LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY 

Set in the early 1960s Elizabeth Zott is a chemist and works at the Hastings Research Institute. Elizabeth is the only woman conducting research at the heavily male dominated institute. Constantly in an uphill battle to be taken seriously, Elizabeth must even fight for sufficient lab equipment. In her search for more beakers Elizabeth meets Calvin Evans the prized scientist of Hastings. Calvin on track for a Nobel prize is highly regarded and his eccentricities are endured because of his ability to attract funding.
Calvin is immediately attracted to Elizabeth’s brilliant mind and the two become an item.
Life is not always predictable or kind. Elizabeth finds herself a single mother struggling to support her daughter. A strange set of events occur and Elizabeth ends up as a host on a cooking show called Supper at Six. The show not only demonstrates cooking skill but it introduces a good deal of chemistry as well. The show becomes popular because of Elizabeth’s lesson in chemistry and her lessons about life.
I loved LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY! It was an enjoyable read with some funny moments, some sad moments and some shocking moments. Elizabeth Zott is a character that will stay with me for quite some time. The supporting characters were wonderful too especially Six-Thirty the dog with the constantly growing vocabulary.
Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced digital edition of this book.

I found the story of Elizabeth Zott in Lessons in Chemistry enjoyable, funny and endearing.

Elizabeth is one of the characters that sticks with you long after you have read the last page. A woman ahead off her time, a chemist, a mother and a woman who is sure in herself.

I laughed, I cheered and I smiled throughout the book.

Lessons in Chemistry started off slow but the ending made up for it. I definitely loved the strong female energy. Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced copy.

Love, love, loved this book!!! Highly readable, smart, and funny. Easily my favourite read this year. Elizabeth Zott is such a memorable main character—unique and inspiring. determined to live life by her own terms. The social commentary is intelligent and well thought out. A story about family and loss, but also hope and new beginnings.

Oh man!! I have mixed feelings about this one!! I wish I didn’t look at the ratings before writing this review because I experienced this book differently than the majority! First, I didn’t find it that funny… charming yes, funny not really- definitely didn’t “laugh out loud”. Secondly I felt like Elizabeth was always pretty dark and her tone in my head was never pleasant- granted she’s gone through a lot in her life but she didn’t ever give me a sense of hope, healing or moving on… she just never seemed happy. My fave puriate characters were Harriet, Made and Six Thirty. Their dynamics were great and they were pretty entertaining!
Reason for 3.5 stars? The book didn’t really pique my interest until I was about 50% through the book.
ARC received from publishers in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Random House Canada, and Bonnie Garmus for a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. This book wasn't exactly what I was expecting but I absolutely enjoyed it from start to finish. I found myself loving some of the characters in this more than the main character but I found that just kind of added to the fun that I was having with this book. I absolutely loved the dog! While there are some darker moments that I wasn't necessarily expecting, this book has an overall funny and smart tone to it that I really enjoyed.

Being a fan of tv cooking shows and YouTube recipes, I really enjoyed the read. At one time in high school, I considered being a dietician but doubted I could survive the science classes. I wish I had read this book back then for encouragement.

I received this book from NetGalley and it was the first one I got approved for from the site, so needless to say I was ecstatic to begin, especially as it was described as "Laugh out Loud funny" and a "Delight for readers of Where'd You Go, Bernadette". I have never read Where'd You Go, Bernadette but I'd heard such great things and figured it would be a fun, lighthearted read. Boy was I wrong. Immediately at the start of this book there is a rape, use of fowl language directed at the protagonist, a suicide and constant misogyny. The wonderful start of a super lighthearted, Laugh Out Loud book amiriteeee? :P....Not. This immediately turned me off as I do not find the inclusion of rape and the use of such profanity a contender for a "Laugh Out Loud, delightful" read. Never the less, I read on because I wanted to not only give this new author a fair chance but I also didn't want to abandon the first book NetGalley & Penguin Random House Canada approved me for. There we're many things that rubbed me the wrong way with this novel however I first want to start off with what I liked about it.

