Skip to product information

Guts

Regular price $34.99
Sale price $34.99 Regular price
Sale
Sold out
Tax included.

A memoir of food, failure and taking impossible chances

A gripping, incisive and darkly funny memoir from food and style icon and MasterChef Australia's first female judge, Melissa Leong.

'Leong serves up her raw, vibrant truth. Now that takes real guts.' - Kylie Kwong
'Utterly delectable' - Narelda Jacobs
'Melissa Leong is an Australian culinary and cultural treasure.' - Ronny Chieng

Gold Logie-nominated TV personality and food icon Melissa Leong bites down on her demons in this searing memoir, exploring themes of abuse in the hospitality industry, racism, mental health and, for a light palate cleanser, the thrill of mouth-wateringly memorable food. Most of all, she inspires the courage to create a life you really, really want.

From Melissa Leong (aka fooderati) - the first female judge of MasterChef Australia and Dessert Masters, fashion obsessive and self-confessed contrarian - comes an evocative, sharp, darkly funny and often brutal account of what it's like to try, fail and scrape together the confidence to try again. She invites you to consider your own limiting self-beliefs ... and give them the finger.

These stories take place inside kitchens and television studios, on farms and even in an abattoir. Leong shares how her dream of being a concert pianist crumbled due to chronic pain, her struggles with racism and identity as a first-generation Singaporean Chinese woman, how blowing up her life to reset her path was maybe (definitely!) worth it, and why going your own way absolutely is.

Garnished with Leong's favourite recipes, Guts is above all a glorious love letter to food, to choosing the unpredictable path and to believing in yourself even - and especially - when the odds are stacked against you.

No guts, no glory. Hope you're hungry.


Add To Wishlist
  • Free Shipping for orders $150+



An <em>anti-racist</em> social enterprise bookstore specialising in BIPOC books.
About Amplify Bookstore

An anti-racist social enterprise bookstore specialising in BIPOC books.

Only about 11% of books published are by BIPOC authors — so unless you specifically seek out books by BIPOC authors, you aren't likely to find very many of them organically. At Amplify, BIPOC authors are highlighted and celebrated. Here, they don't have to fight to be seen, and you don't have to fight to find them.

We hope that in our shop, you can discover a new favourite read, find stories that speak uniquely to you, learn about a culture outside your own (or more about your own histories), and gain a better understanding of the systems that connect us all.

Learn more about us

I’ve discovered so many new-to-me authors and the owners are so generous in their recommendations. Don’t follow the trends, set them! - let Amplify broaden your reading and sharpen your mind.

- Danielle B

If you're looking to expand your book collection to hear voices, perspectives and stories that aren't on blast from mainstream outlets then make your way here as quickly as you can.

- Samantha S

Within are thoughtfully curated books, and I was amazed to see a great diversity of authors. The atmosphere is cosy, calm and relaxed – just the perfect way to start my Sunday!

- Michelle W

I loved how inclusive this space was, there were dyslexia friendly books and a space for books about queer love, a bit of something for everyone.

- Sherine A

Looking for something super specific?

Have a scroll through our tag directory to help direct your search and bring you to curated collections, as grouped by subgenres, identity markers, and more!

Let's Go!