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The Dinner List
"I have five words for Rebecca Serle's The Dinner List wistful, delicious, romantic, magical, love."
--Gabrielle Zevin, New York Times Bestselling Author of The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry and Young Jane Young
"We've been waiting for an hour." That's what Audrey says. She states it with a little bit of an edge, her words just bordering on cursive. That's the thing I think first. Not: Audrey Hepburn is at my birthday dinner, but Audrey Hepburn is annoyed."
At one point or another, we've all been asked to name five people, living or dead, with whom we'd like to have dinner. Why do we choose the people we do? And what if that dinner was to actually happen? These are the questions Rebecca Serle contends with in her utterly captivating novel, THE DINNER LIST, a story imbued with the same delightful magical realism as One Day, and the life-changing romance of Me Before You.
When Sabrina arrives at her thirtieth birthday dinner she finds at the table not just her best friend, but also three significant people from her past, and well, Audrey Hepburn. As the appetizers are served, wine poured, and dinner table conversation begins, it becomes clear that there's a reason these six people have been gathered together.
Delicious but never indulgent, sweet with just the right amount of bitter, THE DINNER LIST is a romance for our times. Bon appetit.
--Gabrielle Zevin, New York Times Bestselling Author of The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry and Young Jane Young
"We've been waiting for an hour." That's what Audrey says. She states it with a little bit of an edge, her words just bordering on cursive. That's the thing I think first. Not: Audrey Hepburn is at my birthday dinner, but Audrey Hepburn is annoyed."
At one point or another, we've all been asked to name five people, living or dead, with whom we'd like to have dinner. Why do we choose the people we do? And what if that dinner was to actually happen? These are the questions Rebecca Serle contends with in her utterly captivating novel, THE DINNER LIST, a story imbued with the same delightful magical realism as One Day, and the life-changing romance of Me Before You.
When Sabrina arrives at her thirtieth birthday dinner she finds at the table not just her best friend, but also three significant people from her past, and well, Audrey Hepburn. As the appetizers are served, wine poured, and dinner table conversation begins, it becomes clear that there's a reason these six people have been gathered together.
Delicious but never indulgent, sweet with just the right amount of bitter, THE DINNER LIST is a romance for our times. Bon appetit.
273 pages, Paperback
First published September 11, 2018
5044 people are currently reading
68879 people want to read
About the author
Rebecca Serle
19 books12k followersRebecca Serle is the New York Times bestselling author of In Five Years, The Dinner List, and the young adult novels The Edge of Falling and When You Were Mine. Serle also developed the hit TV adaptation Famous in Love, based on her YA series of the same name. She is a graduate of USC and The New School and lives in Los Angeles. Find out more at RebeccaSerle.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 6,990 reviews
September 20, 2018
4.5 stars, rounded up for the tears it left me with.
It's one of those icebreaker questions that nearly everyone gets asked at least once in their life: If you could have dinner with any five people, living or dead, who would they be?
Sabrina and her college roommate, Jessica, answered that question at some point. Among those Sabrina chose were her father, who moved out when she was very young and she never knew him; Plato, because she was studying philosophy; and Audrey Hepburn, "because I was a nineteen-year-old girl." (Her father, in particular, was a huge Hepburn fan, and in fact, named his daughter for his favorite of Hepburn's films.) She believed, for the most part, that conversation was finished.
On her 30th birthday, she is scheduled to continue the tradition of meeting Jessica for dinner to celebrate. She is utterly shocked to find not only Jessica waiting for her, but a table that also includes Robert, her father; Professor Conrad, her philosophy professor, who served as a type of surrogate father figure; Audrey Hepburn. The table's fifth guest is Tobias. Tobias and Sabrina have had an on-again, off-again relationship for nearly the last decade, and while they can't always make each other completely happy, there's no doubt about just how intensely the two love each other.
"I'm surprised I have the ability for words, because this is insane. Maybe I'm dreaming. Maybe this is some sort of mental breakdown. I blink. I think maybe when I open my eyes it will be just Jessica seated there, which is what I'd been expecting. I have the urge to bolt out the door, or maybe go to the bathroom, splash some cold water on my face to determine whether or not they're really here—whether we're all really here together."
Once the initial shock of the gathering wears off, and Sabrina resigns herself to the fact that this whole experience might not be real, nor is there any rational explanation for it, she realizes she has until midnight to enjoy the assemblage. Why not take advantage of those who joined her, to address unresolved issues, make peace where necessary, and understand why certain things happened the way they did? Little by little, she realizes one of the guests is there for one particular purpose, a purpose Sabrina is absolutely not ready for.
The Dinner List is fascinating, emotional, and beautifully poignant. Yes, it requires you to suspend your disbelief as you read the book, unless these types of dinner parties happen often in your life. Certainly you can see how the plot may develop, but you may hope, as I did, that Rebecca Serle may have some other magical arrows in store. This is a book for anyone who wishes they had said important things to people who are/were important to them, but couldn't find the courage or the opportunity.
The book alternates between the dinner party and the story of Tobias and Sabrina's relationship, and how it affected those around them. It's a beautiful story on its own, made ever more poignant and hopeful by the circumstances that brought everyone together. This is a tremendously insightful story, with each of the dinner guests weighing in with their perspectives on life, love, loss, family, and regrets.
The Dinner List may not be a book for everyone, but being a total sap, it totally worked for me. I can't even begin to count how many times I've wished I had one more opportunity to get closure with people who are no longer in my life for one reason or another, so the emotions felt very genuine. If you can embrace this concept, think about whom you might want to dine with, and then pick up this book! (Maybe it will make you sob as much as I did, lol.)
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com, or check out my list of the best books I read in 2017 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2018/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2017.html.
It's one of those icebreaker questions that nearly everyone gets asked at least once in their life: If you could have dinner with any five people, living or dead, who would they be?
Sabrina and her college roommate, Jessica, answered that question at some point. Among those Sabrina chose were her father, who moved out when she was very young and she never knew him; Plato, because she was studying philosophy; and Audrey Hepburn, "because I was a nineteen-year-old girl." (Her father, in particular, was a huge Hepburn fan, and in fact, named his daughter for his favorite of Hepburn's films.) She believed, for the most part, that conversation was finished.
On her 30th birthday, she is scheduled to continue the tradition of meeting Jessica for dinner to celebrate. She is utterly shocked to find not only Jessica waiting for her, but a table that also includes Robert, her father; Professor Conrad, her philosophy professor, who served as a type of surrogate father figure; Audrey Hepburn. The table's fifth guest is Tobias. Tobias and Sabrina have had an on-again, off-again relationship for nearly the last decade, and while they can't always make each other completely happy, there's no doubt about just how intensely the two love each other.
"I'm surprised I have the ability for words, because this is insane. Maybe I'm dreaming. Maybe this is some sort of mental breakdown. I blink. I think maybe when I open my eyes it will be just Jessica seated there, which is what I'd been expecting. I have the urge to bolt out the door, or maybe go to the bathroom, splash some cold water on my face to determine whether or not they're really here—whether we're all really here together."
Once the initial shock of the gathering wears off, and Sabrina resigns herself to the fact that this whole experience might not be real, nor is there any rational explanation for it, she realizes she has until midnight to enjoy the assemblage. Why not take advantage of those who joined her, to address unresolved issues, make peace where necessary, and understand why certain things happened the way they did? Little by little, she realizes one of the guests is there for one particular purpose, a purpose Sabrina is absolutely not ready for.
The Dinner List is fascinating, emotional, and beautifully poignant. Yes, it requires you to suspend your disbelief as you read the book, unless these types of dinner parties happen often in your life. Certainly you can see how the plot may develop, but you may hope, as I did, that Rebecca Serle may have some other magical arrows in store. This is a book for anyone who wishes they had said important things to people who are/were important to them, but couldn't find the courage or the opportunity.
The book alternates between the dinner party and the story of Tobias and Sabrina's relationship, and how it affected those around them. It's a beautiful story on its own, made ever more poignant and hopeful by the circumstances that brought everyone together. This is a tremendously insightful story, with each of the dinner guests weighing in with their perspectives on life, love, loss, family, and regrets.
The Dinner List may not be a book for everyone, but being a total sap, it totally worked for me. I can't even begin to count how many times I've wished I had one more opportunity to get closure with people who are no longer in my life for one reason or another, so the emotions felt very genuine. If you can embrace this concept, think about whom you might want to dine with, and then pick up this book! (Maybe it will make you sob as much as I did, lol.)
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com, or check out my list of the best books I read in 2017 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2018/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2017.html.
May 3, 2025
Unique, wistful & magical!
Such an imaginative premise that will have you asking yourself if you could invite five people living or dead to a dinner party who would you choose?
THE DINNER LIST by REBECCA SERLE is a wonderful, captivating, touching, fun and light-hearted tale that I was immediately drawn into and devoured rather quickly.
REBECCA SERLE delivers an intriguing, engaging, complex and well-written story here told in short alternating chapters to make this a quick and easy read. The story was filled with diverse and unique characters, an enchanting and delicious setting, and a heartfelt and insightful storyline.
Although, I really enjoyed this one and I was swept right under its spell the drama wore me down a little bit. Sabrina has some issues here that she is dealing with and a lot she is confronting from her past. Normally I welcome a lot of drama in my novels but for some reason it became a little exhausting and suspecting one of the twists was a little disheartening lessening the impact of the pivotal moment for me.
