I'm calling it: Best book I've read in 2022 so far.

Refreshingly original from start to finish, this book tells the story of Elizabeth Zott, a true original! A brilliant chemist trying to break the glass ceiling in the 1950s, she succeeds based on her own determination to be more than society believes her to be and her quirky personality that’s steeped in a love of science and precision. When she inadvertently becomes the beloved star of a TV cooking show, her ability to show women to be the mulifaceted, smart, capable, amazing humans they are starts to upset the men in a society that deems women less-than and not worthy of the adoration she's getting. She's upsetting the status quo and, as usual when that occurs, good things happen. Elizabeth does this all while staying true to herself and her beliefs.

Funny, sharp, inventive, and true, this book is hard to categorize. It makes some important statements about the sexism and misogyny of the 1950s (some of which carries through to today), religious creation versus evolution, and the power/endurance of love. It also is hilarious at points, especially when the narrative is told from the dog's POV. But through it all, Elizabeth Zott remains a distinct, expertly rendered character who will make you laugh, smile, cry, and cheer. She's amazing and I'm so glad I got to spend some time in her amazing world.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #DoubleDayBooks for the early review of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Enlightening and extremely timely, this book chronicles the history of abortion clinic escorts and how they've worked to protect women from exercising their right to healthcare AND keep them safe from networks of increasingly violent and harassing anti-abortion protestors. Rankin is an abortion rights activist who has worked as a volunteer clinic escort and has seen first-hand the violence and vitriol. Using extensive research and her own experiences, she presents the chaotic yet necessary work of these amazing volunteers.

Rankin's engaging prose reveals her passion for this work and a woman's right for bodily autonomy. Using a litany of historical facts, she also shines light on a surprising aspect of this work: How even after the FACE Act became law (The Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act), local police still didn't protect abortion clinic entrances--and the women going into them--as well as they should have. This info is a sad testament to how still, in 2022, patriarchal structures govern issues that affect women, their lives, and their bodies.

All in all an absorbing and timely must-read.