Bonnie Garmus Books in Order: Lessons in Chemistry and Peck & Peck

Bonnie Garmus’s books in publication order are Lessons in Chemistry (2022) and Peck & Peck (2026). Both are standalone novels, so you can read either first without needing the other book for background.

For readers who want to follow her career from the beginning, publication order is the easiest approach. Start with Elizabeth Zott’s story in Lessons in Chemistry, then move to the literary world of Peck & Peck.

Guide checked: October 13, 2026.

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Bonnie Garmus Books in Publication Order

Penguin Random House lists the original hardcover publication date for Lessons in Chemistry as April 5, 2022. The current Scribner listing dates Peck & Peck to October 13, 2026, matching Garmus’s official website.

1. Lessons in Chemistry (2022)

Garmus’s debut introduces Elizabeth Zott, a chemist navigating the restrictions placed on women in 1960s California. Her career takes an unexpected turn when she becomes the host of a television cooking program.

The premise connects scientific expertise with a setting in which women’s knowledge is routinely undervalued. Elizabeth’s cooking-show platform gives her a different way to reach people, making the book an appealing starting point for readers interested in women challenging expectations.

If you found Garmus through the television adaptation, this is also the natural book to choose first. It gives you the original novel behind the screen version rather than sending you into an unrelated story.

For a wider reading list, explore our coverage of Goodreads’ most popular historical-fiction novels of the past decade, which includes Lessons in Chemistry.

Purchase prompt: Find Lessons in Chemistry on Amazon.

2. Peck & Peck (2026)

Peck & Peck is Garmus’s second published novel, with an October 13, 2026 publication date. It follows Batter Gray, a young man whose ambition to work with poetry leads him to a prestigious and dysfunctional New York poetry journal.

Garmus’s official description places Batter in 1980s New York and introduces the rival Peck brothers who run the publication. That workplace provides a different setting from Elizabeth Zott’s world: readers move from science and television to editors, artistic ambition, and the struggle to find a place in publishing.

Choose this book first if a literary workplace interests you more than a scientist’s battle with social expectations. Its premise also makes it a useful option for readers who enjoy stories about creativity and the uncertain path from college into working life.

Purchase prompt: Find Peck & Peck on Amazon.

Is Peck & Peck a Lessons in Chemistry Sequel?

No. Peck & Peck is a separate story with a different protagonist and setting. Calling it Garmus’s “follow-up” describes its place in her publishing career; readers should not interpret that as a continuation of Elizabeth Zott’s story.

You do not need to read Lessons in Chemistry before beginning it. Publication order is a recommendation for exploring the author, rather than a sequence required to understand a plot.

Which Bonnie Garmus Book Should You Read First?

My recommendation for a new reader is Lessons in Chemistry. Starting with the debut gives you a straightforward route through Garmus’s published novels.

However, choosing by premise is equally reasonable. Pick Lessons in Chemistry for its scientist protagonist and historical setting. Pick Peck & Peck for poetry, publishing, and a young adult finding his direction.

For book clubs, the two premises also suggest different discussion angles: whose expertise receives recognition, and how people decide what kind of work matters to them.

Do Different Editions Count as Additional Books?

No. Paperback, hardcover, ebook, audiobook, and translated editions do not create additional novels in the reading order. The 2025 U.S. paperback of Lessons in Chemistry, for example, is an edition of the 2022 novel.

Check format and edition details before purchasing, particularly if your book club wants matching pagination.

With two published novels, Garmus’s reading order is easy to follow: Lessons in Chemistry, then Peck & Peck. Start with whichever premise makes you most eager to turn the first page.

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