The storyline definitely had me dreaming and pondering which five guests I would choose and wouldn’t it be fun if fantasy just became reality.
Norma’s Stats:
Cover: That striking, bright & bold yellow cover definitely caught my eye and definitely enticed me into buying and reading this book.
Title: The title definitely intrigued me and it is a fitting and excellent representation to storyline.
Writing/Prose: Well-written, fluid, witty, beautiful and engaging.
Plot: Engrossing, insightful, thought-provoking, interesting, heartfelt, fast-paced, and entertaining.
Ending: Bittersweet, tearjerker and satisfying.
Overall: This was an all around fabulous book that was beautifully poignant with an absolutely wonderful message! I would definitely recommend!
Such an imaginative premise that will have you asking yourself if you could invite five people living or dead to a dinner party who would you choose?
THE DINNER LIST by REBECCA SERLE is a wonderful, captivating, touching, fun and light-hearted tale that I was immediately drawn into and devoured rather quickly.
REBECCA SERLE delivers an intriguing, engaging, complex and well-written story here told in short alternating chapters to make this a quick and easy read. The story was filled with diverse and unique characters, an enchanting and delicious setting, and a heartfelt and insightful storyline.
Although, I really enjoyed this one and I was swept right under its spell the drama wore me down a little bit. Sabrina has some issues here that she is dealing with and a lot she is confronting from her past. Normally I welcome a lot of drama in my novels but for some reason it became a little exhausting and suspecting one of the twists was a little disheartening lessening the impact of the pivotal moment for me.
The storyline definitely had me dreaming and pondering which five guests I would choose and wouldn’t it be fun if fantasy just became reality.
Norma’s Stats:
Cover: That striking, bright & bold yellow cover definitely caught my eye and definitely enticed me into buying and reading this book.
Title: The title definitely intrigued me and it is a fitting and excellent representation to storyline.
Writing/Prose: Well-written, fluid, witty, beautiful and engaging.
Plot: Engrossing, insightful, thought-provoking, interesting, heartfelt, fast-paced, and entertaining.
Ending: Bittersweet, tearjerker and satisfying.
Overall: This was an all around fabulous book that was beautifully poignant with an absolutely wonderful message! I would definitely recommend!
October 23, 2018
I can summarize this book in one sentence: "Dumb Bitch chases financially irresponsible Fuckboy for a decade and cries that it didn't work out."
Seriously. If MC were a real person, her Instagram would be all inspirational quotes. You know exactly the type of girl I'm talking about. She meets this Fuckboy at 19 in Los Angeles, and then finds him again 4 years later in New York (after being a stalker trying to find him). At 23, they then have a codependent AF on-and-off relationship for 6 years where Fuckboy expects Dumb Bitch to financially and emotionally support him. This dysfunctional decade is punctuated by her friend Jessica (the Voice of Reason) telling her to stop allowing him to treat her this way and that she deserves better, to which Dumb Bitch responds by icing Jessica out. Then, as a true homage to her basic-ness, the 5 people living or dead that she'd want to have dinner with show up at her birthday dinner...including Audrey Hepburn. But instead of engaging everyone in an interesting conversation and showcasing the incredible woman Audrey Hepburn was (or at least engage in some self reflection with her philosophy professor, who is also there for some reason), Dumb Bitch uses the birthday dinner as a post-mortem about her relationship with Fuckboy (who is obviously also there), complete with so many eye-rolling cliches I thought my optic nerves would spasm.
I threw the book across the room multiple times in response to Dumb Bitch, but here's the one that really took the cake. At one point, she's reminiscing on an emotionally available and financially stable guy (Good Guy) she dated for 2 years while Fuckboy left her to go back to California to "find himself" or whatever it is Fuckboys do when they're off leash. She's back with Fuckboy and thinking about Good Guy when she says "I missed...the type of partnership where I didn't feel like the weight of our world was on my shoulders alone."
I got 5 Gs for you: GOOD GOD GET A GRIP GIRL. I'm not going to be sympathetic to your spineless codependency, and inability to put on your big girl panties and kick this emotionally unavailable and manipulative Fuckboy to the curb in favor of Good Guy and other good men out there who would treat you right and make you happy, and not just run away from you to the other side of the country for some nebulous "I'm an artist" bullshit reason. Especially when the only reason you don't want them is because your low self-esteem tells you Fuckboy is what you deserve. It's not romantic. It's sad. And infuriating.
In sum: I cannot recommend this one, because the whole thing pissed me off. I kept reading to see if the characters would redeem themselves. Spoiler alert: they don't.
Seriously. If MC were a real person, her Instagram would be all inspirational quotes. You know exactly the type of girl I'm talking about. She meets this Fuckboy at 19 in Los Angeles, and then finds him again 4 years later in New York (after being a stalker trying to find him). At 23, they then have a codependent AF on-and-off relationship for 6 years where Fuckboy expects Dumb Bitch to financially and emotionally support him. This dysfunctional decade is punctuated by her friend Jessica (the Voice of Reason) telling her to stop allowing him to treat her this way and that she deserves better, to which Dumb Bitch responds by icing Jessica out. Then, as a true homage to her basic-ness, the 5 people living or dead that she'd want to have dinner with show up at her birthday dinner...including Audrey Hepburn. But instead of engaging everyone in an interesting conversation and showcasing the incredible woman Audrey Hepburn was (or at least engage in some self reflection with her philosophy professor, who is also there for some reason), Dumb Bitch uses the birthday dinner as a post-mortem about her relationship with Fuckboy (who is obviously also there), complete with so many eye-rolling cliches I thought my optic nerves would spasm.
I threw the book across the room multiple times in response to Dumb Bitch, but here's the one that really took the cake. At one point, she's reminiscing on an emotionally available and financially stable guy (Good Guy) she dated for 2 years while Fuckboy left her to go back to California to "find himself" or whatever it is Fuckboys do when they're off leash. She's back with Fuckboy and thinking about Good Guy when she says "I missed...the type of partnership where I didn't feel like the weight of our world was on my shoulders alone."
I got 5 Gs for you: GOOD GOD GET A GRIP GIRL. I'm not going to be sympathetic to your spineless codependency, and inability to put on your big girl panties and kick this emotionally unavailable and manipulative Fuckboy to the curb in favor of Good Guy and other good men out there who would treat you right and make you happy, and not just run away from you to the other side of the country for some nebulous "I'm an artist" bullshit reason. Especially when the only reason you don't want them is because your low self-esteem tells you Fuckboy is what you deserve. It's not romantic. It's sad. And infuriating.
In sum: I cannot recommend this one, because the whole thing pissed me off. I kept reading to see if the characters would redeem themselves. Spoiler alert: they don't.
August 14, 2019
Who would you invite to your theoretical dinner party? You know, the one where you can have 5 people, living or dead turn up? For Sabrina's 30th Birthday she invites her best friend, her college professor, her estranged late father, the love of her life and, well, Audrey Hepburn. So imagine her surprise when she turns up to dinner and they're all sitting there waiting for her.
This is a poignant tale, sad, and funny at times, as Sabrina travels through her life recalling events that brought her here. But mainly it's a love story, the all-consuming love between Tobias and herself.
It's a brilliantly told tale, original and bittersweet and I have no hesitation in recommending it.
So, who would you have at your dinner party?
This is a poignant tale, sad, and funny at times, as Sabrina travels through her life recalling events that brought her here. But mainly it's a love story, the all-consuming love between Tobias and herself.
It's a brilliantly told tale, original and bittersweet and I have no hesitation in recommending it.
So, who would you have at your dinner party?
August 22, 2023
“The Dinner List” is more a fantasy novel than a love story. Yes, it explores the depth of a first love. It looks at fractured families. But mostly, it’s a fantasy about having a dinner with five favorite/intriguing people, dead or alive.
At the start of the novel, Sabrina is meeting her best friend to celebrate Sabrina’s 30th birthday. When she arrives, not only is her best friend there, but also the other four people she fantasized about for her dinner. Audrey Hepburn is there, along with her estranged father, her ex, and a favorite college professor.
It’s an interesting idea. The majority of the novel is Sabrina coming to terms with her estranged father and her ex. The novel is a solid book candy read.
At the start of the novel, Sabrina is meeting her best friend to celebrate Sabrina’s 30th birthday. When she arrives, not only is her best friend there, but also the other four people she fantasized about for her dinner. Audrey Hepburn is there, along with her estranged father, her ex, and a favorite college professor.
It’s an interesting idea. The majority of the novel is Sabrina coming to terms with her estranged father and her ex. The novel is a solid book candy read.
July 21, 2018
We've all done it before. We've daydreamed, analyzed, pondered, wished and sometimes argued about it. What five people would you invite to dinner if you could have anyone. Living or dead, famous or family, past or present, real or fictional, people you know or someone you've never met - those are a few of the questions we have contemplated when making our ultimate dinner list.
Years ago, thirty year old Sabrina and her best friend, Jessica, make a list of five people they want at their dinner. Years later, Sabrina's list becomes a reality at her 30th birthday dinner.
Rebecca Serle's book, The Dinner List, invites us to take a seat at the table for a lively dinner full of conversation. Sabrina, along with Jessica, spends the evening with a professor from the past, her absentee father, her ex-fiancee and Audrey Hepburn. Why Audrey Hepburn? The real question should be, why not Audrey Hepburn. It's hard not to fall in love with this story as you will become invested in each character's story. Serle's character development is rich and deep. You will feel yourself laughing at times as well as shedding a few tears with each one of these characters and their story.
