Welcome to the Online Book Club discussion of Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus.
The Online Book Club, if you’ve never joined us before, is a book discussion group that takes place entirely online. Each week, I write a new blog post that talks about different aspects of the book, and you can interact directly with me and other readers by leaving your comments. Check back each week and see what new topics we’re talking about.
Lessons in Chemistry follows a woman named Elizabeth Zott who is an anomaly of her time period. She is a chemist, and she has no desire to be married or have children. However, she unexpectedly falls in love with another chemist, and this throws her life in a different direction. Years later, Elizabeth finds herself as a single mother and soon finds that she can use her chemistry skills in a different way–a way that will inspire housewives around the nation.
If you want to follow along with us but you aren’t interested in reading the book, you can always watch the series that is streaming on Apple TV+. Don’t have Apple TV+ at home? No problem! You can always request one of our Apple TV+ Roku Express 4K+ Streaming Devices and watch the series at home. Check out the trailer above if you want to get a feel for the how the story plays out on screen. Feel free to still leave comments on the blog posts, even if you’re only watching the series and not reading the book.
We’re reading the first 15 chapters for next week, so make sure to read those before coming back next week for the next blog post!
Welcome to the final Online Book Club discussion of Black Cake.
What did you think of the ending of the book? Did it end the way you thought it would? Were you relieved that everyone was able to overcome past pain and trauma to come together as a family? Do you think Covey would have been pleased with the way things turned out?
Did you enjoy Marble’s storyline? I thought her story was really sad. Not only did she have to learn that she was adopted but also she had to learn that her biological mother was dead. And, her biological mother had children who got to live with her and grow up with her. I think that would be really hard to come to terms with. Did you feel sorry for Marble’s adoptive mother? I don’t think she meant to do anything wrong, but the fact that she hid Marble’s background from her definitely hurt Marble in the long run. Were you surprised that Covey called Marble once but was too afraid to speak to her? Isn’t it so sad that there were several instances in the book where people thought they had more time to reconcile with family, but then they didn’t actually have time?
How surprised were you when Byron saw Lynette again, and she was pregnant? I was pretty shocked. It was nice that things ended up working out for Byron and Lynette. It was obvious earlier in the book that he wasn’t over her, so it was good that they got back together.
Did you expect the siblings to go to the islands together? I think it was the right thing to do, and I think it offered them a lot of closure. But, I did think it was a little surprising. It was nice that they got to meet Bunny and Pearl. They proved to be good allies and good friends. The meeting with Lin went about as well as I expected it to. He was just such a nasty man. Do you think he ever felt like he had done something wrong by making Covey marry Little Man? I don’t think he ever felt guilt about it. He was so selfish. Were you glad that we got closure about Covey’s mother? It was nice to know that she didn’t mean to leave her daughter behind forever. She had a really sad life and a really sad ending.
I think I assumed that Pearl was the one who had murdered Little Man. Didn’t you think the cake had been the thing to kill Little Man? I really thought that it did. I couldn’t believe that Bunny had actually been the perpetrator, putting poison in his champagne. I’m glad she was never caught. Do you think the kids feel like their mother was innocent? I think they wanted to believe she was, but without proof that someone else committed the crime, I don’t think they felt completely confident.
Would you have changed the very last pages? Did you wish you had more information about any of the characters? Did you enjoy knowing that they were all still connected to each other?
If you enjoyed this book and would like to read and watch similar titles, check out this list I created. Make sure to let me know if you check out anything on the list.
Before you go, make sure to check out this interview author, Charmaine Wilkerson, did with The Today Show. Let me know what you thought of the interview in the comments.
Thanks for following along this month! I hope you’ll join us again next month as we read Lessons in Chemistry. I hope to hear from you in the comments!
Welcome to Week 3 of the Online Book Club discussion of Black Cake.
