January 2025 Top Novel: “Lessons in Chemistry” by Bonnie Garmus
Some books are just smart, sharp, and impossible to put down — Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus is exactly that. I picked this one up expecting a light-hearted read, and instead, I found myself genuinely rooting for one of the most refreshingly stubborn female protagonists I’ve read in a while.
Set in the early 1960s, the novel follows Elizabeth Zott, a brilliant chemist in a world that only sees her as a pretty face. She’s smarter than every man in the lab, knows it, and refuses to apologize for it. What I loved most was that this isn’t just a story about a woman battling misogyny (though there’s plenty of that); it’s about resilience, integrity, and what happens when you refuse to shrink yourself to make others comfortable.
Elizabeth somehow ends up hosting a cooking show, Supper at Six, but instead of housewife fluff, she turns every episode into a chemistry lesson (and honestly, life advice) disguised as recipes. Watching her teach other women that they are more than society’s expectations was empowering, and hilariously blunt. She’s not interested in pleasing anyone; and there’s something freeing in that.
What really made this book hit for me is how relatable her quiet rebellion felt. While I’ve never been a chemist, I have sat in rooms where I felt underestimated, where people expected me to smile instead of speak. Elizabeth reminded me that it’s okay to take up space — loudly if necessary.
Plus, there’s a dog named Six-Thirty who narrates parts of the book, and if that doesn’t immediately sell you, I don’t know what will.
Lessons in Chemistry is funny, heartbreaking, and wonderfully weird. It’s a story about love, grief, science, and women; and how sometimes the greatest revolution is simply refusing to become what everyone expects.
Highly recommend starting your year with this one. It’s the kind of book that sticks with you; like Elizabeth herself, impossible to forget.