March Book Reviews And Catching Readers With Honey

Have you ever noticed common themes popping up across different books? It’s one thing when they reflect current events, but some of my favorite recent reads had me thinking bees and honey are making a comeback. 🐝🍯

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What I Read In March

Two of the books I read in March had a wedding theme, but that’s not so unusual.

In Three Days In June we hear from the mother of the bride in the days surrounding her (only) daughter’s wedding. I’m not a huge fan of Anne Tyler, but found myself sympathizing with Gail when she was cranky about being included or excluded from various wedding-related events—Why wasn’t I invited to that? Do I really have to go to that? The introvert’s struggle is real!

Although Dream State unfolds mostly in chronological order before and after the wedding, the full story of what happened that day is not revealed until the end. Different chapters are told from different points of view, and follow the ups and downs of marriages, parenthood, and friendships that endure against all odds.

Famous Last Words isn’t about a wedding but does follow Camilla as she tries to figure out just who she was married to. Things are bad enough when police contact her after hostages are taken near his workplace, but her world is turned upside down when they reveal that he was the hostage taker—but why?

My favorite wedding-related book of 2024 was The Wedding People by Alison Espach— did you read it?

Catching Readers With Honey

You know the adage: You catch more flies with honey.  These bee-themed books had me wondering whether the authors thought the same applies to readers.

The Bee Sting by Paul Murray is a family saga that follows members of an Irish family as they cope with—or try to escape from—the impending failure of the father’s car dealership. You don’t learn about the bee sting until later in the book, but then unravel whether it was a minor annoyance or significant event that set years of family turmoil in motion.

In Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylean, the bees are mostly a force of good. The drama surrounds the relationship between two teenagers after one turns up dead. Were they just friends as their parents thought? Was it an accident? A crime of passion? Like many books, chapters are told from the perspective of different characters, but in this case each author was responsible for a different character. If you read this book, definitely read the Authors’ Notes at the end!

There are many layers of apian storylines in The Hive by Gregg Olsen. One relates to the origin story of the “wellness” guru at the center of the book. Then there’s her inner circle which operates as a hive building and protecting the “wellness” empire based on—you guessed it—honey products. Can an outsider expose the darkness within without getting stung?

Thanks to Farrah for inspiring my book reviews!

Have you noticed unusual themes across different books?