How relieved were you when Covey was alive at the beginning of this section? I definitely had expected her to survive her escape, but it was good to have confirmation nonetheless. Were you surprised that Bunny was able to find Covey?
Did you expect that Covey was Byron and Benny’s mother? I couldn’t think of any other reason why we were reading about Covey if she were not connected to the family, so I wasn’t surprised when she revealed that detail. I can’t imagine how thrown Byron and Benny were when listening to their mother tell them all of her secrets. I think that would be incredibly hard to hear.
What surprised you most about Covey’s life after she left home? It was definitely really surprising when her friend, Elly, died, and Covey inadvertantly took her identity. What did you think when that happened? Did you think that was too far-fetched for the story? Did you feel sad about Elly’s death? What did you think about the scene where Covey was attacked? I thought the pages where Covey talks about having her baby ripped away from her were incredibly hard to read. I just can’t imagine that kind of grief. I don’t know how she was strong enough to keep going and have a life after the baby was taken. Covey was so strong and brave.
Were you shocked when Covey and Gibbs reunited? I was surprised that she was able to find him again. I’m glad they ended up together. Covey deserved that happiness. Were you surprised by how easy it was for Gibbs and Covey to change their names and become new people? I’m not sure that people would be able to do that in our society now. Were just so much more connected now. I think it would be harder for people to start fresh with a new life and a new name.
Does it surprise you that Bunny (Etta) became such a successful swimmer? It seemed like she was always in Covey’s shadow, so it’s interesting that she was able to make such a successful career for herself. Were you glad that Bunny and Covey were able to talk to each other a little bit before Covey died?
Did you feel any different about Covey after you read about her surfing accident after her husband died? The accident that wasn’t really an accident because Covey hoped that she would die that day. Are you surprised she would do something like that? How do you think the children would have reacted had they known the truth about that day?
I thought it was really sad that Benny wrote a letter to her mother but never sent it. Don’t you think that’s really sad? I wonder if they could have reconciled and spent time together before Covey’s death. Did it surprise you that Byron felt so betrayed after he found out that Covey had reached out to Benny? Did it also surprise you to learn that Gibbs visited Benny once but was unable to get out of the car? I thought that detail was pretty heartbreaking.
At the end of this section, we meet Marble Martin. How do you think she relates to this story? Do you think she’s Covey’s long-lost daughter? Isn’t it interesting that she talks about culture and food?
Are you excited to read the next section? Are you excited to finally get all of the answers to any questions you have about the characters? Before you go, check out this Featurette about the Hulu series. Does the series seem true to the book?
Thanks for following along this week. I hope you’ll leave a comment to let me know your thoughts on this section. Make sure to finish the book before coming back next week. I look forward to hearing from you in the comments!
Welcome to Week 2 of the Online Book Club discussion of Black Cake.
Did you enjoy reading the beginning of the book? This section sure ended on a cliff hanger, didn’t it! I’m sorry that I made you stop in such an exciting spot! But, hopefully, that makes you want to continue reading for next week!
At the beginning of the book, we meet Byron and Benny and learn that they have not seen each other for years. There is a lot of baggage between them, but the specifics of their problems aren’t really addressed in this first section. Did you feel like you understood why Benny left the family? Why do you think she didn’t attend her father’s funeral? Were you surprised when they started to listen their mother’s recording and she mentioned that they had a sister? I think that would be a hard suprise to hear in a recording like that. It’s too bad she didn’t share that information with them when she was still alive.
What did you think of the Covey storyline? I could not believe all of the twists and turns in Covey’s life! It was bad enough that her mother left, but then when her father got more into gambling, I just knew something horrible was going to happen. What do you think happened to Covey’s mother? Do you think she expected to leave and never come back? It seems strange that she would leave her daughter behind. I was just so mad at Covey’s father throughout this first section. I don’t understand how he could be so apathetic towards Covey, and I really couldn’t believe that he was willing to let her marry Little Man. He seems to only care about himself and making sure that he is successful and fine. He doesn’t care how his actions affect his daughter.
