"Lessons in Chemistry" by Bonnie Garmus comes out in April and it's a book I can't wait to buy. I mean just LOOK at that cover art. We're told not to judge a book by its cover – and obviously shouldn't – but what a package deal when the words inside are just as good as the stellar creative on the outside.

Set in the early 1960s, “Lessons in Chemistry” follows Elizabeth Zott, a female scientist who is constantly told by the men of the 1960's (except one that believes in her whole-heartedly) that she belongs in the domestic sphere, not the professional one – and definitely not a scientific lab. When Elizabeth finds herself pregnant, alone and subsequently fired from her lab for BEING pregnant and alone, she's forced to pivot once more and accepts a job as the host of a TV cooking show. Just like everything Elizabeth does, she does it her own way, refusing to bend to the whims of others. She turns a quaint primetime TV cooking show for housewives into her own science classroom, using cooking as the conduit for laboratory experiments and creating an entire movement in the process. Not only does she educate a nation of overlooked women how science works, but she shows them that their hopes and dreams are meant to be fought for.

The cast of supporting characters in this book are spectacular. Each one of them has their own depth and unique personalities. Elizabeth herself is an intimidating character, and I absolutely adored her. She's an efficient, hard working, take-shit-from-noone go getter. She is the spitfire and trailblazer I wish to be. While I watched her overcome obstacle after obstacle set in her path, I felt absolutely giddy to see what she'd do next. This book covers it all: death of a loved one, sexual assault, women shaming other women, female empowerment, the power of good men, the absolute terror of bad men, and most importantly, amazing relationships. While that sounds like a lot to cover in any book, Bonnie Garmus makes it an absolute delight to read. Not only is it laugh out loud funny, but there are so many positively sweet moments among that make all the bad ones wash away. At the end of the book, I could do nothing else but stand up and applaud Elizabeth for her tenacious spirit.

"Lessons in Chemistry" is bold, strong and meaty. It's a beautiful story about soulmates, what makes a family a family, the strength of women, and just one hecking well written novel. Read it, feel it, learn from it.

Thank you Doubleday Books, NetGalley and Bonnie Garmus for giving me the opportunity to read this amazing ARC. Review will be posted within the week on my Rarely_Reading social channels

I loved everything about this book! It was hilarious and smart and I can't believe this is a debut novel! I would highly recommend it!

This was the first book I read in 2022, and-- like most things over the past couple of years-- it was not at all what I expected. In this case, it turned out to be WAY better! Elizabeth Zott is a chemist, cooking show host, rower, survivor, mother, and just an all-around badass independent woman in the 1960s-- a time when ladies were supposed to stay home, cook dinner, and raise babies. With a description that says, "Calvin Evans; the lonely, brilliant, Nobel–prize-nominated grudge-holder who falls in love with—of all things—her mind. True chemistry results," I expected the typical guy-meets-girl, guy-loses-girl, happily-ever-after. But whoa. This book was so much deeper. There are a few mysteries, a fairy godmother acorn (you have to read it to understand that one), and a whole lot of shaking up the norms. I LOVED this book and think everyone should read it, too!

I was so disappointed in this one. I read about it and watched my inbox for the approval from NetGalley so I could drop my current read to pick this one up. I didn't actually finish this one so I can't speak to how everything comes together. What I can say is that it felt forced. I wanted it to win me over for the character like in the Rosie Project or even The Good Sister by Hepworth.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love Elizabeth Zott and her irrepressible daughter, Mad. Wonderful novel with strong female characters.

This book was unusual and awesome all at once! I knew next to nothing about chemistry, but now I actually know a lot. Elizabeth is a chemist, but in the 1960's women were considered "homemakers" instead of scientists. So when she meets the love of her life, no one really takes her seriously until she gives birth to little Mad. But of course she has many obstacles to overcome and although I won't give anything away, just know that there are several tragedies that occur. But Mad grows up a voracious reader and even their dog, Six-Thirty learns many words and is an integral part of the family. So know there is scientific chemistry as well as sexual chemistry...and the result is a delightful book that will have you both crying and swooning. I really didn't want it to end and I look forward to more from Garmus!

What a strange, quirky, powerful, most amazing story - love story, actually. Simply fabulous!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It’s a story set in the 60s when women were still fighting for basic rights like equal pay (60+ years later we’re still fighting for that -oops) and being treated like a human being instead of personal property. Hmmm That’s still a struggle too.

But what is wonderful about the story is someone takes a stand and lives for her own well-being. But that doesn’t mean she doesn’t need a man. It just means that she doesn’t need to be defined by a man. Nope.

However, the story is a love story. It is deep, heart wrenching, wild and wonderful, with a taste of feminism that tells the story of one woman’s fight and how she inspired millions of women.

This brand new author will be inspiring millions as well with Lessons in Chemistry. I wish the cover would tell a better story of what the reader is in for. But as we all know we cannot judge a book by its cover so I’m praying that the reviews this book will be getting will allow those millions of women to be reached.

