Sweetbitter

One of my favourite books this year. Don't get me wrong—a part of me hated this book. This gritty cocaine-infested lifestyle was not easy to read. But Sweetbitter held so much deep truth of human nature, and was depicted and dramatized so well, it delighted me. The writing was fabulous, even with the adverbs. The deep dive into the restaurant business was fascinating. I've never seen the matriarchal dynamic Danler explores depicted in any other book I've read—but I know it, I've experienced it, and I thought she captured it with precision. A singular book I'll never forget.