Beehive Books

From Ethiopia to Palestine - Wed 1/25 @ 7pm -- Farewell Claire!

2012-01-24T15:40:00.000-08:00

Join us as Claire Everhart, Global Village Collection intern, gives a quick recap of her Run Across Ethiopia (2011), including a few highlights from the documentary made of this endeavor: When We Run, AND discusses her upcoming Run Across Palestine (Feb 2012) and 6 month internship in Jenin. Come with questions about Palestine - she will answer them in her blog! This will be an informal setting and some refreshments will be served. Wednesday, Jan 25th, 7pm, Beehive Books & Global Village.

Most of all, it's a chance for us to thank Claire for her good work in our community, wish her well in her new endeavors, and stay in touch and learn through her new experiences as she goes global!

Check out more info about the Run Across Palestine at onthegroundglobal.org

Christmas Week Hours

2011-12-19T06:37:00.000-08:00

12/19 Mon   9a-8p (Open Early)
12/20 Tues   9a-8p  (Open Early)
12/21 Wed   9a-8p   (Open Early)
12/22 Thurs 9a-8p   (Open Early)
12/23 Fri      9a-9p   (Open Early & Late!)
12/24 Sat     9a-4p   Christmas Eve
12/25 Sun    Closed      Merry Christmas!
12/26 Mon   10a-8p (regular hours until New Year's Eve)

Shop Local.....it's fun, it's convenient, you can see all your friends & neighbors, and keep your dollars in the local community!

We can still order many books and have them before Christmas (order by Wed 12/21-call or stop by to check availability).
We have lots of wonderful books & gifts in stock.
A Beehive Giftcard always makes the perfect gift!

Have a wonderful Holiday Season!

BOND, JAMES Reading Wenesday 11/30 @ 7pm

2011-11-28T10:56:00.000-08:00

Michelle Disler OWU Professor & Author of
[Bond, James] alphabet, anatomy, (auto)biography

What do MFK Fisher, William Hazlitt, Gertrude Stein, and James Bond have in common?

Three are writers whom Michelle Disler counts as influences and one is the subject of her new book, [BOND, JAMES]. The book is a series of prose poems and essays deconstructing 007 as model masculinity in world culture. Join us for a reading, Q & A, and book signing.

Check out Joe Blundo's column on Michelle from this Sunday's Dispatch: Dispatch Joe Blundo Column

Shop Local - Thanksgiving Weekend Hours

2011-11-22T23:53:00.000-08:00

Want a more relaxing, more impactful Holiday Shopping experience this Thanksgiving Weekend? Shop Downtown Delaware!
Have a unique, engaged experience, find some fabulous gifts, and keep your dollars in the local economy.

Hours:
Wednesday 11/23 10a-6p
Thursday 11/24 Closed
Friday 11/25 9a-8p
Saturday 11/26 10a-8p
Sunday 11/27 Noon-4p

Have a safe & wonderful Thanksgiving and THANK YOU for shopping at Beehive Books.

Community Forum Thursday 11/17 @ 7pm

2011-11-09T05:51:00.000-08:00

World Issues Community Forum: from Egypt’s Tahrir Square to Occupy Wall Street.
What the new worldwide protest movements mean for America.

Join us for a conversation about events and issues around the world, with emphasis on the ongoing Arab Spring, the Occupy Wall Street movement, and political protest movements worldwide.

Hear a discussion with Ohio Wesleyan University Professor of Politics and Government Sean Kay, and Ohio Wesleyan University Professor of History Michael Flamm, moderated by Ohio State University Humanities Institute Associate Fred Andrle.

You are invited to take an active part in the event with your comments and questions.

This event is co-sponsored by the Ohio State University Humanities Institute and Beehive Books, as a part of the Institute’s series “Conversations in the Humanities.”

Reading Dogs are Back! Thursday 11/3 @ 4pm.

2011-10-29T09:15:00.000-07:00

Come read with the friendly, specially-trained dogs from Acme Canine. For those kids who could not come to our Reading Dogs last August, NOW is your chance! The dogs will be paired with children ages 6 to 12 to share a story and practice reading skills. Please call us at 740-363-2337 or e-mail us at readers@beehiveat25.com to reserve a spot for this program. Reservations are requested, but walk-ins are welcomed.
The dog-friendly program will feature Woofie, other canine pals along with their owners. The pets and owners have been trained by Acme Canine of Lewis Center, which is presenting the program.

Laura Pakis, owner of Acme Canine, said, "We've held reading sessions at a number of libraries in Columbus, and it's been a huge hit. Children love spending time with attentive, furry friends who won't judge them if they stumble over a word or don't understand a passage. Reading improves as the child relaxes, and the adults are there to help with pronunciation and comprehension.

For more about Acme Canine go go http://www.acmecanine.com/

Book Talk with Artist Matt Kish Thursday Oct. 20th @ 7pm

2011-10-16T11:50:00.000-07:00

Inspired by one of the world's greatest novels, Ohio artist Matt Kish embarked on an epic voyage of his own, and the result is Moby-Dick in Pictures: One Drawing for Every Page of Moby-Dick.

Join us for a reading, discussion of the project, and signing. Plus, hopefully, Matt can draw some pictures in your book.

Kish said he felt as foolhardy as Ishmael, the novel’s narrator, and as obsessed as Captain Ahab in his quest for the great white whale. “I see now that the project was an attempt to fully understand this magnificent novel, to walk through every sun-drenched word, to lift up all the hatches and open all the barrels, to smell, taste, hear, and see every seabird, every shark, every sailor, every harpooner, and every whale.”

Kish spent nearly every day for 18 months toiling away in a small closet he converted into an art studio. To share the work with family and friends, he started the blog “One Drawing for Every Page of Moby-Dick,” where he posted his work on a daily basis.

Kish lives in Dublin, Ohio and works full-time as a librarian for the Dayton Metropolitan Library. For more details, check out his blog at http://www.everypageofmobydick.blogspot.com/. And Tin House Matt Kish

Life is Good in Delaware, Ohio

2011-09-28T06:27:00.000-07:00

Sometimes when you plan an event at an independent bookstore in Delaware, Ohio on a Tuesday evening in late September, you think to yourself---It's a good date. What else could possibly be going on?

It turns out there was a lot going on in Delaware last night. Our event with the poetry group House of Toast was one of 3 other events that I knew of within a 1/2 mile radius of our store (walking distance). And we had a full house of people listening to an incredible group of poets.

Among the other events were OWU professor Sean Kay, whose book launch of Celtic Revival we hosted back in June with a discussion led by Fred Andrle, who was a featured poet at our House of Toast event last night. Kay spoke about Africa's Wars and Global Security at OWU's Benes Room for the Sagan National Colloquium, at 7pm.

I also learned that the talented and dynamic OWU music professor Nancy Gamso was giving a performance at Sanborn Hall at 7pm. She has played at the Beehive many times with groups of her amazing students.

And at Andrews House across the street Alec Johnson, a Beehive customer and supporter, was giving a presentation about his experience with the Tar Sands Activists in Washington DC, at 7pm.

I'm sure that all of these events were as well-attended as ours and I wish I could've been at each one.

I love that on a cool and misty autumn evening on a Tuesday in a seemingly sleepy little town, that there is a hell of a lot of stuff going on.

If you did miss our poetry event last night, please stop in to check out our selection of books from the poets.

And mark your calendar for our next event with artist Matt Kish on Thursday October 20 at 7pm. His forthcoming book, Moby-Dick in Pictures, will be published in early October by Tin House. He started documenting his project on his blog http://everypageofmobydick.blogspot.com/ which we have been following for several years. Check it out!

posted by Mel

House of Toast September 27 @ 7pm

2011-09-25T09:19:00.000-07:00

House of Toast, an eclectic assemblage of Central Ohio poets, will give a poetry reading on Tuesday, Sept. 27 at 7 p.m. at Beehive Books.

Poet and playwright Fred Andrle, the former long-time host of WOSU’s “Open Line” talk show, will be one of the featured poets along with Linda Fuller-Smith, MJ Abel, Jerry Roscoe, Jacquelin Smith and Charlene Fix.

The House of Toast poets have been widely published and have won many literary awards. Members Roscoe and Andrle’s poems have been featured on Garrison Keiller’s public radio series, “The Writer’s Almanac.” Read their poems here: Andrle on Writer's Almanac ; Roscoe on Writer's Almanac

House of Toast was founded in 1995 as a vehicle to critique and support the members' work and poetry in general. The group has evolved into a troupe of performers known for their engaging, audience-friendly readings.

Andrle’s current poetry collection is "Love Life," published by XOXOX Press in Gambier, Ohio. He has received playwriting and poetry fellowships from the Greater Columbus Arts Council, and his one-act play, “The Eternal Brunch,” was staged by CATCO, the Contemporary American Theater Company (Columbus) in 2000. He has received Ohio Public Broadcasting and Regional Emmy awards . For his radio and television programs and taught courses in mass media at Ohio Wesleyan University and Ohio Dominican University.

Fuller-Smith has been published in The Heartlands Today, Urban Spaghetti, Pudding Magazine and several anthologies.

Abell is a two-time winner of Thurber Treat humorous essay contest and has published a chapbook titled Below the Waterline.

Smith is the author of several books, including My G-Rated Life, which won the Chiron Review Chapbook Contest.

Roscoe’s collection Mirror Lake was published in Two Midwest Voices, which won the 2002 Ohioana Book Award. His poem “Illustration” was nominated for a Pushcart Prize, and his poems “Adequate Love” and “Bouquet” were read by Garrison Keillor on his show.

Fix is chair of the English and Philosophy department at Columbus College of Art Design. She has won poetry fellowships, and her chapbook Mischief is available from Pudding House. Read more about Fix and her dog-inspired poetry collection here: This Week article

Leslie Noyes Mass Book Talk Thursday 9/15 @ 7:00pm

2011-09-14T09:28:00.000-07:00

Leslie Noyes Mass author of the newly published book Back To Pakistan: A Fifty-Year Journey will give a presentation about the book Thursday 9/15 @ 7pm at Beehive Books.

In 1962, Mass graduated from college and joined the fledgling Peace Corps. She was assigned to Pakistan to start an educational program in a small Muslim village, where she was the only Westerner and only Peace Corps volunteer. She left after a year, feeling she had not made an impact.

50 years later, she returned to find a much-changed Pakistan and a village that still remembered her. In her book, she deftly interweaves journal entries from her Peace Corps experience with her current volunteer work training female teachers for a Pakistani non-governmental organization.

In a series of interviews with Pakistanis from every social class, Mass gives voice to those who are taking responsibility for their country’s educational problems and addressing challenges within the tradition, culture and religious understanding of their people.

