I think I speak for a lot of people when I say that we're still desperately waiting on those two sequels. Seriously, given that the chemist is on the run for her life, from a well resourced government agency and that she is clearly handicapped by the company she keeps, it is not unreasonable to expect a hair raising chase or nail biting conflict, thoroughly soaked in adrenaline laced action and heart pumping tension. Meyer clearly did quite a bit of homework with respect to the molecular biology and other scientific and medical elements of the plot. The chapter on weird water wanders through not just the odder stories (and fictions) about water, but has something deeper to say about the line between science and pseudoscience that we would all do well to heed in this era of “fake news”.

THE CHEMIST is a light romantic suspense and spy thriller which I found slightly challenging to follow along with some of the secondary characters.The sample exercises are much more helpful than in an average chemistry textbook because they run the gamut from basic conceptual questions to more complex problems so that you’re prepared for anything. The audio version gave great emphasis on the funny animosity between the heroine and Kevin, certainly more than I remember from my first read when the book was first released. The term “organic” comes from the relationship between these compounds and life processes, however, there are many compounds studied by organic chemistry that are not present in living organisms, while many inorganic compounds are part of basic life processes such as mineral salts or metals such as iron, which is present in hemoglobin.

There was plenty of science, but never an overwhelming amount that might cause a reader’s eyes to glaze over. Sam Kean uses the story of the disappearing spoon to launch the story of the bitter clash between Dmitri Mendeleev, who is credited with developing the periodic table, and Paul Lacoq de Boisbaudran, who discovered gallium. I was extremely excited to read THE CHEMIST by STEPHENIE MEYER as I absolutely loved THE HOST and was hoping that this one would be just as good. But Brunning also reminds us that we use molecules for pleasure—from the way the menthol in mint binds to the receptors for “cool” in the mouth, tricking us into thinking we’re eating something cold, to the sharp bitterness of the phenylindanes that give a mid-afternoon espresso its extra kick.Neuroscientist Usha Goswami, chair of the 2023 judging panel, explains why it is important to get children excited about science via books, and introduces us to the fabulous titles that made this year’s shortlist. It also comes with a friendly presentation style, making it a perfect choice for high school students who don’t have prior knowledge or a foundation of chemistry. The Chemistry For Dummies focuses on a fun and easy-to-grasp way of learning basic chemistry for beginners. Kean explains why tin screams when you bend it and what that has to do with Robert Scott’s disastrous trip to the South Pole (spoiler, it’s a phase change, like the melting of ice) and how cesium is used as an atomic clock. It is the story of Juliana Fortis (using different names, especially Alex) a doctor specializing in special interrogations who, after they killed her mentor, escapes from the company of the government for which she worked.