If you loved Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus, you’ll also enjoy the books we’ve gathered for this list. It includes highly-rate titles across various genres, and each book connects to one of the key elements of Lessons in Chemistry (no pun intended).
When brainstorming the best Lessons in Chemistry read-alikes, we thought about the different aspects of the story that stood out to us and the ways our readers say they connected with the book.
Accordingly, we’ve broken our book list down into subsections that include historical books about women in STEM, novels with characters that remind us of Elizabeth’s dog (Six-Thirty), quirky characters that remind us of Elizabeth and Mad, foodie historical fiction, and romance books featuring women in STEM careers.
Historical Books About Women in STEM Careers
If you liked Lessons in Chemistry because Elizabeth was a brilliant chemist well before it was widely accepted for women to have careers in science, engineering, or math, then the first book recommendations on this list are for you! If you enjoyed the time period of the Lessons in Chemistry, we also recommend checking out our curated lists of books set in the 1950s and books set in the 1960s.
In the 1940s, polio became a feared pandemic across the world. The disease was cruel – killing or paralyzing those contracting it, with children particularly impacted. This historical fiction tells the story of a real scientist, Dorothy Horstmann, who worked desperately for a cure.
While many male scientists raced to beat each other to a polio vaccine so they could achieve notoriety, Dorothy’s eye remained on the goal of saving lives. Her name was commonly left off of the scientific discoveries she made in favor of her male co-workers, but she still forged diligently ahead.
The Book Girls Say…
This book provides an interesting look at a real-life female scientist whose work overlapped the 1950s timeline of Elizabeth Zott’s fictional chemistry career.
Rosalind Franklin was a brilliant scientist who always felt more comfortable with the consistent laws of chemistry and physics than with people. Her colleagues complain about her and avoid working alongside her.
When she is assigned to work on DNA, Rosalind believes she can finally be the one to figure out the building blocks of life. And then it finally happens. She discovers the double helix structure of DNA, but she could have never predicted what would happen next.
The Book Girls Say…
In this historical fiction novel, the author brings to light the story of this remarkable woman whose life-altering contributions to science were, for many years, hidden by the men around her.
This is a remarkable non-fiction account of the Black female mathematicians – known as “human computers.” They helped calculate America’s most outstanding engineering achievements, like launching the first rockets and astronauts.
While brilliant Black women were initially relegated to teaching math in segregated public schools, many of these women suddenly found new opportunities open to them when the aeronautics industry suffered labor shortages during WWII.
The government was in dire need of anyone who possessed high-level math skills. This book interweaves the stories of four African-American women who answered the call. Over three decades – from WWII, through the Cold War, the Civil Rights Movement, and the Space Race – they participated in some of NASA’s greatest successes.
The Book Girls Say…
While we generally believe the book is always better, we highly recommend watching the movie version after reading Hidden Figures. While the film covers only the slice of time leading up to NASA’s Mercury 7 launch, it does an excellent job of portraying the challenges these brilliant women faced. This includes crossing both gender and racial barriers in an era where their field was not only dominated by men but where Jim Crow laws enforced both segregation and discrimination against African Americans.
Emily was determined to make changes in the world and was an active participant in the women’s suffrage movement. But when her husband, Washington Roebling, was injured on the job as the Chief Engineer of the Brooklyn Bridge, Emily put her own work on hold to take over for her husband. As the bridge rises, Emily wonders if she’s building her own legacy or that of her husband.
This novel is based on the true story of how Emily Roebling transformed this project of monumental scale. Her work took her into the bowels of the East River, to suffragette riots, and into the halls of Manhattan’s elite.
The Book Girls Say…
Despite shattering gender barriers in engineering, few people at the time openly recognized Emily’s efforts toward completing the Brooklyn Bridge. Nearly a century later, Elizabeth Zott, in Lessons in Chemistry, would similarly experience the frustration of men taking credit for her scientific work.
Note that while most of this historical fiction novel stays pretty true to Emily’s life, one aspect that the author notes is pure fiction is the storyline involving PT Barnum. The two did become friends in real life, but anything more is a work of the author’s imagination.