Do you like Covey as a character? I thought it was interesting that she was such a powerful swimmer. She was incredibly brave to be in the water even when conditions were not favorable. I was glad that she had Bunny as a close friend. I think Covey’s life would have been pretty miserable and lonely if she had not had Bunny. What do you think about Gibbs? Do you think it’s smart for Covey to be sneaking around with Gibbs? Do you think there is any future with him?
What are your first impressions of Bryon and Benny? They both seem a little bit lost and seem to have a lot of personal trauma. Byron obviously has some unresolved feelings for his past girlfriend, Lynette, and Benny can’t seem to figure out what she wants to do with her life. I was glad once we got to learn a little bit more about Benny’s backstory. It makes sense that she would leave college after getting attacked, and it was good to understand that Benny and her parents had a falling out because they were not pleased with the person she was dating. I felt so sad for Benny that she carried all of this pain and sadness by herself. I really wonder if her family would have become more understanding and supportive if she had come back home again. It’s interesting that Byron is such a famous scientist.
How surprised were you when Little Man keeled over at the wedding and Covey escaped? Do you think you have a guess as to what happened to Little Man? Do you think Covey survived her escape? Do you think Bunny is going to be able to find her? What do you think is going to happen in the next section?
Before you go, check out the clip below to learn more about the Hulu adaptation of the book. Do you think it looks like an interesting series?
I can’t wait to hear what you thought of the first section! For next week, make sure to read through page 259!
Welcome to Week 1 of the Online Book Club Discussion of Black Cake.
The Online Book Club, if you’ve never joined us before, is a book discussion group that takes place entirely online. Each week, I write a new blog post that talks about different aspects of the book, and you can interact directly with me and other readers by leaving your comments. Check back each week and see what new topics we’re talking about.
Black Cake tells the story of two siblings who are forced to reunite after their mother passes away. The siblings have been estranged for several years, but after their mother died, she left a recording telling her life story in the hopes that they would reconcile and complete her last wishes. As the siblings listen to the recording, they realize that their mother was not the person they thought she was, and she had a secret and traumatic past. This book is a wonderful family saga that will keep you flipping pages right until the end.
If you want to follow along with us but you aren’t interested in reading the book, you can always watch the series that is streaming on Hulu. Don’t have Hulu at home? No problem! You can always request one of our Hulu Roku Express 4K+ Streaming Devices and watch the series at home. Check out the trailer above if you want to get a feel for the how the story plays out on screen. Feel free to still leave comments on the blog posts, even if you’re only watching the series and not reading the book.
We’re reading the first 128 pages for next week, so make sure to read those before coming back next week for the next blog post!
Use the pink floss to cross stitch the entire heart. I used all 6 strands of the floss. You can use the chart to see where I used 1/2 and full stitches, but really, it doesn’t matter, just do basic stitches all the way across each row.
Use the red floss to make the “BE MINE” stitching. I only used 3 strands of the red floss. The chart included with the kit didn’t copy as well as I would have liked. Here’s a picture that is hopefully a little clearer of where the stitching should go.
Cut out the felt and glue to the back. Be sure not the cover the hole at the top.
Thread the ribbon through the hole at the top and tie a bow.
It may be Winter, but Spring is coming! In February GCPL is getting you ready for Spring with bright, vibrant, and lively offerings.
With Valentines, Black History Month, and more – your librarians are focused on the ways we are better together with programs and highlights from your catalog. Please join us in Sharing & Giving as part of our annual Food for Friends donation drive and spreading the word about our student snacks program. And speaking of joining in, you still have one month left in our Winter Reading Challenge!
February is also a time for rolling up our sleeves and getting it done – from getting your taxes ready to getting ready to take tests – your library is here to help it all!
And lastly, we have a lot coming up later this Spring – including the last phases of renovation at the Xenia Community Library.
