This Year’s Al Dente Summer Reads
As our clients and friends head off on their summer vacations, we’re happy to present a Summer Reading list, Al Dente-style. Think: smart but playful, sensual but always surprisingly so.
Whether fiction, nonfiction, or poetry, we feel these books resonate with the world we live in today — and, at times, with the world of luxury too.
Throw one (or a few) of them into your suitcase for your next trip, and let us know back in September – or during La Rentrée, as we say in France – what’s stuck with you.
1. Land of Milk and Honey by C Pam Zhang
Of course, any Al Dente reading list has to kick off with a food-centric pick. Set in a near-future where climate collapse has made food scarce, Land of Milk and Honey follows one chef’s journey into a secretive, high-altitude world of decadence and sensuality. Over the course of this slim novel, Zhang asks: what does it mean to find pleasure in times that can often feel apocalyptic?
Page count: 240
Genre: Science fiction / food writing
2. Perfection by Vincenzo Latronico
Two expats drift through Europe, chasing authenticity, good taste, and the perfect Instagram caption. Perfection is a short and sweet, subtly savage satire about aesthetics, branding, and the existential pursuit of trying to live a life that looks meaningful. A must-read for anyone working in the creative industries today.
Page count: 112
Genre: Literary fiction / satire
Available in French as Les Perfections
3. Age of Vice by Deepti Kapoor
India is one of the most important rising luxury markets today — and this glittering, propulsive novel takes us behind-the-curtains of this new global elite. From the glowing beaches of Goa to the rooftops of New Delhi, ex-journalist Kapoor spins a deeply immersive story of corruption, wealth, and unstoppable ambition.
Page count: 544
Genre: Literary thriller
Available in French as Age of Vice
4. Open Throat by Henry Hoke
Narrated by a queer mountain lion living beneath the Hollywood sign (yes, really), this much-acclaimed novel is weird, wild, and unexpectedly moving. It’s about survival, climate, and seeing your world from new perspectives. Short enough to read in an afternoon, but it’ll stay with you for weeks.
Page count: 176
Genre: Literary fiction / Comedy
5. Anthro-Vision by Gillian Tett
At Al Dente, we believe some of the best consumer insights can come from anthropology — and this book beautifully makes the case why. Tett, a Financial Times editor with a background in social science, argues for seeing the world more deeply, more curiously, and more humanly.
Page count: 304
Genre: Nonfiction / Sociology
6. The Work of Anne Carson
Heading to Greece this summer? Bring Anne Carson. Her writing folds together myth, heartbreak, philosophy, and wit with total ease. Whether it’s the brilliant Autobiography of Red or her translations of Sappho poems, Carson’s work provides a perfect dose of summer poetry.
Page count: 176
Genre: Poetry / Classical
Available in French as Autobiographie du Rouge
7. The Shards by Bret Easton Ellis
If you’re looking for a read that has the feeling of a glamorous, wild summer party — this is the book. Set in ‘80s Los Angeles, The Shards follows a group of wealthy, beautiful high school seniors whose golden lives darkly unravel. It was recently attached to be directed by Luca Guadagnino for HBO — so read it before it becomes the next Euphoria or White Lotus.
Page count: 608
Genre: Coming-of-age thriller
Available in French as Les éclats
8. Sourdough by Robin Sloan
What begins as a quirky story about a lonely tech worker and a strange sourdough starter becomes something truly magical: a novel about food, living well, and making things with care. Light, fun, and sneakily profound, Sourdough blends Silicon Valley satire with fantasy into a perfectly Al Dente mix of the sensory and the surreal.
Page count: 259
Genre: Magical realism / Science fiction
9. The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin
A mind-expanding trilogy that begins during China’s Cultural Revolution and spirals into an intergalactic mystery. Recommended by our Creative Director Benjamin Rousselle, The Three-Body Problem offers a radically different lens on the sci-fi genre and deepens our understanding of how we can imagine our future.
Page count: 472
Genre: Science fiction
Available in French as Le problème à trois corps
10. Never Leave Well Enough Alone by Raymond Loewy
An egotistical but charming memoir from the man who helped define 20th-century design. Loewy did everything — cigarette packaging, buses, grocery stores — and believed deeply in the seductive power of good form. This one’s a gem for design lovers, history nerds, and anyone curious about how our visual world came to be.
Page count: 488
Genre: Memoir / design
11. A Natural History of the Senses by Diane Ackerman
Lastly, Ackerman’s nonfiction book beautifully explores each of our five senses with poetic, often scientific curiosity. For anyone working in fragrance, fashion, or design, this ‘90s cult classic is an essential read on why the senses matter more than ever in the world of luxury today.
Page count: 352
Genre: Nonfiction / Science
Available in French as Le livre des sens
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From heart-stopping poetry to end-of-world cuisine, from hilarious mountain lions to Delhi corruption, we hope something on this list sparks your interest. And again, if you do pick any of them up, let us know what you think!
Happy reading (and don’t forget to wear your sunscreen)!