Over the years, home economics has gotten a bad rap, and some may associate the term with a time when women were told their place was in the home. But this stigma overlooks the true origins of the field of home economics. This book examines and uncovers the roots while exploring whether it remains relevant today.
This field of study was first developed in the late 19th century by a female chemist named Ellen Swallow Richards. The first woman to attend MIT, she defined her life’s work as “Chemistry in Relation to Household Economy,” and she was fascinated by chemistry’s application to everyday problems, such as water sanitation and testing wallpaper for arsenic.
The concept of home economics has evolved greatly in the past century and a half, sometimes following trends in American culture and other times helping to shape them.
The Book Girls Say…
This is a great pick if you enjoyed Lessons in Chemistry and would like a non-fiction companion book that explores using science at home.
In this charming debut novel, Widower Tova works at the Sowell Bay Aquarium to occupy her mind and time. She takes pride in cleaning perfectly every night, even though she doesn’t need the money. She loves all the aquarium life but forms a special bond with the intelligent (and curmudgeonly) octopus named Marcellus.
He’s just as surprised to feel friendly toward this human who visits him nightly. Soon, he connects the sadness he sees in her with something he saw in the ocean long ago. Can he help her solve the mystery of her son’s disappearance 30 years ago?
The Book Girls Say…
Neither of us expected to have a book partially narrated by a giant Pacific octopus on our best books of 2022 list, but Marcellus stole our hearts. Beyond that, we loved each of the human characters and their struggles in different phases of life. Young or older, so many people deal with loneliness and loss. Watching characters process and evolve through that was a heartwarming treat.
Ted is a writer, struggling at work and in relationships. His closest companion is his elderly dachshund, Lily. They do everything together. But now Lily has a new condition that Ted is having difficulty accepting.
This quirky novel turns into an adventure, which then spins into magical realism and beautifully written truths of loss and longing. It reminds us how it feels to love fiercely, how difficult it can be to let go, and how fighting for those we love is the greatest fight of all.
The Book Girls Say…
This is a really hard book to explain without spoilers. Melissa went into the novel only knowing it was written by one of her favorite authors, Steven Rowley, and it was about a man and his dog. And that is how this book should be enjoyed. It’s heart-warming, tear-jerking, and laughter-inducing. At some point, you will absolutely wonder what the heck is going on when magical realism makes an entrance. But just keep reading with your box of Kleenex close by.
Be warned, while this often hilarious and uplifting story will make you smile, you’ll also need tissues to wipe your eyes. This novel is narrated by Enzo, a philosophizing dog, who recalls all he and his family have been through on his final evening on earth.
Enzo’s master, Denny, is an up-and-coming race car driver who has taught Enzo that life, like racing, isn’t simply about going fast. While this sounds like a quirky concept, it’s actually a beautiful book about the wonders and absurdities of human life.
The Book Girls Say…
Random fact of the day – the adorable dog photographed for the cover of this book belonged to one of Angela’s friends!
Did you love Elizabeth’s quirky personality and the humor mixed with emotions in Lessons in Chemistry? Or was it her daughter, Mad, with her wise-beyond-her-years understanding of the world that you loved the most? Either way, this section of the list is for you! From quirky moms to precocious kids, these books feature characters perfect for fans of Lessons in Chemistry.
Discover even more lovably unique and often misunderstood women on our list of Quirky Book Characters.
Contemporary Fiction
Where’d You Go, Bernadette
Maria Semple
Publication Date:
08/14/2012
Setting:
Seattle, Washington, early 2010s
Book Girls’ Readers Rate This Book
91% Would Recommend to a Friend
Book Summary
Bernadette lives with her husband and her teenage daughter in Seattle – a city where she’s never felt she fits in. She was once a renowned architect, but now spends most of her time in the house hiding from the other moms of her daughter’s elite prep school.
