Pulitzer Prize winner and American master Anne Tyler brings us an inspired, witty and irresistible contemporary take on one of Shakespeare’s most beloved comedies. Kate Battista feels stuck. How did she end up running house and home for her eccentric scientist father and uppity, pretty younger sister Bunny? Plus, she’s always in trouble at work – her pre-school charges adore her, but their parents don’t always appreciate her unusual opinions and forthright manner. Dr. Battista has other problems. After years out in the academic wilderness, he is on the verge of a breakthrough. His research could help millions. There’s only one problem: his brilliant young lab assistant, Pyotr, is about to be deported. And without Pyotr, all would be lost. When Dr. Battista cooks up an outrageous plan that will enable Pyotr to stay in the country, he’s relying – as usual – on Kate to help him. Kate is furious: this time he’s really asking too much. But will she be able to resist the two men’s touchingly ludicrous campaign to bring her around?

Vinegar Girl by Anne Tyler | Summary & Analysis Preview: Vinegar Girl, a novel by Anne Tyler, is a loose retelling of William Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew. Set in modern-day Baltimore, it follows twenty-somethings Kate and Pyotr as they plan a marriage of convenience. Pyotr needs a green card so he can continue working with Kate’s father on a scientific breakthrough. Kate needs a life beyond caring for her father and sister. As the couple sort through the logistics of their sham wedding, the line between fact and fiction starts to blur. Hijinks ensue. Kate Battista is gardening when she receives a call from her father. It’s Sunday but he’s at work in his lab as usual. He asks her to bring him the lunch he accidentally left at home, which Kate finds odd. He’s never cared much about lunch or food in general. She agrees to the errand in spite of her irritation and puzzlement. Kate abandons… PLEASE NOTE: This is summary and analysis of the book and NOT the original book. Inside this Instaread Summary of Vinegar Girl: · Summary of the Book · Important People · Character Analysis · Analysis of the Themes and Author’s Style About the Author With Instaread, you can get the key takeaways, summary and analysis of a book in 15 minutes. We read every chapter, identify the key takeaways and analyze them for your convenience.

With The Hip Girl's Guide to Homemaking, it's possible and even convenient to create an inviting space for living and entertaining on a budget. From unique decor ideas to growing strawberries on your fire escape, Kate Payne shares fun, low-cost (and often free!) creative solutions that will make anyone feel more accomplished in minutes. Inside this savvy motivational guide filled to the brim with small-scale creative home projects, Kate's tongue-in-cheek tone will keep you tuned in to her much-needed advice. In three easy sections, you'll learn how to create a comfortable space while being time- and budget-conscious. Section One, Home-ify Your Pad, features quick, convenient ways to make your place cozier with low-cost, special touches to help you tap into and show off your inner artist. Section Two, Impressive Acts of Domesticity, teaches how to impress others (and yourself) with the gratifying pleasures of self-sufficiency—a first-time guide to cleaning, sewing, repairing, and other previously out-of-the-question tasks. Section Three, Life After Restaurants, frees you to release the take-out menu, avoid pricey bar tabs, and entertain others in the space you've so thoughtfully and gorgeously created. User-friendly "how-to" sidebars, illustrations, and tips and tricks throughout the book offer easy-to-follow recipes and do-it-yourself craft suggestions for making your home hip, comfortable, and inviting. Keep in mind that this is not your grandmother's handbook and it's not the kind of wisdom your mom knows how to impart. Modern women need a modern approach to domestic pleasures—a guide to doing household things on our own terms, because most of this stuff isn't as hard as we've been led to believe. Don't worry, she's not asking you to host Tupperware parties or iron your underwear. But as all beginning home keepers know, a sure fire way to feel bad about ourselves is to consult Martha Stewart. So ditch that 2-inch thick handbook, dust off your pots and pans, and join Kate on this journey to incorporating creativity and self-sufficiency on the home front.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • BOOKER PRIZE NOMINEE • From the beloved Pulitzer Prize–winning author, a sparkling novel about misperception, second chances, and the sometimes elusive power of human connection. Micah Mortimer is a creature of habit. A self-employed tech expert, superintendent of his Baltimore apartment building, cautious to a fault behind the steering wheel, he seems content leading a steady, circumscribed life. But one day his routines are blown apart when his woman friend (he refuses to call anyone in her late thirties a "girlfriend") tells him she's facing eviction, and a teenager shows up at Micah's door claiming to be his son. These surprises, and the ways they throw Micah's meticulously organized life off-kilter, risk changing him forever. An intimate look into the heart and mind of a man who finds those around him just out of reach, and a funny, joyful, deeply compassionate story about seeing the world through new eyes, Redhead by the Side of the Road is a triumph, filled with Anne Tyler's signature wit and gimlet-eyed observation.

With wondrous observations and bittersweet humor, the beloved best-selling, Pulitzer Prize–winning author tells the story of an unsuspecting young woman who becomes the North star that helps a stumbling, dysfunctional family find its footing. Mrs. Emerson, widowed with seven adult children, lives alone in crumbling Victorian mansion outside Baltimore with only a collection of antique clocks to keep her company. Elizabeth Abbott—twenty-three years old, aimless, bohemian, and beautiful—leads a vagabond lifestyle until she happens upon Mrs. Emerson’s home and convinces the older woman to hire her as a handyman. When three of the strange, idiosyncratic Emerson children return to their childhood home for a visit, they are irresistibly drawn to Elizabeth.

From the chef, restaurant owner, and author of the critically lauded A Girl and Her Pig comes a beautiful, full-color cookbook that offers tantalizing seasonal recipes for a wide variety of vegetables, from summer standbys such as zucchini to earthy novelties like sunchokes. A Girl and Her Greens reflects the lighter side of the renowned chef whose name is nearly synonymous with nose-to-tail eating. In recipes such as Pot-Roasted Romanesco Broccoli, Onions with Sage Pesto, and Carrots with Spices, Yogurt, and Orange Blossom Water, April Bloomfield demonstrates the basic principle of her method: that unforgettable food comes out of simple, honest ingredients, an attention to detail, and a love for the sensual pleasures of cooking and eating. Written in her appealing, down-to-earth style, A Girl and Her Greens features beautiful color photography, lively illustrations, and insightful sidebars and tips on her techniques, as well as charming narratives that reveal her sources of inspiration.

I thought this new job would be the fresh start I desperately needed. I didn’t expect the woman who broke my heart to be my new coworker. Do you believe in love at first sight? I didn’t. Not until the night I looked up from my book and saw Lucy Dillard sitting in the same noisy bar as me with her nose buried in her own book. It felt like we were made for each other. When I fell for Lucy, I fell hard. Everything was perfect between us—until she suddenly dumped me. The worst part was she wouldn’t even tell me why. Now, not only am I stuck staring at my ex’s face in the office all day long, but she’s also the one assigned to train me. As if there’s not already enough tension between us, she thinks I’m here to steal the promotion she’s been promised. But the more we’re forced to work together, the better I understand her. And the more I realize how much we kept hidden from each other. Now that I know what Lucy’s had to go through and how different her world is from mine? I’m more in love with her than ever. I just need to convince the girl who got away that I’m worth a second chance—and pray she doesn’t break my heart all over again. CREAM AND PUNISHMENT is a swoony, full-length second chance romance packed with small town feels and messy family shenanigans. Featuring an unforgettable menstrual cup mishap, a nerdy book-loving heroine who’s in over her head, and a cinnamon roll hero with a spicy side, it stands alone and promises an HEA ending.