Former North Carolina State basketball coach, Jim Valvano, once said, "We should do three things everyday of our life. Number one is laugh, you should laugh every day. Number two is to think, we should spend some time in thought, and number three is you should have your emotions moved to tears."
The Dinner List gives us an abundance of all those things inside a beautiful yellow cover. Not only do you get a wonderful story from Serle, you will find yourself thinking and daydreaming of your "dinner list" as an extra bonus.
Add this book to your must read shelves and enjoy the meal. For readers looking to add The Dinner List to your book clubs, make sure to allow extra time because you and your friends should enjoy this discussion over dinner and dessert for sure!
I received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley. My reviews are unbiased and you can follow all of my reviews at thejwordpress.wordpress.com as well as Goodreads. #Netgalley #TheDinnerList
Years ago, thirty year old Sabrina and her best friend, Jessica, make a list of five people they want at their dinner. Years later, Sabrina's list becomes a reality at her 30th birthday dinner.
Rebecca Serle's book, The Dinner List, invites us to take a seat at the table for a lively dinner full of conversation. Sabrina, along with Jessica, spends the evening with a professor from the past, her absentee father, her ex-fiancee and Audrey Hepburn. Why Audrey Hepburn? The real question should be, why not Audrey Hepburn. It's hard not to fall in love with this story as you will become invested in each character's story. Serle's character development is rich and deep. You will feel yourself laughing at times as well as shedding a few tears with each one of these characters and their story.
Former North Carolina State basketball coach, Jim Valvano, once said, "We should do three things everyday of our life. Number one is laugh, you should laugh every day. Number two is to think, we should spend some time in thought, and number three is you should have your emotions moved to tears."
The Dinner List gives us an abundance of all those things inside a beautiful yellow cover. Not only do you get a wonderful story from Serle, you will find yourself thinking and daydreaming of your "dinner list" as an extra bonus.
Add this book to your must read shelves and enjoy the meal. For readers looking to add The Dinner List to your book clubs, make sure to allow extra time because you and your friends should enjoy this discussion over dinner and dessert for sure!
I received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley. My reviews are unbiased and you can follow all of my reviews at thejwordpress.wordpress.com as well as Goodreads. #Netgalley #TheDinnerList
October 29, 2018
*4 Stars* for a unique read that warms the soul, touches the heart, and stings the tear ducts! Very much enjoyed this one!
RTC...
RTC...
November 1, 2018
3.5 stars
Audiobook narrated by the author, Rebecca Serle 5h 50 min 39secs
Who are the 5 people, living or dead, that you would invite to dinner? Now I have been asked this question at different times of my life( FYI- General Romeo Dallaire, Jane Austen, Tolstoy, Anne Frank, and Meryl Streep), but I have never considered adding people from my personal life ( am I terrible?). That's what makes The Dinner List so refreshingly original. While we know the question, Sabrina , our main character, arrives at a dinner with her father,Robert, her best friend, Jessica, her ex-boyfriend, Tobias, her college professor, Conrad, and a 40ish Audrey Hepburn. Interlaced with the dinner table talk are flashbacks that are heavy on Jessica and Tobias' role in Sabrina's life. Since it is Sabrina's "dinner", it is her life under the microscope and all her dinner guests are there to help her consider what she will do next while also coming face to face with her past. I would definitely recommend to a friend!
Audiobook narrated by the author, Rebecca Serle 5h 50 min 39secs
Who are the 5 people, living or dead, that you would invite to dinner? Now I have been asked this question at different times of my life( FYI- General Romeo Dallaire, Jane Austen, Tolstoy, Anne Frank, and Meryl Streep), but I have never considered adding people from my personal life ( am I terrible?). That's what makes The Dinner List so refreshingly original. While we know the question, Sabrina , our main character, arrives at a dinner with her father,Robert, her best friend, Jessica, her ex-boyfriend, Tobias, her college professor, Conrad, and a 40ish Audrey Hepburn. Interlaced with the dinner table talk are flashbacks that are heavy on Jessica and Tobias' role in Sabrina's life. Since it is Sabrina's "dinner", it is her life under the microscope and all her dinner guests are there to help her consider what she will do next while also coming face to face with her past. I would definitely recommend to a friend!
October 9, 2018
Average-Enjoyable!
Dreamy ‘fantasy’ fun:
“what five people would you invite to dinner - dead or alive?
Paul and I played this game while walking last Saturday morning.
We both had Robin Williams - Jimmy Kimmel- our father’s whom we both lost to death as children - each other - and we tossed around other names such as John Lennon .... thinking we might have some nice music at the dinner table.... and the Dalai Lama to hold the space of spirituality.
So - this book got my imagination fired up...
...much was quite serious and sad-
....parts were a little bland...needing more flair of humor and jazzy pizzazz.
But as I got deeper into the story -came upon surprises that were delightful -and/or sometimes made me want to weep - my heart warmed more.
I did question why there was emphasis on smoking. Sabrina started smoking because the first time she kissed Tobias he smelled like smoke and honey. So she took up smoking.
I would’ve rather seen her be a beekeeper.
A touch of romance ...
Tender & pleasurable ...
but overall not wildly entertaining.
Dreamy ‘fantasy’ fun:
“what five people would you invite to dinner - dead or alive?
Paul and I played this game while walking last Saturday morning.
We both had Robin Williams - Jimmy Kimmel- our father’s whom we both lost to death as children - each other - and we tossed around other names such as John Lennon .... thinking we might have some nice music at the dinner table.... and the Dalai Lama to hold the space of spirituality.
So - this book got my imagination fired up...
...much was quite serious and sad-
....parts were a little bland...needing more flair of humor and jazzy pizzazz.
But as I got deeper into the story -came upon surprises that were delightful -and/or sometimes made me want to weep - my heart warmed more.
I did question why there was emphasis on smoking. Sabrina started smoking because the first time she kissed Tobias he smelled like smoke and honey. So she took up smoking.
I would’ve rather seen her be a beekeeper.
A touch of romance ...
Tender & pleasurable ...
but overall not wildly entertaining.
July 21, 2018
We've all done it before. We've daydreamed, analyzed, pondered, wished and sometimes argued about it. What five people would you invite to dinner if you could have anyone. Living or dead, famous or family, past or present, real or fictional, people you know or someone you've never met - those are a few of the questions we have contemplated when making our ultimate dinner list.
Years ago, thirty year old Sabrina and her best friend, Jessica, make a list of five people they want at their dinner. Years later, Sabrina's list becomes a reality at her 30th birthday dinner.
Rebecca Serle's book, The Dinner List, invites us to take a seat at the table for a lively dinner full of conversation. Sabrina, along with Jessica, spends the evening with a professor from the past, her absentee father, her ex-fiancee and Audrey Hepburn. Why Audrey Hepburn? The real question should be, why not Audrey Hepburn. It's hard not to fall in love with this story as you will become invested in each character's story. Serle's character development is rich and deep. You will feel yourself laughing at times as well as shedding a few tears with each one of these characters and their story.
Former North Carolina State basketball coach, Jim Valvano, once said, "We should do three things everyday of our life. Number one is laugh, you should laugh every day. Number two is to think, we should spend some time in thought, and number three is you should have your emotions moved to tears."
The Dinner List gives us an abundance of all those things inside a beautiful yellow cover. Not only do you get a wonderful story from Serle, you will find yourself thinking and daydreaming of your "dinner list" as an extra bonus.
Add this book to your must read shelves and enjoy the meal. For readers looking to add The Dinner List to your book clubs, make sure to allow extra time because you and your friends should enjoy this discussion over dinner and dessert for sure!
I received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley. My reviews are unbiased and you can follow all of my reviews at thejwordpress.wordpress.com as well as Goodreads. #Netgalley #TheDinnerList
Years ago, thirty year old Sabrina and her best friend, Jessica, make a list of five people they want at their dinner. Years later, Sabrina's list becomes a reality at her 30th birthday dinner.
Rebecca Serle's book, The Dinner List, invites us to take a seat at the table for a lively dinner full of conversation. Sabrina, along with Jessica, spends the evening with a professor from the past, her absentee father, her ex-fiancee and Audrey Hepburn. Why Audrey Hepburn? The real question should be, why not Audrey Hepburn. It's hard not to fall in love with this story as you will become invested in each character's story. Serle's character development is rich and deep. You will feel yourself laughing at times as well as shedding a few tears with each one of these characters and their story.
Former North Carolina State basketball coach, Jim Valvano, once said, "We should do three things everyday of our life. Number one is laugh, you should laugh every day. Number two is to think, we should spend some time in thought, and number three is you should have your emotions moved to tears."
The Dinner List gives us an abundance of all those things inside a beautiful yellow cover. Not only do you get a wonderful story from Serle, you will find yourself thinking and daydreaming of your "dinner list" as an extra bonus.
Add this book to your must read shelves and enjoy the meal. For readers looking to add The Dinner List to your book clubs, make sure to allow extra time because you and your friends should enjoy this discussion over dinner and dessert for sure!
