December 2025 Book Discussion - Lessons In Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

Grace.

Grace.

Sugar Cookie : GingerScraps Praise Team {Lead}
Welcome to December's Book Club Discussion thread!!
This thread will remain open even after we finish reading the current book, so everyone who wants to add any opinions can do so at her leisure.
1. To avoid spoilers, remember to click on the three dots

1.jpg


2. choose "inline spoiler," and start typing your text. To me it shows up like a mask icon, but as well can show like an eye with a line through it.
2.jpg

this will avoid spoilers, thanks Anne-Marie for finding this feature, and helping to avoid spoilers.
As all of you know, in this thread we can discuss anything about the current book. Please feel free to share your thoughts while you are reading or whenever you want, or as you progress in your reading, it's up to you, this thread is yours, so express all what you think about the book and reading. You can write parts of the text you're reading, and that you think are important to understand the plot, comment on what you think of all what you have reading so far, whether the author is easy or difficult to understand and follow?, how the plot and characters develop to your mind?, and if there's a quote you'd like to share, please do it.
If you've already finished reading the book, the questions are, what did you like most about it? And what did you like least? Would you have changed anything about the plot? If so, what would you have changed or expanded? would you read this book again? yes or no, and why? would you like to see a film or television adaptation based on this book?
Once again welcome, I hope several of you will choose to join us!
 
Last edited:
Thank you so much for letting me know dear Anne-Marie, I continue seeing the same mask icon,
spoiler.png
but if someone else is seeing an EYE, I'm gonna add a note. Thanks for letting me know
 
The eye or mask might depend on the browser you are using? But glad that feature works for everyone! It has been super important for this bookclub! :)
I'm finishing a book right now, might get it done tomorrow, and then I will start on Lessons in Chemistry!
 
I just found out about the mask - it is still there. The 3 dots beside the artist palette shows the mask and the 3 dots beside the grid at the right side of all the little logos, shows the eye with line through it.
This is with the mask.

Spoiler!
 
Last edited:
A-M said:
I just found out about the mask - it is still there. The 32 dots beside the artist palette shows the mask and the 3 dots beside the grid at the right side of all the little logos, shows the eye with line through it.
This is with the mask.

Spoiler!
Click to expand...
yes, I found it, thank you so much dear Anne-Marie @A-M
 
Last edited:
I was able to start the book yesterday and have read through Chapter 6.
Spoiler!
 
[SPOILER="I've read up to chapter 5 "]
and I didn't like that Elizabeth was assaulted and slandered, and that people believed the professor's story. I also didn't like that she was treated like an assistant and underestimated by her superiors and colleagues, simply for being a woman, although she was a brilliant chemist, and I understand that we're talking about the 1950s when society didn't accept women in science, but I would have expected more from the scientific community; after all, there had already been brilliant female scientists like Madame Curie, who had shown that science was not the property of men. I also didn't like that Elizabeth and Calvin lied to each other, but in the end, I liked that Calvin accepted her as an equal, which apparently wasn't common at the time. I appreciate that Calvin respects Elizabeth's intelligence, and I'm waiting to see the develop of their love's story. I will try to read few chapters today. The first chapter was a little bit loose, but it's getting better and more interesting
 
Last edited:
Grace, you and I said a lot of the same things!

I've read through Chapter 16. How far have y'all read?

Spoiler!
 
@lizziej I'm a little behind and I'm on chapter 13, so I'll read what you've written if I manage to finish the remaining chapters today, thank you so much for sharing your thoughts, I'm really looking forward to reading them, so I'll dedicate myself to reading the remaining chapters so I can do it.
 
I'm now on Chapter 26, with ~140 pages to go. I have to try to finish it by 3:00 pm on Monday, because I cannot renew it. Somebody else must want it, and I would have to put a hold on the audiobook.
 
Life is rather busy so I have not read much of the book yet. Hopefully it will eventually grab my attention and I will get stuck into it.
 
I'm so behind! I got started on another book and it is taking me longer to get through with it than I expected. Hopefully I can read it this week!!
 
I finished the book yesterday, but I'm recovering from a tendinitis and it's a little bit difficult for me to write by the moment, but I will do it soon. I will love to read your thoughts and comments.
 
I got the audio book so I can scrap and listen!! I'm already on chapter 8 and I have a lot of scrapping to do today (working on Christmas gifts) so I might just listen to the whole thing today! I'm loving the story so far! And the narrator is great too!
 
I got the book yesterday, started reading and got so hooked that it was 1:30am before I finally put it down to get some sleep. Today's my last day of work before Christmas so hopefully I will be able to spend more time reading and provide some more specific thoughts.
 