Unlike her Microsoft employee husband, Elgie, who has fully embraced the granola-eating, public transport-using, bike-riding culture of 2010s Seattle, Bernadette spends her days in the house relying on a virtual assistant in India for many of her daily tasks. This becomes a real problem when her daughter’s stellar report card earns her a family cruise to Antarctica, and Bernadette becomes overwhelmed by the planning and preparations. When Bernadette disappears before the trip, her daughter Bee is determined to track her down, unraveling a web of secrets.
Much of this book is told in epistolary form, including notes from Bee’s school, email exchanges between Bernadette and her virtual assistant, and catty moms communicating about Bernadette’s eccentricities.
The Book Girls Say…
Like Elizabeth, Bernadette is a genius in her field, but her career didn’t go according to her plans. Both novels also feature a very strong mother-daughter relationship.
This satirical novel was a Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for “Best Humor” when it was released in 2012, and it’s one of our favorite laugh-out-loud reads. But it’s more than just that… Maria Semple created an enjoyable, witty, smart, and emotional novel!
Angela and her husband both enjoyed the audio version of this book, and this is one of the rare instances where we felt like the movie was almost as good as the book!
Susan Green thrives on order, routine, and predictability. Even her romance is scheduled with a regimented weekly relationship that fulfills her physical and cultural needs without emotions or strings.
Her ability to control every aspect of her life is lost when she finds out she is pregnant. Through this big moment, combined with her mother’s passing, Susan has to learn how to live and love, even in circumstances she can’t direct.
The Book Girls Say…
Many people go into Lessons in Chemistry expecting a rom com based on the cover, and are surprised to find a much deeper story. Some find The Cactus to be the same way. Like Elizabeth, Susan’s world is turned upside down by a pregnancy that comes at the same time as a major loss.
Some reviews find Susan entirely unlikeable, but Melissa disagreed and found herself rooting for Susan’s happiness, knowing that if she could find it, her sharp cactus-like nature would be softened.
What happens when a reclusive legendary author loses her money in a Ponzi scheme? She’s forced to write a book for the first time in decades, but her eccentric nature has the publisher concerned about their investment.
They send an assistant, Alice, to Mimi’s mansion to keep an eye on the writing progress, but Alice soon ends up spending more of her time with Frank, Mimi’s 9-year-old son.
Frank is witty, stylish, and not at all like the other kids in his school. Alice quickly appreciates his unique personality and becomes obsessed with finding out who Frank’s dad is…and whether family friend Xander is more than a friend.
The Book Girls Say…
Like Mad, Frank doesn’t have much in common with the other kids at school. While these two children are unique in very different ways, both manage to steal the show.
This is the first book in the ten-book series of Flavia de Luce mystery novels, set in 1950 England. The protagonist is 11-year-old Flavia, a quirky and precocious aspiring scientist who has an extra fascination with poison. When a series of mysterious events occur around her property, her life as a detective begins. Things escalate when a dying man is found in the cucumber patch, and Flavia is thrilled to investigate and track down clues.
The Book Girls Say…
Like Mad in Lessons in Chemistry, Flavia is fascinated by chemistry, and she’s also excellent at unraveling mysteries. While Mad solves the mystery of her father’s origins, Flavia expertly solves mysteries around her English countryside home.
If You Liked the Food Emphasis in Historical Fiction
If Supper at Six was your favorite part of the book, you’ll find great novels on our list of fiction books for food lovers. And if you want the perfect mix of historical fiction mixed with foodie themes, we recommend the following books.
Two years after the start of WW2, Britain is struggling. The Blitz has destroyed homes and businesses, and U-boats have cut off many food supplies. With rationing at the forefront of everyone’s mind, BBC Radio started a cooking program to help housewives with creative meals. While this book is historical fiction, it’s based on a real wartime cookery program.
To find the show’s first female co-host, BBC has a cooking contest. The four candidates couldn’t be more different, but each needs the job. A young widow, a kitchen maid, a Lady with a wealthy but hostile husband, and a trained female chef trying to take on the men at the top of her field must compete for the single hosting position. They’re ready to give it their all, even if that means bending the rules.