I received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley. My reviews are unbiased and you can follow all of my reviews at thejwordpress.wordpress.com as well as Goodreads. #Netgalley #TheDinnerList
May 20, 2023
To be honest, it's hard to say why I enjoyed this book so much. There was no real plot, and it veered into saccharine/hallmark territory in some of the present time/dinner party chapters. The chapters of the past were alternating with the dinner party,
all from Sabrina's POV. *But* something about the writing sucked me in and there were parallels to the themes in In Five Years, which I enjoyed a lot. I also had expectations about the magical realism element based on the other book, but I'm sure it will irk some people. Is it a dream? Is it real, with Audrey Hepburn's ghost? Lol. It works better if you just take it for what it is and don't examine it. I just went with it, because it didn't really matter. The dinner party was just a device for Sabrina to confront various internal things she's been burying. Ultimately, this isn't a love story. Certainly not a romcom or comedy, although the synopsis sounds kind of cute and quirky.
This is really a story about the protagonist confronting her history, interpreting it, processing grief, and deciding if she is ready to learn from all these things and let go of some of them. Sometimes what you want and need aren't the same, and it's hard to accept that sometimes. Although sometimes things happen that make a choice for you. It's also a story about family, and forgiveness.
Anyway, this is a quick read and it got to me in the end! Someone give me a tissue 🥲
all from Sabrina's POV. *But* something about the writing sucked me in and there were parallels to the themes in In Five Years, which I enjoyed a lot. I also had expectations about the magical realism element based on the other book, but I'm sure it will irk some people. Is it a dream? Is it real, with Audrey Hepburn's ghost? Lol. It works better if you just take it for what it is and don't examine it. I just went with it, because it didn't really matter. The dinner party was just a device for Sabrina to confront various internal things she's been burying. Ultimately, this isn't a love story. Certainly not a romcom or comedy, although the synopsis sounds kind of cute and quirky.
This is really a story about the protagonist confronting her history, interpreting it, processing grief, and deciding if she is ready to learn from all these things and let go of some of them. Sometimes what you want and need aren't the same, and it's hard to accept that sometimes. Although sometimes things happen that make a choice for you. It's also a story about family, and forgiveness.
Anyway, this is a quick read and it got to me in the end! Someone give me a tissue 🥲
February 12, 2020
"ما اینجائیم که راه برگشتمون رو پیدا کنیم"
اگه میتونستید پنج نفر رو زنده یا مرده به مهمانی شام دعوت کنید، اون پنج نفر چه کسانی خواهند بود؟!
سابرینا به این سوال پاسخ داده، و حالا از ساعت ۱۹:۳۰ تا ۰۰:۰۰ با ۵ نفر منتخبش سر میز شام نشسته و این ۴:۳۰ قراره بهاندازه همه زندگی سابرینا و حرفهای نگفتهش باشه.
بهنظر من این کتاب، یک کتاب کامله. بذارید براتون کتاب کامل رو تعریف کنم، کتابی که شما هرزمان با هر دیدگاهی سراغش بری حرفی برای گفتن باهات داره، از عشق، نفرت، دوستی، خانواده و...
که این کامل بودن رو بهنظرم مدیون انتخاب درست و هوشمندانه ۵ نفره.
اینکتاب دوبخش داره:
۱.سر میز شام، با ۵ نفر منتخب سابرینا، که شامل بحثهای فلسفی و نقد و بررسی بخش دوم از دید سایرینه و بالغانهتره. (بخش قابل تامل)
۲.فلشبکهایی به زندگی سابرینا در ۲۰_۳۰ سالگی متناسب با بحث، که پر از شور، شوق و هیجان دوران جوانیه. (بخش رمانِ راحتخوان)
محوریت اصلی این کتاب عشقه، من طرفدار رمانهای عاشقانه نیستم اما این کتاب عشق پرشور و هیجان و سرخوشی سابرینا و توبیاس رو روی ترازوی نقد و در مقابل عشق واقعی و دیدگاه بقیه نسبت به رابطشون قرار میده و نقدش میکنه.
این نوع نگاه به عشق به عنوان یک مسئله جدی نه صرفا یک احساس برای من جذاب بود.
*نکاتی که در رابطه عاطفی باید بهش توجه کرد:
(نتایج من با توجه به کتاب)
۱. عشق هرگز کافی نیست.
۲. بررسی اهمیت مسائل مالی! (این خیلی جالب بود)
۳. گاها واقعیت اون چیزی که ما فکر میکنیم نیست. ۴.اهمیت شناخت درست طرف مقابل و رسیدن بهدرک متقابل و فهم مشترک در روابط.
همه ما این فرصت رو نداریم که آدمها رو دور هم جمع کنیم و کمکارهامون رو جبران کنیم یا حرفهای نگفتهمون رو بهشون بگیم...
مورد ۳ و ۴ در واقع محوریت اصلی کتابه، داره بهمون میگه نه فقط در زندگی عاشقانه بلکه تو همه زندگی این درک متقابل و حرف زدن چقدر میتونه بهمون کمک کنه.
برای همین خوندن این کتاب رو اول به کسی که به نوعی درگیر روابط عاطفی هستند، بعد پدر و مادرها، در آخر هم به هرکسی که یک رمان روانشناختی خوب میخواد پیشنهاد میکنم.
و اما پایان کتاب!
پایان کتاب برای من بینهایت دلنشین و البته جذاب بود و بزرگترین درس رو بهمون میده، این که از عشق به خودمون و شناخت بهتر و بیشتر خودمون برسیم.
(خیلی دوست دارم در مورد پایان کتاب بیشتر بگم اما نمیخوام اسپویل کنم :دی )
از ویژگیهای خوب کتاب:
+ترجمه روان
+فصلهای کوتاه
+شخصیتهای واقعی و قابل درک
+همه خوانه، میشه راحت به هرکسی پیشنهادش داد
اسم اصلی این کتاب "لیست شام" هست، که به نظرم "شام با آدری هپبورن" انتخاب هوشمندانهتر و جذابتریه.
×من طرفدار آدری هپبورن نیستم و صرفا اسمش رو شنیده بودم اما بینهایت از کتاب لذت بردم، و خب اگه فَنِ آدری باشید این لذت دوچندان میشه.
اگه میتونستید پنج نفر رو زنده یا مرده به مهمانی شام دعوت کنید، اون پنج نفر چه کسانی خواهند بود؟!
سابرینا به این سوال پاسخ داده، و حالا از ساعت ۱۹:۳۰ تا ۰۰:۰۰ با ۵ نفر منتخبش سر میز شام نشسته و این ۴:۳۰ قراره بهاندازه همه زندگی سابرینا و حرفهای نگفتهش باشه.
بهنظر من این کتاب، یک کتاب کامله. بذارید براتون کتاب کامل رو تعریف کنم، کتابی که شما هرزمان با هر دیدگاهی سراغش بری حرفی برای گفتن باهات داره، از عشق، نفرت، دوستی، خانواده و...
که این کامل بودن رو بهنظرم مدیون انتخاب درست و هوشمندانه ۵ نفره.
اینکتاب دوبخش داره:
۱.سر میز شام، با ۵ نفر منتخب سابرینا، که شامل بحثهای فلسفی و نقد و بررسی بخش دوم از دید سایرینه و بالغانهتره. (بخش قابل تامل)
۲.فلشبکهایی به زندگی سابرینا در ۲۰_۳۰ سالگی متناسب با بحث، که پر از شور، شوق و هیجان دوران جوانیه. (بخش رمانِ راحتخوان)
محوریت اصلی این کتاب عشقه، من طرفدار رمانهای عاشقانه نیستم اما این کتاب عشق پرشور و هیجان و سرخوشی سابرینا و توبیاس رو روی ترازوی نقد و در مقابل عشق واقعی و دیدگاه بقیه نسبت به رابطشون قرار میده و نقدش میکنه.
این نوع نگاه به عشق به عنوان یک مسئله جدی نه صرفا یک احساس برای من جذاب بود.
*نکاتی که در رابطه عاطفی باید بهش توجه کرد:
(نتایج من با توجه به کتاب)
۱. عشق هرگز کافی نیست.
۲. بررسی اهمیت مسائل مالی! (این خیلی جالب بود)
۳. گاها واقعیت اون چیزی که ما فکر میکنیم نیست. ۴.اهمیت شناخت درست طرف مقابل و رسیدن بهدرک متقابل و فهم مشترک در روابط.
همه ما این فرصت رو نداریم که آدمها رو دور هم جمع کنیم و کمکارهامون رو جبران کنیم یا حرفهای نگفتهمون رو بهشون بگیم...
مورد ۳ و ۴ در واقع محوریت اصلی کتابه، داره بهمون میگه نه فقط در زندگی عاشقانه بلکه تو همه زندگی این درک متقابل و حرف زدن چقدر میتونه بهمون کمک کنه.
برای همین خوندن این کتاب رو اول به کسی که به نوعی درگیر روابط عاطفی هستند، بعد پدر و مادرها، در آخر هم به هرکسی که یک رمان روانشناختی خوب میخواد پیشنهاد میکنم.
و اما پایان کتاب!
پایان کتاب برای من بینهایت دلنشین و البته جذاب بود و بزرگترین درس رو بهمون میده، این که از عشق به خودمون و شناخت بهتر و بیشتر خودمون برسیم.
