You know that feeling when you get to the end of a book and you know that it, the story and the characters, will stay with you for a long time? That is how I felt when I finished Lessons in chemistry by Bonnie Garmus. I went through so many emotions while reading this, I cried, I was happy, I was angry, and I was hopeful.

This book is so much more than what I was expecting after reading the synopsis. A female chemist in the late 50s and early 60s who has a cooking show? It sounded like a light hearted and delightful rom-com. What I got was such a complex and beautiful story. It follows Elizabeth Zott, a chemist in a time where a women’s “place” was in the kitchen and raising children.

Without giving too much away, I highly recommend this book for those who love a unique story, an amazing and quirky cast of characters, and the most amazing dog (who knows over 500 words!) and women in STEM.

On a personal note, I know that I will always love books that highlight the successes and struggles of being a women in STEM since I see parts of my experiences (and those of my colleagues) reflected in these stories. Despite this book being set about 60 years ago, it is still relevant today.

Thank you Penguin Random House Canada and NetGalley for an eARC I’m exchange for an honest review. I had to go out and buy my own copy of this book that has become on of my favourite reads.

I knew 3 chapters in that this book would end up stealing my heart. And just as likely become one of my favorites. I love it when I'm right. I certainly have a penchant for novels with "not so typical" characters and Lessons in Chemistry definitely falls into that category. Add to that wonderful storytelling and a roller-coaster of emotions and you get the kind of debut that is impossible to do justice in a book review.

Late 50s, early 60s in California - not the easiest time period to be a fiercely independent, no-nonsense and very talented chemist but Elizabeth Zott is unapologetically all of those and much more. So how does she end up being a TV host of a cooking show "Supper at Six"? Surrounded by other quirky, colorful characters such as her equally smart and offbeat daughter, a very helpful unhappily married neighbour, an exceptional and exceptionally loyal dog, a producer who is equally in awe of her and exasperated by her, Elizabeth comes alive in Lessons in Chemistry and easily becomes a beloved protagonist who will be impossible to forget.

I try to stir clear from author comparisons but since I want to make sure that this book reaches its intended audience, I have to say if you love Fredrik Backman's stories, you will absolutely love this one as well. In general I can't recommend this book enough to anyone who is looking for contemporary fiction with a twist. This was simultaneously such a quality, meaningful and entertaining read.

A big thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Random House Canada & the author for gifting me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I truly have mixed feeling on this book. I was really enjoying the first half of the book. I loved the character of Elizabeth and how she was so smart, and self assured at the beginning of the story. I enjoyed the development of the relationship between her and Calvin, and how she stood her ground with him, but also allowed a softer side of herself to emerge. However, the second half of the book, I felt it dragged and I kept losing interest. I think the tone of the book is interesting, and the addition of the dog as a true character kind of peculiar, but it wasn’t enough to keep me engaged in reading.
I was kindly provided with a copy of this book by the publisher and Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

Expectation vs. Reality

*This review contains SPOILERS and an unpopular opinion.*

Fun, funny, delightful. For fans of Where’d You Go, Bernadette… sorry, but I have to disagree.

On page 15, Elizabeth’s boss calls her a cunt. On page 18, her advisor at UCLA calls her a cunt and then rapes her. The pencil she keeps in her hair is there in case she has to defend herself against being raped again.

I’m not a fan of books that trample on your heart just so they can kiss it better later. I continued reading for 150 pages, taking frequent breaks because there was a lot of heavy subject matter. Ultimately, I put the book down and didn’t want to pick it back up.

I had so much fun reading this book, I did not want to put it down! From the synopsis, I expected a stronger romance plot which is not usually my favourite genre but I still thought this would be a book I'd enjoy with a strong feminist character. I enjoyed it much more than I thought I would.

There were moments that were a bit of absurd, moments that were hilarious, and moments that were infuriating, that kept me on my toes this entire novel. It was hard to sometimes remember that this book took place in the 1960s which accounts for the blatant sexism Elizabeth experiences as a chemist and a woman. Elizabeth was a fantastic character; she was strong and vulnerable, intelligent and awkward, and insufferably stubborn. There is a conversation Elizabeth has with Roth, where she talks about why she teaches chemistry to women and how chemistry teaches us the rules that govern our world, rules that show how sexism limitations for women are not natural but falsely constructed. Even though this book is set in the 1960s, sexism still exists today and we can all learn something from Elizabeth (not to mention her brilliant daughter Mad).

