On Bee's Bookshelf

Evan Taft has plans. Take a gap year in Alaska, make sure his little brother and single mother are taken care of, and continue therapy to process his father's departure. But after his mom’s unexpected diagnosis, as Evan’s plans begin to fade, he hears something: a song no one else can hear, the voice of a mysterious singer . . . Shosh Bell has dreams. A high school theater legend, she’s headed to performing arts college in LA, a star on the rise. But when a drunk driver takes her sister’s life, that star fades to black. All that remains is a void—and a soft voice singing in her ear . . . Over it all, transcending time and space, a celestial bird brings strangers together: from an escaped murderer in 19th century Paris, to a Norwegian kosmonaut in low-earth orbit, something is happening that began long ago, and will long outlast Evan and Shosh. A mesmerising, sweeping tale about star-crossed lovers that spans time and death itself in an epic story about fate and endless love. Whilst...

Kay knows three things to be true: a witch who cannot control their powers is dangerous, she needs to make it home for her brother's wedding, and Harry Ashworth is the last person she  ever  wants to see... But after visiting the witching community's equivalent of IT support to try to fix her misbehaving magic, a hurricane hits and her flight home is cancelled! Not only is Kay stranded, but she's stranded with Harry - her infuriatingly handsome and charming childhood friend, who broke her heart when they were teenagers. Except Harry is a frustratingly powerful witch so working together might be their only way to get back home. And the more time they spend together, the harder it becomes to ignore what is simmering under the surface. Soon it becomes clear that Kay's magic isn't the only thing she doesn't have control of... If you’ve been loving the current trend of modernised witchy romances like I have, you’ll definitely enjoy this. Witch You Weren’t Here is a t...

The Skelf women are recovering from the cataclysmic events that nearly claimed their lives. Their funeral-director and private-investigation businesses are back on track, and their cases are as perplexing as ever. Matriarch Dorothy looks into a suspicious fire at an illegal campsite and takes a grieving, homeless man under her wing. Daughter Jenny is searching for her missing sister-in-law, who disappeared in tragic circumstances, while grand-daughter Hannah is asked to investigate increasingly dangerous conspiracy theorists, who are targeting a retired female astronaut … putting her own life at risk. With a body lost at sea, funerals for those with no one to mourn them, reports of strange happenings in outer space, a funeral crasher with a painful secret, and a violent attack on one of the family, The Skelfs face their most personal – and perilous – cases yet. Doing things their way may cost them everything… The highly anticipated fifth instalment in the marvellously macabre ...

After years of being everyone's favourite couple, always up for a party and having fun wherever they go, things have fizzled out. But when they realise they have a whole calendar of events and celebrations with friends and family coming up, Cara and Millsy can't face letting them down. So they decide to make a pact: just convince everyone they're as madly in love as ever and get through the festivities without causing suspicion, and then deal with the break up in the new year. How hard can it be...? Swept up in the festive spirit, will Cara and Millsy fake it til they make it? Or will they realise they are meant to be after all...? If you love utterly absurd romcoms like The Hating Game and Happy Place , you’ll absolutely fall head over heels for this zany fake-dating story. It combines all those tried-and-true, familiar tropes you all know and love to make something familiar and a little comforting, letting the reader sit back and relax in the cosy knowledge that they kno...

  "I can't hear you." "Do you want to hear me?" "No." Our strangers is a striking collection of short fictional that brings shines a light on the small, seemingly unimportant interactions that happen every day and showing us how meaningful or impactful a stranger or passing comment can really be. Davis has a strangely compelling way of capturing littlest, quietest parts of the human experience and breaking them down into these little snapshots of life that are universally recognisable. It paints a picture of beautiful moments of connection and understanding in a thoughtful and provocative way.  The prose was strange but delightful — it took a moment to realise these short pieces weren’t stories exactly, didn’t always have a narrative structure, but instead were just moments that were fleeting and we quickly move onto the next one. They had a slight playful, lyrical air to them and felt like snippets of conversations caught in passing. Considering the s...