A deep, multi-faceted love story told in a weird, quirky manner found inside of a brilliant mind.

Amazing characters, brilliant storytelling, and a standout read!

What a fun, charming read! Lessons in Chemistry is the story of Elizabeth Zott, a female chemist in the 1950's, who lives life by her own rules. Elizabeth isn't your typical housewife - in fact, she isn't a wife, marriage is something she has no interest in at all. She is brilliant, strong, opinionated, inspiring, and more than a little quirky. This is a story about fighting for what is right, making room for the underdog, and the power of connection in community.

The characters in this book are all quirky, lovable, and honest. It's a unique story about people who are a little different. Being set in the 50's gave this a little edge and as a woman I found it to be an especially thought provoking read. Women like Elizabeth Zott paved the way for the women of today and I love a book that celebrates and honors that.

Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review. Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus will be published on 4/5/22. I would recommend this for every woman in your life, especially those who love The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. The venn diagram of Maisel and Elizabeth has a lot in the middle :)

This book is a must-read and laugh out loud funny. I can totally see the resemblance to Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and it also gave me some Queen's Gambit vibes. The characters are witty, resilient and totally unforgettable. While it's only January, this may just be a top read of 2022.

Premise: Elizabeth Zolt is a brilliant chemist who never fails to say what's on her mind. Being a woman in the sciences during the 50/60s is not easy, especially when she has an unwed pregnancy that skews people's opinions of her. Fired from her job in a lab, and needing to support her daughter, Elizabeth somehow agrees to be the host of a daytime cooking show, "Supper at Six." Being the chemist she is, Elizabeth does not describe ingredients and cooking instructions in laments terms but rather uses chemical names and scientific reactions. With this method, she quickly captures the audience of millions of "housewives,"  and with her child who is wise beyond her years and a supportive friend, Elizabeth starts to change the world and fight for equality.

Read this if you like:
🧬 Woman in STEM/ Chemistry
🚣‍♀️ Rowing
🧑‍🍳 Cooking
👩 Women's rights
🤓Quirky characters

Thank you Dounleday Books and Netgalley for the ARC. Pub Date: 4/5/21

5 out of 5 stars - I’ll tell you to read it, even if you don’t ask me.

Book Summary:

Chemist Elizabeth Zott is not your average woman. In fact, Elizabeth Zott would be the first to point out that there is no such thing as an average woman. But it’s the early 1960s and her all-male team at Hastings Research Institute takes a very unscientific view of equality. Except for one: Calvin Evans; the lonely, brilliant, Nobel–prize nominated grudge-holder who falls in love with—of all things—her mind. True chemistry results.

But like science, life is unpredictable. Which is why a few years later Elizabeth Zott finds herself not only a single mother, but the reluctant star of America’s most beloved cooking show Supper at Six. Elizabeth’s unusual approach to cooking (“combine one tablespoon acetic acid with a pinch of sodium chloride”) proves revolutionary. But as her following grows, not everyone is happy. Because as it turns out, Elizabeth Zott isn’t just teaching women to cook. She’s daring them to change the status quo.

Review:

I really enjoyed reading the story of Elizabeth Zott. Even in today’s world, I can relate to those who don’t seem to understand that women can be more than housewives, secretaries, or sex objects. I loved the random sections that are from the perspective of the dog, Six Thirty, who learns right along-side Mad, Elizabeth’s daughter. It was interesting to think of a cooking show being presented from a scientific perspective, but once started I loved it. I was glad that I was reading on a Kindle though, as it allowed me to look up the scientific names while reading to understand. For instance, I knew that sodium chloride is salt, but there were others that were foreign to me. Elizabeth Zott is someone who did not fit the female stereotype of a woman in the 1960s, but she was a strong independent woman. She had no interest in marriage (but cohabitation was ok), enjoyed rowing (a sport that wasn’t common for women), and her love of science made her different from most. All this made me love her even more. I am not a rower, but I know some who are. I also know that I love competitive sports and the expansion of regular availability to women (for instance, women’s college wrestling!).

Lessons in chemistry

📚Book review📚

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with the arc in exchange for a review!
What wit! What a delight! This easy going beach read is a great book that is hard to put down. Elizabeth has a dry wit about her that I can fully relate to and can appreciate.


I gave it 3 and a half stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️

Lessons in Chemistry is a delightful quick, quirky read with lots of character and substance. I'm not saying that because I'm a chemist, it would be really entertaining to anyone who has survived the ups and downs of this rollercoaster we call life.. Not only were the characters in the story laboratory research chemists, but they discovered another sort of chemistry. Think relationships, the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Set circa 1960's, our main character, Elizabeth Zott finds herself unwed and pregnant. Never mind that she was totally in love and committed to co-worker/boyfriend Calvin, with full intentions of someday getting married, Elizabeth was treated as a social outcast. I won't go into Calvin's demise, but Elizabeth' was harshly faced with the reality of male dominated corporate inequality and pushed right off of her career latter. Elizabeth is smart and hard working. She takes her profession very seriously. Sadly, due to her current predicament, she was unable to find employment with the respect and recognition she had worked so hard to obtain.

