Rating: 4/5

Thank you to Doubleday Books and NetGalley for access to this advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Loved the concept, great story telling and a STEM heroine in a time of life where science was professionally male dominated. I saw some similarity to Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Mad Men. I can say the story dragged at times and I was a little bored. While the story highlighted a lot of issues in the workplace as a woman, it never discussed women or person of color. A bit of white feminist for me. However, Elizabeth had very modern views for her time, he had grit and determination, she owned who she was, and she was devoted to her loved ones.

What a fun book about some heavy subjects! Elizabeth Zott is a scientist in the 60s who ends up with a cooking/chemistry show as she deals with grief, guilt, and raising a child. Along the way, she encounters toxic masculinity (though that wasn't a term used at the time), gender discrimination , societal expectations, and more. She soldiers on through the gauntlet of abuse, bringing up her daughter to take no prisoners. As Zott deals with all that society throws at her, she manages to empower other women through her shear determination. There are some fabulous characters in this book, all brought to life adeptly by Garmus, including a very special dog. Although the topics dealt with are very serious, Garmus presents them with a light hand and a great deal of humor. This is an excellent choice for a book club, as is evident by the fact that no fewer than four of my book clubs are reading it this month.

verything I love in a book—smart women, great dog, found family. Excellent read.

I adored chemist Elizabeth Zott. She's trying to exist in the "good old boys" world of the late 1950s and early 1960s. Where the woman's place is in the home, remaining silent, and following along with what the men say. Yet Elizabeth isn't wired that way, and the journey of this book shows her humor, warmth, and intelligence in a way that baffles the status quo.

This novel is uplifting, at times infuriating, and still every time heartwarming and encouraging. We all could use a bit of Elizabeth Zott in our lives (and a smart wonderful dog like Six-Thirty)

Highly recommended.

One of my favorite books this year! A really great marriage of wit and romance - I'm so glad there's a movie adaptation in the works. Loved the protagonist and can't wait to recommend it to friends. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC!

There were so many things to love about this book. I adored Calvin, grudges and all, and Bonnie Gamus made me fall in love with Six Thirty -- and I'm not even a dog person! It took me a little longer to warm up to Elizabeth, but the minute I did I wanted to be her friend. We all need more women in our lives willing to take us seriously and not put up with the crap people give us. Yet we also need women like Harriet who step in to help us when it's obvious we can't handle absolutely everything ourselves.

I gave the book four stars instead of five, though, because somewhere in the last 50 pages or so, I felt like it lost a little bit of focus. Once Elizabeth starts working on the TV show, the novel felt like it was treading water until the end. That letdown was disappointing. Also, I think Ms. Frask's character was a little too conflicted early on for me to buy into the redemption she found later. Also, despite the repeated assertions that Mad is super smart like her parents and a voracious reader, I just had a really hard time buying into the idea that she was only 4 years old. I would have definitely bought into her being 6. But 4 just didn't feel quite right somehow.

I also think the nonlinear timeline didn't do anything for the book; I would have been perfectly happy reading it in a linear format with a chronological timeline.

Regardless, even though I'm not giving it five stars, I do think I'd want to read this book again and spend more time with Elizabeth.

This book is very unusual but also provides an insight albeit small to the way women have had to continue to work so hard to improve their status in society. Elizabeth Zott is not your average person. She’s a brilliant, highly trained scientist who hasn’t gotten farther along in the world of chemistry simply because she’s a woman. She is working at the Hastings Institute performing a job that she is completely over qualified. Through some crazy, at times hilarious encounter, she meets Calvin Evans. He is a gangly sort of guy but also a brilliant scientist and well-known at the Hastings Institute. Calvin had an intense love for rowing, that’s why he accepted the job at this lowly Institute when he could have been doing research at any number of universities. He came to California for the nice weather and the ability to row all year long. However, Elizabeth is no ordinary woman, she refuses to pander to fragile male egos, it worries her not one whit that she doesn't fit in at the patriarchal Hastings Institute, she accepts no limitations for herself, nor for anyone else. The chemistry between her and the star scientist, Calvin Evans, another man who does not fit either, leads to love, the two of them living together, Zott does not believe in marriage, and their religion is science. Circumstances result in Zott becoming a single mother to the precociously bright 4 year old, Mad, an early reader, voraciously consuming the likes of Norman Mailer and Charles Dickens. The challenges Zott faces, such as being fired for being pregnant and her dire financial circumstances has her becoming an unlikely, reluctant and uncompromising star, dressed in a lab coat, with her popular TV cooking show, Supper at Six, focusing on the chemistry of ingredients and recipes, carrying her subversive and radical agenda of making women question and challenge the cultural misogyny and the limitations placed on their lives. Needless to say, this makes her some implacable enemies. What makes the strong and independent Zott able to face the unrelenting harsh pressures and problems that come her way are her close knit and growing family, at the center of which is their protective genius dog no-one will be able to resist, Six-thirty, familiar with more than 600 words, neighbor Harriet Sloane, rower Dr Mason, her TV producer, Walter Pine, and the Reverend Wakely, perhaps we can include Miss Frask too. The characters are likeable or hateable depending upon the interaction but this will definitely have the reader engaged.

With thanks to NetGalley, the author and especially huge thanks to Random House.

I loved this book! It is definitely a five star rating from me, and I can't wait for the series to come out on Apple Tv+.