I'm LOVING this book! I defiantly want to watch the show now too!! So many "scenes" I can't want to see how they did them in the show!
I have about 2 hours left, taking my mom out for some last minute shopping today but I will most likely finish tonight. I don't want it to end though, I'm enjoying the story so much!
 
I just started Chapter 24 and I have to say I am really liking the main character, Elizabeth Zott. I find that she is a person I can identify with, although probably to the extreme in many instances. I can definitely identify with the different ways intellectual women are seen and treated versus intellectual men, and with the idea that appearance or a successful husband are what make a "successful" woman. It really hit close to home when, after Mad starts school, Elizabeth, a chemist, gets hired as a lab tech. When I got my degree with double majors in Computer Science and Mathematics, the job I was finally hired for was as a typing teacher. It was more than 10 years before I was able to put my degree to use in a proper way, and an uphill battle since then. It was incredibly frustrating at the time and all came rushing back reading about Elizabeth. My one question is, where is this story going? I am trying to figure out where all of this is leading and maybe the answer is nowhere, but I am looking for a plot to the story and not really finding one, more of a narrative of a life lived. An interesting narrative but still not a traditional kind of story. I am still hooked though, and hope to finish the book today or tomorrow.
 
Reading the book reminded me of my mom, except that she didn't become a young widow. She's a chef, but because of her age, she cooks rarely now, and sometimes she only supervises one of my nephews, who inherited my mother's flair and passion for cooking. But when she decided to study to become a chef, her own mother was against it. She thought it was ridiculous to have to pay for classes and go to a school to learn something that all women knew how to do: cook. So my mom found work taking care of an elderly woman who encouraged her to follow her dreams, she even graduated with honors as a chef, and one of her teachers recommended her to a renowned restaurant of the time. But the head chef there was a man who didn't appreciate any advice, much less from women. The man had learned to cook at home, and well, my mother has a very tenacious, sometimes even rebellious, character, so instead of doing things as her boss ordered, she did them as she thought best. And incredibly, instead of firing her, her boss started a battle with her. It sounds like something out of a movie, but it's true. They both began to strive to make better dishes. On one occasion, they even prepared the same dish, each in their own way. It was a reception, and since it was a buffet, they put up a sign indicating who had prepared it and asking for votes. The other chefs in the kitchen were amused by their competition, and well, after several years they became friends, and the man confessed to my mother that to beat her, he had gone to take classes, lol. And well, although my mother was and is an exceptional chef, she was paid half the salary. She did the same work as any man in that kitchen and earned half, just for being a woman. And when her boss retired and proposed her as his successor, the restaurant owner appointed another man, because, according to him, a restaurant attracts more people if it has a male chef than a female chef, because all women know how to cook. That's when my mother left that job and got another one at a hotel. She worked less and earned more, but just like in the previous job, women were paid less than men, even though they did the same work. She worked there until my last sibling was born; we were 6, 3 men and 3 women. My dad, at that time got a good salary, and he thought it would be better for her to take care of us, instead of working seven hours a day, earning a ridiculously low salary that barely covered the nanny and a few other things. Anyway, my mother was always the one actively involved in the school harvest festival, and in any event that took place in our community or at our schools, and she even prepared the entire buffet for my best friend on her wedding day.
Back to the book, at the beginning I didn't like that Elizabeth was assaulted and slandered, and that people believed the professor's story. I also didn't like that she was treated like an assistant and underestimated by her superiors and colleagues, simply for being a woman. Also I didn't liked that Calvin died, and same like Michelle, I can't find a concrete point of the story, but it seemed to me more like a narrative of anecdotes about a person's life: Elizabeth Zott, an original woman, with a strong personality, who has to fight and assert herself in a man's world. The author uses the narrative as a plea against inequality and a defense of individuality. The book is quite well written, and the reading is enjoyable. I liked how the author addressed one of the essential points: the fact that Elizabeth not only teaches women to cook but is also challenging them to disrupt the established order, and that's why Elizabeth makes enemies. I plan to watch the miniseries; I hope it's as good as the book.
 
I have finished the book for a second time and, as is common the second time reading a book or watching a movie, you see things you didn't see

I love the relationships throughout the story. We tend to think that our friends and relationships are from a similar social or work environment, with people who have similar interests. This story highlights great relationships with very dissimilar people. Elizabeth has a very unusual personality type and manages to interact wonderfully with very different people, and does things her own way. Looking around, I see that some places in real life and I love when I see it.
 
I totally agree with you Lynnie, the second time reading or watching a movie we see the little details. Thank you so much for join us, and for your comment.
 
I'm finally getting around to commenting. I got busy with Christmas!

Spoiler!


I'm glad we read the book. I had seen it around for a couple of years and wanted to find out why it was so popular.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top