The Cooks

Facas’s charming debut introduces an eclectic cast of characters whose lives intersect at a weekly cooking class in New York City. The book takes place over a single day, and the eight students in renowned French chef John Sebastian’s class, and John himself, are all at a crossroads. Struggling actress Dana showers at least three times a day and wonders if she’ll ever land a career-making role. Tomcatting real estate agent Paulson frets over his bowling game and congratulates himself for going two whole days without cheating on his boyfriend. Financial analyst Lola obsessively counts everything and puzzles over why she keeps dreaming she has a penis. And John is brought to his knees at the thought he might actually be in love for the first time in his life at 50 years old—or maybe not; he just can’t tell. Facas’s wry, matter-of-fact writing style is a delight, and his characters—surprisingly relatable, albeit with a touch of the absurd—are literary amuse-bouches. (BookLife)