I received an eARC from Netgalley and the publisher for a review of this book.

I really loved this book. I had no idea what is was about going in. There's a cast of quirky characters, some loveable and some you want to hate, lead by the amazing Elizabeth Lott. She's a chemist in the early 1960's struggling to succeed in her education and career due to sexism and discrimination. The book follows her life, her family, and friends as she finds love, raises her daughter, and finds a second career hosting a cooking show.

Great cast of characters. Lots of fun but also some sad and serious parts.

Loved it! Delighted to include this sparkling debut novel in the April edition of Novel Encounters, my regular column highlighting the month’s most anticipated fiction for Zoomer magazine. (at link)

What an absolutely fantastic book. Set in the 1950s Elizabeth is a chemist.. which in the 1950s is not only frowned upon it is simply not allowed. However, she intends to disturb the status quo and show women that society is wrong AF. I absolutely loved Elizabeth's character, she was just everything. I loved how strong she was and how she stood up for what she believed in. I enjoyed how she turned her cooking show into so much more. Seriously amazing writing and I am now adding Bonnie Garmus to my auto-buy author list!

A must read! Officially my favorite read of 2022 thus far.

Thank you to netgalley and Penguin Random House for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I dare you not to fall in love with and cheer loudly for Elizabeth Zott. This book is poignant and funny and sadly even today is an incredibly relatable story. Many women will see themselves in Elizabeth But no matter what your life story you are sure to enjoy this book.

Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada & NetGalley for an eARC of this wonderful book!

This book was an absolute delight to read with an admirable main character and a number of brilliant supporting characters (including an adorable and smart dog - Six-Thirty). The book is set in the 1960s and is told predominantly from the perspective of Elizabeth Zott but occasionally switches to its cast of amazing supporting characters. Elizabeth doesn't want to conform to the typical mould for a woman living and working in the 60s. She is a highly educated chemist and mother to Mad Zott (a hilarious and truthful backstory to how Mad got her name is a highlight of this book for me). When the opportunity arises to make a living when other avenues are closed to her, she takes on the role of a daytime cooking show host, Supper at Six. While I expected more of the book to be on how she navigates the realm of daytime TV in the 60s, it is mainly about Elizabeth's life and values including an insight into, what at that time would have been seen as, her "unconventional" family, but a true family nonetheless. While the book examines issues faced by women at the time, it is no less true in today's world. I loved every single character, including precocious Mad Zott and Calvin Evans.

I cannot believe this a debut novel and would not be surprised when this is adapted into a TV series or movie. I enjoyed this novel a lot!

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus.

I found this novel to be so many things. Educational, disturbing, joyful, funny, entertaining and much more. Bonnie Garmus is a talented writer. The writing is flowing and fun.

Lessons in Chemistry is a very unique adventure. I will look for more books from Bonnie Garmus in the future.

Lessons in Chemistry was funny and touching all at once. Bonnie Gramus immediately pulls you into the book from the start with each new quirky character she introduces. If you were a fan of the Rosie Project or Where' d You Go Bernadette, this book is for you!

Elizabeth is a focused, smart young women who has pushed past obstacle after obstacle, which is how she meets Calvin Evans. He's immediately smitten, but also impressed by her intelligence in their field of chemistry & her ability to take on new challenges. They enter a relationship based on mutual respect, learning about each other's difficult & complicated pasts. When an unexpected turn of event occurs, Elizabeth finds herself offered a job as a TV cooking show host, where she makes a profound impact on women viewers, encouraging their dreams and ambitions in a time where the convention is to stay home & look after the family, often overlooked, was the cultural norm. Throughout the story new characters enter, playing a vital role to the storyline. In the end, Elizabeth's determination to be true to herself pays off in ways even she doesn't expect.

I think many of these themes Gamus wrote about, though taken place in the 1960's, are still very relevant today, 60 years later. Things like science being male dominated and the societal expectation for women to still fit a box when it comes to the home.