Elizabeth is no quitter. She is quirky and stubborn, often troublesome to others, and never backs down. Elizabeth, at her lowest and most desperate, takes on the position of host on a TV cooking show. After all, is chemistry not like cooking? The problem is that Elizabeth is not talk show material. Elizabeth is a career scientist and does not much care for the traditional domestic aspects of life. Who knew that she would soon become the star of the new show Dinner at Six and teach women from all over about chemistry, self-value, and ultimately the desire to learn new things. Eventually Elizabeth is able to climb her way back to the top but not without a fight, and some secrets.

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book in exchange for an honest review. This story was a true pleasure.

#netgalley #lessonsinchemistry #bonniegarmus

I struggled to get into this story. It really pulled me in at the beginning but slowly became dry. I've loved finding books that have a strong female lead and the woman is in a science background.

I tried so hard to push through this book but found myself wondering when something may happen in the plot. This started to read like a biography with a lot of internal thoughts/dialogues.

2 stars because I loved the concept and the beginning had me. I guess this book just wasn't my type and we didn't click.

Lessons in Chemistry is a lesson on how to nail your debut novel.

A brilliant, underrated female scientist with a passion for chemistry becomes a reluctant cooking show host and a doubly reluctant unwed, single mother after the tragic death of her soulmate - an esteemed, eccentric fellow scientist. Society today wouldn't bat an eyelash at our heroine, Elizabeth Zott, but in the 1950/60’s when women were only secretaries or homemakers and only meant to be seen and not heard, she would've been publicly ostracized, which she was, to an extent.

Zott abandoned her pursuit of scientific studies and accepted an offer to host an evening cooking show on weeknights solely because she was struggling financially, especially after her partner passes and is faced with an unexpected pregnancy. Instead of accepting the blatantly sexist creative direction of her show - sexy outfits, dumbing down recipes for viewers, inane small talk about housework, etc - she did things her way, to her boss's horror. Every day was a lesson on science, a controversial take on what society deems "the truth" (sponsors threatened to pull funding after she casually mentioned she doesn't believe in God), and a reminder that women are much more than just wives and mothers.

The writing style very vaguely reminds me of Fredrik Backman - loose narrative that hops between characters, even the dog, with dry humor at the right times. On top of having top notch writing, the discussion about gender roles and societal barriers women still have to overcome today is so well done. Zott proved we're not just baby machines that keep the house clean and are perpetually making dinner. We have hopes and dreams and can accomplish anything we want. That, and her analytical mind doesn't understand the "you can't do that, you're a woman" argument because it's like saying you can't drink cold brew coffee during winter, it's not a criminal offense to do what you want if it's not hurting anyone. (Or whatever the 50's/60's equivalent to drinking cold brew during a snowstorm would be.)

I kept having to double check that this is Garmus's debut novel. With writing so well developed that flows so naturally, you'd think she's a few novels deep, but no, Bonnie Garmus is that good. There's already a ton of hype months out from the release date and, oh yeah, it's already being adapted into a TV show starring Brie Larson.

What a book. This is worth pre-ordering and treating your future self!

Thank you so much to Doubleday Books and NetGalley for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Pub date: April 30, 2022

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/ 5

A great page turner in the covid era... a great escape for an afternoon, a day at the beach, a vacation or plane read to divert ones thoughts from everyday life.

4.5 stars. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It’s funny and smart and heartwarming. And I even feel like I learned something. It is a touch unbelievable, but in the best way.

Bonnie Garmus is a new author to this reader and I though "Lessons in Chemistry" was just one of those books that truly makes you love it. Elizabeth Zott as with the other characters (i.e., Mad, Harriet, Wakely, etc.) are likeable individuals. She is passionate about what she does and really doesn't conform to societal rules or roles which makes her much more the likeable main character. Not only does she refuse to have limitations imposed upon her as a woman, it is her battle against sexism during the 1950's early 1960's that kept my interest in this book.

Ms. Garmus has written a laugh out loud, witty, and beautiful story that has an intelligent main character to boot. Lets not forget the dog, Six Thirty who is just awesome. What more can I say about this book...it is clearly a well-written and can't put down story. Looking forward to more from this author. Highly Recommend the read.

Thank you NetGalley and Doubleday Books for this ARC in exchange for my fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

Lessons in Chemistry follows a woman as she navigates sexism in the workplace, relationships, and motherhood. It's a fun read, with quirky but likeable characters.

If you are a fan of Where’d You Go, Bernadette, you will love this book! It is definitely a unique story. There are some things in the story that I wasn’t the biggest fan of, but overall the book is humorous, clever, and the main character is able to shine throughout. If you are a female that has ever been looked down upon, you need to read this book. You’ll love it!

I loved this funny, smart, sweet story. Initial thought was perfect for hipper fans of Fredrik Backman. The characters were great and will stick with me for a long time. Thanks!