Book Talk: Hour of the Bees

Two of my colleagues and I thought it would be fun to read Hour of the Bees together and then discuss it for a blog post. Hour of the Bees, by Lindsay Eagar, received a starred review from Publishers Weekly, and as of this writing, it has a 4.23 rating on Goodreads.

Hour of the Bees by Lindsay Eagar
Candlewick Press
March 8, 2016

Things are only impossible if you stop to think about them. . . . While her friends are spending their summers having pool parties and sleepovers, twelve-year-old Carolina "Carol" is spending hers in the middle of the New Mexico desert, helping her parents move the grandfather she's never met into a home for people with dementia. At first, Carol avoids prickly Grandpa Serge. But as the summer wears on and the heat bears down, Carol finds herself drawn to him, fascinated by the crazy stories he tells her about a healing tree, a green-glass lake, and the bees that will bring back the rain and end a hundred years of drought. As the thin line between magic and reality starts to blur, Carol must decide for herself what is possible and what it means to be true to her roots. Readers who dream that there's something more out there will be enchanted by this captivating novel of family, renewal, and discovering the wonder of the world.

Me: I thought the story was basically fine (I especially liked the folklore), but I really had issues with how the author described New Mexico, like the landscape, the houses in Albuquerque, and the size of Albuquerque.

Veronica: I agree, the author should have done more research on Albuquerque, but I like that she set the book in New Mexico, because I feel like we have a very unique culture here and that legends like this one do get passed down from generation to generation.

I thought that the main character, Carolina, was very mature for being twelve years old and maybe should have been older.

Me: Yes, I love it that a middle grade novel that's gotten a lot of hype was set in New Mexico.

Crystal: I agree with both of you.I enjoyed the folklore part of the story. But, I did not think that the description of Albuquerque was true to the city. I also wasn't really a fan of the interjections of the pamphlets throughout the beginning the story. I know the author was trying to get information across, but I felt like it could have been done different--possibly a scene from the past that shows the relationships between the family before they go to the farm.

Like Veronica, I also thought that Carolina was really mature for her age and she could have been a little bit older. I also could not quite believe that when she drove the car, she seemed to know exactly where she was going with little help from her grandfather or GPS or something.


Me: I agree with all of that. I also thought that the parents weren't as involved as they should have been, especially when it came to actually watching their kids. They sure did let Carolina's baby brother crawl around by himself a lot!

Crystal: This book emphasizes roots, but the only roots I saw were the grandmother and grandfather, and them living in one place for hundreds of years (if the folktale is true). There were no great-grandparents, or great-great-grandparent. And realistically, if these people were living off and running a farm, where there are no stores or civilization for miles, wouldn't they have much more than sheep on the farm, and more than a single child to help run it?!

Veronica: I liked the family and especially the connection between Carolina and her grandfather. I also liked the folktale/magical realism in the story.


Me: I think the folklore was my favorite part of the story, though I found it interesting that it was a combination of folklore and magical realism. I've not seen that done before in fiction, and I wonder if that would be confusing to younger readers.

Crystal: I agree, the folklore and magical realism was my favorite part, too. I think that Eagar did a great job of weaving magical elements of the folklore story in with the real life story. The bees that nobody saw but Carolina were a great foreshadowing element as well.

Me: So, it sounds like we're all pretty much in agreement: We loved the folklore and magical realism, but think other parts of the story could have been a bit stronger. Thanks for participating in our discussion, Veronica and Crystal!

Have you read Hour of the Bees? If so, what did you think about it? Let us know in the comments!

Bookish Societies Seeking Members for Carefree and Aimless Creative Disruption of Everyday Life

Literature is full of societies and social clubs, some secret, some not so much. From sinister Spectre in Ian Fleming's James Bond novels to the Story Club in Anne of Green Gables, characters in literature, like their real-life counterparts, like to band together, whether it's to make mischief or something more benign. We've recently found a couple of books loitering in the library stacks, though, which are essentially handbooks for already established (and benign) societies which you can join if you'd like, or just leaf through the books and enjoy the ideas they espouse.

The Cloudspotter's Guide: The Science, History, and Culture of Clouds by Gavin Pretor-Pinney 

We pledge to fight 'blue-sky' thinking wherever we find it.

Life would be dull if we had to look up at cloudless

monotony day after day. 