1. I loved the Dog. Although I am not a huge fan of anthropomorphism, I actually enjoyed his perspective as it was a much needed relief from all the heavy topics within the novel.
2. I loved the idea of a chemist teaching her audience how to cook and doing it in such a way where she's teaching the value of proper nutrition. I think this should be a genuine class that is taught in schools as the North American diet is subpar and most people have 0 idea as to what they're ingesting.
3. I enjoyed the characters Harriet & Walter. They were very lovable and sweet.
4. The ending was actually very sweet.

What I didn't like
1. The constant exaggerated misogyny throughout the whole novel. Apparently every man is a sexist, rapist and if he's not then he is a spineless idiot who doesn't know how to stand up to the sexist, rapists. I am not a fan of male-bashing in novels at all and this turned me off tremendously.
2. The bashing of religion, specifically Catholicism. I myself am not very religious but I couldn't stand the continuous narrative that most priests are greedy pedophiles & that most religious people are narrow minded, cruel human beings.
3. I really couldn't stand the multiple perspectives in this book. Every character in this novel got a perspective and not only that, but the author changed perspectives multiple times within a chapter. I was constantly confused as to whose perspective I was reading from.
4. I found the main character to be extremely unlikable but also did not fit in with the times. This is supposed to be set in the 50s/60s and yet reads as if it was set in todays time.

All in all, I really did not enjoy this book. It had great premise but in the end it was too filled with progressive wokeisms for my liking. Best of luck in the future Bonnie Garmus!

Thank you NetGalley & Penguin Random House Canada for this Arc in exchange for an honest review!

Elizabeth Zott is a woman who is unabashedly breaking the mold in the book's era of the 50s and 60s. A proud chemist, independent human, atheist, and against marriage, Elizabeth's choices turn heads throughout her whole life but slowly gain her a solid community she's otherwise been lacking.

For me, it was what it was as a story. It felt like a portrayal of a modern woman who'd found herself stuck in a bygone era and took it upon herself to single-handedly change society. With so many fantastical elements to the central characters, it often felt like Elizabeth, Calvin, Mad, and Six-Thirty were plotlines in themselves to further contrast how rigid cultural expectations and norms were around them.

While I didn't especially dislike any parts of the book, it felt like it was for an intended audience who would themselves tune into Supper At Six every day to feel a little bit empowered by this radical woman who still kept within decent societal margins.

Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday for the ARC!

4.5, but rounding up to F*** the Patriarchy!

This story was SO damn empowering. A chemist in the 60s, fighting to be taken seriously, do what she loves, and MAKE CHANGE.

Good god, Elizabeth Zott makes me want to punch walls (in a good way) and become an astronaut or something!! I think every man, woman, non-binary person and dog should read this book, simply because it is so introspective. Though focused on the disparities between gender, the lesson of this book can be extended much further. "No more subscribing to others' opinions of what you can and cannot achieve. And no more allowing anyone to pigeonhole you into useless categories of sex, race, economic status, and religion." Dammit, you tell em, E.Z.!

In this debut novel, Garmus does a fantastic job of giving us a mix of content. There's love, loss, science, religion, trauma, humor, inspiration!!!, healing - - I could go on and on. The character of Elizabeth Zott was written beautifully, showcasing her incredible mind and quick wit. She is so unapologetically herself, and challenges every man (and woman) who tries to put her into a cute little pink box. The relationships Garmus writes for Zott are so unique and perfect - Calvin, Mad, Harriet, Walter, Wakely, Six-Thirty... Each pivotal in Elizabeth's fight for change and closure. The ending ties up Zott's story in a satisfying nautical knot, and leaves you feeling empowered to change the world.

I'm giving this a 5 star review, tho truthfully, it's a 4.5 for me. The writing style sometimes left me confused as to whose perspective I was reading from at times... Sometimes the timeline/perspective would seemingly shift without warning in the next paragraph, and then back again a couple paragraphs later, leaving me confused for a hot second until I had a moment to wrap my head around it. Perhaps just a reading preference, but nonetheless, I enjoyed reading this book every step of the way!... Now excuse me while I go ask myself what I want to change today.

