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Books with a buzz

Ancient Greek, Roman and Celtic cultures believed bees to be messengers that moved between mortals and the gods. Ancient Egyptians revered bees and honey—both were associated with the sun god Ra. Bees represented harmony, balance, luck and prosperity in Chinese folklore. Today we often associate these miniature pollinators with industry and hard work. Honey has many known health benefits both topically applied and ingested. In short, bees live up to their buzz. Grab a book about bees this month to learn more about these critical creatures.

A Honeybee Heart Has Five Openings: A Year of Keeping Bees by Helen Jukes. This memoir chronicles Jukes journey during her first year of beekeeping and how the bees illuminated her understanding of responsibility and vulnerability and grounded her perspective of home.

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd is a novel set in the mid-1960s in South Carolina. The story deals with the complexities of relationships, the meaning of family and the divine power of women. A movie based on the book was released in 2008, starring Queen Latifah, Dakota Fanning, Jennifer Hudson, Alicia Keys and Sophie Okonedo.

Bee Journal by Sean Borodale is a short book of bee poetry. Borodale wrote this working journal of poetry over the course of a few years at the hive, wearing veil and gloves, to capture the kinetic activity of bees. Borodale documented his sometimes-frenetic relationship with the bees.

The Bee Book by Charlotte Milner is a children’s introduction into the world of honeybees and the critical role they play in the wider world. Filled with facts and pictures, Milner wrote and illustrated this picture book. The blurb says, “Bees are brilliant at building, are super social creatures and along with other insects, are responsible for a third of every mouthful of food you eat!”

Sweetness and Light: The Mysterious History of the Honeybee by Hattie Ellis dives into the history of honey and bee cultivation. “Ellis leads us into the hive, revealing the fascinating story of bees and honey from the Stone Age to the present, from Nepalese honey hunters to urban hives on the rooftops of New York City,” states the book blurb.

The Beekeeper’s Lament: How One Man and Half a Billion Honey Bees Helps Feed America by Hannah Nordhaus shares the story of John Miller, a prominent migratory beekeeper. Nordhaus uses her journalism skills to shed light on America’s bees and their effect on agribusiness, our food chain and ultimately the future of our nation.

A Sting in the Tale: My Adventures with Bumblebees by Dave Goulson is part biography and part nature writing. Goulson is the founder of the Bumblebee Conservation Trust and a respected conservationist. He uses his knowledge and experience to fuel his passion to reintroduce the short-haired bumblebee to England.

Honeybee Democracy by Thomas D. Seeley is a nonfiction look at how a bee collective functions democratically. Seeley, an animal behaviorist, uses decades of research to give readers a peek into the hive and understanding about how individual bees collaborate in a cohesive unit.

Chicken Cheeks by Michael Ian Black and illustrated by Kevin Hawkes is a children’s picture book. It is light on words but heavy on illustrations. Various animals move the simple story along with humor and bees in the end.

The Bees by Laine Paull is a dystopian story set in a beehive. Flora 717 is a sanitation bee with a mutation—the lowest class. Despite her obvious setbacks, Flora 717’s unique talents set her apart and she ultimately finds herself in the Queen’s inner lair.

The Hive by Gregg Olsen is a thriller set behind a mask of beauty and bees. Marnie Spellman is queen of her hive and beauty empire, but her way of life is threatened when a young journalist is murdered and found at the bottom of a ravine.

 

By Celeste McNeil; courtesy photos

CPC

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