The Book Girls Say…
Much like Lessons in Chemistry, the characters in this book are at the forefront of a new genre of educational entertainment – cooking shows!
It’s the 1940s, and Euridice has a typical life of a woman from that era. She is expected to be an obedient and traditional housewife. While she is passionate about cooking and sewing, her dreams go far beyond caring for her family. She starts several secret projects, like making recipe books, as she tries to make a business for herself. However, her husband forbids her from using her talents. On top of that, a gossipy neighbor is spreading rumors about Euridice.
Her sister, Guida, also has challenges despite escaping her family’s expectations and eloping with a medical student years earlier. Suffering and pain eventually cause her to return home with her young son. Euridice takes them in, and together, the sisters learn to be independent and make the most of their lives.
The Book Girls Say…
Readers say this book is full of eccentric characters and even a touch of magical realism in line with regional tradition. Much of the book is focused on Euridice’s inner thoughts and world as she struggles to find herself as a progressive woman in a patriarchal home.
Alice was a publicist in New York before leaving her career to follow her husband to the suburbs. Learning to fill her days in a big, empty house, she comes across a vintage cookbook in the basement. Within the book, she discovers hidden notes left by the home’s previous owner, Nellie – a quintessential 1950s housewife. As Alice cooks her way through Nellie’s recipes, she starts to uncover clues about her life.
Juxtaposing Alice’s present-day life against Nellie’s 1950s world, this is a story of how everything has changed, but in some ways, nothing has changed.
The Book Girls Say…
If you found yourself wishing you could cook along with Elizabeth in Lessons in Chemistry, then you’re in luck. This novel includes recipes, as well as some depressing but hilarious marriage advice from the 1950s.
We all know the saying, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” But we’ve all been guilty of it from time to time. Lessons in Chemistry (the US cover in particular) definitely gives off rom-com vibes, and some readers are surprised to discover that it’s not that. While we love Lessons in Chemistry for going deeper, we also love a good romantic comedy. So, if you’re ready for something a bit lighter that still features women in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math), then these final books on the list are for you!
Ph.D. candidate Olive doesn’t believe in long-term relationships, but her best friend, Anh, is driving her crazy trying to change her mind. In a desperate attempt to satisfy Anh, Olive kisses the first man she sees to show that she is dating and trying to find love.
Professor Adam Carlsen is known for being a tyrant in the lab, and unfortunately, he was the lucky recipient of her impulsive kiss. Olive is shocked when Dr. Carlsen agrees to go along with her fake boyfriend’s charade.
When her career is put at risk after a fiasco at a science conference, Adam’s response to her big disaster begins to change everything for Olive.
The Book Girls Say…
In addition to featuring a fiesty female chemist, this steamy novel also covers two popular romance tropes – fake dating plus grumpy meets sunshine!
If you enjoyed The Love Hypothesis, don’t miss Ali Hazelwood’s 2023 collection of 3 STEM romance novellas in Loathe to Love You. One features an environmental engineer, one a civil engineer, and the third a NASA aerospace engineer.
A bad boss forced 27-year-old Annie to walk away from her promising chemistry career. Then, her fiancé walked away, saying he needed some space. She’s vowed to let no new people into her life because they just end up causing trouble. But when glamorous Harper moves in next door, Annie is intrigued and finds herself spying on her. Soon, she’s teaming up with another amateur detective to keep Harper safe – but does Harper really need their help at all?
As Annie winds up getting sucked into her neighbor’s drama, she ends up with not one but two new people in her life.
The Book Girls Say…
While Annie’s chemistry career is not the focus of this novel, the story comes back to it by the end. When you read it, keep in mind that it was published in February of 2020… it’s quite ironic that the chemistry storyline focusing on hand sanitizer was released just a month before it became such a precious commodity.
Single-mom Jess understands data and statistics. What she doesn’t understand – or have time for – is relationships. But when her best friend tells her about a new DNA-based matchmaking company called GeneticAlly, she’s intrigued by the idea of finding a soulmate through the reliability of numbers.