This is not the type of book I normally seek out but I loved it from start to finish. The main character, Elizabeth Zott, was smart, earnest, confident and authentic. Or wait a moment was Six-Thirty the main character? My suggestion is that you immediately pick up a copy for yourself and find out.

Bonnie Garmus' debut novel does have a comedic touch running through and it made this reader thankful because the material was, to be matter of fact, very dark at times. The book details the plight of women everywhere. Misogyny, sexual harassment, sexual assault, men taking credit for their work, men speaking over them, domestic abuse, and the list goes on. Although set in the 1950's it's sad and unsettling to see how little things have changed.

One quote in particular brought tears to my eyes:
"I mean by artificial cultural and religious policies that put men in the unnatural role of single-sex leadership. Even a basic understanding of chemistry reveals the danger of such a lopsided approach."

I recommend heading to your nearest library or local bookstore and securing a copy of this debut novel.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

This book takes place in the 60s and follows along Elizabeth Zoth who is a chemist, she is brilliant and because she is a woman she has not being able to get far in her field. She is someone who doesn't fit in and she is someone who defines what the norms are.

I really enjoyed the characters, I thought there was a good mix of different personalities.

I found this book highly entertaining, it made me laugh, it made me angry, it made me sad, and it made my heart all warm.

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Random House Canada, and Bonnie Garmus for a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

like many have said, bonnie garmus’ novel ‘lessons in chemistry’ gives readers more than they can expect from the cutesy cover art and description on the back.

the novel follows the life of elizabeth zott, a female chemist in the 60s who has to fight for everything she needs to do her research. she meets another chemist, calvin evans, the only person at her research institute who believes in her. the two fall in love, adopt a dog, and have a child, but elizabeth zott soon finds herself a single mother, and the reluctant star of a cooking show called ’supper at six’. through her scientific approach to cooking, elizabeth teaches women watching her show more than how to cook: she dares them to challenge the expectations society has set for women.

this book was very fun, and like i said, much heavier than i initially anticipated. it was fun to get perspectives of different characters and little time jumps to get a full picture of the situation. however, i wasn’t enamoured by elizabeth as a character — she was just a little too off-beat for me — and the book felt like it got a little bogged down in her quirks at times. it also felt like a lot of the story came back to calvin’s family history, which i don’t think added to the main message. that said, the book was fun, and more than a fluffy story set in the 60s, and it’s a quick one to breeze through.

I got about 60% into this book and I don’t really know what the plot is? Or if there even is a plot. I might try to finish this down the road but at this time I am calling it a DNF

Elizabeth Zott is the brilliant, beautiful, uncompromising force of nature in Bonnie Garmus’ debut novel, “Lessons in Chemistry”.

It is California in the 60s and Elizabeth Zott is a chemist. Not a woman chemist. A chemist. A damn good one!

She also happens to be a single mother and winds up as the reluctant host of a beloved tv cooking show, “Supper at Six”, where she refuses to dumb down her content. She constantly encourages her audience to seize the day and reach for the dreams they thought were out of reach. As she says, there is not a woman in the world who is just a housewife. “Cooking is chemistry, and chemistry is life. Your ability to change everything — including yourself — starts here.”

“Lessons in Chemistry” has something for everyone: doglovers; romantics; feminists; equalists; scientists; endurance athletes; moms; fur moms; foodies, and anyone who enjoys a story full of heart which makes you laugh out loud. The zany cast of characters is wonderful and Six-Thirty, the family dog with whom Elizabeth is deeply connected, is the best canine friend I’ve recently encountered in fiction.

The book is a dash of Julia Child, a pinch of “The World According to Garp”, and a dollop of Sheldon and Amy in “The Big Bang Theory”. From the first page of “Lessons in Chemistry” you will be rooting for Elizabeth Zott and by the end of the book you’ll be rooting for yourself. “Lessons in Chemistry” is about women’s empowerment. It’s about a woman’s place in the home — or not. It’s whimsical. It’s wry. It’s full of humour. It’s full of sadness. It contains the range of what I think makes a good novel.

