🗣“What the hell, Ben! It’s four in the morning!”

Sometimes, the book is too good to put down. [READER]( The Daily Reader It’s nearing four in the morning. And I’m zipping through [Lessons in Chemistry]( by Bonnie Garmus, 2022’s number one best-selling debut novel in America. I’m loving it so much, I feel a need to share the reading experience. But there’s no one around with whom to share it because, as I said, it’s four in the morning. Also, despite the fact that Lessons in Chemistry is [number one]( I only know two people who have read it: Joan and Mary, two old friends. I could call Joan or Mary. Except they’re not likely to be up at four in the morning. And if I were to call to share this fantabulous reading experience, they’d probably say something along the lines of . . . “What the hell, Ben! It’s four in the morning!” They’re Boomers, who go to bed like clockwork every night at around ten. And proud of it. People have double standards about bedtime. If you go to bed early and get up early, it’s like you’re virtuous. On the other hand, if, like me, you go to bed late and get up late, you’re a bum. People have no problem calling me at, oh, ten in the morning and sneering . . . “Are you still in bed?” Like I’m committing a capital offense. But call them at four in the morning? They’ll be giving you grief about it for days. Anyway, about Lessons in Chemistry . . . It tells the story of Elizabeth Zott, a brilliant scientist who winds up hosting a TV cooking show in the early 60s. But it’s really about misogyny and prejudice against women. And it’s such a compelling and flawlessly-written tale that it hooks you. And you can’t stop reading—at least, I can’t. Which explains why I’m up at four in the morning looking for someone to talk to about it. Ok, I’d probably be up late anyway, even if I was reading a boring book. But that’s another story. It revives memories of my teenage years, when I’d be up late reading my favorite paperbacks by the little lamp next to my bed, even on a school night. Books like The Exorcist, Jaws, Ragtime, The Godfather. Especially The Godfather. God, I loved The Godfather. Loved it so much, I finished it and then immediately read it again. Here’s a thought . . . I could call Mary and Joan and disguise my voice when they answered. If they showed signs of grumpiness, I could say, ”Sorry, wrong number.” And then hang up. That reminds me of Tom, a kid from my sixth grade class. He went through this phony phone call phase where he’d call people and, in what he thought was a disguised voice, said stupid stuff like, “Eat my shorts!” Tom thought this was hilarious. One time, he called the phone of Erickson, another friend. And just as he was hanging up, having said “eat my shorts,” Mrs. Erickson said, “Goodbye, Tom!” Now that’s embarrassing. On second thought—probably not a good idea to call anyone at four in the morning. Instead, I’ll just go back to reading Lessons in Chemistry. There will be hell to pay tomorrow (or later today), when I officially wake up and try to get by on just a few hours of sleep. But Lessons is so good, it’s worth it—like The Godfather back in the day. Listen to [The Ben Joravsky Show]( [What Ben's Reading] [Night of the Living Rez]( wonderful short stories by Morgan Talty [Mike Sula]( on one of Chicago’s great bakers [Ben Joravsky]( on how CPS treats teachers [Best of the Ben J. Show]( [Monroe Anderson & Tiffany Walden]( two generations of journalists break down the mayor’s race State Comptroller [Susana Mendoza]( cold-hearted city The great [Delmarie Cobb]( on Vallas and more [An ex-cop is suing UIC Law School for discrimination]( One of the defendants’ attorneys says he’s using this lawsuit to silence and intimidate students and decision makers in higher education. by [Jennifer Bamberg]( | [Read h]( → [Caroline Patton, founder of the Chicago Weekly Show Calendar]( “It’s not just fans of shows going and looking at this concert calendar, it’s artists who are late and maybe looking for a place to get their show out there.” by [Debbie-Marie Brown]( | [Read h]( → [Quixote goes airborne]( Actors Gymnasium gives a circus twist to Cervantes. by [Kimzyn Campbell]( | [Read]( → [A bright spot in contemporary painting]( Two painters’ differences bring out the best in each other. by [Alan Pocaro]( | [Read here]( Music lover, this newsletter is for you. [TAP IN HERE]( [Issue of Feb. 23 – Mar. 8, 2023 Vol. 52, No. 10]( [View/Download Issue [PDF]]( [View this e-mail as a web page]( [@chicago_reader]( [/chicagoreader]( [@chicago_reader]( [Chicago Reader on LinkedIn]( [/chicagoreader]( [chicagoreader.com]( [Forward this e-mail to a friend](. Want to change how you receive these e-mails? You can [update your preferences]( or [unsubscribe from this list](. Copyright © 2023 Chicago Reader, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Chicago Reader, 2930 S. Michigan Ave., Suite 102, Chicago, IL 60616