Reviews tagging 'Cursing'

Lezioni di chimica by Bonnie Garmus

66 reviews

kelly_e's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

Title: Lessons in Chemistry
Author: Bonnie Garmus
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 4.25
Pub Date: March 31, 2022

T H R E E • W O R D S

Unexpected • Vibrant • Empowering

📖 S Y N O P S I S

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.

Like science, though, life is unpredictable. Which is why a few years later Eizabeth Zott finds herself not only a single mother but also 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 how to cook. She's daring them to change the status quo.

💭 T H O U G H T S

I was instantly drawn to the cover of Lesson in Chemistry, yet without reading the synopsis the cover lead me to believe it would be something a lot lighter than it actually is. What this book is is an ode to women in STEM, an ode to single mothers, an ode to women in general, an invitation to challenge the status quo.

Elizabeth Zott is one of those characters that leapt off the page and really came to life. She is witty, independent, intelligent, and not afraid of ruffling a few feathers. I would love to be able to tune into her daily cooking show. From the start, I was drawn into her world and Bonnie Garmus' witty dialogue kept me going. Additionally, the cast of supporting characters was fantastic. Calvin Evans (the love interest), Mad (her daughter), and Six Thirty (her dog) are all fully flushed out and add so much to the story.

The plot is certainly dense, tackling a lot of important topics and at times it seemed a tad on the slow side, yet my interest never wavered. It just could have been 25-40 pages shorter. With that said, I loved how Elizabeth took control of her life, trailblazing her own path to success and love. It is a truly empowering story.

While I enjoyed Lessons in Chemistry, I definitely think the hype affected my overall reading experience. I was anticipating something great, and what it delivered was simply good. It gave me The Maid vibes, which I really liked. I also enjoyed the themes and gaining insight into what life was like for women in STEM in the past. Given this was a debut, I will be eagerly watching news of what Bonnie Garmus is writing next.

📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• fans of The Maid
• women in STEM
• book clubs

🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S

"Imagine if all men took women seriously. Education would change. The workforce would revolutionize,. Marriage counselors would go out of business."

"'That's why I want to use Supper at Six to teach chemistry. Because when women understand chemistry, they begin to understand how things work.'
Roth looked confused.
'I'm referring to atoms and molecules, Roth.' she explained. 'The real rules that govern the physical world. When women understand these basic concepts, they can begin to see the false limits that have been created for them.'
'You mean by men.'
'I mean by artificial cultural and religious policies that put men in the highly unnatural role of single-sex leadership. Even a basic understand of chemistry reveals the danger of such a lopsided approach.'
'Well,' he said, realizing he'd never seen it that way before. 'I agree that society leave much to be desired, but when it come to religion, I tend to think it humbles us - teaches us our place in the world.'
'Really?' she said, surprised. 'I think it lets us off the hook. I think it teaches us that nothing is really our fault; that something or someone else is pulling the strings; that ultimately, we're not to blame for the way things are; that to improve things, we should pray. But the truth is, we are very much responsible for the badness in the world. And we have the power to fix it.'"

"Actually, a humanist. But I have to admit, some days the human race makes me sick." 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Misogyny, Sexual harassment, Death, Sexism, Emotional abuse, Bullying, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Body shaming, Car accident, Homophobia, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Blood, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Vomit, Death of parent, and Fatphobia

Minor: Pedophilia, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Violence, Abortion, Physical abuse, Child abuse, and Mental illness

sibling death

vargo's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, Death, and Death of parent

Minor: Grief, Sexual assault, Animal cruelty, Cursing, Sexual violence, and Suicide

amykenney's review against another edition

challenging funny hopeful informative inspiring medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexism, Grief, and Misogyny

Moderate: Car accident, Death of parent, Death, and Bullying

Minor: Pedophilia, Vomit, Abandonment, Abortion, Blood, Domestic abuse, Religious bigotry, Suicide, Cursing, and Pregnancy

jillkaarlela's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

This book is for your strong women out there. But I think everyone should read this, especially to see how bad women were treated in the STEM field in the 1950s and 1960s, not that long ago. In this story, you follow Elizabeth Zott as she works a female chemist, dealing with all of the sexism and discrimination that came with that. She uses the most out of what she was allowed. Even though she didn’t make enough money to support her child as a chemist, when she was allowed to host a cooking show, she made sure to embed it with her science, not back down on that choice. She inspired women all across the country, telling them they could be scientist, or whatever they wanted to be. She faced numerous challenges, but she didn’t back down for a second. This was a very powerful and inspirational story of triumph and perseverance. 
And if that wasn’t enough, the dog has its own consciousness and storyline, and we (as readers) hear the dog’s thoughts. 

Age rating: 14+ (I would be wary of the fact that there are adult scenes, as it gets into detail about the harsh reality of being a woman in a male dominated field in the 50s/60s, so it includes brief descriptions of SA)

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Content Warnings

Minor: Sexual assault, Cursing, Sexism, Misogyny, Sexual harassment, and Suicide

laheath's review against another edition

emotional funny inspiring medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Great debut novel!  Elizabeth Zott is a female chemist in the early 1960's who struggles against sexism in her workplace and then becomes an example to other women, including her own daughter, on not accepting the status quo.  Full of quirky characters and characters you love to hate because you've probably known someone like them.  Laugh out loud funny while providing social commentary.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism

Moderate: Death, Sexual content, Grief, Cursing, Suicide, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Infidelity, Pregnancy, Alcoholism, Sexual assault, and Domestic abuse

cwallace1005's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

 I read the little snippet about how Bonnie Garmus disagreed with the cover of this book because it looks more like a cute romcom than a book about a feminist scientist and her struggle in the patriarchal-heavy 1960s. And while I agree that the plot of the book is heavier than the cover implies, I would counter that the writing style was basically cute romcom. The writing and some of the fantastical elements of the book made it read like it was YA, but the content is definitely adult-focused. The first third had me worried that I wasn't going to like this book, but after that I flew through it. It's easy to read, enjoyable, and has endearing characters (think "Man Called Over" or "Eleanor Oliphant"). Once I got used to the writing style and the weird Six-thirty perspectives, I really liked the book and the way little mysteries and storylines came together. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism and Sexual assault

Moderate: Cursing, Suicide attempt, and Death

marlee621's review against another edition

emotional inspiring medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Sexism

Moderate: Cursing, Domestic abuse, Suicide, Death, and Bullying

micaelamariem's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

I won’t lie, this book had a slow start and the first 100 pages I was wondering if this would be a disappointment. I’m glad to say that I really got into it after that. There were so many times I laughed out loud as well as times I nearly cried. I love reading about women empowering women and stories like this need to be told. Because even though this is set in the 60’s, people today still need to hear how fierce and capable women are.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Pregnancy, Rape, Cursing, and Grief

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Sexual content, Body shaming, Bullying, Gaslighting, Classism, and Vomit

Minor: Abandonment, Alcoholism, Blood, Car accident, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Alcohol, Death of parent, Dysphoria, Fire/Fire injury, Medical content, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, and Suicide

ems_rxlibrary's review against another edition

funny informative lighthearted sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Rape, Sexual assault, and Misogyny

Moderate: Pregnancy, Infidelity, Suicide, Grief, and Death

Minor: Cursing

nialiversuch's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Abandonment, Rape, Sexual assault, Bullying, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Grief, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Pregnancy and Cursing

Minor: Sexual content and Vomit