BEE SUMMERS by Melanie Dugan, book review

Bee Summers

Bee Summers by Melanie Dugan, published May 15, 2014; UpStart Press
Genre: fiction
Objective rating: 4.5/5

I was taken in by this eleven-year-old girl whose mother left home without warning and whose father became her sole caretaker. A beekeeper, Nate Singer has to take Lissy out of school when he goes on his rounds for a few days or weeks at a time, transporting his bees in their hives to farms away from home. Most of the trips take place in summer, however, during those memorable bee summers. On these trips, Lissy learns more about bee pollination and meets different people to open up her world even more. She becomes closer to her dad and forms a bond with him and some of his friends.

I was less involved or sympathetic with Lissy the adult, who becomes estranged from her father later in life. Lissy only finds out the secrets of her mother after his death. Call it a cultural thing, but it was hard to make the jump from the young girl to the independent adult who hardly ever saw the father she had been so close to as a child. It was also hard to understand the father who let her go.

The book is inviting and moving in many parts, the writing excellent, and the young Lissy and her father Nate both individuals you could understand and sympathize with during the first part and at the end of the book. It's a bittersweet novel of a girl growing up and dealing with a past, the disappearance of her mother, that has always puzzled and haunted her. I heartily recommend this well written book, one that is very much character driven.

Publisher description: The spring Melissa (Lissy) Singer is eleven years old her mother walks out of the house and never returns. That summer Lissy's father, a migratory beekeeper, takes her along with him on his travels. The trip and the people she meets change her life. Over the years that follow, Melissa tries to unlock the mystery of her mother’s disappearance and struggles to come to terms with her loss.


About the author:

Melanie Dugan is the author of Dead Beautiful (“the writing is gorgeous,” A Soul Unsung), Revising Romance, and Sometime Daughter.

Born in San Francisco, Dugan has lived in Boston, Toronto, and London, England, and has worked in almost every part of the book world: in libraries and bookstores, as a book reviewer; she was Associate Publisher at Quarry Press, where she also served as managing editor of Poetry Canada Review and Quarry Magazine. She has worked in journalism, as a freelancer, and as visual arts columnist. Dugan studied at the University of Toronto Writers Workshop and the Banff Centre for the Arts, and has a post-graduate degree in Creative Writing from Humber College. She has done numerous public readings.

Her short stories have been shortlisted for several awards. She lives in Kingston, Ontario with her partner and their two sons.

Here's the book on Goodreads. You can also link up to the author's website. The book is available for purchase here.

Visit the tour schedule for other reviews of the book, hosted by TLC Book Tours

Thanks to the author for a review copy of this book.

A Well-Tempered Heart by Jan-Philipp Sendker; and Night of the Living Thread by Janet Bolin - Book Teaser/First Chapter

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Miz B; choose two teaser sentences from a random page of your current read.

A Well-Tempered Heart

"Where are the bees?""Alas, they have flown on and taken up residence elsewhere," my brother explained as he set my pack down. I sighed with relief." In their place, two snakes moved in." (ch. 9)

A Well-Tempered Heart by Jan-Philipp Sendker, published January 21, 2014; Other Press
Book description: Almost ten years have passed since Julia Win came back from Burma, her father’s native country. Though she is a successful Manhattan lawyer, her private life is at a crossroads. Julia is lost and exhausted. A voice in her head one day starts to ask questions Julia has been trying to avoid. Why do you live alone? To whom do you feel close? What do you want in life? (from goodreads)

----------------------------

First Chapter, First Paragraph is a weekly meme hosted by Bibliophile by the Sea.

Night of the Living Thread

"Gord? A woman's heartfelt plea fluted through the misty night. Who was calling Threadville's favorite doctor in that flirtatious tone? In less than a week, Gord was marrying Edna.That voice was not Edna's. 

 Night of the Living Thread by Janet Bolin, to be published June 3, 2014; Berkley.

Book description: For Edna’s wedding, Willow and the rest of the Threadville gang have fashioned an overly extravagant hoopskirt, complete with lights and music. But in a bizarre turn of events, the garish gown is implicated in a mysterious lakeside murder. (from goodreads)

Would you continue reading based on the opening paragraphs?

Book Review: The Idea of Him by Holly Peterson

The Idea of Him

"Look, I need to know a few things besides the obvious question of why you were back here with Wade: Who are you? Why did you help me with Delsie? What was it you were looking for? What is Wade doing with which men that is going to take away our savings, as you supposedly contend?" (ch. 7; from an uncorrected proof; final copy may differ)

I liked the basics of the plot - a wife becomes suspicious and jealous of a beautiful woman who seems to be interested in her husband, but the woman turns out to be an ally instead.In spite of the promising storyline, I was unable to be convinced by most of the characters and so the unusual plot began to seem contrived. The book has gotten some good responses, so I would suggest readers try it to make up their own minds!