She’s shocked when her test results return a 98% match with the company’s founder, Dr. River Pena. She’s already met him, and she’s confident they are not compatible! But the company sees the potential for great PR from this match, so they offer to pay Jess to date River for the publicity.
The Book Girls Say…
Faking dating is just one part of this rom-com, which also includes the enemies-to-lovers trope and lots of nerdy, steamy chemistry! What more could you ask for?!
Lucy London is a genius. She completed her PhD in microbiology at the age of 20. But there is one subject that she struggles with – people. When she’s offered a grant to study emotions and passion as a pathogen, she jumps at the chance to figure things out on a scientific level.
The perfect person to start her research on is her neighbor, Jensen. He’s the one person Lucy finds attractive, and she’s eager to learn more. After all, what better way to research passion than to experience it for yourself?
The Book Girls Say…
Reviewers describe Lucy as a female Sheldon Cooper, which, as fans of The Big Bang Theory, immediately had us hooked. And now that we think about it, Elizabeth Zott reminded us a bit of Sheldon, as well!
Cosmetic chemist Anna is brilliant, geeky, and in love with her boss, Craig. In order to gain his attention, she decides to exploit his competitiveness with his half-brother Marco. Whatever Marco has, Craig seems to want. So, if Marco has Anna, surely Craig will try to woo her away.
Except that the more time Anna spends with Marco, the more her fake feelings start to feel real.
The Book Girls Say…
In Lessons in Chemistry, Elizabeth transferred her chemistry knowledge to the world of cooking. In this fun rom com, Anna is a cosmetic chemistist, which is a niche field of science that most of us rarely give much thought to, even if makeup is part of our daily routine.
We also have several book lists with additional book recommendations featuring themes similar to Lessons in Chemistry. Whether you were drawn to the timeframe, the food, the quirky characters, or the pioneering female lead, we have more suggestions for you!
The book opens in Commons, California in 1952. Elizabeth Zott is a quirky and brilliant female chemist working with an all-male team at the Hastings Research Institute. Despite her scientific qualifications, the “good old boys” are continuously frustrated that she won’t get coffee or make copies for them. Elizabeth typically wants nothing to do with men, but when she meets Calvin Evans, a fellow scientist at the Institute, another type of chemistry results.
Fast forward a few years. It’s 1961, and Elizabeth is a 30-year-old single mother. She’s taken a bit of a detour in her career. Instead of working for Hastings, she’s now (somewhat reluctantly) the star of a much-loved cooking show called Supper at Six. Her cooking methods are unusual (“combine one tablespoon acetic acid with a pinch of sodium chloride”). As her popularity grows, it turns out she’s not just teaching women to cook, she’s also daring them to change the status quo.
Our Lessons in Chemistry Review
Both Book Girls rated Lessons in Chemistry five stars. While most readers seem to love this book as much as we did, those who don’t have pretty strong feelings about it. We think this might stem partly from the fact that the book’s cover gives off rom-com or chick-lit vibes, and this book is definitely not that.
That said, we struggled to put into words exactly what we love so much about Lessons in Chemistry without saying too much. But if there was an Elizabeth Zott fan club, we’d definitely be members! This novel is funny, but not in a laugh-out-loud sort of way – more in a sometimes you have to laugh so you don’t cry sort of way.
The descriptions of the misogyny that Elizabeth faces (and specifically some of the language that is directed at her) offends some readers, but it’s an accurate representation of what she and so many women faced in the 1950s and 1960s. By no means is our struggle for equality over, but this book gave us so much respect for the women who paved the way.
Readers should be aware that this book addresses some serious topics, including misogyny, sexual assault, domestic violence, and suicide.
For more information about the book, be sure to visit our full Lessons in Chemistry book club guide. It includes discussion questions, a character list, and much more.
The Book Girls are best friends who jointly read over 200 books per year. We started Book Girls' Guide in 2019 to help others de-stress and find joy through the power of a great book. We do in-depth research on thousands of novels and non-fiction titles each year to provide curated book lists covering a variety of genres.
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