rare occasions they did, they never seemed to agree on anything. Three days before her wedding, Julia receives a phone call from her father's personal secretary. Just as Julia had predicted, Anthony Walsh will not be able to attend his daughter's wedding. However, for once, Julia has to admit that her father's excuse is irreproachable. He's dead. Julia cannot help seeing the tragic-comical side of the situation. From one second to the next, her nuptial dreams transform into funeral plans. Even beyond the grave, it seems, Anthony Walsh has his own particularly effective way of disrupting his daughter's life. But the day after his funeral, Julia discovers that her father has one last surprise in store for her. Without a doubt, the journey of a life-time, and an opportunity to say, at last, all those things they had never said. With this novel, Marc Levy creates a world of mischief and suspense. At its heart, lie the relationship between a father and daughter, and a tale of first love, the kind of love that never dies.

Laura Esquivel - Like ​Water for Chocolate
Earthy, ​magical, and utterly charming, this tale of family life in turn-of-the-century Mexico became a best-selling phenomenon with its winning blend of poignant romance and bittersweet wit. The classic love story takes place on the De la Garza ranch, as the tyrannical owner, Mama Elena, chops onions at the kitchen table in her final days of pregnancy. While still in her mother's womb, her daughter to be weeps so violently she causes an early labor, and little Tita slips out amid the spices and fixings for noodle soup. This early encounter with food soon becomes a way of life, and Tita grows up to be a master chef. She shares special points of her favorite preparations with listeners throughout the story.

Guillaume Musso - Az ​angyal hív
New ​York. Kennedy repülőtér. A zsúfolt csarnokban egymásnak ütközik egy férfi és egy nő. Némi vita után mindketten folytatják útjukat. Madeline és Jonathan korábban soha nem találkozott, és soha nem kellett volna viszontlátniuk egymást. De a holmijukat összeszedve véletlenül elcserélik a mobiljaikat. Mire észreveszik a tévedésüket, már 10 ezer kilométer választja el őket egymástól: a nőnek virágboltja van Párizsban, a férfi egy San Franciscó-i éttermet vezet. Kíváncsiságuknak engedve mindketten átnézik a másik telefonjának tartalmát. Kettős indiszkréció és egy nagy felfedezés: életüket összeköti egy titok, amelyről azt hitték, sikerült örökre eltemetniük.

Delphine de Vigan - No ​and Me
The ​international award-winning story of two girls from different backgrounds, united in friendship Parisian teenager Lou has an IQ of 160, OCD tendencies, and a mother who has suffered from depression for years. But Lou is about to change her life—and that of her parents—all because of a school project about homeless teens. While doing research, Lou meets No, a teenage girl living on the streets. As their friendship grows, Lou bravely asks her parents if No can live with them, and is astonished when they agree. No’s presence forces Lou’s family to come to terms with a secret tragedy. But can this shaky, newfound family continue to live together when No’s own past comes back to haunt her? Winner of the prestigious Booksellers’ Prize in France, No and Me is a timely and thought-provoking novel about homelessness that has far-reaching appeal.

Andrew Sean Greer - Less
Who ​says you can't run away from your problems? You are a failed novelist about to turn fifty. A wedding invitation arrives in the mail: your boyfriend of the past nine years is engaged to someone else. You can't say yes--it would be too awkward--and you can't say no--it would look like defeat. On your desk are a series of invitations to half-baked literary events around the world. QUESTION: How do you arrange to skip town? ANSWER: You accept them all. What would possibly go wrong? Arthur Less will almost fall in love in Paris, almost fall to his death in Berlin, barely escape to a Moroccan ski chalet from a Saharan sandstorm, accidentally book himself as the (only) writer-in-residence at a Christian Retreat Center in Southern India, and encounter, on a desert island in the Arabian Sea, the last person on Earth he wants to face. Somewhere in there: he will turn fifty. Through it all, there is his first love. And there is his last. Because, despite all these mishaps, missteps, misunderstandings and mistakes, LESS is, above all, a love story. A scintillating satire of the American abroad, a rumination on time and the human heart, a bittersweet romance of chances lost, by an author The New York Times has hailed as "inspired, lyrical," "elegiac," "ingenious," as well as "too sappy by half," LESS shows a writer at the peak of his talents raising the curtain on our shared human comedy.

