National bestselling author of Reese Witherspoon’s Book Club pick, The Scent Keeper, Erica Bauermeister returns to the enchanting world of The School of Essential Ingredients in this luminous sequel. Lillian and her restaurant have a way of drawing people together. There’s Al, the accountant who finds meaning in numbers; Chloe, a budding chef who hasn’t learned to trust after heartbreak; Finnegan, quiet and steady as a tree, who can disappear into the background despite his massive height; Louise, Al’s wife, whose anger simmers just below the boiling point; and Isabelle, whose memories are slowly slipping from her grasp. And there’s Lillian herself, whose life has taken a turn she didn’t expect… Their lives collide and mix with those around them, sometimes joining in effortless connections, at other times sifting together and separating again, creating a family that is chosen, not given. A beautifully imagined novel about the ties that bind—and links that break—The Lost Art of Mixing is a captivating meditation on the power of love, food, and companionship. READERS GUIDE INCLUDED

From the author of Reese Witherspoon's Book Club pick The Scent Keeper comes a “heartbreakingly delicious” national bestseller about a chef, her students, and the evocative lessons that food teaches about life. Once a month on a Monday night, eight students gather in Lillian's restaurant for a cooking class. Among them is Claire, a young woman coming to terms with her new identity as a mother; Tom, a lawyer whose life has been overturned by loss; Antonia, an Italian kitchen designer adapting to life in America; and Carl and Helen, a long-married couple whose union contains surprises the rest of the class would never suspect. The students have come to learn the art behind Lillian's soulful dishes, but it soon becomes clear that each seeks a recipe for something beyond the kitchen. And soon they are transformed by the aromas, flavors, and textures of what they create....

Erica Bauermeister, the national bestselling author of The School of Essential Ingredients, presents a moving and evocative coming-of-age novel about childhood stories, families lost and found, and how a fragrance conjures memories capable of shaping the course of our lives. Emmeline lives an enchanted childhood on a remote island with her father, who teaches her about the natural world through her senses. What he won’t explain are the mysterious scents stored in the drawers that line the walls of their cabin, or the origin of the machine that creates them. As Emmeline grows, however, so too does her curiosity, until one day the unforeseen happens, and Emmeline is vaulted out into the real world--a place of love, betrayal, ambition, and revenge. To understand her past, Emmeline must unlock the clues to her identity, a quest that challenges the limits of her heart and imagination. Lyrical and immersive, The Scent Keeper explores the provocative beauty of scent, the way it can reveal hidden truths, lead us to the person we seek, and even help us find our way back home.

A Real Simple Best Book of the Year A deeply moving story of an epic home renovation in the Pacific Northwest—from New York Times–bestselling author of The Scent Keeper In this mesmerizing memoir-in-essays, Erica Bauermeister renovates a trash-filled house in eccentric Port Townsend, Washington, and in the process takes readers on a journey to discover the ways our spaces subliminally affect us. A personal, accessible, and literary exploration of the psychology of architecture, as well as a loving tribute to the connections we forge with the homes we care for and live in, this book is designed for anyone who’s ever fallen head over heels for a house. It is also a story of a marriage, of family, and of the kind of roots that settle deep into your heart. Discover what happens when a house has its own lessons to teach in this moving and insightful memoir that ultimately shows us how to make our own homes (and lives) better. “ . . . for anyone who has wondered where home is and how to find it, fix it, love it, and leave it for later as well.” —Laurie Frankel, New York Times–bestselling author of This Is How It Always Is

Meeting with her five close friends to celebrate her recovery from cancer, Kate announces that she will take up white-water rafting if each of them will also do something that equally terrifies them, a challenge that results in a tattoo, a bread-baking endeavor and a reconciliation. 35,000 first printing.

Yes! you really can clean your house and everything in it using just 3 products and it will cost you about $20 per year. I have owned a residential cleaning company since 2004 and this book actually started life as my employees' handbook. Since this book was first published not much has changed. Dirt is still dirty and whether or not you want to clean your home, it still has to be cleaned. Most people hate to clean simply because they don't know how to do it, they were never taught. Were you actually taught how to clean? Probably not, but that's not your fault. Do you want to learn how to do it, like a professional, using minimal products and saving a bucket of money on cleaning supplies? If you do, then buy my book. First, I will send you to the store with a short shopping list; I will explain why I use each product and then how to use each product or tool, which by the way isn't much. I will then explain the logic behind my method of cleaning, called The PATH and then I will literally walk you through cleaning the different rooms in your house. The beauty of The PATH is that you can start and stop a cleaning job in any room and not loose your place. Just pick up where you left off and continue until the room is clean. So go answer the phone or change the baby. I only use 3 readily available products in both my business and in my house to clean everything. No more need for window, floor, counter, toilet, sink, tub, shower and mirror cleaners. No more polishes, waxes or air fresheners. Just think about how much you spend a year on cleaning products? Go ahead, I'll wait while you look under your sinks and calculate that. More than $20.00 per year? If you are spending more than that you need my book. Everyone that embraces my methodology has a cleaner home, extra money to spend on the important things and the time to enjoy them. I have a website; The Lost Art of House Cleaning.com where I have uploaded a number of videos demonstrating my methodology and posted numerous articles on cleaning particular things. I have read all the reviews posted about my book on Amazon and I found the vast majority to be very complimentary. I have also found that some of the harshest critics still recognized that my methodology works. In addition to the Amazon reviews I have personally received comments and compliments directly from the people that have bought my book. And I know that what I say in my book has helped thousands realize that cleaning their home is not all it's cracked to be if you know what you are doing. So buy my book, read it the first time for entertainment then read it a second time for inspiration and then, Enjoy the Clean! Thanks,Jan M Dougherty

A history of the women who taught Americans how to dress in the first half of the 20th century—and whose lessons we’d do well to remember today.