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!

Passing the Litmus Test.

It’s 1952 and women are expected to be at home catering to their husbands.

But not Elizabeth Zott. She’s developing theories in a chemistry lab. As you can expect, her genius isn’t appreciated by those around her who don’t like being upstaged. Who does she think she is?

At times I laughed to the point of tears because of Elizabeth’s reactions(and non-reactions) to the people she interacted with on an everyday basis. However, humor aside, this isn’t the fluffy book I’d anticipated.

Instead, it’s about a woman with a passion for science who feels that she shouldn’t have to suffer missed opportunities because she’s female. It’s also about meeting your soulmate, the person who understands and accepts you.

I absolutely loved her dedication and absorption into her profession as a chemist. It was such a pleasure to be drawn into her unique views and sureness of direction. If confident, supremely intelligent women protagonists interest you as they do me, then I would encourage you to read this.

I’m grateful for friends who pointed me in the direction of this book. Otherwise, I might have missed out on one of my Favorites for the year. When it publishes on April 5. 2022 I will purchase a few copies for gifts and for myself.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bonnie Garmus, and Double Day for my opportunity to read this.

A book about chemistry, not interested. But chemistry in cooking on television? What a delightful romp through the vicissitudes and adventures of one woman's life. Thoroughly enjoyable.

5 Quirky Character Stars

I must admit that this title would not cause me to pick this book up, but had I judged the book by the title, I would have missed out on one of my top reads of the year. Turns out I needed a lesson in chemistry!

There are so many memorable characters in this one, starting with Elizabeth Zott. She’s a chemist, a rarity in the 1960s, and she’s had to fight every step of the way. She’s still paid less and treated terribly by her male colleagues. Things start to change when she marches into the office of Calvin Evans, a revered scientist at Hastings Research Institute. It soon becomes clear that Calvin and Elizabeth have romantic chemistry as well as a love of the science of chemistry.

Just a few years later, Elizabeth finds herself a single mother and forced to find another career. She lands in the most unlikely of places, the host of a cooking show. Although Elizabeth would be the first tell you she’s not teaching the women of America to cook, she’s teaching them about chemistry and how to change the world.

This one has so many other quirky characters, neighbor Harriet is a lifesaver, daughter Mad is precocious, and dog Six-Thirty is a character in his own right. I truly laughed out loud as I was reading this one and I admired Elizabeth for overcoming so much adversity. I was sad to see this one end. Here’s hoping for a movie and a sequel!

Thank you NetGalley , Bonnie Garmus and Doubleday Books for the ARC of Lessons in Chemistry. This is my personal review.
I wanted to love this book from the description of it being a laugh-out-loud, shrewdly observant with a dazzling cast of characters. I waited for all these things as I read but nothing in it hit the mark for me.
Elizabeth Zott never became a person I cared about as I read the book. There were too many things happening for me to connect with any thoughts or events.
For many readers this will be a huge hit but not for me.

Despite an impossibly intelligent dog and a 4-year-old so precocious that it stretches imagination (both of which would normally annoy me to no end), I throughly enjoyed Lessons in Chemistry. Elizabeth isn’t conventionally likable, but she is magnetic in a way that I didn’t expect. She is so passionate about her work and so unwilling to accept bullshit or the societal roles imposed in her that you can’t help but like her. While I don’t think the word “feminist” was used once in the novel, Elizabeth is the fiercest feminist I’ve read— refusing to accept limitations on woman while also battling the horrific sexism and sexual harassment of being a woman (and one in a STEM field) in the 1950s and 60s. And while I ended up loving Elizabeth, Mad, Harriet, and the others— my favorite character was the relatively minor character of Wakely, a priest who doesn’t believe in God but offers real insight and balance to the religious perspectives in the book.

I received this book as an ARC and this is my review. I loved this book! It is funny and heartwarming and filled with oh so many flawed characters! The story is set in the 1960’s and the constant quest for equal rights for women is a major refrain. It is full of twists and turns and the dog is a huge part of the story. I totally recommend this book to readers who enjoy quirky and unusual plots.

This is absolutely my kind of book. The setting is 1960s California and much of the plot centers around women’s struggles for equality in the workplace and other gender-related issues. Points of view switch regularly from the main character, Elizabeth Zott, to several other important and less important voices. One of the best is the philosophical dog, Six-thirty.

Elizabeth is dry humored and straight-forward. Her quirky observations and refusal to compromise her values lead to some very funny and poignant situations as she makes her way as a chemist, a single mother and a TV host. .

This one is very relatable in current times as well as a bit shocking to be reminded of some of the egregious behavior facing working women and single mothers in the 1960s.

Received an ARC from Netgalley for an honest opinion.
This story is awesome! Made me understand how hard it was, and possibly still is, for women in the science fields.
I thought all of the characters seemed real, and relatable. Elizabeth is my new heroine! Especially at the end of chapter 30 when I laughed so hard I almost hurt myself! That guy totally deserved it! Happy with the ending, I was hoping it wouldn't suck, and it didn't.