Mass also is the author of “In Beauty May She Walk,” about her experience hiking the Appalachian Trail at age 60. She earned a Ph.D. at Ohio State University in early and middle education and was director of the Early Childhood Center at Ohio Wesleyan University, from which she retired in 2007.

Mass is donating her proceeds from the sale of the book to The Citizens Foundation, a Pakistani NGO that supports education for girls in Pakistan.

Dogs Days of Summer - 2 Free Kids Events in August

2011-08-02T08:58:00.000-07:00

Thursday Aug. 4 @ 4pm
Kids Writing Workshop
w/ Author Nancy Roe Pimm
http://beehivebooksdelaware.blogspot.com/2011_07_01_archive.html

Thursday Aug 11 @ 4pm
Reading Dogs
Read with Woofie, Stella, and Aston
for kids 6-12

Reading will go to the dogs at Beehive Books, when specially trained dogs will be paired with children ages 6 to 12 to share a story and practice reading skills. Please call us at 740-363-2337 or e-mail us at readers@beehiveat25.com to reserve a spot for this program. Reservations are requested, but walk-ins are welcomed.

The dog-friendly program will feature Woofie, Stella, Aston and another canine pal, along with their owners. The pets and owners have been trained by Acme Canine of Lewis Center, which is presenting the program.

Laura Pakis, owner of Acme Canine, said, "We've held reading sessions at a number of libraries in Columbus this summer, and it's been a huge hit. Children love spending time with attentive, furry friends who won't judge them if they stumble over a word or don't understand a passage. Reading improves as the child relaxes, and the adults are there to help with pronunciation and comprehension."

For more about Acme Canine go go http://www.acmecanine.com/

FREE WRITING WORKSHOP FOR KIDS OFFERED AUG. 4

2011-07-20T11:00:00.000-07:00

We're delighted to welcome local author Nancy Roe Pimm to Beehive Books on Thursday, Aug. 4. Nancy will host a free writing workshop for children ages 7 and over from 4 p.m.-5:30 p.m. This is a great chance for kids to learn the key elements of writing and play an interactive game to create their own stories.

Nancy is the popular author of two non-fiction books about animals at the Columbus Zoo as well as books on the Indianapolis 500 race and the Dayton 500 race. She has published articles in Highlights for Children, Boys’ Quest and Guideposts for Kids.

In her dynamic workshop “The Seven Steps of Writing,” Pimm will show young writers how to develop memorable characters, create an interesting plot, write effective dialogue and more. After that, kids will gather in small groups to create their own stories and share them with others.

Nancy will sign copies of her books, which include: Colo’s Story: The Life of One Grand Gorilla (Colo lives at the Columbus Zoo and is the oldest living gorilla in an American zoo), The Heart of the Beast: Eight Great Gorilla Stories, The Indy 500: The Inside Track and The Daytona 500: The Thrill and Thunder of the Great American Race. The books received Junior Library Guild awards.

A resident of Plain City, Nancy lives with her husband, Ed, a retired professional race car driver. She drew from her experiences as a pit crew member for Ed's team to write her racing books and tapped her experience as a docent for the Columbus Zoo to write about animals. For more details, visit her web site at http://www.nancyroepimm.com/.

To sign up for Nancy's workshop, call us at 740-363-2337. Reservations are requested, but walk-ins are welcome. Kids, get ready to go back to school by sharpening your writing skills and having fun!

Posted by Erin

Great Summer Read: The Borrower, by Rebecca Makkai

2011-07-06T16:36:00.000-07:00

Funny, touching and heartfelt, The Borrower takes you on a journey with two unlikely travelers. Lucy Hull is a 26-year-old children’s librarian adrift in a small Missouri town. Her strongest connection is to a young patron, 10-year-old Ian Drake, whose overbearing mother censors his book choices and sends him to anti-gay classes. At first, Lucy’s rebellion is surreptitious – she checks out beloved children’s books on her own card, then slips them to Ian – but it becomes an act of anarchy when she ends up helping Ian to run away. The two embark on a crazy car trip, supposedly in search of Ian’s grandmother and funded by Lucy’s mysterious Russian-mafia type father. All of this could have become just too zany, but Makkai keeps it real by creating memorable, rounded characters that you root for. Makkai has a wonderful ability to blend comedy and pathos. Lucy and Ian encounter many strange companions and learn important lessons in this tale that draws inspiration from the Wizard of Oz, just one of the many literary references in the book. It’s a winning first novel for author Rebecca Makkai, who lives in Chicago and may make a stop at Beehive Books this fall if we can convince her to take a road trip of her own.

By: Erin

Outdoor Film Series Friday 7/8 @ 9:30pm

2011-07-02T17:30:00.000-07:00

Watch a film

with your community

in your community

about community.

OUTSIDE!

The first in the (socially-conscious) Outdoor Film Series
We’ll be screening the film
The Economics of Happiness
outside behind Beehive Books.

For more about the film, go to http://www.theeconomicsofhappiness.org/

Bring a chair or blanket & a friend, or 2, or 5!

Explore Delaware's Trails Sun 6/26 10a-2pm

2011-06-23T11:10:00.000-07:00

For those of you who frequent the Beehive, you know that we love cycling. We have a bike hanging from our ceiling! We partially sponsor a cycling team with our friends and neighbors at BreakAway on Sandusky. And you'll find tons of awesome books and magazines on cycling as well as Honey Stinger, BonkBreaker and Clif bars and such.

So it's no surprise that we are promoting getting out on your bike this summer. Here's how:

On Sunday 6/26 from 10a-2pm Friends of Sustainable Delaware and the cycling community of Delaware invite you to discover Delaware’s bike/walking paths.

We’ll have 4 stations providing maps, water, and cycling volunteers to lead you
(or you can go it alone).
Look for a small table with our volunteers at the following locations:
1. Mingo Park on the bike path by the river just south of the pool;
2. Intersection of the Henry St. bike path & the east-west path near OWU’s new pool;
3. Bicentennial Park Gazebo at S. Washington & Park behind the fire station on Liberty
4. Trailhead near the Delaware Christian School Parking Lot at Belle Ave. & S. Sandusky St (just North of the 42 Overpass)

Pedal or walk at your own leisurely pace or kick up the pace a little. You can cycle/walk for 15 minutes or 4 hours. Just get out and meet us. We hope you disover the joys of pedaling & walking around Delaware this summer!

For More info go to:
http://sustainabledelawareohio.org/

Author Connie Currie Saturday 6/25 @ 4pm Katie Belle to the Rescue

2011-06-23T10:52:00.000-07:00

Delaware author Connie E. Curry will read from her new children’s book Katie Belle to the Rescue, a humorous children’s book with a message about safety education.

Katie Belle is a loved, smart, and inquisitive little girl. In Katie Belle to the Rescue, she has the unexpected opportunity to roam free and takes advantage of her freedom. Ultimately, Katie Belle will help her mommy in a crisis—but not before she has the run of the house!

With twenty five years in EMS, Curry will also speak to children about safety, common injuries, and accident prevention at the reading and book signing. Families are encouraged to attend the event to share in Katie Belle’s fun adventures while learning about safety along the way.

Curry proclaims that much of her nonfiction humor is found right in her own home and backyard. As a mother of three, Connie and her husband, Dave, also have a granddaughter. Connie turns the struggles and adventures of raising her children into laughter through words, drawing on actual events in portraying Katie Belle.

Curry is the recipient of the James Thurber Annual Humor Contest award, and has written for numerous magazines. She has worked as a columnist and is the author of Give Me Back My Glory, which motivated her to speak at various women’s groups about breast cancer. She is a member of the Write Life Writing Group, the Delaware Writing Group, and Ohio Writer. She is the proud owner of a 1974 Volkswagen, which she assisted in restoring, and Graham, her golden retriever, is always by her side.

Sean Kay's Celtic Revival - Book Release Reception & Discussion - June 14, 7 p.m.

2011-06-03T09:04:00.000-07:00

Will Ireland survive its latest economic challenges and regain its role as a leader and change agent in Europe? What implications would such a revival have for America?

Please join us for a discussion, book signing, and wine reception celebrating Celtic Revival on Tuesday, June 14, at 7 p.m. Commentator Fred Andrle, the former, long-time host of WOSU Open Line and an associate of the Humanities Institute at The Ohio State University, will moderate a question-and-answer session.

Drawing on a rich blend of research, interviews, and personal experience, Sean Kay tells the story of Ireland today and highlights its lessons for the world. A Delaware resident, Kay is a professor of politics and government at Ohio Wesleyan University and a Mershon Associate at the Mershon Center for International Security Studies at the Ohio State University.

Summer of Shadows: Jonathan Knight Reading & Book Signing - June 8, 7 p.m.

2011-05-26T14:34:00.000-07:00

Columbus author Jonathan Knight will read from his book, Summer of Shadows: A Murder, A Pennant Race, and the Twilight of the Best Location in the Nation, at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, June 8.

In Summer of Shadows, Knight highlights a fascinating period in Cleveland, Ohio's history. He recounts the summer of 1954, when the city was gripped by two drastic events: the Cleveland Indians' relentless pursuit of a championship, and the infamous murder of the wife of Dr. Sam Sheppard.

That summer, the Indians embarked on one of the finest seasons in baseball history, winning a record one hundred eleven games and toppling the New York Yankees in a heated pennant race. Yet the Indians' glory proved short-lived. Defeated in the World Series by Willie Mays and the New York Giants, the franchise spiraled into a four-decade tailspin.

Meanwhile, in nearby Bay Village, the wife of Dr. Sam Sheppard was beaten to death in her own bed on the Fourth of July. The finger of suspicion pointed to her unfaithful husband, particularly when he told of a wild struggle with the real killer. Amid a media frenzy, Sheppard was convicted and then freed a decade later. His story prompted the television series The Fugitive.

According to Knight, these parallel tragedies dragged Cleveland from its lofty standing as one of the most influential cities in America to one of the most jeered and long-suffering.

Knight has published six books on Cleveland sports history, including Classic Tribe: The 50 Greatest Games in Cleveland Indians History. A former sportswriter, he manages communications at Franklin University and lives with his family in Columbus.

A Worker Bee Reviews The Tiger's Wife

2011-05-26T13:16:00.000-07:00

Mystery, quest, folktale, poetry. Tea Obreht's The Tiger's Wife is a novel of superb scope and nuance, told in rich, lyrical prose.