Andrew Sean Greer - Less
Who ​says you can't run away from your problems? You are a failed novelist about to turn fifty. A wedding invitation arrives in the mail: your boyfriend of the past nine years is engaged to someone else. You can't say yes--it would be too awkward--and you can't say no--it would look like defeat. On your desk are a series of invitations to half-baked literary events around the world. QUESTION: How do you arrange to skip town? ANSWER: You accept them all. What would possibly go wrong? Arthur Less will almost fall in love in Paris, almost fall to his death in Berlin, barely escape to a Moroccan ski chalet from a Saharan sandstorm, accidentally book himself as the (only) writer-in-residence at a Christian Retreat Center in Southern India, and encounter, on a desert island in the Arabian Sea, the last person on Earth he wants to face. Somewhere in there: he will turn fifty. Through it all, there is his first love. And there is his last. Because, despite all these mishaps, missteps, misunderstandings and mistakes, LESS is, above all, a love story. A scintillating satire of the American abroad, a rumination on time and the human heart, a bittersweet romance of chances lost, by an author The New York Times has hailed as "inspired, lyrical," "elegiac," "ingenious," as well as "too sappy by half," LESS shows a writer at the peak of his talents raising the curtain on our shared human comedy.

Delphine de Vigan - Nothing ​Holds Back the Night
Only ​a teenager when Delphine was born, Lucile raised two daughters largely alone. She was a former child model from a Bohemian family, younger and more glamorous than the other mothers: always in lipstick, wayward and wonderful. But as Delphine grew up, Lucile’s occasional sadness gave way to overwhelming despair and delusion. She became convinced she was telepathic and in control of the Paris metro system; she gave away all her money; she was hospitalized, medicated, and released in a kind of trance. Young Delphine was left to wonder: What changed her, or what shaped her all along? In this brilliant investigation into her own family history, Delphine de Vigan attempts to “write her mother,” seeking out something essential as she interviews aging relatives, listens to recordings, and reads Lucile’s own writings. It is a history of luminous beauty and rambunctious joy, of dark secrets and silences. There are untimely deaths and failures of memory. There are revelations and there is the ultimately unknowable. And in the face of the unknowable, personal history becomes fiction: De Vigan must choose from differing accounts and fill in important gaps, using her writer’s imagination to reconstruct a life. De Vigan writes her most expansive novel yet with acute self-awareness and marvelous sympathy. Nothing Holds Back the Night is a remarkable work, universally recognizable and singularly heartbreaking.

Anna Gavalda - Ensemble, ​c'est tout
_«Et ​puis, qu'est-ce que ça veut dire, différents ? C'est de la foutaise, ton histoire de torchons et de serviettes... Ce qui empêche les gens de vivre ensemble, c'est leur connerie, pas leurs différences...»_ Camille dessine. Dessinait plutôt, maintenant elle fait des ménages, la nuit. Philibert, aristo pur jus, héberge Franck, cuisinier de son état, dont l'existence tourne autour des filles, de la moto et de Paulette, sa grand-mère. Paulette vit seule, tombe beaucoup et cache ses bleus, paniquée à l'idée de mourir loin de son jardin. Ces quatre-là n'auraient jamais dû se rencontrer. Trop perdus, trop seuls, trop cabossés... Et pourtant, le destin, ou bien la vie, le hasard, l'amour -- appelez ça comme vous voulez --, va se charger de les bousculer un peu. Leur histoire, c'est la théorie des dominos, mais à l'envers. Au lieu de se faire tomber, ils s'aident à se relever.

Françoise Sagan - Bonjour ​Tristesse / A Certain Smile
Two ​world-acclaimed modern novels together for the first time - complete in one, big, fascinating book.