Mini Reviews: Truly Madly Deeply & The History of Bees

I have been enjoying reading other bloggers’ mini reviews lately, so I have decided to start writing my own.  I am hoping that this helps me to stay on top of reviews, because ideally I would love to review every book that I read. I plan to also include aesthetics for the majority of the books I read as well- when I feel inspired to do so!

Truly Madly Guilty by Laine Moriarty

Goodreads Summary– Six responsible adults. Three cute kids. One small dog. It’s just a normal weekend. What could possibly go wrong?

Sam and Clementine have a wonderful, albeit, busy life: they have two little girls, Sam has just started a new dream job, and Clementine, a cellist, is busy preparing for the audition of a lifetime. If there’s anything they can count on, it’s each other.

Clementine and Erika are each other’s oldest friends. A single look between them can convey an entire conversation. But theirs is a complicated relationship, so when Erika mentions a last minute invitation to a barbecue with her neighbors, Tiffany and Vid, Clementine and Sam don’t hesitate. Having Tiffany and Vid’s larger than life personalities there will be a welcome respite.
Two months later, it won’t stop raining, and Clementine and Sam can’t stop asking themselves the question: What if we hadn’t gone?

If you are in a reading slump than you can always count on a Liane Moriarty to help pull you out of it. While I do not think Truly Madly Guilty is her best book, I still highly enjoyed it.  It is one of those books that you just can not put down because you NEED to know what happened.  There were a lot of twists and turns in this book, some were predictable and some were not.  I appreciated that a lot because just when I thought I had everything all figured out, I would learn that I was not quite right!

The majority of her characters are unlikable, but that is part of the appeal of her books for me. Sam and Clementine are truly flawed and sometimes down right terrible people, but they are so realistic.  I love that I feel like this story could easily been written about my own neighbours.

If you have read and enjoyed any of Liane Moriarty’s books than I think you will like Truly Madly Guilty as well.  She has definitely found a niche that works!

The History of Bees by Maja Lunde

Goodreads Summary– England, 1852. William is a biologist and seed merchant, who sets out to build a new type of beehive one that will give both him and his children honor and fame.

United States, 2007. George is a beekeeper fighting an uphill battle against modern farming, but hopes that his son can be their salvation.

China, 2098. Tao hand paints pollen onto the fruit trees now that the bees have long since disappeared. When Tao’s young son is taken away by the authorities after a tragic accident, she sets out on a grueling journey to find out what happened to him.

Haunting, illuminating, and deftly written, The History of Bees joins these three very different narratives into one gripping and thought-provoking story that is just as much about the powerful bond between children and parents as it is about our very relationship to nature and humanity.

It is always such a joy when the story itself is just as beautiful as the cover. I am happy to report that this is the case for History of Bees. It is told over three different generations and their stories are woven together so masterfully.

Bees are becoming endangered and this book highlights their importance, and it is eyeopening to read about the devastation that would occur in our world if bees were to become extinct.

I thought that it was interesting that all three of our protagonists are parents, and there is a large focus on their relationships with their children.  It deals a lot with parental expectations, and how rocky and fragile that relationship can be.

The pacing can be slow at times, which is something I tend to enjoy, but I know it is not for everyone. The ending is so fantastic and I was more than satisfied when I put the book down.