A really fun read as a New Yorker there is nothing better than a slice of ny cheesecake. I loved the yummy recipes the story and I did treat myself to a cheesecake.#netgalley #bloomsbury

If you like your novels stuffed with historical and culinary minutiae and don’t require a distinct plot or a manageable cast of characters, you may love Cheesecake. I thought the quirky tone and zany bopping around from character to characters was reminiscent of Tom Robbins, which I appreciated. And some of the characters were very interesting to me, but I unfortunately didn’t get to spend enough time with them.

A novel entirely about Violette, the beautiful aging painter’s muse who has been lying about her age for her whole life, would be fantastic. Or if Kurklansky had really focused on the Katsakis family and their restaurant’s journey, that would have been a fun story. However, this novel contains multitudes and cannot be restrained by something as banal as a plot summary. I found it highly frustrating at times and astutely observant and hilarious at others. At the end of the day it made me really want to make a cheesecake.

This book wasn't for me. I struggled keeping track of each group of characters. It felt like a lot of work.

What could have been a quirky, delightful story felt weighed down by too many characters and too much information about cheesecake. I think I'll stick to Kurlansky's nonfiction books.

This book caught my attention the moment I saw the cute title and cover. After finishing it, I’m really left a little conflicted on my thoughts about it, honestly.

Here are the things I struggled with. There are LOTS of characters, and it was very hard for me to keep the intersecting storylines straight. Kurlansky typically writes non-fiction, and I felt that as I was reading this.

But there were definitely things I did like here, too! There is some excellent dry wit in these pages, and the writing is so smart. Take this quote, for example:

“Dying was the more New York thing to do: No one willingly gave up a rent-stabilized apartment or a good parking spot. In fact, having them was a reason to stave off death.”

That made me chuckle.

Another positive is that this book contains several cheesecake recipes, some savory and some sweet—all sounding delicious. Cheesecake is a favorite dessert of mine, but I’ve never made it; now I’m tempted to try! (But I could never match the yum that is @broadstbakery cheesecake!)

Overall, I liked it at its core, and I am happy to have experienced Kurlansky’s writing. It is interesting and witty, I moved through this book quickly because I was eager to see what words would come next. Perhaps my favorite quote from the book is this one:

“Espresso tasted so much like what she hoped life would be: lively and intense. She had not yet experienced that kind of life, but when she did she knew she would sip it slowly.”

Love that idea!

Cheesecake is one of my very favorite desserts. What is your favorite dessert/sweet treat?

[arc review]
Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
Cheesecake releases July 15, 2025

A character-driven story of a New York community through the lens of gentrification.
Not quite what I had expected to read, but was still enjoyable! I found myself drawn more towards Violette’s falsified age than the actual cheesecake itself.

I actually dived in thinking that this was going to be another one of Kurlansky's micro-histories - and then proceeded to get confused! After I corrected my initial mistake and read over the summary, I was much better able to appreciate for what it was - a very fun little fiction read that tries to capture a neighborhood over the ages through its range of characters, all while being quite food-centric. A good time was had - even more so read I finished it up, and to me delight found that Kurlansky took care to make the last part of the book a little nonfiction history overview of cheesecake.

A fun, historical-ish read about cheesecake and NYC!! I loved reading a book surrounding the theme of cheesecake without it being a full cookbook, but still has the fun of recipes included!

In a word .. delicious. Or scrumptious.

I've loved cheesecake since I was in high school. yum.

Cheesecake: A Novel is a story that goes round and round, but cheesecake is definitely the re-occurring theme. Very, very enjoyable read.

Lots of recipes. I really wanted to call New York and order a cheesecake as I was reading. Would love to figure out how to order one from Herb Grosinger, that sounds like the perfect option. Looks like he also wrote a book.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury USA publishing for approving my request to read the advance read copy of Cheesecake by Mark Kurlansky in exchange for an honest review. Approx 208 pages, publication date is July 15, 2025.

This book was fun to read. What’s not to love about a rivalry between restaurants and cheesecakes. This book and characters had me laughing, wanting to bake a cheesecake and eat it while reading this story! Highly recommend!