LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY

I had so much fun reading this book I forgot it was historical fiction.

In this book, we meet Elizabeth Zott, a zingy name for a zany scientist- turned cooking tv show host. She is refreshing and whip-smart and a lot of fun to read.

She reminded me of the character from Masters of Sex but just replace any sexual content with cooking content and you’ve got this book.

If you think a teaspoon of sugar helps the medicine go down then you’ll love this gulp of realism mixed in with lines that you’ll be smiling at from behind your headphones.

I listened to this one in audiobook format and recommend you check it out.

Out now!

Thanks to Doubleday Books/ Penguin Random House Audio and Netgalley for the advanced copies!

LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY…⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

"During one of the advertising breaks he turned to the woman next to him.
'If you don't mind me asking...what is it that you like about the show?'
'Being taken seriously.'
'Not the the recipes?'
She looked back in incredulously.
'Sometimes I think,' she said slowly, 'that if a man were to spend a day being a woman in America, he wouldn't make it past noon.' The woman on the other side of him tapped his knee.
'Prepare for a revolt.'"

I wasn't sure what to expect when I started this book - perhaps a more science-y Where'd You Go Bernadette, maybe a little feminist zing thrown in here and there - but what I got blew me away.

The story is heart-wrenching, yet hopeful; infuriating, yet hilarious; romantic, empowering, thought-provoking, and altogether unforgettable. The cast of characters is wonderful, Elizabeth Zott is the hero we all need, and if someone were to create a show like Supper at Six, I would watch it religiously.

A top book of the year for me, for sure.

Thank you to NetGalley, Doubleday, and the author for the eARC in exchange for my review.

Picked this up from a recommendation on my book review page. I have to admit that I was skeptical about how it was all going to come together at the end but it totally did!! Elizabeth Zott is reminiscent of Eleanor Opliphant and Molly Gray, both of whom I loved.

I am so surprised by how much I loved this book! I hated the subject of chemistry growing up, which makes me the perfect reader for this story of such incredible triumph in a time when it was so tough for women to get ahead in not just education, but so many other areas of society. I cannot believe how much ground the author was able to cover here, yet she tied it so nicely together (as much as life can be in all its suffering). Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for provider me an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this book. I loved the women's movement. I am not a feminist but I thoroughly loved this book. This book will stick with me.

This was a witty and charming read about Elizabeth Zott. She’s a chemist in the 1960’s and doesn’t receive the respect she deserves in her field just because she’s a woman. I loved everything about her -she’s smart, independent, sarcastic and she’s brutally honest. At times the things she said to others made me laugh out loud. Don’t be fooled by the “chemistry” aspect. She is a research chemist so at times there was some scientific jargon, but it wasn’t overwhelming. It was such an entertaining read.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review,

I didn't realize just how much I was going to love this book. I had heard about it and thought it sounded like something that would keep my attention. It did that and more!

I loved the quirky characters. I loved everything about them. Elizabeth Zott did not take prisoners and she educated a myriad of women with her "cooking" show. I loved Mad and how she was so much like both of her parents. I loved Harriet, the no-nonsense neighbor who stepped up and ended up being so important. I loved how all the stories tied together seamlessly and were brought back around at just the right times.

I loved this book. Period.

Thanks to Netgalley and Doubleday for a copy of this delightful read.

I want everyone to read this book!!! Lessons in Chemistry is a story with SO much and it hit perfectly for me. It's smart, full of heart, and quirky... a layered story with rich and interesting characters. We follow Elizabeth Zott through it all. We learn her back story including her strange upbringing. Then she faces misogyny and terrible abuse in school and her career in chemistry research. She falls in love then experiences devastating loss and even more challenges. I think my favorite part of the book was when she finally asked for help and developed her found family. Her career totally shifts gears and it was so fun to see her chemistry brain working while cooking. There is so much I left out, I would really love to go on and on gushing about this book. I can guarantee any review or synopsis you've read of this story does not touch on all the intricacies of this wonderful story.

This book just wasn't for me. I was really engaged at the beginning, but then I quickly got bored and just ended up not caring for the characters.

3.5 stars - This was an up & down book for me. I liked it, but I didn't. I wasn't what I expected (no HEA), but I can certainly appreciate how different it was for women years ago in any work/educational pursuit, but sometimes it seems unrealistic and over-the-top. It has some interesting & quirky characters, the slow plot development almost made me stop reading the book, however, I am glad I continued on as it did pick up. There were definitely some funny parts & some surprising emotional parts to the book that I was not expecting, overall, I'm liked the book, but I did not love the book.

I received this advance review copy from from NetGalley & the publisher for my honest review.

This is the best book I have read in years — well-written, witty, entertaining and transformative. I was originally put off by the cover which made it look like a cheesy rom com. Then I read some Amazon reviews that said things like “laugh out loud funny,” and to myself I said, “Well, I’ll see about that!” So you might say I started reading this because I didn’t want to like it.
It didn’t take me long to change my mind. The droll understated play of characters and situations really are laugh out loud funny. Contrast that with descriptions of the injustice of the world of the 1950’s against women, and you will become fully engaged in the story of Elizabeth Zott and her quest to be taken seriously as a woman of science.
My review is brief because since everything about this story was perfect, I find it impossible to select a few highlights. IOver and over, I found myself reading paragraphs and pages aloud to my husband which made us both laugh and shake our heads.
Bonnie Garmus treats her readers with respect as she provides a great story along with a challenge to push your limits. I sure hope she continues to do the same with what ever she writes next.

