The Undomestic Goddess

The Undomestic Goddess
By: Sophie Kinsella
Random House of Canada; www.randomhouse.ca

A legal error uncovered the day she is to be made partner causes lawyer Samantha Sweeting to flee in a panic and hop on a train to the suburbs. A case of mistaken identity lands her a job as a housekeeper. Trouble is, she's never done anything remotely domestic before.

Read this if you: Have burned water while attempting to boil it or ruined a recipe involving three ingredients or less.

Don't read this if you: Can iron a shirt in two minutes flat or garnish your hors d'oeuvres with sprigs of fresh parsley.

The mood you need to be in: Pondering giving up your high-pressure job for a less stressful one.

What you should be snacking on: Tea and toast - the only culinary feats this 'undomestic goddess' has mastered at the start of this book.

Read it while you're: Waiting for your take-out to arrive. It might inspire you to actually try grocery shopping sometime.

The best part: Sam's first attempt at cooking a gourmet meal - blackened chick peas and all.

Other books on your nightstand: Kinsella's Shopaholic series, The Girl Can't Cook: 250 Fabulous No-Fail Recipes a Girl Can't be Without by Cinda Chavich

In a nutshell: Just reading the accounts of Sam's crash course in housekeeping is entertainment enough. But there's a plot twist - and some romance as well, so it's not all button sewing and potato baking.

By: Christine Walewski