Natalia, a young pediatrician forestalled in mourning her grandfather's death by its strange circumstances, seeks out the story of his final days in a Balkan country still reeling from years of conflict. Traveling to an orphanage in Brejevina with her best friend, Zora, in order to administer innoculations, Natalia meditates on the two folkloric stories entrenched in her grandfather's life: the Tiger's Wife and the Deathless Man. In the present, Natalia's own story takes her to places as deeply embedded in superstition as the characters peopling her grandfather's chimerical tales. Ultimately, Natalia's quest, and her historical research into her grandfather's life and the stories that shaped it, all coalesce to comprise The Tiger's Wife--a truly multi-layered, polysemous achievement.

An added boon to the novel's succulent prose is its perfect yoking to the story's folkloric structure. Obreht's transitions, from Natalia's narrative to her grandfather's twin sagas, are both seamless and stunning. Yet her language, magical though it may be, refrains from turning syrupy; though the novel progresses via shifting narratives--requiring a kind of virtuosic balance--Obreht remains in complete, flawless control of its movement and its imagery.

Tea Obreht is a young author--The Tiger's Wife is her debut novel--born in 1985 in the former Yugoslavia. But her age, rather than limiting her wisdom, seems to work as but another strength of the novel. I found her ability to render the war in Yugoslavia digestible absolutely striking. She directly addresses the conflict so infrequently that when it is centralized, the effect is both childlike and trenchant: "The war had altered everything. Once separate, the pieces that made up our old country no longer carried the same characteristics that formerly represented their respective parts of the whole" (161). Obreht ponders, too, the very nature of conflict: "When your fight has purpose--to free you from something, to interfere on the behalf of an innocent--it has a hope of finality. When the fight is about unraveling--when it is about your name, the places to which your blood is anchored . . . there is nothing but hate" (283). Far from oversimplifying, Obreht's handling of the war through Natalia's account is one of the book's greatest strengths, both on a literary and a human level.

My only quibble with the novel is its occasionally wayward literary experimentation--i.e., a sudden shift to second person, an odd temporal leap, or a penchant for backstory extending even to objects, such as the blacksmith's musket. But it may certainly be argued that these techniques are germane to the novel's content. Also, either the experimental variety lessened as the book progressed . . . or, I was simply too charmed to notice it anymore.

In essence, this is a true delight for the literary reader. Peruse The Tiger's Wife and bask in Obreht's lush descriptions, her folklore on the cusp of magical realism, and remember its sequence of stories as one recalls a vivid dream: green, lush, and strange.

Summer Reading Advisory: My parting bit of advice is to read The Tiger's Wife slowly--it is to be savored--and remember the opinion of the people of Brejevina: " . . . [If] you are making your journey in a hurry, you are making it poorly" (98). This book catalogues a murky passage of time, perfect for summer languor. Find a patch of sunshine and sip its words like nectar.

-Emily

Event Cancelled tonight --- Meet the Jacksons! Tuesday 5/17 @ 6:30pm Author of Trail of Trees

2011-05-13T10:38:00.000-07:00

Due to a Family Emergency tonight's event has been cancelled.

~~Meet Joyce & John Jackson~~---Cancelled
And hear about their 10-year, tree-planting odyssey across America.

While recovering from breast cancer in 1987 Joyce Jackson had an idea to keep her mind off her illness. She wanted to combine her love of trees, travel, and desire to create a living legacy. The Trail of Trees project led her and her husband, John, across America planting trees in every state. Their journey took them to every city named Jackson in all fifty states. Their book recounts their journey, gives some history of all the Jackson cities they encountered and the wonderful people they met along the way.

OWU Modern Foreign Language House Reading

2011-04-28T09:47:00.000-07:00

Where else can you hear spoken French, Italian, Latin, Greek, and Hebrew on a Wednesday afternoon? Why, Beehive Books, of course! Thanks to the OWU Modern Foreign Language House for their 2nd Foreign Language Poetry Reading held yesterday at Beehive Books. Here is a video clip of OWU Professor Don Lateiner reading part of an ode by Horace in Latin http://vimeo.com/22972071

Check again with us next fall or spring for more! Last semester Chinese, Urdu, and Jamaican Creole were also represented.

Faith on the Margins---Tuesday 4/12 @ 7pm at Beehive Books

2011-04-09T14:03:00.000-07:00

Spiritual But Not Religious
There are pros and cons to being “spiritual but not religious.”

Please join Linda Mercadante, PH.D. who will speak on the subject. She has conducted more than 85 in-depth interviews with people across the country about their spiritual beliefs and has engaged in hundreds of informal conversations for an upcoming book on the topic.

The presentation will be followed by an open discussion.

Sponsored by ACT OUT Delaware and the Delaware Gay Straight Christian Alliance.

See http://www.actoutdel.org/ or http://www.dgsca.org/ for more information.

Review of "Room" by Beehive Staff Member Chris Echesabal

2011-04-07T11:41:00.000-07:00

Let me first start by saying how difficult it is for me to not steal any of the review blurbs of Room from its back cover. This book has left me completely speechless. When I finished it this afternoon I gently closed the book, laid it in front of me and stared blankly forward for several minutes. If you happened to have been sitting across the table from me at this point and had said to me, “So, Chris, how was it?” I would’ve responded thusly: I would have blinked furiously for awhile, trying to regain my focus on reality, before giving up and just smiling weakly at you. And I mean all that as the greatest possible compliment. Room is a thoroughly amazing piece of fiction. It is the kind of can’t-put-down book that very rarely comes out and, indeed, I read Room almost entirely over two long stretches of non-stop reading last night and this morning.

Room introduces the character of Jack, a precocious and innocent five year old boy who knows only the eleven foot square Room where he was born and where he and his Ma continue to live. Though “live” might not be an accurate word for it. You see Ma was abducted seven years ago when she was only nineteen and has been held in this prison ever since where she faces isolation, deprivation, and almost nightly abuse from her captor, the disturbing and mysterious character known only as “Old Nick”. Together Jack and Ma, however, manage to create some kind of semblance of a life. The scenes between Jack and his mother are among the most emotionally moving of perhaps anything I’ve ever read.

In a relatively short space, Room portrays the intangible love and devotion of a mother and son imprisoned together, the harrowing and heart-pounding intensity of their escape, and (spoiler alert) the impossibility of their return to a normal life that Jack has never known before. Author Emma Donoghue does this with grace and skill. Every scene, every line of dialogue, every bit of 5 year old narration seems perfectly crafted to fill the reader with dread, glee, despair, hope, and any number of other indescribable emotions as she takes them through a wholly unique adventure that, like Room itself, seems at turns both claustrophobic and freeing.

In short, you NEED to read this book.

Weds 3/30 @ 630pm at Beehive Books: Claire's Run Across Ethiopia

2011-03-30T09:47:00.000-07:00

March is Women's History month and we invite you to hear living history from someone in our community. Claire Everhart will speak about her recent experience of running 250 miles in 11 days accross Ethiopia with a team of 9 others who raised $200,000 to build 3 schools. Claire is a recent OWU graduate and an intern at Global Village Collection.

"The hardest part of 'Run Across Ethiopia' was not actually the running. Yes, 250 miles in 11 days was not easy, but with running there is a clear goal and a clear way to achieve that goal; one foot in front of the other, again, and again ... and again. Yet poverty, its causes, and solutions are much more complicated. Witnessing the poverty in Ethiopia made the running seem easy"--Claire Everhart

Throughout the run, the team visited the villages where schools are now under construction. Once finished, the 3 schools will serve over 1200 students that before this, did not have access to an education. Go to http://www.onthegroundglobal.org/ to find out more about the impact of "Run Across Ethiopia".

Join Beehive Books in welcoming Claire and celebrating her effort!

Harry Potter March Madness!

2011-03-10T16:57:00.000-08:00

Reading Harry Potter
10a-5pm Saturdays in March starting this Sat 3/12

We still need volunteer readers!

Join us in celebrating the books that made us all fall in love with the world of Harry Potter. Our army of volunteer readers are starting with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - reading out loud starting this Saturday at 10am. And every following Satruday in March.

We still need some volunteer readers. Stop by & listen or sign up to read in 15 minute (or more) segments. Help us read as much of the series as possible before the Central Ohio Symphony concert of John Williams' Harry Potter Suite at the end of the month (3/26 & 3/27 http://www.centralohiosymphony.org/).

Please call or e-mail us at readers@beehiveat25.com to join in the fun! All volunteer readers will be entered into a raffle to win some Harry Potter related gifts! Come in costume if you dare!

Sun 2/27 @ 4pm Author Event @ Garth's FBI Agent Robert K Wittman author of Priceless

2011-02-23T08:06:00.000-08:00

"Authoritative and superbly crafted, PRICELESS is absolutely, hands down, the best book ever written on art crime." - Associated Press

This event benefits the Community Foundation of Delaware County. Tickets are $30 for the lecture & refreshments: go to www.delawarecf.org for ticket info or www.garths.com

Beehive Books will be at the event selling books or you can buy them now at the store. For every copy of Priceless sold through Beehive Books, we will donate a percentage of the proceeds to The Community Foundation of Delaware County.

Patrice Rancour Reading 1pm Sat 2/26

2011-02-23T07:59:00.000-08:00

Winner of the 2010 Non-Fiction Writing Award for the

Sanctuary for the Arts

There aren't too many of us whose lives haven't been touched in some way by a life-threatening illness; either we, our family members or friends are diagnosed with serious illnesses. Nurse Patrice Rancour has been working with people facing such illnesses for years.

Her poignant vignettes reveal a perfect balance of drama, humor, pathos, and inspiration.

A mental health clinical nurse specialist, Patrice has worked as a clincian, an educator, and a consultant. For more information, check out her website at www.patricerancour.com

Sanctuary for the Arts...a Center for Creativity...surrounded by the sounds of bird songs and waterfalls where adults have a chance to relax and hear the inner artist above the daily din.

www.Sanctuary-for-The-Arts.com

Sydney Schardt: 740-513-9038

8641 Porter Central Rd

Sunbury, Ohio 43074

Susan Pohlman Reading & Wine Event Tuesday 2/8/11 @ 6:30pm

2011-02-04T08:07:00.000-08:00

Book Signing & Reading
Join us for some complimentary Italian wine as Susan Pohlman reads from her inspirational memoir, Halfway to Each Other.

Tired, empty and disillusioned with her married life, Pohlman was about to call it quits with her husband of 18 years. They both decided to take a leap of faith and unexpectedly found love again in a small seaside town in Italy. By simplifying their lives, struggling to learn a foreign language and navigating their Italian lifestyle, the Pohlmans learned to be on the same team again and saved their marriage.

http://www.susanpohlman.com/

Sharon Robinson Reading & Book Signing

2011-01-19T15:02:00.000-08:00

April 15, 1947

When Jackie Robinson took to Ebbets Field on opening day for the Brooklyn Dodgers, America was changed.