A queer romance spans multiple incarnations, but only in doomed cities. A gay medieval scholar must testify for his life to the otherworldly octopus who traps him in a cafe bathroom. Ignoring their better judgment, a witch brings their mortal partner on a hunt for a dangerous sorcerer and must cope with the dire consequences. A beautiful collection of sixteen short stories that are filled with mystery, magic and wonder – creating a powerful statement about the othering of queer people and culture by placing them in an otherworldly story. There is just something about placing the obstacles and struggles of the queer experience in a backdrop of surreal magic and adventure that emphasises the absurdity of the hatred we receive for simply existing in our world. We journey to ancient times and modern offices. Visit witches, magicians, fairies and immortal beings in adventures that were delicate, thoughtful and absorbing. Every story has a curious, playful energy   - with beautif...

  An eclectic and engaging collection of strange science fiction stories that all show the alluring and terrifying promises that the future holds. From uncomfortable possible technological advances, to sci-fi fantasies and terrifying possibilities, every single short story has its own oddly compelling points, but they’re all deeply descriptive and rich, and full of emotions. One of my personal favourites was just a few pages long but explored an amazing new technology that allowed us to speak to our dogs, share their dreams and communicate like never before — but we also follow stories about the salespeople promoting chameleonic foils that can hover and shift, strange online connections to hell, strange infections with beastly side effects, and a clinic that allows us to fall into a timeless space for when we need time off from our regular lives. This was such a strong collection that inspired both wonder and terror about the path the future could take, and while it’s definitely a ...

  Genre: Poetry  Released: 20th March 2023 Publisher: Penned in the Margins A powerful, visceral collection of poetry that explores feminity , sexuality, spirituality, nature, fury — it invokes the deep magic within women that has long been feared but needs to be reclaimed and celebrated. This book is so easy to dip in and out of, or read in it’s entirety— I found myself flipping back to certain poems just to read them all over again. Every single poem was a unique experience, ranging from long-form prose that felt like a short story, disjointed and fractured poems, and poems that felt like songs and prayers. The imagery woven throughout the poems was a cerebral, vivid and dark one — one of pyres and pain, but with moments of relief scattered throughout. Each poem conjured up a different emotion, a different strange feeling whether something deep and meaningful or blunt and hard. A magnificent collection of poetry that is quite magical. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

  What do you collect? And what does it say about you as a person? For me, I collect books of course; stories that move me and inspire me. Decorations with bumblebees on. Crystals and rocks. Postcards from places I've never been because I know I might never get to see them myself. Countless pictures of my cat. Ideas for poems. Memories and smiles from people I love.  This unique collection of short stories from brilliant novelists gives a snapshot into the life of a collector -From the silly, the strange and the speculative, with meanings ranging from a physical collection to conceptual ideas about society and our place in it. With stories that range from fantasy to short essays and mixed media with poetry and visuals, this is definitely an eclectic mix of storytelling that will have something for everyone and some only come in at under 15 pages so you can definitely dip in and out.  From Play House which seems like a story about an apron collection but is a layered refle...

  Curfew law keeps men at home after 7pm. It keeps women safe after dark. It changed things for the better... until now. Sarah rebuilt her life after her husband was sent to prison. Now he's about to be released, and Sarah isn't expecting a happy reunion given she's the reason he was sent there... Seventeen-year-old Cass disagrees with Curfew. She believes men and women should be equal. And she's determined to prove she's right - whatever the cost. Helen wants a baby more than anything, so things are moving quickly with her boyfriend. She loves him. But should she trust him? All of these women are in danger. And one will end up dead. Evidence will suggest that she was killed late at night and that she knew her attacker. It couldn't have been a man because a Curfew tag is a solid alibi...  Isn't it? "When I was a young woman at the police training academy, I learned two important things. The first was you never forget your first dead body. And the second...

Katherine  finally has it all. She's spent her entire life striving for perfection—obsessing over her spotless home, maintaining her pristine reputation, building her perfect family—and her hard work has finally paid off. After seven difficult years of trying (and failing) to conceive, Katherine gives birth to Rose, her IVF miracle child, and at last has the one thing she's wanted most of all. But one thing isn't quite perfect. Rose's pale skin doesn't match Katherine's complexion, and an irritating doubt begins to grow in Katherine's mind. Tess  never got the happy ending she wanted. She underwent IVF at the same clinic as Katherine, but after finally conceiving, Tess's daughter was stillborn. Now, nearly one year later, she's approaching rock bottom. Consumed by her grief and without hope for the future, Tess is divorced, broke, and stuck in a dead-end job beneath her skillset. But shortly before Rose's first birthday, Katherine and Tess get a ...