I don’t know what I was expecting when I picked up this book. But I assure you it was not what I got.
I guess because of the cutesy cover I was expecting a cutesy book.
So imagine my surprise when I was hit with love, loss, anger, revenge. I mean even the dog had depth and a harrowing back story.

Elizabeth Zott is a brilliant chemist who is overlooked, abused, insulted, taken advantage of, stolen from, all because she is a woman. And women, not only in science, but everywhere took this because, what choice did they have?
All it will take is a cooking show and a reluctant hero to shake up the patriarchy.

Which book have you recently read and loved so much, that you didn’t want it to end?

For me this was Lessons In Chemistry, the debut novel by Bonnie Garmus.
Honestly a box that checked all the boxes for me:

~ a unique storyline, which feels so fresh but also captured the time the book is set in so so well (1960s)
~ an amazing cast of characters
~ including the brave and witty protagonist & scientist Elizabeth Zott 👩‍🔬
~ as well as the best dog character I’ve ever encountered…just wait until you meet Six-Thirty, the dog who knows more than 600 words! 🐕
~ last but not least, the sense of humor of this book is 👌

Thank you so much to Penguin Random House CA & NetGalley for this E-ARC - it was an absolute pleasure to read & review this book!

I highly recommend this witty, quirky and inspirational book to anyone! It is intelligent, while very entertaining and fun, and so very life affirming!

Lessons In Chemistry is out now! 👩‍🔬🧪🥼

I absolutely adored this book and was pulled into the story from page 1! MC, Elizabeth Zott, is a resilient and independent woman living in the very male power-dominated 1960’s. She is a force to be reckoned with as she navigates love and loss, fighting for her place in the scientific community and remaining strong for her family. This story had me feeling many things as we follow Elizabeth Zott through her journey. I loved the quirky secondary characters, the flow of the unique story and the beautiful way the author tied it all up at the end. The book was perfect and for that reason it’s a 5-star for me! I highly recommend this one!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion!

Lessons in Chemistry is not a book I would usually pick and I do try to pick books on Netgalley that I know I will enjoy and be able to write a positive review about. However, when Netgalley sent an email stating that it was a read now book for the first 200 members I decided to give it a try. Am I ever happy I did.
Lessons in Chemistry is such a feel-good story. Two themes in the novel are being your best self and treating people that way regardless of how you have been treated, and trying to resolve the past in the best way possible. What I really loved about the story is I had no idea where it was headed until the very end. For me it was a very unpredictable journey.
Definitely I would recommend this book and I would pick up another book by Bonnie Garmus.

WOW! This book was a pleasure to read. From the very first page, I knew I was going to love Lessons in Chemistry. This is the debut novel by Bonnie Garmus, and she did a fantastic job. Her style of writing, the narrative, the story - just fabulous! I especially love how she is able to switch between narratives and characters (including the voice of the dog, Six-Thirty!) so seamlessly, which truly made this story different from anything I have read before.
The themes she touches on are important, which include: equality, love, family, abuse, suicide, and religion.
This book was both deep and light-hearted. The author's ability to touch on triggering topics (sexual abuse by a priest, for example) without having to completely describe the situation was uncanny to me. She was able to leave the reader with the experience, without all of the details, which is why I describe the narrative as deep while maintaining its light-hearted feel.
The way the story of Elizabeth Zott was told was completely unique. I loved every page of this book. It was descriptive, funny, interesting, educational, but it also threw in some mystery. It was super enjoyable, cover to cover. Honestly, the narrative from the dog was amazing, he was my favourite character!
This unique story, with its captivating plot and narrative, is surely one of the best books I have read in a long time! Bravo Bonnie Garmus, I loved it!

Thank you Penguin Random House Canada for the advance copy.

* Thanks to Penguin Random House Canada and Netgalley for an advance copy for review purposes *

Elizabeth Zott is a scientist well ahead of her time - starting her career in the 1950's, as a scientist (chemist) of all things, she has to put up with outrageous, sometimes violent misogyny. Elizabeth refuses to get back in line - she does not understand why her achievements won't speak for themselves. Through a series of events I won't elaborate on, Elizabeth ends up hosting a cooking TV show. While the bubbly cover makes it look like it will be a light hearted comedy, it is much darker than appears. That pencil in the cover is not that innocent.