Many people remember this day, and celebrate its influence on their lives. In Delaware, Ohio, we hold a singularly unique position in its history: president of the Brooklyn Dodgers, Branch Rickey, was an Ohio Wesleyan Student, Class of 1904. Together, Rickey and Robinson broke Major League Baseball's color barrier. Next week OWU will celebrate their legacy during "Branch Rickey-Jackie Robinson Week" beginning January 24.

As a part of this celebration, on Thursday, January 27, at 3:00 p.m., Beehive Books has the honor of hosting a reading and book signing for Sharon Robinson, daughter of Jackie and Rachel Robinson. Sharon is the author of several books about her father, most recently Jackie's Gift. (Check out Sharon's website at http://www.sharonrobinsonink.com/ for a biography and list of her books, or browse our selection.) A portion of the proceeds from the signing will be donated to the Jackie Robinson Foundation: http://www.jackierobinson.org/.

To further honor Sharon and her family, Beehive Books invites you, the community of Delaware, to submit a written remembrance of Jackie Robinson's emergence into Major League Baseball, sharing what it means to you. We welcome all contributions, whether you hold a direct memory of Jackie's career, or have witnessed his legacy. We hope to present these remembrances to Sharon & Rachel Robinson as a gift from our community.

Please join us in remembering Jackie Robinson by submitting your statement of approximately 250 words via

e-mail or drop it off at the store.

readers@beehiveat25.com

Thank you!

2010-12-19T12:42:00.000-08:00

'And for many of us, buying a book isn't just about reading it, it's about owning it. What's on our shelves is as telling as what we put on our walls.
"I think real readers will always buy books," said Raab. "Books are as important to art as decoration, as whatever you want to call it, to real book people as the art on our walls. It speaks about who we are. So I don't really believe that will change."'

-Excerpted from Judging Books by Their Covers from Sunday Morning on CBS news.

This links to an interesting discussion about the advent of the E-Book, what it means for printed books, and the concept of the book cover as artistic expression all on its own. Does anyone remember the tape vs EP/LP battle? Is the book cover (and the words between) doomed to go the way of the record? We hope not and this article provides some compelling reasons why E-books may provide an alternative, but never a direct competition. Besides, a shelf full of iPads can get expensive in a hurry, Curling up with a Nook in front of the fire is not as nice as a book in a nook, and that book smell (both old and new) is hard to get over in internet so far.

As an added note, we still have plenty of bestsellers left for you or your favorite reader. Get them while they last before Christmas! We can still order books up until Tuesday for pre-Christmas delivery in most cases.

Unique Gifts at Beehive Books!

2010-12-10T15:45:00.000-08:00

The original designer reusable bag: Envirosax!
Envirosax help spread the environmental message with style. Eco-chic Envirosax are made of durable waterproof lightweight polyester, built for toughness and extra strength.
Beehive Books carries the shopping bag as well as a lunch bag, with many fabulous patterns & colors to choose from!

Cuddle up with these cuties this holiday season! The K'NITS

are soft, cuddley, and safe for children of all ages.

Choose a watch as unique as the wearer with these delightful children's watches with ranging designs and colors, from butterflies to baseball.

Fed up with all the technology this holiday season? Try a Paper Tweet by KNOCK KNOCK, and peruse our wide selection of laugh out loud KNOCK KNOCK merchandise.

Have a sweet tooth to shop for?

Try our selection of chocolate goodies
to stuff the stockings with!

Charm your favorite tea drinker with this
'Tea Duckie' tea infuser

Any gal will love this 'camera bag' purse!
Also available in black!

I AM NOT A PAPER CUP! Cups, lids, sleeves - all dishwasher friendly! Go green in style.

Support your fav local bookstore with
these awesome socks!

Adorable (and lavender scented!) paperweights
do an excellent job of keeping your papers
tidy, while adding charm to your home or
office.

Sweet, cozy book ends give your bookshelf
some character!

These adorable, handmade shirts & onesies
make a unique gift for any tot on your list.

Locally made, these knit hats are warm and super soft
Sure to please!

Your teen will love this trendy 'love songs' tape
change purse!

Craft time just got more exciting!
40 pages of'Create-a-Person' will be a fun
activity for young ones

An abacus is a fun and educational
toy! Have fun while learning numbers
and counting!

Market Spice smells heavenly and festive,
citrusy orange & spicy cinnamon. Candles,
cookies, and tea make the perfect gift set.

GO BUCKS! Get your Buckeye gifts here!

Can't forget Fido's present under the tree!

Share the love with these heart shaped
ice cube trays!

Beehive Books pint glasses -
coffee mugs available as well!

Stop in Beehive Books this holiday season for many more unique gifts and, as always, our wide variety of books! Any book you're looking for you'll be sure to find, and if we don't have it here, we will gladly order it for you! We're looking forward to seeing you!!

Don't forget to check us out on Facebook!!

Worker Bee

Create Your Badge

Music to my ears

2010-11-28T10:50:00.000-08:00

American Music: A Novel by Jane Mendelsohn

Reviewed by Pam Spence

If there were one book I had to choose to give to the person I cherished the most in the world this holiday season, I would chose Jane Mendelsohn’s American Music (Alfred A. Knopf, 2010). The book came into my life from my long time best friend who called me and told me she had read the most incredible book – but she couldn’t send me her copy because she could not let it out of her possession. She had ordered the book for me, however, and was having it sent directly. Since we swap books as readily as we swapped sweaters in high school, I was intrigued.

American Music did not disappoint: it is, quite simply, a stunning accomplishment of story and style. The story is built around two characters: Milo, a severely wounded soldier from the Iraqi war, languishing in a veterans’ hospital; and Honor, a young physical therapist who comes to treat him. As Honor begins to work on Milo’s ruined body, stories and images arise in both of their consciousnesses—unbidden, mysterious and compelling.

The reader is required to “go with the flow” and allow these wonderful stories to unfold. Initially, one can’t quite grasp whose stories they are, what they signify and how they are related. How does this young couple in the ‘30s relate to this sultan’s beautiful concubine in the seventeenth century, for instance? And what about the young wife who sits in the courtroom watching her husband on trial during the Viet Nam War era - how does she fit in? As the novel progresses, however, these threads are woven into a magical tapestry of history, dream, desire and heartbreak.

American Music does not readily fit any category of fiction: it hints at magical realism and yet feels like an entirely American form - organized, as it is, around the central motif of jazz. It is a dream, a dance, a masterpiece.

Mendelsohn has a rare grace with words. The language and imagery are sumptuous yet entirely subtle. You are enthralled – as you might be if you sat at the feet of Scheherazade as she spun her tales to the king in the Arabian Nights. After I finished this book, I could not look at another book for a week or more, not wanting to diminish the joy I felt from this encounter.

Mendelsohn is also the author of I Was Amelia Earhart and Innocence.

Cozy up with 'Russian Winter' this winter

2010-11-13T10:48:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Pamela Spence, loyal customer & reviewer (as well as my mom! :) - Iris) for this wonderful review.

Russian Winter

Daphne Kalotry has crafted an epic, powerful novel that unfolds in the artists’ community during Stalin’s repressive regime and resolves, finally, in Boston. Nina Revskaya, once a prima ballerina for the Bolshoi, who escaped to the West in the 1950s, in her declining years decides to auction off her jewels to benefit the Boston Ballet Foundation. Ostensibly prompted by altruism and love of the art, privately Revskaya wishes to tie up all the messy emotional loose ends of her life and to put ghosts and bitterness and regrets to rest. Eager young auction house associate Drew Brooks however, is inspired to research and dig and publicize the rare pieces in the ballerina’s collection – including an amber bracelet and earring set – which prompts an anonymous donor to bring forth a pendant that is a probably part of the original set. Brooks unwittingly sets into motion the unraveling of secrets and mysteries that have profoundly affected the lives of Revskaya, her friends, family and colleagues and which resolve in unexpected ways.

Mystery and intrigue abound in this satisfying first novel as well as a huge, savory dollop of political history. Katotay immerses the reader in the backrooms of the ballet and the auction house and pushes us directly into the middle of erupting social and political change.

This is a perfect read for long winter nights in a snowy cabin or during those 4 hour layovers that often characterize holiday travel. Once you step into the drawing room of Nina Revskaya you will not want to leave until you have heard all of her story.

What's Happening this November at Beehive Books?

2010-11-06T09:41:00.000-07:00

The leaves continue to change their brilliant colors and begin to fall to the ground to crunch underfoot. The weather is steadily cooling down and frost ices our lawns and cars in the morning. Soon the hustle and bustle of the holiday season will be upon us - if it isn't already! Be sure to take time out of your busy schedule to enjoy some of the events we have planned at Beehive Books, your favorite local independent bookstore. :)

Monday 11-8-10 7:00pm

Reading & Signing

Joan Murchland - author of The Dragon Under the House

Beehive Books welcomes Joan Murchland and her recently published memoir about growing up in Saint John, Canada, romance and adventure, being a student in Ohio and her career in music as a singer, a musical actress and piano teacher. Beneath the charming surface of her story we hear the wistful strains of life's deeper mysteries.

Sunday 11-14-10 2:00pm

Poetry & Prose Reading

Katherine Burkman

Katherin Burkman, recipient of a poetry award at Sanctuary for The Arts' Gallery in the Garden, will be reading new poetry as well as excerpts from the recently published (and Katherine-edited) Kerouac Ascending, written by her cousin, a close friend of Jack Kerouac.

Tuesday 11-16 4:00pm
OWU Modern Language House presents Open readings in Foreign Languages
Reading poetry or prose in foreign languages, OWU students and anyone from the community may read. Call Beehive or OWU Modern Language House to sign up, or just come and listen!

Saturday 11-20-10 1:00pm
Reading and Book Signing
Sherry Hartzler - author of Island Passages
Beehive warmly welcomes back Sherry with her new book! Join us for her reading and a short talk: The Artful Soul of Women's Fiction

Also be sure to join us every 1st & 3rd Monday from 6:30 for our Good Living Book Club
Currently reading Catherine Friend's The Compassionate Carnivore
(After Monday 11/15 we'll be taking a break for the holidays until January!)

Bartoli - Coppi, and...

2010-10-27T09:34:00.000-07:00

Looks like there's room between Gino Bartali and Fausto Coppi for Pantani!

