Ever since it was published in 2022, Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus has taken up real estate on the tips of our tongues as the most talked-about book in the publishing industry.
Thanks to Apple TV Plus, the NYT bestselling novel is experiencing renewed life as an eight-episode limited series. Although we could hardly imagine anyone doing Elizabeth Zott justice, Marvel’s Brie Larson has encapsulated to immaculate precision the nuances of the brilliant, slightly socially awkward chemist-turned-cooking-show-host known for the No. 2 pencil in her hair.
You don’t need me to tell you that book hangovers are real or how desolate a feeling it can be when you’re at a loss over what to read next, especially when you know how you want to feel, just not what to read to help you feel it.
As someone who devoured Lessons in Chemistry and delighted in every second of it, here are 10 personalized recommendations to see you through your reading slump. One of them just so happens to be my favorite book of all time.
Carrie Soto Is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Carrie Soto Is Back isn’t set in the 1950s, it isn’t about chemistry, and it’s not about cooking. So, why then am I recommending it? If you loved Lessons in Chemistry for its resilient female character whose talents are unparalleled and who is unapologetic about it, then you will love Carrie Soto. She’s admittedly less humble than Elizabeth (not that Elizabeth is humble, per se), and sometimes she can even be unlikeable, but underneath that hard exterior is the soft wings of a hummingbird trying simply to stay above water.
Carrie and Elizabeth work in two complete fields — Carrie is a professional tennis player making a major comeback while Elizabeth is, well, Elizabeth — but I think you’ll find Carrie Soto just as vibrant and larger-than-life.
The Invisible Life of Euridice Gusmao by Martha Batalha
If one of your favorite aspects of Lessons in Chemistry was Elizabeth’s pursuit to get out from under the oppressive thumb of the patriarchy, then here’s a book won’t want to pass up on. In The Invisible Life of Euridice Gusmao, Euridice Gusmao is living in 1940s Brazil during a time when her purpose, according to men, is to be at the beck and call of her husband, which nine times out of 10 takes place in the kitchen. Euridice is every bit as talented as Elizabeth, but she lacks the belief that can actually become the writer, dressmaker, or culinary mavin she might have otherwise been in another life. She settles for daydreaming about it instead. That is, until one day, her sister shows up from the wreckage of a failed engagement with stories that plant seeds in Euridice’s heart and kick-start a chain of ruinous events.
Her Hidden Genius by Marie Benedict
Her Hidden Genius by Marie Benedict is a no-brainer if for no other reason than it takes place in the late 1940s and follows the brilliant, science-loving Rosalind Franklin as she works to unearth the secrets of DNA amidst the constant complaints of her male counterparts who can’t seem to fathom that she might possess greater skill than them. Sound familiar? If you’re not quite ready to leave the world of academia and science yet, or the mid-1900s or a strong-willed female main character determined to let her work speak for itself, her Hidden Genius is the perfect follow-up to Lessons in Chemistry.
The Kitchen Front by Jennifer Ryan
Set in the early WWII era, The Kitchen Front involves not one but four women, and it will curb your appetite for culinary adventures all the same. The Kitchen Front is titled after the real-life BBC program of the same name, but in Jennifer Ryan’s novel, we see four women compete in a cooking contest that, if won, will see them become the next co-host of The Kitchen Front. Each woman’s desire for winning stems from their own specific life, and each will have you rooting for the next. Will the competition bring the community together, or will it tear it apart?
The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert
If a period piece about a woman ahead of her time is what you want, then that is what you’ll get with The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert. In this exquisitely written novel, we meet Alma Whittaker on the day of her birth as she “slid[es] into our world on the fifth of January, 1800.” We stay with her for the entirety of her days, all the while witnessing her utter brilliance in the field of botany. Specifically the study of moss.
Now, I know what you’re thinking. A book set in the early 1800s about a big-boned, arguably unattractive botanist on the precipice of a life-changing scientific discovery is not exactly riveting reading. But it is! The Signature of All Things will satiate your appetite for an empowering story about a seemingly ordinary woman doing extraordinary things while on a quest to uncover to mysteries of evolution. Flecked with tinges of spirituality, The Signature of All Things also has a love story at its core, one which forces Alma to reconcile the possibility that science, divinity, spirituality, and magic can coexist in the same world.
P.S. This is my favorite book of all time, so do with that piece of information what you will.
The Butterfly Effect by Rachel Mans McKenny
Elizabeth Zott isn’t the most socially well-behaved woman in town, let’s just be honest. That’s not for a lack of morals, it’s just the way she operates. If you loved that aspect of Lessons in Chemistry, then The Butterfly Effect will scratch that itch. In the novel, Greto Oto prefers the company of insects to humans, but after a misfortunate personal obstacle forces her to abandon her research and return home to the middle of nowhere in America, she’s faced with the insurmountable challenge of… socializing. She thrust into a journey of self-discovery, one that completely clashes with her preference for the neat and orderly.
The Theory of (Not Quite) Everything by Kara Gnodde
Seeing Elizabeth Zott use numbers and equations to describe emotions, relay recipes, and even brew coffee is downright enjoyable. In that very same vein, you’ll love reading about brother and sister duo Mimi and Art Brotherton in The Theory of (Not Quite) Everything; try to use math to find love. When love finally does show up, however, it will cause an irreparable rip in the tight-knit bond between them and challenge what they know about mathematics and the human experience.
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
This one is a bit of a stretch in terms of plot, but hear me out. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow follows Sam and Sadie, best friends who emerge on the other side of a childhood falling out to become lifelong friends, and in the process, pursue their dreams to build a video game empire. If you opened Lessons in Chemistry without having a predilection for science and yet found yourself yearning for more, then Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow will have you feeling the same way about gaming. Plus, Sadie and Elizabeth Zott share the twin hurdles of making a go at it in an industry overflowing with men. I can’t guarantee you’ll love this book since we all have our preferences, but I want so badly to guarantee you’ll love this book. I finished it feeling buoyed by hope and weightless with joy. I think you will too.
Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn
Part of what made Elizabeth such a feminist baddie was her ability to defy conventional norms at every turn, sometimes without even realizing she was doing so. If you loved that about her, then you’ll appreciate Killers of a Certain Age, which revolves around a group of four female assassins (known as the Sphinxes) who are forced into retirement. Unbeknownst to those who ushered them away, they return, this time aided by the invisibility of their old age and the ruthless hunger to enact vengeance. Also, it’s utterly hilarious. If Betty White were still with us, she’d be perfect for an adaptation.
Fifteen Dogs by André Alexis
I’m assuming you don’t need me to elaborate on why this book about dogs is on a list of Lessons in Chemistry recommendations. If Six-Thirty’s human consciousness was the glue that bound you to the page, then Fifteen Dogs will do that and then some. A bet between gods Apollo and Hermes results in fifteen dogs overnighting at a veterinary clinic being embued with human consciousness. Although some are reluctant to alter their typical dog lifestyle, others take to the change seamlessly; some become poets, others forge relationships, but all of them will move you in some shape or form.
