the beekeeper book

I feel like this book's title is misleading or something. It has nothing to do with the book as they talk about Sherlock Holmes' bees for about 3 pages.

Anyway, I actually really liked this book. It took a little while to get into it because Mary Russell bugged me so much at first but, honestly, after a couple chapters, I really started to enjoy it.

While I was in the middle of the book, Mike got the movie Sherlock Holmes on Netflix and it was fun to watch that while I was reading this book about him. It also made me want to read some real Sherlock Holmes stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

I don't have a lot to say about the book because it was all that deep or anything, I just found it really interesting. I do have one thing to say that will probably creep you guys out and I'm sure non of you will agree with me. I know it's weird, but I kind of wanted them to hook up and get married or something. I know I know, he's like 3 times her age, but I can't help it! I mean, back in the day older guys married super young girls all the time, right? She seemed a lot more mature than 18 or 19. Ok, I'm just trying to convince you. I know it's weird, I just liked them as a team/couple.

One more thing, I thought the writing was really beautiful in the chapter about them in Palestine. It was a nice little aside from the rest of the book and I liked all the Hebrew and the Jewish references. It was interesting.

Anyone else really like the book?

Aprils Pick!

Happy Spring! Hope everyone is doing well. Sorry for the lack of picking/communication on my part. Here's April's book:
"These is my Words" by Nancy E. Turner. This is a recommendation from my roommate Lauren who just devours books. She said this is her favorite as of late. Summary below.

"These Is My Words" by Nancy E. Turner is in diary form and spans 20 years.

Sarah Prine is a teenage girl traveling with her family to make a living in Arizona Territory. Indian attacks, disease, death, and other hardships force Sarah to grow up face. When members of her family die and she is forced to take a significant role in careing for her family the strain starts to be overwhelming. One night, she breaks down crying in her wagon to be discovered by the arrogant, commanding, hard, and handsome army Captain that served as their wagon train guide, Captain Jack Elliot. She spends a night in his arms - nothing more than sleeping - and fears that she will be a ruined woman. Jack comforts her.

When her family leaves the wagon train to settle down a friend of the family shows up with a heard of horses, planning to start a horse ranch not far from their peach orchard. Jack, still on army duty, can only come by occasionally and still passionate embraces with Sarah. Too late, does he find Sarah married to Jimmy Reed, the family friend, out of a misguided sense of friendship. A short while later Sarah finds herself a young mother and widow - Jimmy being thrown from his horse and dragged at full gallop. Her husbands dying words were confessing his love for a woman he left behind - he married Sarah as a sort of "back up plan."

Jack appears in Sarah's life again, and his love for her and her daughter is stronger than ever. After courting for a while, they marry. The rest of Sarah's diary is her life with Jack and their trials. Growing into middle years, troubles with a sister in law, and the difficulties of raising children in an army fort.

NOTE: As it is in diary form there are many spelling and grammar errors, therefore, it takes a little bit to get used to the format. Probably the thing that throws people off the most is that there are no quatation marks. As assinine as this may sound, after a short time of getting into the book (a very easy and delightful read) one forgets those things. "

Happy reading!

The Beekeeper's Apprentice

So, I decided to give Deb another month to think things over. The book for the month is:

(image from amazon.com)

The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. King

I mentioned this on my last choice, and since the last one I chose was a bit boring, I've decided to go with one I've read. Since it's based off Sherlock Holmes it still fits with your expectations that I'll choose a classic ;)

Here's the description Amazon used from the School Library Journal:
At 15, Mary Russell is tall and gangling, bespectacled and bookish. In 1915, the orphaned heiress is living in her ancestral home with an embittered aunt she has plucked from genteel poverty to act as a guardian until she reaches her majority. In order to escape the woman's generally malevolent disposition, she wanders the Downs. On one such outing, she trips over a gaunt, elderly man sitting on the ground, "watching bees." This gentleman turns out to be Sherlock Holmes, and the resulting acquaintance evolves into a mentoring experience for the young woman. The story is well written in a style slightly reminiscent of Conan Doyle's, but is also very much King's own. The plot is somewhat predictable, but the characterizations are excellent and the times and places are skillfully evoked.

I will say that you don't really identify with her, and the feminist/erudite undertone is a little over the top, but it's an entertaining mystery.

Who is supposed to pick the March book? I'm ready for something new to read.