~from the Manifesto of the Cloud Appreciation Society

Author Gavin Pretor-Pinney started The Cloud Appreciation Society in 2004 because he felt that "clouds deserved better than to be regarded merely as a metaphor for doom." There's a nominal fee to join this society, but the perks include receiving a badge, a certificate, a "Cloud Selector" identification wheel, and a "Cloud a Day." Or, you could just read the book, "an Official Publication" of the society, which goes into lots of detail about cloud classifications, how to spot different types of clouds, and more. It will really teach you to appreciate that "clouds are Nature's poetry, and the most egalitarian of her displays, since everyone can have a fantastic view of them."

Read more about the Cloud Appreciation Society online, especially their delightful manifesto! There is also an app, but it appears only to be available for iPhone.

The Wander Society by Keri Smith

Dear fellow wanderer, to repair is to accept and heal.To build skills of repair is to build skills of mending what has become threadbare in our lives. To mend is to practice that a tear does not mean the end of life.
~"On Repair", from The Wander Society website

The motto of the Wander Society is "Solvitur ambulando" (it can be solved by walking). Author Keri Smith found the first mention of this society in a secondhand copy of Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman and was immediately intrigued. Research uncovered only that the society exists, but Smith cannot say for sure who the other members are. Her book lovingly collects all the mentions of the Wander Society, compiles a lists of "Wandering Precepts" and fellow wanderers, and discusses aspects of wandering - definitions, philosophy, its mystical nature, essentials, meditation, types - as well as "the importance of randomness." There is also a list of "assignments/research/field work" and a "how-to" section - carve a stick! Sew a pouch!

You can apply to access the Wander Society Secret Page online! The website has other materials, which are presented in a somewhat cryptic fashion, including a printable Walt Whitman poster, a membership card, a pamphlet, and instructions to create a pocket library and a portable altar.

Literary Links: Party Ideas

Party nibbles. Photography. Britannica ImageQuest. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 25 May 2016.
http://quest.eb.com/search/156_2404542/1/156_2404542/cite. Accessed 25 Aug 2016.

Some of the world's greatest parties have occurred in literature. We don't pretend to be professional party organizers, but working at the Reference Desk you learn to look things up! As we head into the final months of the year, we want to address your possible needs for parties (Halloween?), gatherings (Thanksgiving?), and other celebratory occasions.

For items from the library catalog to help with your party planning, try a subject search of "Entertaining."

Silent Reading Parties

Silent Reading Parties, the Ultimate Anti-Social Social Events, Arrive in San Francisco [Newsweek]

Host a Silent Reading Party in 7 Easy Steps [Book Riot]

Party Themes

How to Host a Vintage Library-Themed Party [Book Riot]

How to Host a Shakespeare Reading Party [Book Riot]

10 Books That Would Make Great Theme Parties [Flavorwire]

8 Literary Party Themes to Throw a Bookish-ly Fun Bash, Because Punctuation Means It's Time to Rage [Bustle]

Literature Themed Parties [Food in Literature]

How to Host an Anne of Green Gable Party [Book Riot]

Costumes

Your Guide to the Ultimate Phryne Fisher Halloween Costume [Book Riot]

16 Literary Characters to Be This Halloween [Pop Sugar]

19 of the Best Literary Halloween Costumes For Book Lovers [Brit + Co]

25 Kids in Awesome Literary Costumes [Flavorwire]

Games

Our top 5 literary party games [Picador]

11 Literary Board Games To Win Over Book Lovers at Your Next Game Night [Bustle]

Party Food

Cook Like Hermione Granger and 11 Other Ladies of Literature [Food52]

Wordy Thirty: A Literary Food-Themed Dinner Party [Kitchn]

Recipes Inspired By Our Favorite Books [HuffPost]

10 Essential Food and Literature Pairings for Your Next Dinner Party [Flavorwire]

Ten of Our Favorite Foods from Literature That You Can Actually Make Yourself [Quirk Books]

Sweet Dreams Are Made of Cheese, Who Am I To Diss a Brie?

Poets have been mysteriously silent on the subject of cheese.
~G. K. Chesterton

You have to be a romantic to invest yourself, your money, and your time in cheese.
~Anthony Bourdain, Medium Raw: A Bloody Valentine to the World of Food and the People Who Cook

How can you govern a country which has 246 varieties of cheese?
~Charles De Gaulle

We've seen it said before that "the secret ingredient is always cheese." Apologies to the lactose intolerant, but we love cheese, whether it's an ingredient or the main event! We find the library catalog has several items to help us in our quest to enjoy the cheeses of the world, and we've taken a gander at a handful of titles to let you know which ones might be most helpful if you are seeking out new cheese experiences.Whether you want to cook with cheese, serve a cheese board at your next party, or figure out the best way to store some of the trickier cheese options, one of these handy guidebooks should do the trick! Or, even if you just want to look at the pictures - we've got you covered.