Book Description:  "Holly Peterson, the New York Times bestselling author of THE MANNY, explores the dangers of falling for the idea of a person, and why facing reality is more liberating than we ever dreamed it could be. For anyone who's let the fear of being alone keep them from seeing who someone really is, THE IDEA OF HIM is an inspiring, action-packed story of what happens when we embrace our own power and allow the truth to finally set us free.

Allie Crawford has the life she always dreamed of-she's number two at a high-profile P.R. firm; she has two kids she adores; and her husband is a blend of handsome and heroic. Wade is everything she thought a man was supposed to be-he's running a successful newsmagazine and, best of all, he provides the stable yet exciting New York City life Allie believes she needs in order to feel secure and happy.

But when Allie finds Wade locked in their laundry room with a stunning blonde in snakeskin sandals, a scandal ensues that flips her life on its head. And when the woman wants to befriend Allie, an old flame calls, and a new guy gets a little too close for comfort, she starts to think her marriage is more of a facade than something real. Maybe she's fallen in love not with Wade-but with the idea of him.

Captivating and seductive, told in the whip-smart voice of a woman who is working hard to keep her parenting and career on track, The Idea of Him is a novel of conspiracy, intrigue, and intense passion-and discovering your greatest strength through your deepest fears." (publisher)

For other reviews on the book tour, visit Premier Virtual Author Book Tours

About the author:

Holly Peterson is the author of the New York Times and international best seller, The Manny. She was a Contributing Editor for Newsweek and editor-at-large for Tina Brown's Talk magazine. She was also an Emmy Award-winning producer for ABC News for more than a decade, where she cov­ered global politics. Her writing has been published in the New York Times, Newsweek, Talk, the Daily Beast, Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, and other publications. Website: www.HollyPeterson.com

Thanks to the publishers for a complimentary review copy/uncorrected proof for this book tour.

Sunday Salon: New Mysteries and More

Welcome to the Sunday Salon! Also visit The Sunday Post hosted by The Caffeinated Bookreviewer; It's Monday: What Are You Reading? at Book Journey; Mailbox Monday, and Stacking the Shelves.

While I was hibernating at home the last two-three weeks, reading the final book tour novels for May, I added these books to my pile to be read. Can you tell that I like mysteries?

The Summer House by Santa Montefiore; Simon and Schuster 

The Serpent of Venice by Christopher Moore; William Morrow 

For the Love of Baseball: A Celebration of the Game That Connects Us All; Skyhorse Publishing

A Possibility of Violence by D.A. Mishani; Harper ARC 

All Day and a Night: A Novel of Suspense by Alafair Burke; Harper ARC 

The Care and Management of Lies by Jacqueline Winspear; Harper ARC

Think Like a Freak by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner; William Morrow

          The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen; Harper

Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng; Penguin Press ARC 

Jack of Spies by David Downing; Soho Press ARC

The Ways of Evil Men

I am also reading The Ways of Evil Men by the late Leighton Gage, the seventh Chief Inspector Mario Silva mystery novel set in Brazil, which I snagged at the library.  I had thought in a review of his previous book, Perfect Hatred, that the many Portuguese names were hard to keep straight. The Ways of Evil Men has a list of the characters at the front of the book! And I love that the font is larger than his other books. This mystery author will be missed by his readers.

A Well-Tempered Heart

I saw this at the library today and after reading the first lines, seeing the setting and the book description, I had to take it home! It is about a Burmese woman who is a successful lawyer in the U.S. but unhappy in her personal life. A voice in her head persists in asking her pointed questions about her purpose in life. In the meantime, another Burmese woman must struggle with the fact her two young sons were taken by rebel soldiers.

What new books are you reading this week?

Cozy Mystery Short Stories by Dorte Hummelshoj Jakobsen

Visit Book Beginnings by Rose City Reader for this weekly Friday meme.

Here are two short stories/cozy mysteries that you will enjoy, by mystery writer Dorte Hummelshoj Jakobsen

Ding Dong Bell: The Kitten in the Well

Book beginning:

This story takes place in the fictional village of Knavesborough, Yorkshire, in the early 1990s.

"He won't get away with throwing me out of here! Not after forty years, he won't!" The old woman was so agitated that the words cascaded out of her mouth, and Reverent Gershwin took a quick step backwards, out of firing range. Ursula Abbot gave the large pot on the cooker an indignant shove on the cooker so the goulash slopped over, and flies rose in a dark formation above the food before settling down again. 

She grabbed a greyish dishcloth and dabbed it around haphazardly in the mess. Three cats came bouncing to help her remove the tempting pool of sauce on the kitchen floor.  

"Well, but I can't imagine Mr. Alnwick won't consider your age..., the vicar began.