Review of Jonathan Franzen's Freedom

2010-10-03T11:43:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Beehive customer & book reviewer, Chris Echesabal, for his review:

I liked this book. I’m just going to come right out and start with that. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. This is an important declaration to make because I absolutely did not want to like this book. I’d spent the last month purposely avoiding every article and interview about Freedom or about Jonathan Franzen and his utter genius as a novelist. I saw his face on the cover of Time magazine and I thought he looked like a joke; like the obnoxious parody of what a serious novelist is supposed to look like. Everyone was crazy about this book and so, trying to be unique and elitist, I refused to jump on the bandwagon. It was not until I stumbled upon a review of Freedom in the Economist’s arts & culture section that I was willing to give it a chance. Not a periodical prone to exaggeration, the Economist proclaimed this novel as the next in a long line of great American novels.

And so it was, as I found myself reading the novel, that nothing came to mind so much as William Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury, a book that hadn’t once crossed my mind since I read it with great difficulty in my 10th grade English class. And then as the book progressed I began to think of it less in the style of the American classics and more like one of the great tragedies of antiquity. Finally, after the novel takes a turn that is somehow both completely unexpected and entirely predictable, I found myself unable to compare it to anything at all. It was this feeling that made me most glad that I’d read this book.

At the risk of inadequately summarizing a plot that spans several characters and several generations across a century of time, I will attempt to explain what Freedom is about. It revolves around a family, that much is easy to say. This family, the Berglunds, has its fair share of issues including dishonesty, mistrust, depression, paranoia, and an overwhelming sense of purposelessness. It’s the relatively benign nature of these issues (that is to say, none of the problems in this family are particularly overt, they all simmer beneath the surface) that drives the plot of the novel forward in its own unusually cerebral, somewhat painful way. There are few big events in Freedom but they build in such a gripping way, like a pot of water slowly boiling before dramatically spilling over.

Okay, that was a weak metaphor but I don’t want you to get the feeling that this is a boring book. It truly is not. If you’re someone who needs adventure and action in your novels then you probably will not enjoy this book. Freedom is not your fun summer read and Jonathan Franzen is not Dan Brown. Franzen’s skill comes in his creation of wholly realistic and gripping characters with serious emotional problems that, for their own individual reasons, they are entirely unwilling to deal with until the book’s dramatic conclusion. The problems within and around the Berglund family are the problems of an American, mid-western, middle class kind of family which perhaps lends Freedom its nature as a particularly American novel.

Freedom is both a painful and entirely rewarding read and, in spite of all my earliest inclinations, I found myself completely in love with this book. It’s not a short book and it’s not an easy book to get through but if you can make it all the way to the end you’ll find yourself happy that you made the effort. And when this book becomes a standard text on American lit curricula in the future you’ll impress all your classmates by having already read it.

It's a Book! It's a Classic!

2010-09-22T11:42:00.000-07:00

Every book lover needs a copy of this hilarious picture book, which perfectly captures why the old-fashioned "book" is still a necessity in today's technology-enamored world. It's all done with large doses of humor and simple appealing illustrations featuring a mouse, monkey and jackass. (Just the fact that author/illustrator Lane Smith can get away with calling the donkey a "jack-ass" in a children' book and it's still a hit with teachers and librarians is proof enough that this book is a classic).
Open to the book to the first page, where you'll find Monkey quietly reading a book, and his friend, the jackass, who asks: "What do you have there?" Monkey replies, "It's a book," to which the befuddled jackass asks, "How do you scroll down?" And the story is off and running, with he jackass peppering the monkey with questions like "Do you blog with it?" and "Can it text? Tweet?" and "Do you need a password?" Finally, the monkey just hands the book to the jackass, who settles down to read. The hours go by, the jackass is hooked and he's soon headed off to the library to get a book of his own, but not without a final parting comment from the clever little mouse hiding under the monkey's hat. I read this book to my 11-year-old son, who laughed out loud and even put down his I-pod and logged off the computer for a few moments. Great fun! -- Erin

The Spire

2010-09-02T15:30:00.000-07:00

The Spire, by Richard North Patterson, was a surprisingly interesting read for me. A mystery set in a fictional Ohio town with a small liberal arts college, the setting in the book is based on Delaware and Ohio Wesleyan University, where Patterson attended college. My primary reason for reading the book was the setting. As I read, I was drawn farther and farther into the story. People familiar with the area and OWU will be able to catch the references to specific places like University Hall, The now closed Brown Jug restaurant, and many other Delaware landmarks. The story takes on a new vibrancy when the reader is able to actually picture what the places look like and the people might act like.
Outside of the setting, Patterson knows how to keep a reader reading. I typically have low expectations for the quality of writing in thrillers, but this book did a good job delving into the psychological side of the antagonist. The book has very little action in it as it follows a new college president trying to solve an embezzlement crisis and a twenty year old murder from his days as a student at the same college (not exactly gunfights and explosions, though I think financial crimes would be much more exciting with some explosions. Think of the current financial meltdown with real melting! Riveting stuff.). Anyway, while very little happens, Patterson manages to keep the reader guessing and for the most part throws enough twists and turns into the story to keep you reading.

My one criticism is that I found the ending slightly predictable and was not surprised by the character that turns out to be the villain. Connections between plot points were also overly constructed in certain areas so they would fit together. It is never explained why the main character suddenly is so interested in solving a twenty year old murder after leaving it behind for so long. After reconciling these minor problems, it was still a relatively engaging read. I would reccomend the book as an interesting diversion, especially for someone who typically read non fiction like myself, but nothing ground breaking. People familiar with Delaware and OWU will find it entertaining to see the dramatization of the town and the school.
-Drew

Super Sad True Love Story Review

2010-08-31T07:08:00.000-07:00

Super Sad True Love Story: a review by Beehive customer, Chris Echesabal

It’s a romance, it’s a scathing cultural and political satire, it’s an Orwellian thriller about a dystopian wasteland that was once called the United States of America. Gary Shteyngart’s newest novel Super Sad True Love Story somehow manages to achieve success as all of these things without losing believability or the beautiful humanity of its carefully designed characters. Mostly though, Super Sad is a thoroughly enjoyable novel that will delight and surprise you.

Alternating between the journal entries of the middle-aged protagonist, Lenny Ambramov, and the online social network of Eunice Park, the young and restless object of his love, Shteyngart slowly creates for us a picture of America wholly consumed by selfish consumerism, thoroughly bankrupt and indebted to the lenders of the world. In Lenny Ambramov’s America, the defining aspect of a person is their credit score and those with weak scores face deportation. Military vehicles line the streets of major cities keeping LNWIs (Low Net Worth Individuals) from causing problems for the country’s remaining rich. And, with the specter of a visit by the Chinese to determine whether or not to continue funding the whole mess, class tensions will continue to grow.

Amidst all this stands Lenny, a sad, boring kind of guy who somehow never made the cultural jump to this America. He cares less about online shopping and reality television celebrities than he does about collecting books, or as they’re called now “printed, bound, media artifacts”. Lenny works for a company that offers eternal youth to the world’s most rich and powerful; a company where youth, vigor, and hipness are constantly scored and ranked on a giant board in the lobby. Needless to say, Lenny doesn’t exactly fit in there, though he dreams one day to save up enough money to buy eternal youth himself. On a trip to Rome selling his company’s service, Lenny meets Eunice, a bored, spoiled modern teen. Though she finds him almost disgustingly bland, Lenny decides that he loves Eunice and, after bringing her back to New York with him, becomes determined that she will love him too. Eunice, on the other hand, finds herself growing more attached to New York’s LNWI’s (including many veterans without health care) living in Central Park and protecting them from the government’s neglect.

Shteyngart masterfully weaves together a narrative filled with characters so marked by human flaws and weaknesses that one wonders if the book can end in anything other than tragedy. Nonetheless, his wit and sardonic wisdom are apparent throughout. So much so that I found Super Sad True Love Story to be one of the few novels in recent memory to actually make me laugh out loud (or LOL). It’s a novel full of life, charm, and passion that warns of a terrifyingly close future of cultural and economic decay for America. But just think, by buying and reading this book, you’ve taken one step to keep Lenny Abramov’s future at bay and for that you should be proud.

***Thanks Chris for you review!

Anyone reading Jonathan Franzen's new book (or other books) and want to review it on our blog? e-mail us at: readers@beehiveat25.com
--mel

MOCKINGJAY: HEARTBREAKING READ

2010-08-27T09:57:00.000-07:00

Like all of Suzanne Collins' fans, I waited for a year for this book, Mockingjay, and finished it over two days. I am left feeling completely drained yet ultimately satisfied. It wasn't the ending I hoped for or anticipated, but it felt right and true to its characters, with a ray of hope for the future and for mankind.
The book is surprising in many ways. Katniss is no longer a confident warrior battling defined evil. Instead, she is a reluctant heroine and sometimes pawn for the rebels in their war against the Capitol. She is more alone in this book than ever before. While her old friend Gale is at her side, he is preoccupied with the war, developing advanced technological weapons for the rebels. Her other companion and love interest, Peeta, has been captured by the Capitol and is been tortured. Her mother and younger sister are now with her in District 13, but they are so busy trying to save wounded soldiers, and Katniss herself is so pulled by duty, they spend virtually no time together. War and survival is all anyone can think of. Close relationships -- and trust -- are nearly non-existent. Yet just when you think it's completely hopeless, there is some redemption and a reason to go on. Mockingjay is an exciting and thought-provoking and successful conclusion to a fabulous series for both adult and young adult audiences.-- Erin

Writing & Reading at The Beehive

2010-08-16T11:44:00.000-07:00

Like Iris, I discovered Beehive Books while searching for my next read. This was back in fall of 2007 and I was a senior in high school. Literature is a big deal at my house but by the end of high school I had exhausted school reading lists, my school library, and my own bookshelf. The answer? Get a job at a bookstore, of course.

Within the first hour of my first shift at Beehive, Mel introduced me to a writer whose work I've returned to many times since: Tobias Wolff. I started with his novel Old School. In this semi-autobiographical work, a boy strives to find his voice as a writer while enrolled at an elite prep school. The book's narrator remains unnamed but Wolff introduces us to fictionalized versions of Ernest Hemingway, Robert Frost, and Ayn Rand. Old School tells the story of how readers become writers and does so in Wolff's signature style: clean, spare prose peppered with words so well placed that this novel inspires and schools its reader in the craft of writing. Even for those without such pretensions, Old School will satiate readers devoted to good literature and was my introduction to one of the best American voices at work today.

I was drawn to the story of the boy writer in Old School because, as a senior in high school, I too hoped to write. By college, I figured out that hoping to write does not actually make you a writer. I mean, I was writing but I was writing about how I wanted to write. (I think that's called pretension.) I registered for a writing course. Again, Tobias Wolff was recommended to me - this time by my teacher. Last week, I finally picked up my teacher's recommendation: Wolff's memoir This Boy's Life.