(خیلی دوست دارم در مورد پایان کتاب بیشتر بگم اما نمیخوام اسپویل کنم :دی )
از ویژگیهای خوب کتاب:
+ترجمه روان
+فصلهای کوتاه
+شخصیتهای واقعی و قابل درک
+همه خوانه، میشه راحت به هرکسی پیشنهادش داد
اسم اصلی این کتاب "لیست شام" هست، که به نظرم "شام با آدری هپبورن" انتخاب هوشمندانهتر و جذابتریه.
×من طرفدار آدری هپبورن نیستم و صرفا اسمش رو شنیده بودم اما بینهایت از کتاب لذت بردم، و خب اگه فَنِ آدری باشید این لذت دوچندان میشه.
June 14, 2020
Name Five People, Living or Dead, that you’d like to have dinner with.
The list is one that Sabrina came up with in College. Little did she know that when she turned thirty, she’d be sitting around the table at a restaurant with the five people on her list, including the great, Audrey Hepburn.
“The Dinner List” includes:
Audrey Hepburn;
Professor Conrad, her College Philosophy Professor;
Her father, Robert;
Her best friend, Jessica; and
Tobias, the love of her life.
Alternating between dinner and Sabrina’s past, the story takes us on an emotional rollercoaster. Starting with Sabrina and Jessica in College, to the first time Sabrina meets Tobias, where she knows, immediately, that he is the one. Then, years later in New York, on a subway where she sees him again for the 2nd time and where it begins.
Dinner conversation is insightful, interesting, and arresting. How has Sabrina’s life been impacted by these people? How pray tell does Audrey Hepburn fit into this? You'd have to read "The Dinner List" to find out! This does, albeit require readers to suspend disbelief.
“The Dinner List” is a wholly inventive novel that I enjoyed. I think I would have liked it more, had I read the novel. Unfortunately, however, I listened to the audiobook which was narrated by the author Rebecca Serle, which she read in a monotone voice throughout. I read “In Five Years” by Ms. Serle before this and loved it, therefore, I highly recommend reading the book instead of listening to the audiobook.
Thank you to my local library for loaning me a copy.
Published on Goodreads on 6.14.20.
The list is one that Sabrina came up with in College. Little did she know that when she turned thirty, she’d be sitting around the table at a restaurant with the five people on her list, including the great, Audrey Hepburn.
“The Dinner List” includes:
Audrey Hepburn;
Professor Conrad, her College Philosophy Professor;
Her father, Robert;
Her best friend, Jessica; and
Tobias, the love of her life.
Alternating between dinner and Sabrina’s past, the story takes us on an emotional rollercoaster. Starting with Sabrina and Jessica in College, to the first time Sabrina meets Tobias, where she knows, immediately, that he is the one. Then, years later in New York, on a subway where she sees him again for the 2nd time and where it begins.
Dinner conversation is insightful, interesting, and arresting. How has Sabrina’s life been impacted by these people? How pray tell does Audrey Hepburn fit into this? You'd have to read "The Dinner List" to find out! This does, albeit require readers to suspend disbelief.
“The Dinner List” is a wholly inventive novel that I enjoyed. I think I would have liked it more, had I read the novel. Unfortunately, however, I listened to the audiobook which was narrated by the author Rebecca Serle, which she read in a monotone voice throughout. I read “In Five Years” by Ms. Serle before this and loved it, therefore, I highly recommend reading the book instead of listening to the audiobook.
Thank you to my local library for loaning me a copy.
Published on Goodreads on 6.14.20.
September 17, 2018
When I first started this book I could not figure out why it had such a high rating. Part of this was my mistake from buying the audible instead of the actual book. The author chose to narrate the story, whether this was to cut costs or not they should have just spent the extra money. Serle read through this story sounding very bored, and would occasionally rush through sentences too quickly. It reminded me of high school when students would go around the room, reading out of a textbook. It sounded more like a short story or personal essay written by a student and not the work of a published author.
Beyond the horrible narration, this story had a lot of potential but it never took off for me. Tobias and Sabrina never seemed like a good fit, and Jessica and Sabrina's friendship didn't seem that strong either. Overall, Sabrina was not a very likable character. ((SPOILERS)) I kept hoping for the story to get better but in the end, the whole dinner party's resolution came to Sabrina telling Tobias "we need to move on." And POOF that was it. He got out of limbo.
In conclusion.... please do not buy the audible if you want to semi-enjoy this book.
Beyond the horrible narration, this story had a lot of potential but it never took off for me. Tobias and Sabrina never seemed like a good fit, and Jessica and Sabrina's friendship didn't seem that strong either. Overall, Sabrina was not a very likable character. ((SPOILERS)) I kept hoping for the story to get better but in the end, the whole dinner party's resolution came to Sabrina telling Tobias "we need to move on." And POOF that was it. He got out of limbo.
In conclusion.... please do not buy the audible if you want to semi-enjoy this book.
December 17, 2018
The Dinner List is the story of Sabrina’s 30th birthday, in which she arrives at a restaurant and 5 guests are waiting for dinner with her. The guests include Tobias, her ex-boyfriend, Robert, her father, Jessica, her best friend, Conrad, one of her former professors, and Audrey Hepburn. The story shifts from the here and now to events in Sabrina’s life, prior to the dinner party.
This was a cute story, and a bit deeper than I initially anticipated. I enjoyed the premise - Who hasn’t been hit with a question along these lines before? Who would you invite to such an event? The options are endless!
I thought The Dinner List was good but not great. I found Sabrina to be a little too timid for the annoyance level she had with some of the other characters. While I felt like her irritations were valid, I was irritated by the way she handled things - more than once. I did enjoy this book enough that I would read more from Serle.
This was a cute story, and a bit deeper than I initially anticipated. I enjoyed the premise - Who hasn’t been hit with a question along these lines before? Who would you invite to such an event? The options are endless!
I thought The Dinner List was good but not great. I found Sabrina to be a little too timid for the annoyance level she had with some of the other characters. While I felt like her irritations were valid, I was irritated by the way she handled things - more than once. I did enjoy this book enough that I would read more from Serle.
September 1, 2018
I love how unique and interesting the plot is and how it was executed.
.
The characters in this book were messy, the friendships were messy and the romance was messy but I actually enjoyed that. It showed realistic relationships and how messy everyone is and how flawed we all are.
.
It’s a quick read at only 276 pages and the ending and whole book was bittersweet. I love the idea of the dinner party and how it was written!
.
My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
.
The characters in this book were messy, the friendships were messy and the romance was messy but I actually enjoyed that. It showed realistic relationships and how messy everyone is and how flawed we all are.
.
It’s a quick read at only 276 pages and the ending and whole book was bittersweet. I love the idea of the dinner party and how it was written!
.
My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
July 25, 2023
I chose to read The Dinner List by Rebecca Serle after I'd read some of her newer books. Had I read this one first, I'm not entirely sure I would have picked up the others. It's a good book but it didn't capture my attention in the same manner, nor did I think the story was executed well. Told in short clips that cover different spans of time and characters, the tale was intriguing but confusing. The premise is that on your birthday, you can invite any 5 living or dead people to dinner. The protagonist did so, and readers got to know her relationship with each of them through the various conversations at dinner and events in the past. Ultimately, readers were unsure which characters were still alive or were dead. My primary issue with this plot was that it's super unclear whether the dinner is real or imaginary... meaning even if the person is alive, was she seeing them at the current point in their lives together. The way they talk, it's so vague and you can't tell if the people who were alive are aware what's going on and when they wake up the next did, will they have a memory of the dinner. So it was a concept that was too jumbled. If that had been clear from the beginning, and we just had this chance to revisit history without impacting the present, I would have been much more bought in. All that said, I like the author's writing style generally, and she has a wonderful imagination. I'll read one more from her past collection, and maybe pause there, focusing on only new releases where she's more adept at the craft.
April 15, 2023
Emotional. Rollercoaster. Get out your tissues. Sabrina has a birthday dinner with her Dinner List. Some are alive and some are not. With all five there are issues to be dealt with during a dinner that begins at 7:30 and must finish before midnight. We relive Sabrina and Tobias's relationship in between chapters about the dinner. Philosophical. Magical. Unexpected.
A 2023 update: I just finished The Audrey Hepburn Estate by Brenda Janowitz and couldn't help thinking of this favorite read from 2018. Might even consider rereading!
A 2023 update: I just finished The Audrey Hepburn Estate by Brenda Janowitz and couldn't help thinking of this favorite read from 2018. Might even consider rereading!
Read
August 1, 2018Why I Love It
by Natalie Reece
As someone who has watched Sabrina and Breakfast at Tiffany’s more times than I can count, I was immediately sucked into The Dinner List, which is about a normal woman who shows up to dinner only to find Audrey Hepburn, snifter of scotch in hand, sitting at the table. The premise of the book is brilliant: If you could have dinner with any five people, living or dead, who would you choose? What would you uncover in that one night?
The story takes place all in one night, at a birthday party for Sabrina (note the namesake here) that four notable people from her past—along with Audrey—attend. It also takes place across an entire decade-long relationship between Sabrina and the great love of her life, Tobias. In one chapter, we’re placed in this mystical dinner setting, and in the next, we’re being fed pieces of their relationship that leave you questioning—what happened between them? We learn not just about Sabrina’s relationship with Tobias, but also about her more strained connections with her father, Robert, as well as with her best friend, Jessica. There’s also a wise and eccentric professor from her college days, oh, and did I mention Audrey Hepburn?
