"Little Bee": A Riveting Read

   "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!

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

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

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

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

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 "

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