I'm wary of the memoir form. Most memoirs read like therapeutic exercises: 200 pages filled with sensational stories of the fights between parents or chronicles of abusive relationships. This Boy's Life, however, bypasses such cliches. Like his narrator in Old School, Wolff attended an elite prep school. Before that, however, Wolff followed his mother across the U.S. to Washington state. There, she remarries and Wolff finds himself struggling through high school in a bleak town called Concrete. Wolff's true story in This Boy's Life is how he constantly reincarnated himself and the effect of the labels he found himself saddled with as a boy. And while an abusive stepfather figures prominently into the landscape of his boyhood, Wolff mines his experience to illustrate the complexities of growing up. Wolff is a master of fiction, short fiction, and nonfiction. There are stories and portraits packed into this brief memoir that recall Hemingway's Nick Adams Stories and road trips that are reminiscent of Kerouac's.

It's been almost four years now and I still haven't read everything in the Beehive. The list of authors I've discovered thanks to talking to my co-workers and the readers who make Beehive their home is a long one. When you're looking for your next read, come in to the Beehive and let us help you write your own list of favorite authors.

-Rachel Miller

"Little Bee": A Riveting Read

2010-08-13T10:52:00.000-07:00

   "Little Bee" is the most powerful and absorbing novel I've read this summer. Pick up a copy and you'll be caught up in the story of a young African refugee named Little Bee struggling to survive in England, and trying to re-connect with a British woman who may hold the key to her survival. The story alternates between Little Bee's viewpoint, and Sarah's, a British woman who met Little Bee years earlier during a tragedy in her native Nigeria.

   Sarah has her own personal sadness, and the last thing she needs is an illegal Nigerian teenager landing on her doorstep. But Little Bee turns out to be exactly what Sarah does require. She and the girl form a strong alliance and find a bridge to healing despite the immense difficulty of their circumstances.

Written by Chris Cleave, Little Bee is a page-turner graced with wit, intelligence and compassion. From the beginning, you'll be hooked by Little Bee's wry self-awareness. She says:  "Most days I wish I was a British pound coin instead of an African girl....A pound is free to travel to safety, and we are free to watch it go. This is the human triumph. This is called globalization. A girl like me gets stopped at immigration, but a pound can leap the turnstiles, and dodge the tackles of those big men with their uniform caps, and jump straight into an airport taxi. Where to, sir? Western civilization, my good man, and make it snappy." And that's just what you should do, make haste to read this beautiful story.-- Posted by Erin

Buzz in the Beehive: The Hunger Games Triology!

2010-08-11T09:31:00.000-07:00

Wondering what to read after I finished my beloved Harry Potter series is what originally brought me into Beehive Books two years ago. A friend had told me of a series that was just as addicting, only more aimed at a female audience, so I was on a mission to find and devour it. At the back counter I found Erin and her great knowledge of what's hot and what's not in the book realm. When I told her what I was looking for, she lead me straight to Twilight. I got a smoothie from the cafe, plopped down on the red leather couch, and within twenty minutes I was in love. Two weeks later I was working at Beehive and finished with the Twilight Saga.
Finishing a series is always bittersweet. You grow to know and love the characters as if you were life long friends (well, most of them, *cough, cough* Draco Malfoy and The Volturi!). I could hardly wait to get my hands on the next book and continue the journey. However, when you finish the last book, it's hard to say goodbye and then there's always the question of "What do I read next?" First you always look for the book that reminds you of the series you just finished. This is always a mistake because the characters are not the same, and the story is not the same, no matter how much you want them to be. This is why it took me so long to find Twilight after Harry Potter, and then why it took me so long to find The Hunger Games after Twilight. Which brings me to the reason behind this post, to introduce you to The Hunger Games.

It was Erin again that introduced me to this book, and I was admittedly skeptical at first. This didn't really seem like my kind of book. But I was hooked in from the opening chapter when I met Katniss and Gale, secretly hunting beyond the fences of their home in District 12 on reaping day. The only way I can think to describe this series to fellow readers and pop culture lovers is a meshing of The Giver, Lord of the Flies, and Lost. Intrigued? I thought so.

"Twenty-four are forced to enter. Only the winner survives. In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. Each year, the districts are forced by the Capitol to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the Hunger Games, a brutal and terrifying ﬁght to the death - televised for all of Panem to see.

Survival is second nature for sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who struggles to feed her mother and younger sister by secretly hunting and gathering beyond the fences of District 12. When Katniss steps in to take the place of her sister in the Hunger Games, she knows it may be her death sentence. If she is to survive, she must weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

WINNING WILL MAKE YOU FAMOUS. LOSING MEANS CERTAIN DEATH." (http://www.thehungergames.co.uk/about_the_book)

After I devoured The Hunger Games (pun intended), it was on to Catching Fire, the second installment of this thrilling series. I could hardly stand to put this book down and finished it in two days. I hate to give away anything from the first book in case you're gathering your keys and heading to Beehive Books right now to buy Hunger Games (available in paperback and hardcover). All I can tell you is that the twists and turns of this book kept me thrilled and terrified for my beloved characters. Several times I had to take a break from reading simply to absorb what had just happened in the rollercoaster ride that was the plot.

I am now anxiously counting down the days (12 + some hours) until the release of the third and final book in the heart-stopping Hunger Games triology.

Set to be released August 24th, I have my copy on order. Call today & reserve your copy! (740-363-2337)

Plans for a movie have recently been announced as well, look for it in theaters in 2011!!

- Iris

A Worker Bee's Book Review

2010-08-09T09:25:00.000-07:00

Half Broke Horses: A True-Life Novel

Jeannette Walls' latest novel chronicles the life of her grandmother, Lily Casey Smith: mother, horsewoman, pilot, schoolteacher, and southwest rancher. Told in first person, the narrative fuses anecdotes Walls heard as a child, spun together in the no-nonsense, fiercely determined--and ever captivating--voice of Lily, whose adventures span through a Texas dugout home, Chicago, and finally to the Arizona desert. If the novel's metaphor of the 'half broke horse' becomes slightly repetitive, it more than compensates for this in its stunning, intricate character portrait of Lily. While Lily has the pluck to leave home at age fifteen to become a teacher (embarking on a four-week journey), she grieves deeply over the loss of a family member; while her traditional plans for her daughter strain their relationship, she thoroughly embraces the advent of modern technology. A must read to encounter this unforgettable heroine, whose story is told in an impeccable voice.

-Emily

To Kill a Mockingbird Reading

2010-07-26T10:27:00.000-07:00

1 Book, 323 pages, 30 Chapters, 40 people,
11 hours and 40 minutes to read.

A very special thank you to all our To Kill a Mockingbird readers
(in order of appearance):

Bob Flanagan
Keith Flint
Amanda Lobdell
Eileen Watters
Don Love
Mary Kay Love
Erin MacLellan
Lynn Exline
Melanie Miller
Rich Edwards
Lydia Gray
Lily Wiest
Ellen Stitt
Paul Kostyu
Rachel Miller
Tony Heald
Corrine Lyman
Casey Clark
Susan McKinley
Kathy Chesser
Tim Chesser
Elizabeth Kuchers
Graham Bowling
Caitlin Green
Tom Bosco
Lauren Neidhardt
Neil Neidhardt
Michelle Howes
Debbie Fowler
Susan McLaughlin
Erik Burgeson
Megan Good
Kelley Hubbard
Carrie Wirick
Jennifer Baxley's father Bill (sorry we didn't get your last name)
Robin Wells
Tom Hering
Kathleen Neds
Leslie Beyer
Terry Hermsen

Many readers shared stories of their first encounter with this important novel, and the affect it has had on their lives. The experiences discussed, and the breadth and depth of the impact felt, were as diverse as the disparate collection of readers listed. Along with the obvious considerations of race, class, and disability, were some rather personal and provocative conversations about wisdom, patience, humility, and the exploration of the existence of those whom either choose -- or, indeed, are condemned -- to live a life outside that which "society" considers to be the acceptable norm.

Thank you for celebrating Harper Lee’s beloved American novel with us! It was a privilege to share this reading experience with our community.

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD READING JULY 17

2010-07-09T10:55:00.000-07:00

Come read with us on July 17! Beehive Books will host a continuous reading of Harper Lee's classic novel, "To Kill a Mockingbird," on Saturday, July 17 from 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Anyone is invited to read aloud for 15 minutes, or just come listen, as we celebrate the 50th anniversary publication of the Pulitzer-prize winning novel.
A favorite of many of our customers, this book is about racial injustice and loss of innocence in a small Southern town during the Depression. While the subject sounds intense, the book is also graced with a lot of humor, particularly the young heroine's impressions of the Southern community where she lives with her attorney father and brother.
And there's a great element of mystery and suspense that will have you racing through the pages at the conclusion.
To sign up to read, call us at 740-363-2337 or email us at readers@beehiveat25.com.

Summer Solstice Reading

2010-06-22T14:07:00.000-07:00

What a beautiful evening of poetry & prose, fiction & non-fiction. Original pieces from writers in our community -- a celebration in words from Walt Whitman & Michael Pollan to Emily Dickinson & Betty Smith. Thanks to all the readers and their well-chosen selections to celebrate summer. If you missed the reading last night, here's the list so you can enjoy summer any time of the year. Thanks to all of the participants & and the audience.

So whether you're reading on the beach, under a shady tree, or in air-conditioned comfort, grab a good book, & enjoy summer!

To start the evening Joan Murchland sang George Gershwin's "Summertime" with John Mediatore playing guitar.

Terry Hermsen read Robert Frost's "Mowing," Mary Oliver's poem "Buck Moon," and a piece by Michael Pollan "Why Mow?"

Robert Flanagan read four of his poems from Reply to an Evictioin Notice: "Indian Summer," "Heat Lightning," "Beached," and "Direction."

Marianne Gabel read three selections from the non-fiction book Little Heathens by Mildred Armstrong Kalish.

Gretchen Hirsch read from her own novel Back Again to Me.

Bernard Murchland read Emily Dickinson's poem "Thunderstorm" and Duncan Scott's poem "Summer Storm."

...the rest will post later.

See you..." On The Road "

2010-05-21T09:14:00.000-07:00

Please support our Cycling team and give them a kind word when you see them training for an upcoming race on the local roads

Delaware Arts Festival Hours

2010-05-14T09:00:00.000-07:00

We're opening early for the Arts Fest!

Get caffeinated at Beehive Books before you start your Arts Fest Weekend & join us for Book Signings on Saturday & Sunday. Stop in whenever you need hot coffee, a cold drink, and check out our ever changing selection of books, magazines, cards & gifts.