World Cheese Book edited by Juliet Harbutt
Encyclopedic presentation, 3 cheeses to a page, each with a small picture. Each cheese entry lists a brief history, a description that includes age and weight and shape, "tasting notes" ("[Lucullus] develops a soft white rind with a mushroomy aroma. It has a wickedly rich, luxurious feel in the mouth and a nutty flavor"), and 'how to enjoy."

The Cheese Board: Collective Works Bread, Pastry, Cheese, Pizza by Alice Waters [eBook]
A lot of history and bread recipes, but it does feature a cheese primer, describing cheeses and what makes good cheese plates and cheesy breads.

Laura Werlin's Cheese Essentials: An Insider's Guide to Buying and Serving Cheese - With 50 Recipes by Laura Werlin
Not as many pictures as some of the others, but chock full of handy hints such as "What to Look for When Buying Surface-Ripened Cheese" (visual, textural, and aroma cues), how to store cheese, and what cheeses are soft-ripened, hard, or semi-hard and what they are best used for (burgers, pasta, salads, etc.). Recipes are included, as well as a description of knives you might use.

The Murray's Cheese Handbook: More Than 300 of the World's Best by Rob Kaufelt with Liz Thorpe
A quick guide. Not sure if the unusual size (8 1/2 " x 3 1/2 ") is intended to make it easier to carry, but the presentation would be handy on-the-go. No pictures, but it begins with a helpful guide to using the book.

A Passion for Cheese: More Than 130 Innovative Ways to Cook With Cheese by Paul Gayler  
There are some cheese basics listed in the beginning of the book, but it's a pretty straightforward cookbook, primarily recipes. We're stuck on "Crisp, Flowering Zucchini with Mozzarella & Anchovy" and "Pear, Roquefort Blue & Rosemary Galettes."

It's Not You, It's Brie: Unwrapping America's Unique Culture of Cheese by Kirstin Jackson 
 Strictly a guide to cheeses from the United States, collected in groupings like "Leaf Wrapped: Flavored, Preserved, and Lord of the Rings Ready" and "Gouda Style and Inspirations: Sweeter with Time." No pictures, but there are a few recipes, and every cheese has a story. 

Di Bruno Bros. House of Cheese: Wedges, Pairings, and Recipes from Philadelphia's House of Cheese by Tenaya Darlington    
Cheeses are described by "personality", and good food matches and alcohol pairings are listed. Some recipes, either featuring the cheese or to eat with the cheese. Beautiful full-page pictures - don't miss Humboldt Fog on page 75. 

Recently, we were in the City Different, and enjoyed the Cheesemongers of Santa Fe's version of a picnic - the Sticknic! A great idea for a quick snack on-the-go or a way to sample cheese. Sorry, no pictures of the actual Sticknic exist, because we ate it immediately, but here's the basic design:

The title of this article is cribbed from a popular internet meme. 

 

Featured Author: Megan Abbott

Megan Abbott is an American fiction writer. Noir was her first love - she grew up watching film noir at the local revival movie theater in Michigan, and wrote her PhD. thesis on it, followed by several novels - but her most recent fiction has turned to the lives of teenage girls in suburbia, though her fiction is not aimed at a young adult audience. Perhaps her latest interest is not unsurprising when you learn that the town she grew up in was the inspiration for Jeffrey Eugenides' The Virgin Suicides - readers can definitely see a similarity in their dark takes on the inner lives of teenagers.

Both her noir and her latest novels have focused on issues of developing womanhood. Abbott has said that

Maybe more than any other genre, crime fiction is a place that takes deadly seriously the things that the larger culture doesn’t always: ambivalent motherhood, the trickiness of negotiating power at home, in the bedroom, the price of ambition and ambitionlessness, sexual identity, the murderous corners of marriage, the way our own vanities and desires can still send us down the rabbit hole, and how love-gone-wrong too many times can harden us all. 