The Dinner List made me swoon, dream, and wonder. While wrapped up in the book, I almost felt as if this too could happen to me. That one night I might wind up at dinner with people who I’ve loved and lost, and finally get a chance to say what I always wished I had said before.
Read more at: https://www.bookofthemonth.com/the-di...
by Natalie Reece
As someone who has watched Sabrina and Breakfast at Tiffany’s more times than I can count, I was immediately sucked into The Dinner List, which is about a normal woman who shows up to dinner only to find Audrey Hepburn, snifter of scotch in hand, sitting at the table. The premise of the book is brilliant: If you could have dinner with any five people, living or dead, who would you choose? What would you uncover in that one night?
The story takes place all in one night, at a birthday party for Sabrina (note the namesake here) that four notable people from her past—along with Audrey—attend. It also takes place across an entire decade-long relationship between Sabrina and the great love of her life, Tobias. In one chapter, we’re placed in this mystical dinner setting, and in the next, we’re being fed pieces of their relationship that leave you questioning—what happened between them? We learn not just about Sabrina’s relationship with Tobias, but also about her more strained connections with her father, Robert, as well as with her best friend, Jessica. There’s also a wise and eccentric professor from her college days, oh, and did I mention Audrey Hepburn?
The Dinner List made me swoon, dream, and wonder. While wrapped up in the book, I almost felt as if this too could happen to me. That one night I might wind up at dinner with people who I’ve loved and lost, and finally get a chance to say what I always wished I had said before.
Read more at: https://www.bookofthemonth.com/the-di...
August 23, 2023
3.5 ⭐️, rounded up to 4
November 16, 2019
4.5 stars
The Dinner List is a fabulous read – thought-provoking, contemplative, and a bit magical. Sabrina arrives at her 30th birthday dinner expecting to dine with just her best friend and instead finds Audrey Hepburn and 3 other important people from her past waiting to share the meal with her. She recollects a time when she was asked to name 5 people, living or dead, with whom she would like to eat dinner and realizes that these individuals are now there to celebrate her birthday. As the evening unfolds and the various courses are served, Sabrina’s meal with these 5 people helps her come to terms with her past and become better prepared to face her future. What more could you ask for in a 30th birthday dinner?
The inclusion of Audrey Hepburn was what first drew me to this book since I am a huge fan of hers. She was the perfect individual to insert into this story. For purposes of telling the story, Searle chose only one famous individual, Audrey Hepburn, and the rest were significant to Sabrina. As I was reading, I was wishing that there had been at least one more historically significant (or just famous) individual in the tale because I loved the sections with Audrey in them the best. After reading The Dinner List, I have pondered numerous times who I would include at such a dinner. Currently (though I am sure such a thing changes over time), I would want to dine with Johnny Cash, Robert Frost, Mary Pickford, Harriet Tubman, and Martin Luther King, Jr. What a dinner that would be! One of my favorite things about this book was the thought I have put into this list ever since I finished the book.
Covers that match the tenor of book always make me happy. Choosing bright yellow for the cover was a stroke of genius. It draws attention to the book and suits the tone of the story perfectly.
The Dinner List is a beautiful story that will stay with me for a long time. It is a creative and unique tale.
For more reviews, check out my Instagram account, https://www.instagram.com/thoughtsfro....
The Dinner List is a fabulous read – thought-provoking, contemplative, and a bit magical. Sabrina arrives at her 30th birthday dinner expecting to dine with just her best friend and instead finds Audrey Hepburn and 3 other important people from her past waiting to share the meal with her. She recollects a time when she was asked to name 5 people, living or dead, with whom she would like to eat dinner and realizes that these individuals are now there to celebrate her birthday. As the evening unfolds and the various courses are served, Sabrina’s meal with these 5 people helps her come to terms with her past and become better prepared to face her future. What more could you ask for in a 30th birthday dinner?
The inclusion of Audrey Hepburn was what first drew me to this book since I am a huge fan of hers. She was the perfect individual to insert into this story. For purposes of telling the story, Searle chose only one famous individual, Audrey Hepburn, and the rest were significant to Sabrina. As I was reading, I was wishing that there had been at least one more historically significant (or just famous) individual in the tale because I loved the sections with Audrey in them the best. After reading The Dinner List, I have pondered numerous times who I would include at such a dinner. Currently (though I am sure such a thing changes over time), I would want to dine with Johnny Cash, Robert Frost, Mary Pickford, Harriet Tubman, and Martin Luther King, Jr. What a dinner that would be! One of my favorite things about this book was the thought I have put into this list ever since I finished the book.
Covers that match the tenor of book always make me happy. Choosing bright yellow for the cover was a stroke of genius. It draws attention to the book and suits the tone of the story perfectly.
The Dinner List is a beautiful story that will stay with me for a long time. It is a creative and unique tale.
For more reviews, check out my Instagram account, https://www.instagram.com/thoughtsfro....
April 14, 2021
If you could have dinner with five people (living or dead) who you would pick?
When Sabrina was in college, she put together her list of five people she'd like to have dinner with. It's now her 30th birthday and she shows up at a restaurant to celebrate with her friend. Expecting to find her friend Jessica there, she's surprised instead to find these five people waiting for her:
- Jessica (her best friend)
- Tobias (the love of her life)
- Robert (her absentee father)
- Conrad (her college philosophy professor)
- Audrey Hepburn
The book alternates between this dinner and Sabrina's past. Each dinner chapter is a countdown to midnight; when her guests will leave her. Throughout the story, Sabrina reflects on her past and tries to understand why everyone is actually there with her at this dinner.
"Sometimes I think that the only true way we can ever know a thing's value is by losing it."
I found the premise of this story original and interesting. There's definitely a somber tone throughout, but I enjoyed Sabrina's emotional journey. What should've been a quiet meal with her friend, turned out to be the dinner that changed her life.
When Sabrina was in college, she put together her list of five people she'd like to have dinner with. It's now her 30th birthday and she shows up at a restaurant to celebrate with her friend. Expecting to find her friend Jessica there, she's surprised instead to find these five people waiting for her:
- Jessica (her best friend)
- Tobias (the love of her life)
- Robert (her absentee father)
- Conrad (her college philosophy professor)
- Audrey Hepburn
The book alternates between this dinner and Sabrina's past. Each dinner chapter is a countdown to midnight; when her guests will leave her. Throughout the story, Sabrina reflects on her past and tries to understand why everyone is actually there with her at this dinner.
"Sometimes I think that the only true way we can ever know a thing's value is by losing it."
I found the premise of this story original and interesting. There's definitely a somber tone throughout, but I enjoyed Sabrina's emotional journey. What should've been a quiet meal with her friend, turned out to be the dinner that changed her life.
November 16, 2021
„Jedyna stała rzecz w życiu to zmiana”
Myślę, że każdy z nas kiedyś rozstał się z kimś bliskim, bądź zrobił to za niego czas, okoliczności. Ta książka opowiada o tym, jak trudno czasem stawić czoła przeszłości. Przyjąć do wiadomości, że w pewnym momencie musimy dojrzeć.
To było dokładnie to czego potrzebowałam w tej chwili - odpoczynek i poruszenie.
Myślę, że każdy z nas kiedyś rozstał się z kimś bliskim, bądź zrobił to za niego czas, okoliczności. Ta książka opowiada o tym, jak trudno czasem stawić czoła przeszłości. Przyjąć do wiadomości, że w pewnym momencie musimy dojrzeć.
To było dokładnie to czego potrzebowałam w tej chwili - odpoczynek i poruszenie.
January 6, 2023
THIS BOOK. THIS. BOOK. It was my first adventure with Rebecca Serle and I think I did it the wrong way because I started with what the fans (Rita da Nova) think is her best book. What a way to start the year. This book ate me up and my boss wouldn't be very happy to learn that I took multiple breaks just to fit in another chapter. I highlighted the hell out of this book, even entire paragraphs at times. I won't shut up about this anytime soon, sorry absolutely not sorry at all.
April 28, 2019
When Sabrina arrives at her 30th birthday dinner, she finds the five people (dead or alive) she would invite to dinner seated around the table. There is her best friend from college, Jessica (now more distant as she is married with a baby), her father Robert (recently deceased, who left the family when Sabrina was young), Conrad, her favourite college professor, Audrey Hepburn (deceased) and Tobias, the love of her life.
The seminal events of Jessica's life are revisited through each course of the meal until midnight as she tries to make sense of the important relationships and painful events in her life - those with Robert, Jessica and Tobias. At times humorous, this a bittersweet love story, although I found both Jessica and Tobias to be somewhat self-centred and selfish and didn't fully engage with either character.3.5★
The seminal events of Jessica's life are revisited through each course of the meal until midnight as she tries to make sense of the important relationships and painful events in her life - those with Robert, Jessica and Tobias. At times humorous, this a bittersweet love story, although I found both Jessica and Tobias to be somewhat self-centred and selfish and didn't fully engage with either character.3.5★
December 11, 2018
4 original stars to this whimsical book
This book has an interesting premise -- who would be at your birthday dinner if you could invite anyone? There's a definite suspension of belief that you need to enjoy this book.
Sabrina arrives to her birthday dinner to discover Audrey Hepburn, her best friend, a boyfriend, her father, and a favorite college professor. The group delve into some deep topics and some old issues are worked through for Sabrina. The reader discovers why these particular people are at her dinner.