  Down a quiet backstreet in Kyoto exists a very special restaurant. Run by Koishi Kamogawa and her father Nagare, the Kamogawa Diner treats its customers to wonderfully extravagant meals. But that's not the main reason to stop by . . . The father-daughter duo have started advertising their services as 'food detectives'. Through ingenious investigations, they are capable of recreating a dish from their customers' pasts – dishes that may well hold the keys to unlocking forgotten memories and future happiness. From the widower looking for a specific noodle dish that his wife used to cook, to a first love's beef stew, the restaurant of lost recipes provides a link to the past – and a way to a more contented future. What meal takes you back? For me, it’s the grilled spam and mushrooms my dad used to make me for breakfast, the soup my grandparents made every weekend after a roast dinner, and the Chinese takeaway my partner and I used to get all the time when we started d...

When Michael Dawouk is disowned by his Muslim family for being gay, he turns his back on the religion and culture he grew up with. He is forced out onto the street, only to be taken in by a former high school teacher who offers him room and board in exchange for sex.  Michael is soon left with nothing to believe in, until he meets Wyatt, a successful Texan businessman who takes him under his wing. But what Michael can’t see is that his mentor is just as lost as he is. Searching for the connection and belonging he lost when he left home, Michael immerses himself in temporary pleasures ― nights of danger, intrigue, and meaningless sex ― until he begins to crave a kinder form of love. A powerful, poetic story about losing and finding yourself — this book travels to both ends of the spectrum of belonging from bitterly desperate loneliness to comfort and contentment. Every single page was full of emotion to make something truly touching. It delves into the painful truths about tradition...

Genre: Non-Fiction | Memoir | LGTBQ+  Release Date: 19th October 2023 Publisher: Jessica Kingsley Part memoir, part guide, part conversation and all queer joy — Live, Laugh, Lesbian is a brilliantly warm and friendly journey into the queer experience, not only from the author but from plenty of other lesbian, queer, bisexual and pansexual contributors who bring a unique viewpoint and voice and also show a beautiful diverse, intersectional scope of the queer spectrum and welcomes in queer people and allies of any kind to come feel the love. The book is very conversational, talking to the reader in a fun, friendly way — at times I rolled my eyes as the use of “famalam” but as a previous patron of Colours and Chicagos I’m not in a position to judge the Essex-isms. It’s full of anecdotes and observations that were witty and relatable as well as talking is through the more difficult side of queerness like dealing with workplace discrimination, religious trauma and coming out to family...

Sadie Revelare has always believed that the curse of four heartbreaks that accompanies her magic would be worth the price. But when her grandmother is diagnosed with cancer with only weeks to live, and her first heartbreak, Jake McNealy, returns to town after a decade, her carefully structured life begins to unravel. With the news of their grandmother's impending death, Sadie's estranged twin brother Seth returns to town, bringing with him deeply buried family secrets that threaten to tear Sadie's world apart. Their grandmother has been the backbone of the family for generations, and with her death, Sadie isn't sure she'll have the strength to keep the family, and her magic, together. As feelings for Jake begin to rekindle, and her grandmother growing sicker by the day, Sadie faces the last of her heartbreaks, and she has to decide: is love more important than magic? "Heartbreak for Sadie wasn't a passing folly, to be recovered from with time and chocolate ...

  Three sisters. A dangerous secret. And the perfect murder… It was meant to be the perfect escape, a gorgeous winter vacation for sisters  Sasha, Erin  and  Leah Bailey  in the snowy French Alps and a chance to put their complicated pasts behind them. But when the body of someone close to them is found in an abandoned chalet nearby to their own luxurious accommodation it becomes clear this is going to be a family vacation to remember for all the wrong reasons. All three sisters are hiding their own dangerous secrets… Sasha is a woman on the edge. Erin has the most to lose. Leah isn’t as innocent as she looks. Which woman is prepared to destroy their family to stop the shocking truth from surfacing?  Which one of them would kill to protect their lies? And who will end up dead? The Bailey family are back - and as devious as ever. As they all retreat on a wintery break to recover from the devastation of The Christmas Party (If you haven't read it, definitely...