A clean and cosy short story, featuring the popular Gershwin family in Knavesborough. It all begins quite innocently with a visit to an old cat woman, but no matter what the Gershwins stick their noses in, something sinister will happen. Revisit the 1990s and meet Rhapsody, Harmonia and Psalmonalla Gershwin, the spunky sisters and their curious kitten.
(goodreads)

Green Acres

Mrs Vanilla McVities, the former cook of Netherfield Manor, has bought an old mansion and converted it into an old people's home. Rhapsody Gershwin, librarian and amateur sleuth, pops in to visit a neighbour and finds herself on the business end of murder. A sheep dog also plays an important role in the story - you'd be barking to miss this one.  A short story in the Rhapsody Gershwin series, set in Knavesborough, a fictional Yorkshire village. First published in the anthology "The Red Shoes". Now you can find out what happened to a couple of the quirky inhabitants since we left them at the end of  the cozy mystery, "The Cosy Knave". 
(goodreads)

Dorte Hummelshoj Jakobsen is a teacher from Denmark. In her spare time she reads and writes crime fiction in English and Danish, and in 2010 she sold her first flash stories to American magazines and publishers.

Since then she has published two collections of flash fiction, "Candied Crime" (humour) and "Liquorice Twists" (a bit darker). Her most popular story is "The Cosy Knave" - a humorous and cosy novel featuring village constable Archibald Penrose and the librarian Rhapsody Gershwin.

LATEST NEWS: "The Red Shoes" - four irreverent short stories characterized by dark humour, quirky characters and severed limbs.

Author of "Heather Farm", bestselling ghost story on Amazon.com in 2011.

COMING SOON: "Anna Märklin's Family Chronicles" - a historical mystery, set in Denmark and Sweden. Published in Denmark in 2011.

WOW: Waiting on Cozies

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

These paperback cozy mysteries will be released June 3, 2014.  The details in the colorful covers are stunning!

Night of the Living Thread

Deadly Forecast

The Diva Wraps It Up

Engaged in Murder

Night of the Living Thread:
Zombies, killer dresses, and ancient curses prove that Halloween in Threadville can be sew spooky… 
It’s early October, and hordes of visitors have descended on the tiny, celebrated village of Threadville, Pennsylvania, to attend a Halloween crafts fair, a zombie retreat, and the wedding of Edna Battersby. A lakeside murder is involved! (goodreads)

Deadly Forecast:
As her wedding day approaches, Abby Cooper has a disturbing premonition of her fiancé’s murder. Her husband-to-be, FBI agent Dutch Rivers, has been assigned to a suicide bombing case, and Abby’s spirit guides warn her of imminent danger. (goodreads)

The Diva Wraps It Up:
The holidays are domestic diva Sophie Winston’s favorite time of year. But this season, there seem to be more mishaps than mistletoe. First, Horace Scroggins tumbles from a balcony during his office Christmas party. Then, Sophie’s neighbor takes a fall from his ladder while decorating his roof with lights. But it’s the cookie swap that really starts her wondering who’s naughty or nice. (amazon)

Engaged in Murder: Event planner Pepper Pomeroy is making the most of her current unemployment by arranging a surprise for her sister, Felicity. Warren, Felicity’s boyfriend, plans to lure his lovely lady into a private jet, propose, and whisk her away on a romantic vacation. There are some disturbing questions. Like who’s the dead guy Pepper finds in the ladies’ room of the jet hangar? (goodreads)

What do you think? Would you wait for these cozies?

Teaser/First Chapter: Cold Storage, Alaska by John Straley; and A Single Breath by Lucy Clarke

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Miz B; choose two teaser sentences from a random page of your current read.

Cold Storage Alaska

Teaser:

Miles wasn't eager to show that police officer around. No matter where they were from, visitors always wanted to ask questions. They started with history: Why is this place here? To this Miles would usually answer, "Fish...mostly." He longed to tell the whole story but the truth is people really didn't want to know. (ch. 2) 

from Cold Storage, Alaska by John Straley; Soho Crime
An offbeat, often hilarious crime novel set in the sleepy Alaskan town of Cold Storage from the Shamus Award winning author. Clive “The Milkman” McCahon returns to his tiny hometown of Cold Storage, Alaska after a seven-year jail stint for dealing coke. He has a lot to make up to his younger brother, Miles, who has dutifully been taking care of their ailing mother. But Clive doesn’t realize the trouble he’s bringing home. (goodreads)

-------------------

First Chapter, First Paragraph is a weekly meme hosted by Bibliophile by the Sea.

A Single Breath

 First chapter:

As she leaves the shelter of the headland, the full force of the wind hits Eva. Her hair whips back from her face and she hugs the flask of coffee tight to her chest. Clouds of sand gust along the shoreline, sending a tangled knot of fishing line pinwheeling along the beach.  

A woman passes in the other direction, her purple coat flattened to her back by the wind. The fur-trimmed coat is pulled tight to her face, making Eva wish she had thought to wear a hat. She had forgotten how raw the weather is on the coast; in London it is muted by buildings and watched from behind windows.

from A Single Breath by Lucy Clarke; Touchstone
A young widow discovers her husband was not who he claimed to be and finds herself falling in love with the wrong man. Threading together beautiful, wild settings in Tasmania and suspenseful twists, A Single Breath is a tale of secrets, betrayals, and new beginnings. (goodreads)

Do the teasers and the first chapter entice you to want to read these books?