This was a quirky book that tells the story of Elizabeth Zott, a chemist in the early 1960s. It was entertaining and fun to read, but the characters and setup were just too unbelievable for me. The book stretches real things and character traits to exaggeration in a way that became annoying.

Elizabeth Zott is a chemist, but in the 1960’s she’s finding it challenging to be taken seriously in a male dominated field. Until she meets Calvin Evans who not only takes her work serious, but falls quickly in love with this very serious, intelligent woman.

I absolutely adored this novel and the characters that Garmus brought to life on these pages. The writing was phenomenal and pulled me in immediately when I started reading.

I was not prepared though for all the emotions this book would evoke. As a woman, I was often frustrated and enraged reading about how the men treated Elizabeth. At the same time, there were moments I found myself laughing or in tears. There is so much within these pages to unpack, but I loved the journey that Garmus takes us on and the characters woven in throughout.

LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY is an amazing read that covers everything from women empowerment and female friendships to identity and grief. This book is so special and I would absolutely recommend giving it a read!

“This blockbuster debut set in 1960s California features the singular voice of Elizabeth Zott, a scientist whose career takes a detour when she becomes the star of a beloved TV cooking show.”

Elizabeth is a smart and driven scientist who often can’t do and succeed at what she loves because of the expectations placed on women during that time period. I loved seeing how she refused to compromise and just went after what she wanted. I honestly wasn’t sure what to think about this book at first and wondered if I should continue at about 30 percent. But I am SO glad I did because it ended up being a wonderful five star book!

😍🥰 || 💗💋 🔥
🤟funny, heartwarming, feminist
📚The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

This book didn't live up to the hype for me. I appreciated the scope of the feminist angle, but am not sure if I liked the main character. Reminded me of John Irving. At times serious and others absurd. I like the dog and bringing his thoughts to life enhanced the plot. The precocious daughter and her actions and conversations with Waverly, the reverend, were good and thoughtful. Parts of it were really good but others seemed trite.

Copy provided by the publisher and NetGalley

Chemist Elizabeth Zott, is a force to be reckoned with. It is the early 1960’s and she is already making things happen as a chemist. She is in a relationship with a fellow chemist and the my work at Hastings Research Institute. She is better at Chemistry then most of the men she works with but their gender biases keep them from recognizing her true potential. But Elizabeth loves the work, the opportunity and she loves her life with Calvin Evans. They compliment each other so well and have made a nice life together. This all changes when Calvin dies and she finds she is pregnant her world is turned upside down. As a single mother she is pushed out of the Institute and she finds she need to get her act together to provide for her child. She finds herself self as the reluctant home of a local cooking show. Supper at Six should be easy enough for Zott but nothing seems easy for her. She bases episodes on chemistry lessons and a bit of a Feminine leader. The women tune it at night for her advice. The ststion doesn’t appreciate it, her daughter loves it and so do the women watching. But one wonders can she keep this job? Can she keep from phishing everyone’s buttons at the station? Can she make a life for her and her daughter? Can she find love again and inspire others? This was a very enjoyable story. The characters were so good, too.. I want to thank Netgalley & Bonnie Garmus for my copy of Lessons in Chemistry. It was my pleasure to read and read it..

This book was so beautifully written and I really enjoyed reading it. I loved the characters and the storyline.

Its possible that I may have found my new favorite book. Lessons in Chemistry deserves SIX stars, I loved it so much. The love story, the working mom, the challenges associated with both - every page of this book spoke to me. Highly recommended!

This is one of the best books I have read in a long time. I loved everything about it - the charming story, the quirky characters including a dog that will steal your heart, and the brilliant writing. I can't recommend it enough. I laughed, I cried, and was so sad when I turned the last page. You will be rooting for Elizabeth Zott, a female chemist in the late 1950s and early 60s who isn't taken seriously because she's a woman until she meets Calvin Evans, another chemist. I won't say anymore so as not to spoil anything. Go get a copy of this book and clear your day because you won't want to stop reading until the last page. Thank you netgalley for this ARC.

Lessons on Chemistry has been everywhere lately, with good reason. It’s a welcome story about a woman fighting for her place in a man’s world. Elizabeth Zott is a scientist, a chemist to be exact — Not a female chemist, just a chemist. It’s the 1950s and this chemist is not here for the sexist bullshit. But, unfortunately she experiences it repeatedly.

After her work is stolen and credited to someone else, Elizabeth finds herself fired from a lab, as a newly single, expectant mom. She reluctantly accepts a job leading a cooking show on TV, Supper at Six, as a way to support her family. She clashes with the production team often, who want her to perform as a more traditional housewife. She refuses, as she is a scientist and insists there’s no cooking without chemistry. She stays true to the woman she is, determined to set a strong example for her daughter, Mad, and women everywhere.

While Elizabeth is busy with the show, Mad seeks answers about her dad who was a famous scientist, Calvin Evans, and his past, and must contend with her teacher who can only be described as bitter. The supporting characters in Lessons in Chemistry are great additions to the story, something I definitely don’t say about every book.

Though I can appreciate the difficult circumstances she faced, it took a little while for Elizabeth to grow on me — I’m all for smart and independent women, but she felt cold and clinical initially. Once she grew on me, I was a big fan and rooting for her to overcome every challenge — 4.5 stars (rounded up)