Let’s keep connected and I look forward to seeing you at the library,
Karl Colón, Executive Director Greene County Public Library
What did you think of the ending? Did you love it? I found myself fighting back tears while I was reading the ending here at work. It was just so wonderful to read about how the boys were rewarded for their hard work, and I loved reading how all of their lives ended up after their college careers were finished. They all seemed like such amazing men.
One thing I couldn’t believe was how long it took Al Ulbrickson to create the exact right group that would prove to be unbeatable. It was such a hard process to figure out the exact right formula of guys! Were you surprised that it was such an exacting process? I was also surprised that each place in the boat had such a specific purpose. It just seemed to me that everyone was doing pretty much the same thing. I liked learning about Bobby Moch and how he was so perfect at his job. Each boy that ended up on the team had such an interesting backstory.
Another thing that shocked me was how much the boys trained for so few competitions. They trained so hard for so many months, so it’s wild that they only had two competitions a year. Can you imagine working that much for that little of a reward? They were really dedicated to the craft!
What did you think about all of the descriptions of Germany during the Olympics and all of the ways they were deceitful? They took down anti-Semetic signs and newspapers and polished and painted every surface. Could you believe they even put flowers outside of vacant apartments to make them look lived in? They thought of every single detail. It’s amazing that they were able to trick so many people. How long do you think things stayed looking so nice? How soon after the Olympics were over did they put out all of the signs against the Jewish people?
I was so nervous the whole time I was reading about the Olympic race, even though I knew the boys were going to win. I couldn’t believe how sick Don Hume was throughout the race. What do you think happened to him when he seemed to be almost passed out? How did he’d recover and come back into his body? They definitely would not have been able to win if he had not had some ability to work past his sickness. What did you think of the fact that the boys were put in the worst outside lane? I wasn’t really surprised that the Germans were cheating to try to make sure they were the winners. I was glad that they weren’t rewarded for cheating.
What else stuck out to you in this section? What details were the most interesting to you? Did you find yourself Googling anything to learn more? Would you recommend this book to anyone you know?
Did this book make you want to read and watch other inspirational stories? Check out this list I created if you’re looking for more movies and books like this one. Make sure to let me know if you check out something on the list!
Make sure to check out the clip below to hear more about the gold medal race. When I first watched the clip, I was confused how there were so many close-up shots of the boys. But, when I read the final pages of the book, I learned that Leni Riefenstahl asked the boys to row for her the day after the race, so she could have different shots for her movie. Did you catch that part in the book? That was so interesting! It sure makes for really interesting historical footage now!
Thank you so much for following along this month! I hope you enjoyed the book, and I can’t wait to read your final thoughts in the comments. Next month, we’ll be reading Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson. I hope you’ll read along with us in February!
Did you enjoy reading this section? I’m so excited for the boys to actually get moving and get to the Olympics. This section was tough just because all of the rowing stuff seemed to be so up in the air! It took so long for the right combination of boys to land in the boat.
One thing that stuck out to me in this section was how hard Joe worked to make sure he could stay at the University of Washington and stay on the rowing team. Could you believe his summer job of jackhammering to carve out a place for a new dam? I cannot even imagine trying to jackhammer on solid ground much less while dangling from a rope. Check out this article about the construction of the Grand Coulee dam to see a picture of the jackhammer crews blasting on the side of the canyon. It was cool that Joe was able to bond with a few other boys on the rowing team while working that summer. I was glad when Joe was able to open up to others.
What did you think of George Pocock? I was glad when he was able to take Joe under his wing. He seemed like a wonderful man, so I was glad that he was able to mentor Joe a bit. I think George made the ultimate difference for Joe and allowed Joe to become a successful member of the team.