Saturday 5/15 9am-8pm (early open!)
10a-5pm Photgraphers Wendy Caldwell & Sheldon Ross will be signing their book A Look Through Our Lens at the Delaware County Bicentennial---a great time to buy a personalized copy for upcoming birthdays, anniversaries, Father's Day or just a thoughtful gift!

Sunday 5/16 9am-5pm (extended hours!)
3pm Author Gabrielle Burton will be reading from her new novel, Impatient with Desire which is an Indie Booksellers great read selection!
A Book Signing and wine reception will follow.

www.indiebound.org/book/9781401341015/Gabrielle-Burton/Impatient-Desire

Check out a review of the book at feministreview.blogspot.com/2010/04/impatient-with-desire.html.

Romance at the Beehive Feb. 12

2010-02-03T11:41:00.000-08:00

In advance of Valentine’s Day, eight local romance writers will host a book signing on Friday, Feb. 12 from 6 p.m-8 p.m. at Beehive Books, 25 N. Sandusky Street in Delaware. The event is free and open to the public.
“We hope people will treat themselves or a loved one to tales that touch the heart,” said Mel Corroto, owner of the store. “We have an incredibly talented group of local authors who will be on hand to sign copies of their new books.”
The authors are: Saralee Etter, Georgia Evans, Susan Gee Heino, Elysa Hendricks, Rosemary Laurey, Donna MacMeans, Sandy Wickersham-McWhorter and Karin Shah. Browse the shelves, look for gifts and celebrate the thrill of romance at Beehive! Questions? Call 740-363-2337.

Two Free Tickets to Thurber House Event Jan. 19

2010-01-13T11:11:00.000-08:00

The Thurber House and Beehive Books are teaming up to provide you with a great deal. Buy a copy of Jayne Anne Phillips' award-winning book, "Lark & Termite" and receive a voucher for two free tickets to the "Evening with Authors" series run by the Thurber House.
Ms. Phillips will speak on Tuesday, Jan. 19, at 7:30 p.m. at the Columbus Performing Arts Center, 549 Franklin Ave. in Columbus. She'll read from her book, chat about writing and answer questions from the audience.
"Lark & Termite" is a moving story about loss, love and family secrets. Lark, a teenage girl, spends her days caring for her disabled brother, Termite, in West Virginia in the 1950s. The book, a National Book Award finalist, is available at Beehive Books for $14.95.

Good Reads Book Recommendations

2009-11-25T08:36:00.000-08:00

Delaware's own Beehive Books provides online book recommendations to help you choose your next read. Beehive owner Mel Corroto, Beehive staff, and special guests can help you find great books for yourself or to give as gifts.

In the most recent webcast, local attorney (and book lover) Casey Clark and Mel discussed the following books (all available at Beehive):

Holiday Titles:

Knit the Season by Kate Jacobs ($24.95)

Matchless by Gregory Maguire ($19.99)

Three Wise Cats by Harold M. Konstantelos & Terri Jenkins-Brady

Hercule Poirot's Christmas by Agatha Christie ($13.95)

A Child's Christmas in Wales by Dylan Thomas ($9.95)

Holiday Remarks & Replies ($7.95)

Recommended by Casey:

Born to Run by Christopher McDougal($24.95)

The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon ($26.95)

Use this link to find the Good Reads webcasts:

http://www.thisweeknews.com/live/content/video/Good_Reads.html

Beehive Books places special orders every day, so if you can't find the item you're looking for, just ask.

Author Erin McGraw Sunday 11-15-09 3:00 pm Reading and Book Signing

2009-11-10T15:42:00.000-08:00

Erin McGraw will read from her novel
The Seamstress of Hollywood Boulevard.
The San Francisco Chronicle wrote: "The Seamstress of Hollywood Boulevard is rich and vibrant with historical accuracy and female fortitude."

"I couldn't cook but I could sew. It would have been better the other way around." So begins this witty and transporting new novel by the acclaimed Erin McGraw, introducing us to Nell Plat, who, at age seventeen, finds herself unhappily married and the mother of two baby girls. For a young woman with a hunger for excitement and glamour, Kansas circa 1900 offers nothing but a flat horizon. Still, Nell find some joy sewing and making dresses for women in town. Dreaming over her sewing machine, she begins to entertain ambitions she knows she cannot share.

Based on Erin McGraw's grandmother's life, here is the story--told in Nell's own irreverent and wise voice--of what happens when Nell runs away to Los Angeles in the year 1901 as the new motion-picture industry is just taking root. Nell marries again, has a daughter, and goes into business as a costumer in the Hollywood of the Roaring Twenties, renaming herself Madame Annelle. But a knock on the door by her grown daughters, precisely the thing she has most feared, threatens to take apart the new life Nell has so carefully built. Forced to confront the legacy of the life she believed she had shed, Nell struggles to make the right choices the second time around and finds herself truly transformed.

In vividly bringing to life the story of Nell Plat, Erin McGraw gives voice to the stories of the countless young women who, unsatisfied with their lives, headed to Hollywood in its heyday. The Seamstress of Hollywood Boulevard magically recreates that glamorous time and place, and allows us to witness it beautifully dressed, well lit, and close up. The Seamstress of Hollywood Boulevard was recently published in paperback by Mariner Books, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

McGraw is the author of four previous books, includingLies of the Saints (a New York Times Notable Book). She has published in the Atlantic, Story, and many other publications, and her work has been featured on Selected Shorts. She is a professor of creative writing at Ohio State University and lives in Ohio.

Thursday Oct 22 meet Larry Smith

2009-10-16T17:34:00.000-07:00

It is indeed a privilege to invite our friends to a special night with author Larry Smith reading & signing his recently published novel The Long River Home

This Thursday at 7:15PM

“The Long River Home” is published as part of the Working Lives Series for Bottom Dog Press. His novel is about his own people of the Appalachian foothills in and around Ohio’s Green, Vinton, and Jefferson Counties. This novel has been nominated for a 2009 Pushcart Prize.
Annabel Thomas, Ohio author of “Stone Man Mountain” says of Mr. Smith “in this fine Appalachian novel, Larry Smith chronicles four generations of McCalls, their joys and sorrows, their sins and their nobility….Such regional fiction has always been about people: their connections with one another, their home place, their struggles to survive and to prosper. It’s all here, set, in the grand tradition of Wendell Berry and Conrad Richter, against the Ohio landscape: its hills and its rivers, its frontier beginnings and its later industrial development. We care about the place and its people. Finishing the novel, we understand ourselves and our nation with a deeper knowledge.”
Smith has worked as a steel mill laborer, a high school teacher, a college professor, and a writer and editor. A graduate of Mingo Central High School, Muskingum College, and Kent State University, he is the author of seven books of poetry, a book of memoirs, two books of fiction, two biographies of authors Lawrence Ferlinghetti and Kenneth Patchen, and two books of translations from the Chinese.

Now a professor emeritus of Bowling Green State University’s Firelands College, he is the director of the Firelands Writing Center there and of Bottom Dog Press. Smith has received an Individual Artist Fellowship from the Ohio Arts Council, and a Fulbright Lectureship in American Literature to Italy.

The Author will be introduced by Robert Flanagan

This Friday October 16

2009-10-12T16:42:00.000-07:00

Come meet

Maggie Maggio

Nationally known polymer clay artist &
co-author of Polymer Clay Color Inspirations

This Friday October 16 at 7pm

Ms. Maggio will have a brief demonstration with polymer clay and be available to answer questions and sign copies of her book.

Polymer Clay Color Inspirations” was recently published by Watson-Guptill/Random House.
Ms. Maggio co-authored the book with another artist, Lindly Haunani. Maggie has studied and played with color for over thirty years. For the last twelve years she has traveled the country teaching polymer clay and fiber artists the difference between color theory and color reality in her unique “Smashing Color” workshops.
Her early work in polymer clay was inspired by folk art and fables, her recent work by watercolor and landscapes, and her current work by the natural materials she uses as an architectural designer.

September Events

2009-09-06T06:59:00.000-07:00

Saturday 12 September 1:00p

Meet the Author Reading & Book Signing

Sherry Hartzler Author of Three Moons Over Sedona

Georgia Mae Brown has always lived an ordinary life. That is, until her husband dies in the arms of a younger woman. Six weeks after his death, Georgia slides behind the wheel of her husband’s beloved 1976 Fleetwood convertible, starts the engine and just keeps driving. Empowered by a volatile mix of freedom and retribution, Georgia begins a journey of a lifetime.

Sherry Hartzler grew up on a farm in Berlin Township and graduated from Olentangy High School. She and her husband (who also graduated from Olengtangy High School) live in Hocking Hills and operate a log cabin retreat “Inn a Cabin.” Her life-long passion for writing has led her to write many freelance articles and three unpublished novels. Three Moons Over Sedona is published by Rockhouse of Logan, Ohio.

Sunday 13 September

America’s One & Only All-Horse Parade! (biggest this side of the Mississippi, anyway)

Stop in and see us while you’re downtown—

We’ll be open Noon-5ish (parade starts at 3pm)

Sunday 20 September 2:00p

Poetry Reading

OSU Marion/Cornfield Review Reading

Come hear the bright, fresh writers from this area reading their work at the annual OSU Marion’s Literary Magazine, Cornfield Review reading. You’ll hear poetry, short fiction, and other pieces from these talented writers. The new edition of the Cornfield Review should be hot of the press and ready for distribution! Readers will include the winners of the 2009 OSU Marion Creative Writing Awards and other writers published in the magazine including Tabitha Albright, Jacci Baumann, Mike Beatty, Carlee Mabrey, and Stephanie Howard.

Sidewalk chalk art @ Beehive

2009-08-10T09:07:00.000-07:00

"When they outlaw sidewalk art they'll have to pry the chalk out of my cold dead hands" says Ray Johnson veteran sidewalk chalk artist in response to proposed legislation outlawing the freedom of expression most favored by 6 year olds.

Friday Nite - First Friday HAPPENINGS

2009-08-06T17:24:00.000-07:00

Come meet photographers Wendy Caldwell and Sheldon Ross at Beehive Books. They have just released their book of photography entitled A LOOK THROUGH OUR LENS AT THE DELAWARE BICENTENNIAL. The book is a fantastic look back at the important events of 2008.

You can ask the authors to sign your copy while you view an exhibit of their work at (not on the) Corner Framing next door to the 'hive.

Book signing at 6PM, reception 6:30 til 9pm

A majority of the proceeds from the sale of the book (by BeeHive Books) will be donated to: Andrews House, Friends for Life, Arts Castle, Main Street Delaware, Strand Theatre, and the Historical Societies of Delaware County.

Meet the Author of The Beef Princess of Practical County

2009-07-29T11:11:00.001-07:00

Meet Michelle Houts, author of The Beef Princess of Practical County, at Beehive Books on Tuesday 8/4/09 at 4:00pm. She will read from her new novel and sign copies of the book.

