Sometimes, you can judge a book by it’s title
Free food for Millionaires. When my BFF gifted me this book as part of an incredibly thoughtful bachelorette gifting scheme (wherein each of my friends who attended bought me a book they thought I’d love), I was sold before I even knew wtf it was about. I mean, what. a. title.
The 600+ page word count didn’t deter me. I love a long book and, even if you don’t, you’ll love this. Published in the early 2000s by the now world-famous author of Pachinko (a book I haven’t read, though it haunts me from every single airport Hudson News I have the pleasure of walking past), Free Food for Millionaires is a delight of a book set in 1990s NYC.
If I had to give an elevator pitch, I’d describe it HBO’s Industry meets Nora Ephron.
Our protagonist, Casey Han, is a first-generation American who has recently graduated from Princeton. Her Korean parents have no idea she has a white boyfriend - and it would not be in anyone’s best interest for them to find out. Listless, but armed with an economics degree, Casey takes on an admin role at prestigious fictional bank Kearn Davis (there’s the Industry for ya - Pierpoint, anyone?), and finds herself navigating the office politics of the (very) male-dominated trading floor. As she struggles to keep up with those she surrounds herself with (and to control a shopping addiction), Casey finds herself increasingly directionless - which leads to her making increasingly ill-advised decisions (again, literally what Industry is all about). The book is set in late 90s New York (there’s your Ephron) - and, maybe it’s my nostalgia speaking, but there’s hardly a better place to set a book. Free Food also boasts a charming cast of very “New York” characters. It all comes together beautifully - the plot is pacy and the twists aren’t always expected, but never so over-the-top you wouldn’t believe them. This is one of those books that, if you’re my age (30), may have slipped through the cracks - we were too young to fully grasp it’s nuances when it first came out (9th grade - I mean, obviously, you could’ve read it then, but you’d hardly relate to what Casey’s going through). Becky (who gifted me the book) described it as “the book that got [her] out of a major reading rut in college,” and it really is perfect for just that. Bonus points that its peppered with descriptions of stunning clothes and accessories all throughout.