I really hoped that Joe would be able to reunite with his family in that section, so I was glad that he was able to reconnect with his father a bit at the end of this section. It’s too bad that it took Thula dying to have the family come together. Were you surprised that Joe’s dad said he wanted to build a house for them all to live in together? It was sad to read how Thula rebuffed Joe when he tried to make a connection with her and her children. It was good that Joe had Joyce. I think she really helped since she gave him unconditional love and support.
It was crazy to me that the boys trained so hard for so few races. I really can’t believe that they were motivated for so many months for two little races. I don’t think I would have been able to be disciplined for all of those months with the competitions so far in the future. And, the pressure of those two races would have crushed me, I think! I am not meant to be a rower. Were you surprised when the sophomore boys were able to win their race in Poughkeepsie? They had so many problems. I was surprised that they were able to win. It was disappointing that the varsity team didn’t win, but I’m not sure if Joe and his team would have been able to be the Olympic team in the varsity had won and been successful together.
What else did you enjoy about this section? What parts stood out to you the most? What did you think of the parts that mentioned Germany and all of the deception taking place there? Are you surprised that Germany was able to trick everyone into thinking it was a peaceful place? How do you think things would have been different had there not been a 1936 Olympics in Berlin?
While reading about this book, I realized that not only is there a motion picture version but also there is a documentary version that aired on PBS. Take a look at the video below to see the first part of the documentary. Don’t you think it looks interesting? If you think this video looks promising, you can request the full documentary here.
I hope you liked this section! Make sure to leave a comment to let me know what your favorite parts were. Finally, make sure to finish the book before checking back next week!
What did you think about the beginning of the book? Were you interested in the story from the first pages? I was drawn to the story immediately, even though it’s a nonfiction book. I don’t read a lot of nonfiction, so it’s sometimes hard for me to get started on a nonfiction story. But, this one was really interesting from the get-go.
In the first couple of chapters, we learn a lot about Joe and his childhood. His story was incredibly heartbreaking. I really can’t believe how positive and hardworking his was, even after all of the hardship and betrayal he experienced throughout his formative years. I felt so incredibly angry towards Joe’s dad the whole time I was reading. It’s just so frustrating that Joe was left to fend for himself from such a young age. I just can’t imagine leaving a child like that. I understand that that family was impoverished and that it was hard to feed everyone, but I think the stepmother would have wanted Joe to leave even if they had had enough money for food. She didn’t like Joe from the very beginning. I’m glad that Joe found Joyce. She was able to provide him some stability that his family didn’t provide.
Did you enjoy reading about rowing? Do you have any rowing experience? I don’t have any experience with rowing, but I still found those sections interesting. I just couldn’t believe how hard the boys worked every single day. They were so dedicated. And, I found it interesting that they had to be in complete sync with each other or they would not be able to go quickly. They basically had to work like a machine. I tried to imagine what the whole mistake, “catch a crab,” would look like, but I couldn’t really picture it. It would be really embarrassing to do that while rowing–especially since it could cause a rower to catapault out of the water! I also tried to imagine how quickly they were rowing. I was glad that the author included how many strokes a minute they were doing, but still, that didn’t really help me know how quickly they were going. Were you able to picture all of the scenes the author described? Did you feel like you were able to get a good feel for the mechanics of rowing? Were you able to imagine the races in your head?
At the end of this section, we were introduced to Leni Riefenstahl. She seems like she will become a really important character in this story. It’s interesting that Hitler was able to find a filmmaker who was willing to join his propoganda crew. How do you think he will use her films during the Olympic Games? How do you think Goebbels and Riefenstahl will work together going forward?
What parts of this first section were most interesting to you? Did you enjoy reading about the races? Do you wish you knew more information about any of the people mentioned in the first section? Are you excited to read the next section?
Before you go, check out the clip below to hear what the stars of the film version had to do to look like competent rowers. Do you think you could train that hard just to play a part?
Thanks for following along this week! I hope you’ll leave me a comment to let me know what you thought of the first section! Make sure to read the next 6 chapters before you join us next week!