Elizabeth is a memorable character. Her strength of character, and matter of fact approach to life impressed me, as well as her refusal to compromise, to lose herself in order to fit in the system. Even today, women have to make the choices on when it is worth fighting and when it is easier to play along with a broken system. Elizabeth refuses to play the game, something not easy to do.

I really enjoyed this book, it managed to be both charming and infuriating, but it is also offers hope. And a dog named Six Thirty that understands hundreds of dogs and act as a lab assistance. What more could you ask for?

Thank you to @penguinrandomca @doubledayca @netgalley for the digital ARC in return for my honest review.
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My thoughts…
Jazz hands 👐🏼 all around. I already know this will be a fave for 2022! I don’t know whether I was in the right mood, right weather or right cup of tea, but all I know is I 💙 this book. I could not put it down. I wanted to know what Elizabeth was going to endure next. She was formidable and yet sensitive. A STEM novel with a twist. As a doctoral candidate in Chemistry, Elizabeth ended up as a cooking show host. I don’t want to say anymore because you need to read for yourself how Elizabeth became a strong, independent mother and woman. The storyline was original, and so was the writing style. It felt refreshing to have read this book. And, don’t be fooled by the cover; it’s not as light a read as the cover seemed to portray. It had quite serious undertones, but it was also funny, vibrant, sentimental and empowering. All I can say is “just read

Book Review: Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
Publication Date: March 29, 2022
☆☆☆☆☆

Last year’s Love Hypothesis and this year’s Lessons in Chemistry have shown me that I can enjoy chemistry…even the science kind!

Enter - Elizabeth Zott

Chemist extraordinaire, woman beyond her time, Calvin’s lover, Mad’s mum, Six Thirty’s companion and tv star in the making. Is there anything Elizabeth Zott is not? Bonnie Garmus has crafted a character who, I believe, has the potential to speak to women across generations and professions. Zott is no nonsense, all logic and yet, she and you (the reader) have lots to learn.

Zott was a woman meant for today, not the post-war period when men reigned supreme everywhere from the boardroom to the chem lab. I struggle to find the right words to describe Zott. She is strength, yet we see her, and feel her weakest and most vulnerable moments alongside her. We see her story playing out ahead of her, know what’s coming, and yet have no idea what will happen.

Garmus has crafted an extraordinary character in Zott that we won’t be likely to forget.

As I thought about this book and writing the review, I tried to think about other legendary female leads that we might compare Zott to, might include her with in our reviews and top five lists. And I struggle.

I see bits of Eleanor Oliphant in her logic and perspective; I see bits of Olive (The Love Hypothesis) in her gravitation towards science; I see bits of every single fearless (and very fearful) single mother … but Zott is (for the moment) in a class of her own.

She’s a “historical fiction” figure, yet she’s right there in the thick of it with mothers who try to balance a demanding career with child-rearing, with societal expectations, and with loss.

Although the title of the book and this review (so far) would have you believe that Zott’s work is contained to the chem lab, life takes a fortuitous turn when she demands a meeting with Walter Pine, father of Mad’s classmate Amanda about the contents of the former’s lunchbox.

From this, Supper at Six, a hugely popular television show is born and Zott’s at its helm. Although there are more than a few stumbling blocks, Zott and Pine make a number of compromises and Zott becomes a household name as she takes housewives through how to make various dishes, all in time for Supper at Six.

I really enjoyed this part of the book, for me it represented hope and light. Zott does more than coach women through supper preparation like she’s in her chem lab; she ignites a fire within them to do more, be more for themselves.

And then it all comes back to Calvin.

Did I mention him yet? Calvin is Elizabeth’s match, her love. They met over beakers (she was requisitioning them for her lab) and bonded over their shared love for chemistry. Although she spurned his efforts to solidify their relationship via traditional means (such as marriage), their shared abode and canine (Six-Thirty) more than make up for it…and then there’s Mad. But you’ll find out all about her when you read Lessons in Chemistry.