A quick sweet read that sparked conversation for my family about who they would invite . . . who's on your list?
This book has an interesting premise -- who would be at your birthday dinner if you could invite anyone? There's a definite suspension of belief that you need to enjoy this book.
Sabrina arrives to her birthday dinner to discover Audrey Hepburn, her best friend, a boyfriend, her father, and a favorite college professor. The group delve into some deep topics and some old issues are worked through for Sabrina. The reader discovers why these particular people are at her dinner.
A quick sweet read that sparked conversation for my family about who they would invite . . . who's on your list?
February 11, 2024
A gracious thank you to Flatiron Books and Rebecca Serle for an advanced copy of The Dinner List. I’m giving ALL the stars for this one! I will admit I was hovering between 4 and 4.5 but then that ending knocked me off my feet...oh geez what an ending!!
This book is more than just a love story although it IS ALSO a beautifully crafted love story. . It is about how our past skeletons affect our future decisions. It is about learning how to forgive. It is about being honest with oneself and growing up. It is about much more but I don’t want to give anything away. If you have ever had that one true love that broke your heart, this is your book. This is an emotionally complex story that really makes you think.
Imagine you could invite any 5 people of your choosing - dead or alive - to a dinner party. That’s what happens to Sabrina on her 30th birthday. Her and her best friend Jessica have always met for dinner on each others birthdays, but this year a few unexpected guests show up as well. These guests are on a dinner guest list that Sabrina made up years ago - her absent father Robert, her old university professor Conrad, Audrey Hepburn, her ex-fiancé Tobias and Jessica. As the night gets going and the conversation begins, Sabrina begins to understand the true reason for each person being at the dinner.
The writing is light and effortless with a twist of humour. It brings the reader in as though they are a fly on the wall at this dinner party. The story is both thought=provoking and moving. I was hooked from the get go. Absolutely recommend!
This book is more than just a love story although it IS ALSO a beautifully crafted love story. . It is about how our past skeletons affect our future decisions. It is about learning how to forgive. It is about being honest with oneself and growing up. It is about much more but I don’t want to give anything away. If you have ever had that one true love that broke your heart, this is your book. This is an emotionally complex story that really makes you think.
Imagine you could invite any 5 people of your choosing - dead or alive - to a dinner party. That’s what happens to Sabrina on her 30th birthday. Her and her best friend Jessica have always met for dinner on each others birthdays, but this year a few unexpected guests show up as well. These guests are on a dinner guest list that Sabrina made up years ago - her absent father Robert, her old university professor Conrad, Audrey Hepburn, her ex-fiancé Tobias and Jessica. As the night gets going and the conversation begins, Sabrina begins to understand the true reason for each person being at the dinner.
The writing is light and effortless with a twist of humour. It brings the reader in as though they are a fly on the wall at this dinner party. The story is both thought=provoking and moving. I was hooked from the get go. Absolutely recommend!
September 26, 2018
Beautiful beautiful story! Just loved it. I am a big fan of Audrey Hepburn and she would definitely be on my Dinner List. This book was fun, it was sad, it makes you laugh and makes you think. So happy that I found it.
January 29, 2026
“People in relationships are either flowers or gardeners. Two flowers shouldn't partner; they need someone to support them, to help them grow. ..... There are flowers and gardeners. Flowers bloom; gardeners tend."
― Rebecca Serle, The Dinner List
I just had to add the quote!
My review:
What a charming, whimsical, delightful, delicious story!
It’s Sabrina‘s birthday! Her friend Jessica is throwing her a little party.
At a restaurant.
With good food.
And Audrey Hepburn.
Yes, Audrey Hepburn.
A bit of whimsical butterfly wings in this story as Sabrina walks into her party to find Audrey Hepburn there, along with several other people.
The reason these people are there is because at one point Sabrina wrote all their names down as the five people she’d most like to have dinner with. And as it goes with magical realism, it looks like somebody heard her!
It’s her dinner list!
So yes, there are people from her past including an ex-boyfriend and there is Audrey Hepburn. What are they all doing there? What is the purpose of this little shindig? That you will have to read about for yourself.
A few thoughts here.
This is one of the most unique concepts I’ve ever heard.
The quote above is one of the best quotes I’ve ever heard.
Some people are not going to get this book. I read a lot of the other reviews, but most people do seem to like it.
And lastly, this is way heavier than I expected, which I was originally annoyed by, but I wound up loving the whole book.
So this is really a meditation on life and the choices we make that sometimes go with bad choices and bad decision making. Who hasn’t done that one time in their life or two or three or four or five ?
And maybe this dinner will serve as a way to help Sabrina sort out her life and come to terms with some things.
The book alternates between the dinner party itself where everybody eats , drinks makes merry, talks philosophy, and existentiaism, and Sabrina’s past with other chapters going back to the past in particular, the past between Sabrina and her ex-boyfriend Toby, how they met, what went wrong and there is also Sabrina’s relationship with her estranged father, as well as an old teacher of hers.
It was good. It was very good.
There’s a lot of breakfast at Tiffany mentions in this book. Unfortunately, I’ve never seen the movie and I despise the book so that really didn’t do much for me but it was fun having Audrey Hepburn pop up in a book.
I want to stress that this is not Audrey Hepburn from the past. This is Audrey Hepburn popping up after she has passed away. I want to stress that because if you don’t like magical realism chances are you won’t like the book. But if you do like magical, realism, and a touch of the whimsical and you don’t mind books that are heavier than they originally seem then you’ll probably love this.
So that’s my review without spoilers. The rest will be done with spoilers and if you’re interested in this book, I suggest you not read any further.
SPOILERS
The reason I didn’t give it a five is I really had a hard time with some parts of it because I was in a bad mood and I wasn’t feeling too good physically, and I was unprepared for the emotional depth of the book. I wanted something light and fanciful. It definitely wasn’t light. I’ll say that although it certainly was fanciful.
Can I be honest and say I didn’t like the twist? A lot of reviewers say they didn’t understand the relationship between Toby and Sabrina. Having made more disastrous men choices than I can count right now, in my past, I certainly did understand Sabrina and the appeal of Toby for her.
At the same time, and this is just my opinion, I did kind of feel that he was more into her than she was, into him in a sense because of her refusal to go to California with him.
I have to be brutally, honest and say that I never felt Sabrina loved her job that much and I felt it was insecurity holding her back although I could be wrong on that, and everybody will have their own perspective.
To me, it doesn’t make sense if these two are soulmates and fated to be together as Sabrina thinks , that she would then dump him , let him go to California without her and start dating and eventually living with someone else and this new relationship starts two weeks later.
I’m not dissing the book at all. I’m just stating what I did not like and believe me my likes far outweigh my dislikes, but I did feel the whole thing with Paul easily could’ve been left out because it didn’t really fit with Sabrina’s character. And we really don’t get to know. Paul is a character barely at all.
Jessica annoyed the crap out of me, and though I understand, she was an honest friend I do not like, and do not get along with people who say that you’re friends who then try to get one to conform to stereotype of their idea of a relationship.
As somebody who does not have children, and frankly, never wanted to have children, and doubly frankly, has been judged by many for not having them, I resented Jessica a bit. Even though I got the feeling, she’s a good person all around.
I also don’t agree with people who say the relationship wasn’t salvageable. I’m not saying it definitely was but I’m not seeing. It definitely wasn’t either.
I don’t really regard Toby as a toxic love interest. Trust me I’ve had toxic, many many friends have had toxic , i’m sure many people reading this review have had toxic, have spent many hours talking about toxic. .
What I’m trying to say with this , is Toby was a lovable screwup, but I never felt he was evil or a bad person or that he didn’t care about and love Sabrina. I think just the fact that he gave up his job and geographical location to be with her certainly shows that.
Toby does not do drugs. He’s not physically, nor emotionally abusive. He doesn’t cheat. He does not drink. He expresses his love for her.
BUT:
What he is, is a dreamer, who probably shouldn’t have been in the field of photography at all, because as I was reading, I was struck with the fact that there was not one photography job he had that he seemed to enjoy. Even the one where he got to photograph Obama. I mean, did other readers notice that? I’m not dissing Toby at all, but he never seemed happy in any of his jobs. I think he was in the wrong profession, frankly, and maybe should’ve kept photography as a hobby.
I never got the sense that either one of them really was that into their work and that was the thing that baffled me.
Were this a different book with a happy ending, perhaps Toby could’ve found career counseling or therapy, or the two of them could’ve relocated.
The issue of money is continually held up as a problem in their relationship, but does either of them realize they’re living in the most expensive city in the country?
I mean there are other places besides Manhattan. My whole family is from New York, not Manhattan, per say , but Manhattan and Brooklyn and there’s nowhere more expensive than those cities.
They seem to really thrive in Beach environments, so I wonder why they didn’t get out of the city which seem to be wearing both down and start fresh someplace else.
I mean there are millions of towns and Counties that probably cost a quarter of the price of an apartment in the center of Manhattan.
Of course, if that happened , there would not be a book, so these are just thoughts the went through my mind while I was reading.
Also, hey, what can I say? I really wanted a happy ending. I’ve been reading so much dark stuff lately. I’ve had this one on my radar for a while, but I had no idea. It was this deep as it was so please don’t go into this expecting mindless. I kind of did, and I was surprised in that respect.
So that’s what I didn’t like about it .