After years of waiting, it is finally Libby Ryan’s turn to shine at the Practical County Fair. Libby is filled with excitement as she and her granddad pick out two calves for her to raise on her family’s cattle farm, in hopes of winning the annual steer competition. Against her father’s advice, Libby gives the calves names, even though both steers will eventually be auctioned off to the highest bidder.
What's the big deal? She's lived on a cattle farm forever. But, after a few months of preparing for the Practical County Fair, Libby finds that she is becoming more and more attached to her steers. When Libby's mother convinces her to enter the Beef Princess pageant, Libby realizes that she'll have to face off against the dreaded Darling sisters. Suddenly, everything related to the Practical County Fair feels like a big deal.
Luckily, Libby can count on her best friend to get her through most of the county fair chaos. Yet once reality sets in and she realizes that her steers will soon be sold to the highest bidder, the chaos in Libby’s heart becomes too much to bear.

Animal lovers, 4-H members, anyone who has lived among beautiful mid-western farms, or city-dwellers wanting to get a taste of farm living will love meeting 12- year old Libby Ryan in this delightful novel.

Check out Seventeen Magazine summer-reading recommendation of the book (and ignore their suggestion to buy it from Barnes & Noble, because you can buy it here at Beehive Books and have the author sign it!) http://www.seventeen.com/fun-stuff/17-buzz/michelle-houts-the-beef-princess-of-practical-county

Michelle Houts is an author, teacher, and lives on a farm in Mercer County, Ohio. Learn more about her and the book at Random House's website: http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780385735841

And you can even learn how to show a steer at Michelle's website: http://www.michellehouts.com/showsteer.php

Spots filling up...

2009-07-18T04:22:00.000-07:00

We only have a limited number of spots left for the 1st annual Beehive Books Literary Wet T-Shirt Contest. Registration will not be taken over the phone or by email, please come in a sign up today.

Poet Robert Flanagan this Wednesday 7/15@7:15

2009-07-12T15:49:00.000-07:00

Come celebrate the day after Bastille Day with poet Robert Flanagan, reading from his new book, Reply To An Eviction Notice: Selected Poems at 7:15 pm. The book (did we mention it is new?) encompasses his life and experiences from the inner city of Toledo to Ireland and from boxing to nature.

A professor emeritus at Ohio Wesleyan, Flanagan directed OWU's creative writing programs published the acclaimed novel, Maggot, three collections of short stories, fice chapbooks of poetry, essays and reviews.

See you Wednesday July 15, at 7:15pm.

Beehive Event Canceled

2009-07-03T10:46:00.000-07:00

Sorry to inform you but the July scheduled performance of 22 Monkeys Type The Works of William Shakespeare has been canceled.

It wasn't so much a problem with the apes as much as the unavailability of manual typewriters.

Billy Shoes Live at the Beehive Saturday 5/9/09 7pm

2009-05-08T06:38:00.000-07:00

Celebrate Spring, Mother's Day, Graduation, everything, nothing......

They're back! Come listen to your favorite 5-piece Americana/Folk/Bluegrass band who raises money for food pantries in southern Ohio.
If you haven't heard them before, you're in for a treat. This ensemble is usually an upright bass, percussion, guitar, banjo, harmonica....there are many variations but rumor is all 5 will be here on Saturday.

www.myspace.com/billytwoshoes
As always, all proceeds from their performances & CDs (and they have a new one!) are donated to food pantries.

And don't forget, we'll be closed on Mother's Day Sunday 10 May.

So grab your Mom or Grad & stop by for a refreshing beverage and good time!

Meet Author Karen Harper Tomorrow at Delaware County District Library

2009-05-05T11:33:00.000-07:00

Beehive Books will be at the Delaware County District Library main branch tomorrow with author Karen Harper.

Friends of the DCDL Annual Meeting Join other Friends for an exclusive reception with bestselling author Karen Harper on May 6 at 6:30 pm. Ms. Harper’s public presentation and book signing follow at 7:15, and the annual meeting begins at 8:00. http://www.delawarelibrary.org/friends.html

Karen Harper writes historical fiction, Elizabethan era mysteries, and contemporary romantic suspense. Her latest novel, Mistress Shakespeare, explores the historic evidence of Shakespeare's other possible wife, Anne Whateley, in a fascinating story of love, passion, and Elizabethan theatre with a complete cast of historical characters from Shakespeare's England. http://www.karenharperauthor.com/mistress_shakespeare.html

Don't miss the chance to hear Karen Harper talk about her books and become a Friend of the Delaware County District Library.

And don't forget to vote today. Your vote strengthens our community!

Poetry Month

2009-04-30T11:04:00.000-07:00

Today ends our month-long poetry celebration.

Thanks to all the generous and wonderful presenters & poets in the Beehive community that gave voice to poetry this month.

They continued a communal conversation started in January with the Reading of the Presidents.
Both projects explore and examine the many threads of thought and idea expressed in words that weave the complex and brilliant tapestry of our humanity.

Thanks for participating!

Wed 1-Apr Jack Scollay Robert Frost
Thurs 2-Apr OPEN READING Readers Welcome!
Fri 3-Apr Forrest Amidon Robert Browning
Sat 4-Apr Keith Flint Octavio Paz
Sun 5-Apr Tony Heald Percy Bysshe Shelley
Mon 6-Apr Open Reading Readers Welcome!
Tues 7-Apr Butch Weller Phil Liggett
Wed 8-Apr Ed Hunter T.S. Eliot
Thurs 9-Apr Tom Slayton Robert Burns
Fri 10-Apr Jerry Kelly Robert Creeley
Sat 11-Apr Vicki Lefevre Edna St. Vincent Millay
Sun 12-Apr Easter Sunday Closed
Mon 13-Apr Bob Flanagan Philip Larkin
Tues 14-Apr Don Bennington John Donne
Wed 15-Apr Rev. Charles Wilson William Butler Yeats
Thurs 16-Apr Steve Davenport Poet OWU Literary Fest
Thurs 16-Apr Emily Katitus Her poetry
Fri 17-Apr Brent Carson Carl Sandburg
Sat 18-Apr Fred Andrle His Poetry
Sun 19-Apr John Bennett His Poetry
Mon 20-Apr Don Love Ogden Nash
Tues 21-Apr Mary Kay Love Longfellow
Wed 22-Apr April Nelson Poetic Medley
Thurs 23-Apr Margo Bartlett Billy Collins
Fri 24-Apr Guillermo Arango Spanish Language Poets
Sat 25-Apr Debbie Rhodes Maya Angelou
Sun 26-Apr Nancy M. Thompson Christina Rosetti
Sun 25-Apr Stuart Lishan & Terry Hermsen A Poetic Conversation
Mon 27-Apr Robert Flanagan Nonsense Verse
Tues 28-Apr Lyman Leathers Emily Dickinson
Wed 29-Apr Bill Hanning Abe Lincoln
Wed 29-Apr Tom Slayton Robert Burns
Thur30-Apr Daniel Montoly Langston Hughes

Join our Presidential Parade Everyday at NOON!

2009-01-29T14:02:00.000-08:00

In honor of President's Day, the 200th birthday of Abraham Lincoln, and the recent inauguration of our new president, we are celebrating for 44 days!

Every day at NOON we hear a local person speak the words of our president. We started on Jan 18th with George Washington and will go until March 2 with Barack Obama. Our readers are from the local community, read for about 10 minutes, and are giving some fascinating background information as well.

We've had participants from all parts of our community including a very articulate and informed middle school student, judges, realators, teachers, writers, a bailiff, bankers, attorneys, retired & active professors, a reverend, a pastor, a doctor, small business owners, students....well as you can see, from all parts of our community.

Here is the entire schedule of readers.
Please join us to hear these speakers bring our presidents to life.
Bring your lunch or grab a coffee & a snack here.

Sun 18-Jan George Washington Tom Conrad
Mon 19-Jan John Adams Linda Heid
Tues 20-Jan Thomas Jefferson Tom Slayton
Wed 21-Jan James Madison Judge Sunderman
Thurs 22-Jan James Monroe George Conti
Fri 23-Jan John Quincy Adams Jack Scollay
Sat 24-Jan Andrew Jackson Dean Skipton
Sun 25-Jan Martin Van Buren Anna Hurley
Mon 26-Jan Wm Henry Harrison Tuesday Trippier
Tues 27-Jan John Tyler Corinne Lyman
Wed 28-Jan James K. Polk Toby Boyce
Thurs 29-Jan Zachary Taylor Teresa Watkins
Fri 30-Jan Millard Fillmore Judge David Gormley
Sat 31-Jan Franklin Pierce Dan Bennington
Sun 1-Feb James Buchanan Mike Rush
Mon 2-Feb Abraham Lincoln Russ Martin, Dean Skipton
Tues 3-Feb Andrew Johnson Abraham Gustavson
Wed 4-Feb Ulysses S. Grant Don Love
Thurs 5-Feb Rutherford B. Hayes Brent Carson
Fri 6-Feb James A. Garfield Dave Hejmanowski
Sat 7-Feb Chester A. Arthur Jake Myers
Sun 8-Feb Grover Cleveland Tony Heald
Mon 9-Feb Benjamin Harrison Griffin Waterman
Tues 10-Feb Grover Cleveland Butch Weller
Wed 11-Feb William McKinley Lori Dunlap-Flint
Thurs 12-Feb Theodore Roosevelt Rev. Charles Wilson
Fri1 13-Feb William H. Taft Chad Heald
Sat 14-Feb Woodrow Wilson Conrad Kent
Sun 15-Feb Warren G. Harding Tom Herring
Mon 16-Feb Calvin Coolidge Margo Bartlett
Tues 17-Feb Herbert Hoover Dave Steigerwald
Wed 18-Feb Franklin D. Roosevelt Mary Kay Love
Thurs 19-Feb Harry Truman Pat Hubbell
Fri 20-Feb Dwight D. Eisenhower Joan McLean
Sat 21-Feb John F. Kennedy Darlene Greenwood
Sun 22-Feb Lyndon B. Johnson Linda Shearer
Mon 23-Feb Richard Nixon Tom Slayton
Tues 24-Feb Gerald R. Ford Marianne Gabel
Wed 25-Feb Jimmy Carter Tim Chesser
Thurs 26-Feb Ronald Reagan Lisa Ho
Fri 27-Feb George H.W. Bush Dave Yost
Sat 28-Feb William J. Clinton Braden Kessler
Sun 1-Mar George W. Bush Nicole Endicott
Mon 2-Mar Barack Obama Kathleen O' Neill