Her more recent titles also touch on falling down life's rabbit holes. In an interview, she discusses that "my friends who do talk about that weird transition—or even moment—when you realize you have no idea what’s going on in your child’s head. It’s such an important thing when you’re growing up—to develop an inner life, a secret life." Abbott's teen-centered novels are perhaps even more explicitly about the secret lives of girls and issues of identity than her crime fiction. Her latest book, You Will Know Me, focuses on the intensely ambitious world of gymnasts - an unnerving backstory just in time for those who got all caught up in the Olympics this summer!


Noir

Die a Little

Queenpin 

The Song Is You 

Bury Me Deep

 

Young Adult

The End of Everything

Fiction

Dare Me

The Fever 

You Will Know Me

 

Anthologies 

USA Noir: Best of the Akashic Noir Series 

Dangerous Women 

Between the Dark and the Daylight, and 27 of the Best Crime Mystery Stories of the Year

 

The Brilliant Brontës: Brontës for Kids & Teens

Anne Bronte (1820-1849), Emily Bronte (Thornton, 1818 - Haworth, 1848) and Charlotte Bronte (Thornton, 1816 - Haworth, 1855), English writers, Oil on canvas by Patrick Branwell Bronte (1817-1848), ca 1834. Photograph. Encyclopædia Britannica ImageQuest. Web. 19 Dec 2015.

You might be surprised to hear that there are Brontë-inspired books aimed at kids and teens. Not a huge amount, as you might imagine, since bleak moors and unrequited passion might be a slightly hard sell for the younger set, but there are a few available, and they are not all biographies of the sisters, though some of the fiction has a "based-on-a-true-story" slant.

We chose a young adult eBook, Worlds of Ink and Shadow by Lena Coakley, for our Brontë read this month., and we were not disappointed. From the very first page we were hooked! The story drops readers into the lives of  the Brontës themselves, albeit with a supernatural twist. This could have gone either way - sometimes real people presented fictionally feel stiff or one-dimensional - but Lena Coakley appears to have done her research, and, apart from perhaps slightly modern turn of phrase at times, she presents what could be an entertaining portrait of the Brontë siblings in their mid-to-late teens, including Branwell. They squabble, they are lectured by their father, they worry their Aunt, and they have a lot of angst about their childhood pact with a character called Old Tom, which allows them to slip between the real world and the imagined worlds of their writings.

This paranormal thread could have toppled a storyline that presents the Brontë family with warts-and-all realism - each sibling has a distinct and recognizable character, and even their somewhat claustrophobic existence in Haworth Parsonage is vividly drawn. But the fantastical element provides a glimpse of the fictional worlds of Glass Town and Gondal that draws the reader in, and drama to bring out the best and worst of the siblings and keep the reader spellbound.

We highly recommend Worlds of Ink and Shadow! Here are some other Brontë titles from the library catalog to introduce kids and teens to their world:

Fiction

Jane, The Fox & Me by Fanny Britt [graphic novel]

The House of Dead Maids by Clare B. Dunkle [J Fiction]

Always Emily: A Novel of Intrigue and Romance by Michaela MacColl [YA eBook]

Catherine by April Lindner [YA eBook] 

 

Non-Fiction 

The Bronte Sisters: The Brief Lives of Charlotte, Emily, and Anne by Catherine Reef 

The World of the Brontes: The Lives, Times and Works of Charlotte, Emily and Anne Bronte by Jane O'Neill 

A Family Called Brontë by Paula Guzzetti

August in Review

August isn't quite over yet, but my reading for the month pretty much is. Because I went on vacation this month, I didn't do quite as much reading as I thought I would. I don't know about anyone else, but whenever I go on vacation, I think, "This is great! I'll be able to read at least three books while I'm gone!" and I'm lucky if I read one.

This month, I actually stuck to the reading theme my sister and I decided on (New York Times bestsellers). My sister also told me it's okay if I read advanced reader copies, since it's work-related, so you'll see some of those mixed in with my list, too. Here's what I read this month.

Saving Hamlet by Molly Booth 
Caraval by Stephanie Garber
The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George
A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray
The Bazaar of Bad Dreams by Stephen King
End of Watch by Stephen King
We Are Still Tornadoes by Michael Kun 
Wrecked by Maria Padian
Love & Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch

The best thing I read this month, by far, was Caraval. It doesn't come out until January 2017, and if you haven't already added it to your to-be read list, you need to. I don't read much fantasy, but Caraval made me fall in love with YA fantasy again (other YA fantasy novels have done that before--mainly, Laini Taylor's series, Daughter of Smoke and Bone, Days of Blood and Starlight, and Dreams of Gods and Monsters).

What did you read in August? Let us know in the comments!