A huge thank you to @NetGalley and @PenguinRandomCa for the ARC.

Thank you to Netgalley & DoubleDay Canada for this arc.

This was an interesting one, and I can see why it has such rave reviews. An interesting concept that even though it’s set in the 60’s is relevant today.

This is a solid debut novel for Bonnie Garmus. This book is full of smart women and comedy. I adored the character and setting in 1950s and 1960s. It's a four full stars for me!

Thank you NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book!

Lessons in Chemistry. WHAT A GEM!!! I received an ARC ebook from NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada (thank you), but ended up listening as an audiobook after release. The audio narrator (Miranda Raisin) was excellent, but whatever format you enjoy, you won’t be disappointed!!

Elizabeth Zott, a chemist in the early 1960s, gives up her mediocre job in a male-dominated science lab and ends up as the host of a local TV cooking show, all for the love of her daughter, Mad. But Elizabeth’s show, Supper at Six, isn’t your typical cooking show and the revolution that results is far beyond what anyone expected, especially Elizabeth herself.

The story follows Elizabeth Zott and a zany cast of characters - both allies and enemies - through a female empowering journey of motherhood, friendship, family, heartache, triumph, and, of course, SCIENCE!!

I will definitely be rereading this treasure again and again and look forward to more stories from Bonnie Garmus.

I imagine Lessons in Chemistry is going to be in my top reads for 2022. It’s witty, thoughtful, clever, heartfelt … I could go on and on! I need the people in my life to read this so we can discuss.

Elizabeth Zott is a chemist in the 60s, experiencing frustrations and misunderstandings trying to navigate a male dominated field at this time. I really loved her character, and her unrelenting tenacity. Her confidence and unwillingness to quit based on outside influences really inspired me.

I think about perception and misunderstanding a lot in my own day to day life, so I really connected to this theme within the book.

“With those words, Elizabeth slumped beneath the unrelenting burden of misunderstanding” - this line had me saying UGH YES! It’s so true.

Highly recommend, but there are some hard topics so please check out trigger warnings before reading this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for the free, electronic ARC in exchange for my honest review.

It's the late 1950s and Elizabeth Zott is a research chemist at Hastings Research Institute in southern California although her male co-workers refuse to take her seriously. All except Calvin Evans with whom she eventually begins a relationship. A few years later Elizabeth is surprised to find herself the mother of a young child and the host of a cooking show on tv.

Unfortunately I didn't love the book like a lot of reviewers did. I liked Elizabeth in the beginning and felt badly about how she was treated in her male-dominated world but by the time we got to her cooking show she was starting to wear on me. No matter how intelligent she was, I couldn't believe how oblivious she seemed as far as social niceties and appropriate behaviour were concerned. And young Mad was just too precocious for me. Six-thirty, the dog, I loved. You know how you wonder what your dog or cat is thinking? Well, Six-thirty is here to let you in on his thoughts. There was a lot of man-bashing and faith-bashing which didn't bother me personally but might offend others. The ending wrapped everything up in gift wrap with a bow on it; people got their just rewards and they all lived happily ever after. Probably anyway. I have to admit there were a couple of scenes near the end that got me a little choked up and I think the majority of people will enjoy the book so you should read it and decide for yourself.

I think one of the things that affected my enthusiasm is that when I clicked 'Read Now' on Netgalley I didn't realize there wasn't an option to send it to my Kindle. After attempting various devices I ended up reading it on my phone which was not fun. It was actually easier than the previous time I had to do that because the formatting this time was great ... it's just that the font is too small for these old eyes so I could only read a little at a time. I can't believe the shelf app is Netgalley's recommended way to read. Does anybody actually do that as a rule? I'll be paying closer attention before hitting the button from now on believe me.

My thanks to Doubleday Canada via Netgalley for the opportunity to read an ARC of this novel. All opinions expressed are my own.