What I loved was the dinner setting in the restaurant and the characterizations which were vivid and radiant and came to life.
I loved the homage to Audrey Hepburn and events. Just a beautiful , effervescently written story overall that I’m really glad I read and definitely recommend to all my Goodreads friends.
― Rebecca Serle, The Dinner List
I just had to add the quote!
My review:
What a charming, whimsical, delightful, delicious story!
It’s Sabrina‘s birthday! Her friend Jessica is throwing her a little party.
At a restaurant.
With good food.
And Audrey Hepburn.
Yes, Audrey Hepburn.
A bit of whimsical butterfly wings in this story as Sabrina walks into her party to find Audrey Hepburn there, along with several other people.
The reason these people are there is because at one point Sabrina wrote all their names down as the five people she’d most like to have dinner with. And as it goes with magical realism, it looks like somebody heard her!
It’s her dinner list!
So yes, there are people from her past including an ex-boyfriend and there is Audrey Hepburn. What are they all doing there? What is the purpose of this little shindig? That you will have to read about for yourself.
A few thoughts here.
This is one of the most unique concepts I’ve ever heard.
The quote above is one of the best quotes I’ve ever heard.
Some people are not going to get this book. I read a lot of the other reviews, but most people do seem to like it.
And lastly, this is way heavier than I expected, which I was originally annoyed by, but I wound up loving the whole book.
So this is really a meditation on life and the choices we make that sometimes go with bad choices and bad decision making. Who hasn’t done that one time in their life or two or three or four or five ?
And maybe this dinner will serve as a way to help Sabrina sort out her life and come to terms with some things.
The book alternates between the dinner party itself where everybody eats , drinks makes merry, talks philosophy, and existentiaism, and Sabrina’s past with other chapters going back to the past in particular, the past between Sabrina and her ex-boyfriend Toby, how they met, what went wrong and there is also Sabrina’s relationship with her estranged father, as well as an old teacher of hers.
It was good. It was very good.
There’s a lot of breakfast at Tiffany mentions in this book. Unfortunately, I’ve never seen the movie and I despise the book so that really didn’t do much for me but it was fun having Audrey Hepburn pop up in a book.
I want to stress that this is not Audrey Hepburn from the past. This is Audrey Hepburn popping up after she has passed away. I want to stress that because if you don’t like magical realism chances are you won’t like the book. But if you do like magical, realism, and a touch of the whimsical and you don’t mind books that are heavier than they originally seem then you’ll probably love this.
So that’s my review without spoilers. The rest will be done with spoilers and if you’re interested in this book, I suggest you not read any further.
SPOILERS
The reason I didn’t give it a five is I really had a hard time with some parts of it because I was in a bad mood and I wasn’t feeling too good physically, and I was unprepared for the emotional depth of the book. I wanted something light and fanciful. It definitely wasn’t light. I’ll say that although it certainly was fanciful.
Can I be honest and say I didn’t like the twist? A lot of reviewers say they didn’t understand the relationship between Toby and Sabrina. Having made more disastrous men choices than I can count right now, in my past, I certainly did understand Sabrina and the appeal of Toby for her.
At the same time, and this is just my opinion, I did kind of feel that he was more into her than she was, into him in a sense because of her refusal to go to California with him.
I have to be brutally, honest and say that I never felt Sabrina loved her job that much and I felt it was insecurity holding her back although I could be wrong on that, and everybody will have their own perspective.
To me, it doesn’t make sense if these two are soulmates and fated to be together as Sabrina thinks , that she would then dump him , let him go to California without her and start dating and eventually living with someone else and this new relationship starts two weeks later.
I’m not dissing the book at all. I’m just stating what I did not like and believe me my likes far outweigh my dislikes, but I did feel the whole thing with Paul easily could’ve been left out because it didn’t really fit with Sabrina’s character. And we really don’t get to know. Paul is a character barely at all.
Jessica annoyed the crap out of me, and though I understand, she was an honest friend I do not like, and do not get along with people who say that you’re friends who then try to get one to conform to stereotype of their idea of a relationship.
As somebody who does not have children, and frankly, never wanted to have children, and doubly frankly, has been judged by many for not having them, I resented Jessica a bit. Even though I got the feeling, she’s a good person all around.
I also don’t agree with people who say the relationship wasn’t salvageable. I’m not saying it definitely was but I’m not seeing. It definitely wasn’t either.
I don’t really regard Toby as a toxic love interest. Trust me I’ve had toxic, many many friends have had toxic , i’m sure many people reading this review have had toxic, have spent many hours talking about toxic. .
What I’m trying to say with this , is Toby was a lovable screwup, but I never felt he was evil or a bad person or that he didn’t care about and love Sabrina. I think just the fact that he gave up his job and geographical location to be with her certainly shows that.
Toby does not do drugs. He’s not physically, nor emotionally abusive. He doesn’t cheat. He does not drink. He expresses his love for her.
BUT:
What he is, is a dreamer, who probably shouldn’t have been in the field of photography at all, because as I was reading, I was struck with the fact that there was not one photography job he had that he seemed to enjoy. Even the one where he got to photograph Obama. I mean, did other readers notice that? I’m not dissing Toby at all, but he never seemed happy in any of his jobs. I think he was in the wrong profession, frankly, and maybe should’ve kept photography as a hobby.
I never got the sense that either one of them really was that into their work and that was the thing that baffled me.
Were this a different book with a happy ending, perhaps Toby could’ve found career counseling or therapy, or the two of them could’ve relocated.
The issue of money is continually held up as a problem in their relationship, but does either of them realize they’re living in the most expensive city in the country?
I mean there are other places besides Manhattan. My whole family is from New York, not Manhattan, per say , but Manhattan and Brooklyn and there’s nowhere more expensive than those cities.
They seem to really thrive in Beach environments, so I wonder why they didn’t get out of the city which seem to be wearing both down and start fresh someplace else.
I mean there are millions of towns and Counties that probably cost a quarter of the price of an apartment in the center of Manhattan.
Of course, if that happened , there would not be a book, so these are just thoughts the went through my mind while I was reading.
Also, hey, what can I say? I really wanted a happy ending. I’ve been reading so much dark stuff lately. I’ve had this one on my radar for a while, but I had no idea. It was this deep as it was so please don’t go into this expecting mindless. I kind of did, and I was surprised in that respect.
So that’s what I didn’t like about it .
What I loved was the dinner setting in the restaurant and the characterizations which were vivid and radiant and came to life.
I loved the homage to Audrey Hepburn and events. Just a beautiful , effervescently written story overall that I’m really glad I read and definitely recommend to all my Goodreads friends.
June 18, 2018
This book was in my pile of "books that have shown up as ARCS on my porch" and I was hoping for a light fluffy read to escape the perpetual flow of bad news on my Twitter feed. However, I still ended up feeling kind of depressed after reading this novel.
The premise is one of those awful "get to know you" ice-breaker questions -- imagine you could invite any five people to have dinner with you (on your 30th birthday, no less). In this story, Sabrina chooses her best friend, her estranged dad, her on-again-off-again boyfriend, an old college professor, and Audrey Hepburn (what did she do to deserve this?!?). Having trundled past my 30th birthday a few years ago, I found this choice of people to be rather uninspired -- but hey, you do you.
I think part of my disconnect with this story was that I actually sympathized with both Sabrina and her best friend, Jessica, in their life choices, but also wanted to shake some sense into them.
Jessica: "[Sabrina] had this sense [that her romantic relationship] was just supposed to work, and you weren't supposed to have to work for it... like their love story was so epic the day-to-day didn't matter. But that's what relationships are. They're day-to-day."
Sabrina: "I made a salad with arugula and onions and some pine nuts I found in our cabinet. Tobias was always buying food supplies I didn't think we could afford, but this time I didn't care. I was grateful for all of it, for the way the food was bringing us back together. We ate on the living room floor because we didn't have a table, and because there was something romantic about being young and broke and in love. And when you're young and broke and in love you eat lasagna on the floor. Although it didn't escape me that there was a difference between being broke at twenty-two and at twenty-eight."
Me: ... you live in freaking Manhattan and you work in publishing.
The premise is one of those awful "get to know you" ice-breaker questions -- imagine you could invite any five people to have dinner with you (on your 30th birthday, no less). In this story, Sabrina chooses her best friend, her estranged dad, her on-again-off-again boyfriend, an old college professor, and Audrey Hepburn (what did she do to deserve this?!?). Having trundled past my 30th birthday a few years ago, I found this choice of people to be rather uninspired -- but hey, you do you.
I think part of my disconnect with this story was that I actually sympathized with both Sabrina and her best friend, Jessica, in their life choices, but also wanted to shake some sense into them.
Jessica: "[Sabrina] had this sense [that her romantic relationship] was just supposed to work, and you weren't supposed to have to work for it... like their love story was so epic the day-to-day didn't matter. But that's what relationships are. They're day-to-day."
Sabrina: "I made a salad with arugula and onions and some pine nuts I found in our cabinet. Tobias was always buying food supplies I didn't think we could afford, but this time I didn't care. I was grateful for all of it, for the way the food was bringing us back together. We ate on the living room floor because we didn't have a table, and because there was something romantic about being young and broke and in love. And when you're young and broke and in love you eat lasagna on the floor. Although it didn't escape me that there was a difference between being broke at twenty-two and at twenty-eight."
Me: ... you live in freaking Manhattan and you work in publishing.
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