Gotham Gal: Kalusytans

I know I posted about this store a few years back but I can't help but write about Kalustyans again. Another one of my favorite spots in New York. When I go to Kalustyans I cant help but go a little crazy. It can be dangerous.

This small shop is a foodies dream. 30 + olive oils from all over the world, every dried fruit imaginable, tons of nuts, chutneys, rice galore, spice central, Japanese soy sauces, even Moroccan lemons. I could go on and on.

My favorite treat is upstairs. Two men who have probably been cooking together and friends for years. Indian food. They usually have 6 different offerings a day. I picked up 2 taste thrills. A combination of eggplant, onions and spices that was incredible, the other was a lentil dish that was crunchy, tasty and delicious. So good. They also carry a variety of Indian breads at the counter stuffed with vegetables or plain or just spinach, spicy and simple. They are all delicious too.

As I said, it is tough to not spend hours in there or buy up everything in sight. I love this place.

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Jean Thompson: The Year We Left Home
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Michelle Haimoff: These Days Are Ours
Post 9/11 meets post college as young NYers return to their city after graduating. A super quick read with real characters. A glimpse of life in NYC, what is it like to follow in successful parents footsteps, the hardships of divorce, the difficulties of landing that first job and all the other angst that goes along at 20 years old. Really well done.
Georgia Pellegrini: Girl Hunter: Revolutionizing the Way We Eat, One Hunt at a Time
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Bill Clegg: Ninety Days: A Memoir of Recovery
If you don't believe addiction is a disease, read this book. Keeping clean is the ability to just get through each day without suffering a setback. The separation between the head, knowing that you shouldn't and the desire is powerful. A terrible disease....and that is exactly what it is, a disease.
Alexis Maybank and Alexandra Wilkis Wilson: By Invitation Only: How We Built Gilt and Changed the Way Millions Shop
Really well done. Every entrepreneur should read it. They lay out exactly how they want from an idea to a multi-million dollar company and all the heartache, sweat and hard work that goes in between. Bravo.
Suzanne Collins: The Hunger Games
Had to read this book after seeing the movie. The book is a quick read and well written. I saw the movie first so I thought they did a really good job of taking the book to the screen. I found the movie much more disturbing than the book. In the book, as always, you get better insight into what is going through the main characters head and perhaps that is why I didn't find it as upsetting. The main character is totally disturbed with the times they are living in which includes the Hunger Games that she has been picked to play in. Definitely finishing the trilogy.
Lauren Groff: Arcadia
This is the 3rd book that I have read of Groffs. She is an incredible writer with an interesting perspective and insight into people. Arcadia is set in upstate NY at a communal farm, true hippies. We get to meet all the characters through the eyes of a young child, Bit. As the years go by Arcadia falls apart and Bit has to live in the real world. I really loved the book. Amazing cast of interesting complex characters.
Rosie Alison: The Very Thought of You: A Novel
During WWII, in London, many children were displaced around the countryside. We learn about a mixture of characters who have been lost, loved and betrayed by relationships. War does strange things and this story is a small glimpse into just a few people and how that war affected them for years to come. Great first novel.
Jessica Maria Tuccelli: Glow: A Novel
Unbelievable writing for a first time novelist. We follow 6 generations of a family who begins in slavery. In all honesty, I had a hard time following the book. It is dense and you seriously need to follow every sentence. Not that easy for me.
Chad Harbach: The Art of Fielding: A Novel
First novelist that was rejected by every publishing house until one young up and coming kid saw something in this book. Not quite sure why nobody saw anything in this book before as so much crap gets published. A great story that takes place on a college campus in Wisconsin all centered around the game of baseball. Really well written about a group of interesting characters with many flaws but manage to move forward in their lives. Really liked it.
Grace McCleen: The Land of Decoration: A Novel
UK writers first novel. An incredible book about a widowed father and his daughter who are religious zealots in a factory town. Faith works in strange ways. Really enjoyed the book. A real gem of a book that subtly speaks volumes about one aspect of society. A winner.
Liz Moore: Heft: A Novel
the opening pages made me just laugh. quirky book about two peoples lives that intersect at the beginning and the end yet are always present in each of their individual stories. a tremendously overweight man who never leaves his house and a woman who met him in her youth. we follow their lives and the people who come into them. a book about lonely people and although it is sad there is something endearing about the book. really enjoyed it.
Julie Orringer: The Invisible Bridge (Vintage Contemporaries)
I loved this book...cried at parts and cried at the end. We follow a Hungarian family, but mostly one of the sons, as he begins his education in Paris pre-WWII until the war ends. A beautifully written saga of a Jewish family living through terrible times. Bravo!
Amor Towles: Rules of Civility: A Novel
Set in NYC in 1930 we follow a young woman through her career and life. Definitely a woman before her time. Really enjoyed the book. Katherine Hepburn could have played the lead!
Gail Simmons: Talking with My Mouth Full: My Life as a Professional Eater
Loved it. If you love food and the industry that has sprouted across the globe, read it!

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