Supper Club

The chapter where she bastardizes pasta puttanesca made my dead mother spin in her grave

good premise but the execution felt off

Im living for female rage even though i thought it was portrayed in a weird way sometimes. Plot really comes together in the end - how her relationships with men, food and her own beauty shapes her

First half of the book, I was very drawn to it. In the middle of the book the main character’s endless self pity and how she is part of toxic relationships just drove me crazy and I stopped reading, it was just dragging. By the end she actually pulls herself (a tiny tiny bit) together and manages to understand her self worth. I guess I hated-liked this book because the main character reminded me of myself in my 20s and just as I turned 30 I also find myself going back to my 20 year old self and slap myself or hug myself. There are good ideas in the book but I feel they are not well developed. Supperclub self manifestation is a good idea. Adding recipes to the narrator is a good idea. Playing with the nouns of the trans person is a very bad idea. Overall. Ok.

An ode to female appetite, to wounds and scars, to trying to ask for what you need, and then taking what you want; the feminist bacchanalia I don’t know how I lived without. Watch my full video review here.

she’s just like me fr.

(heavy tws for: rape, self harm, depression, and disordered eating) oh my god this book was so ridiculously good... following the trend of depressed and unlikeable twenty-something female narrators, this book really expanded on what it means to take up space as a woman and how that can physically and mentally take a toll. it also explores in a very unique way the dynamics in which we as women interact with eachother and how those can be challenged. a star off for the tws and bc some of the time-jumping could have been cleaner. but overall this is just such an amazing portrait of how womanhood and food can intersect in our modern world.

Thank you to Hamish Hamilton for sending me a copy of this book. The cover intrigued me into reading a synopsis, the synopsis made me want to grab this book as quick as i could. Supper Club is a delicious tale that will immerse you in seconds. Lara Williams has written a gorgeous story of coming-of-age, healing and food. It is witty, heartfelt and oh so tasty. The story focuses on Roberta, a young woman who loves to cook but also struggles with darkness from her past. She turns to food to comfort her, and she decides she wants to do the same for others. She, and her friend Stevie, concoct this secret society - The Supper Club - where women who have darkness meet to gorge on food together as a form of healing. We learn the stories of these women as they join the club and the story deals with from PTSD from an attack, sexuality, rape, body image, unhealthy relationships and so much more. Williams brings hope to these characters through friendship and food which is written beautifully. It is gritty, but gorgeous and yummy to read. Be warned, do not read on an empty stomach - the food parts to this book will have your mouth watering. Williams adds in recipes throughout the book that made me want to head to a kitchen, the dinners that are hosted are filled with gorgeous meals, and the way Williams writes immerses you in the smell and flavour of the story. It is a very sensual read, which adds to the whole experience. If you’re looking for a new literary read that you want to lose yourself in for an afternoon, then I would highly recommend Supper Club. Once I started, I couldn’t stop. It’s an absolutely tasty read that is meant to be devoured! At its heart, the story is about friendship, learning to love yourself, and healing. It is a delicious read that I would highly recommend.

TW: Rape (there is a rape in this book, and I do mention it in my review). 2.5 stars Whew this book was a slog. Parts of it deeply moved me (such as the poignant last paragraph, and Roberta’s reunion with Stevie/the final Supper Club), but other parts were incredibly difficult to read. And I don’t mean that in terms of their content (although the rape scene and immediate aftermath were heart wrenching), I just mean in terms of actually forcing myself to read it. I started counting down the pages left with nearly 100 to go... so that didn’t help. I expected the book to be more about female friendships and rebellion against enforced gender norms. And while it was flirted with, it never came to fruition like the description had led me to believe. Roberta has terrible taste in men, is probably in love with Stevie (if she gave herself half a second to really think about it she’d realize that), and seems directionless in a way that feels deeply personal and mildly infuriating. So, it’s an okay book. Nothing spectacular. Nothing horrible. Very much like Roberta herself.