Here is who will like this book:
1) You cheer on strong female leads
2) You're a parent of a gifted child
3) You like romance
4) You have a pet in your life that is part of the family
5) You are a foodie and/or you like cooking
6) You like the books I recommend. Ha

Lessons in Chemistry is a fictional book, but I felt like I knew the character in my own life. Here is the short summary: Elizabeth is an underpaid chemist who tries to make it in a man's profession. She meets Calvin, who is on the cover of different chemist's magazines. Without giving anything away, Elizabeth starts her own tv cooking show and is raising a very gifted daughter. On her cooking show, she treats her women viewers like intelligent human beings by sharing WHY ingredients work and uses scientific terms. Since this story takes place in the 1950s, the women loved it because they weren't used to being treated this way.

This book made me laugh out loud, and I was excited each time I sat down to read it.

The cons of the book:
1) There were times when the characters and timelines were a little confusing.
2) I don't like the cover

I was given this book for my honest review, and I would recommend it to my friends.

I know a lot of readers loved this book, but I thought it was kind of snarky. Frankly, I only got about halfway through and then decided it just wasn’t the right book for me.

Meet chemist Elizabeth Zott. She is no ordinary woman. Science rules her life in a male dominated world where she seeks recognition. Calvin Evans a lonely and brilliant chemist falls for Elizabeth and they have a true love affair of the minds. Calvin die suddenly and Elizabeth finds herself pregnant and a single mother. She takes a job as the host of a TV shoe, Supper at Six. Not a fluffy host, Elizabeth brings solid chemistry into every show. Often to the dismay of the producers and advertisers. She is a woman out to change the status quo and bring you along for the ride. I'm glad I did..

Storytelling at its best! Bonnie Garmus has woven the tale of Elizabeth Zott, a strong analytical woman in the 50s and 60s. Nothing stops Elizabeth from doing what she knows she was born to be, a scientist. When the misogynist machine of the workplace of the mid-century conspires to hold her back and deny her the education, funding, and credit for her work, Elizabeth rises above it all and find her own way.

Along her way to success, Elizabeth finds love and family, something that weren’t in her original plan but mean the world to her. Lessons in Chemistry is a must read book for 2022.

I had a really hard time with this book and not because it wasn’t well written, because it was very well written. I had a problem with the era it was set in and what women went through. I know that’s history but it still gets to me. Elizabeth is such an amazingly strong woman. To keep fighting for her place? She is my hero. I don’t like what happened to her along the way but they story is amazing!

A cute book -- doesn't take itself too seriously, and yes, love a good dog character. Starts off stronger than it ends, but overall I enjoyed it. Obviously already a huge success.

I was so so pleasantly surprised and taken with this book! The writing, content, and characters were all endearing and lovable in a way that mixes quirkiness with reasonable believability and a few stretches of the imagination. While I am often skeptical of such a thing, I found myself enjoying this book far more than I had originally thought, having the (incorrect) notion it was a typical romance. Instead, it is anything but, with shocking twists, moments of despair, outrage, and grief, and an inspiring rousing spirit that feels impossible not to root for. Bravo!!!

I loved this quirky novel. I love Elizabeth. I love Six-Thirty and Mad and Harriet. I love strong women and this book shows the struggle of the strong and uncompromising woman. This book mad me laugh and think; it made me cheer for Elizabeth and empathize with her struggles. It’s definitely different and a crazy story. But….I loved it!

This is a really heartwarming story filled with chemistry, rowing, and cooking. It was exactly the book I needed at exactly the right time.

Terrific novel that all generations will love! I loved not only the historical elements but also 630 (the dog!), if only animals could really tell us how they feel!

I found this story to be underwhelming and not what I expected from the marketing of "laugh out loud funny" The language in the begging, the discussion of a rape, a suicide- none of that sets the scene for being funny. I found Elizabeth to be very unlikeable. I'm not interested in characters who try to be "quirky" until the plot calls for otherwise and it got very old with her and her monologues.

Honestly, I didn’t think I liked this book at first, but it grew on me and I found I kept thinking about the characters and what was going to happen next, which I dare say is the goal of any author! A 1960’s professional woman might be some kind of oxymoron, but these ladies, like our main character, were the rebels who broke through the cultural sexism and helped women achieve their goals, however traditionally ‘unladylike’ they may be. Although Elizabeth was anything but affectionate, this book had a lot of heart and by the end resonated with women everywhere, regardless of time or place. Besides that, there was actually chemistry written within these pages and enfolded in the story itself and I feel a bit smarter having read it!

I also uncovered a brilliant quote from Elizabeth, aka Garmus that I’ll be displaying on the wall in the STEM Lab where I’ll be teaching this year which says, “Scientists expect mistakes, and because of it, we embrace failure”, since, as we know, this is where the learning begins. A Lesson in Chemistry, and a lesson in life.

Bonnie Garmus’ Lessons in Chemistry is the story of Elizabeth Zott and Calvin Evans, both brilliant chemists. Even though Elizabeth’s life doesn’t go as she planned, she surprisingly becomes the star of a cooking show. I voluntarily read this complimentary copy of this well-written, beautiful book. With an amazing cast of characters, this is a book you will not only enjoy but you will also love. Outstanding work!

Elizabeth Zott is a brilliant chemist who ends up hosting an afternoon television cooking. The how she got there and what she does once she is there are the central plot of this slow burn novel.

The author uses omniscient third person so you have multiple point-of-views, including my favorite Six-Thirty, Elizabeth's faithful dog. The author effectively uses the multiple POV to further develop other characters as well as show the reader interesting perspectives.

I have never rooted so much for a character like Elizabeth. Her idealism is both inspiring and infuriating. I related to her unwillingness to let go of her beliefs that others can be better. That said, I often wanted to shake her and tell her to take a reality pill!

The author grounds the book in the 1950's and helps the time period come alive. My favorite part about historical fiction is learning about the small details of everyday life like the implementation of leash laws. (As a dog owner, this was an interesting factoid that these laws have not been around forever.)

I cannot recommend this quirky book enough especially to folks who love character driven books and historical fiction.