You'll love this one...!! A book club & more discussion

Team B:

Alexandra
Almeta
Anna M
Ariane
Kristi N
Lanelle
Laura apenandzen
London Lori
Lynn
Marnie
Roz

Hi team

Thank you so much for doing this, Marnie! ♥

Hello, Team B(ee)!!! lol

WOW! We have some gophering to do.

haha will that bee our name? :D 🐝

Hi honeys!

haha, good one Anna! :D

I have a recommendation that works for task 3 or 4, Queen (beekeeper) & all five tasks below - this is the story of how a young woman with no bee experience became a beekeeper when she moved to Oxford, England. This is where the idea for this Toppler was born.

A Honeybee Heart Has Five Openings by Helen Jukes (256pp)

My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

It was so immersive, I really loved it.

It would also work for these tasks:

🐝 task 1, Drone (3-3.99 GR rating)
🐝 task 1, Queen (3 or fewer novels by author)
🐝 task 2, Drone (insect on cover)
🐝 task 3, Worker (neonic ban in the UK & related link:
https://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/our-... )
🐝 task 5, Drone (bee on cover)

=======
And here's one for task 7 Worker, clover/dandelion in title/cover, and the six tasks below - main character is a death doula who is quite introverted and learns a lot from helping people cross over...and from a particularly feisty elderly client in particular:

The Collected Regrets of Clover by Mikki Brammer

My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

This also works for:

🐝task 1, Queen (3 or fewer books by author)
🐝task 3, Drone (rated between 80K and 211,999 times)
🐝task 3, Worker (neonic ban in NY)
🐝task 6, Worker (group housing)
🐝task 7, Drone (flowers significant part of cover)
🐝task 10, Drone (leaves prominent on cover)

Hi all,
I've just started gophering.

I found The Ardent Swarm. It features a hermetic bee whisperer who finds his bees being attacked by a mysterious swarm of hornets. He is determined to find out why. Fortunately, I own it (don't know why) and it fits a few tasks:

Task 2, Drone (insect on cover)
Task 4, Queen (features beekeeper/bees)
Task 5, Drone (bees on the cover)

I also found The Good Neighbor.

Task 1, Drone (3.37 rating)
Task 3, Worker (set in WA - ban state)
Task 5, Worker (published 2015)
Task 10, Worker (trees on the cover)

Here are some possibilities I can read for - but I can only promise one book. If I can, I will read 2-3, but promising one for now - slot me in wherever it works best for the team:

***Edited to add this one may be the best one for me to commit to bc hopefully it’s a quick middle grade and no one has claimed 6th Drone potted plant on cover yet. So I’ll grab that task for now, unless I hear otherwise***

🐝 6 Drone (potted plant cover) - Once for Yes by Allie Millington
🐝 1 Queen (3 or fewer books author)
🐝 6 Worker (group housing)

ETA: My 2nd choice would be:
🐝 9 Drone (water on cover) - New Girl in Little Cove by Damhnait Monaghan
as I have the book and audio already …
other tasks it could work for:
🐝 1 Drone (3-3.99 rating)
🐝 1 Queen (3 or fewer novels)
🐝 4 Worker (pub 2000-2021)

…..
8 Queen (3 or more listed colors on cover) - Lessons in Chemistry - took me forever to find this but I’ve been dying to read it and can get it from library 💙♥️🧡 ETA however it’s not short!

9 Drone (water on cover) - Lola (MG) by Karla Arenas Valenti
10 Drone / Worker (leaves / tree on cover)
1 Worker (3 full names author)

7 Drone (flowers on cover) - Good Joy, Bad Joy by Mikki Brammer
1 Queen (3 or fewer books author)

7 Drone (flowers cover) - Life: A Love Story by Elizabeth Berg



And I'll try and find more tomorrow...

Roz wrote: "Hi all,
I've just started gophering.

I found The Ardent Swarm. It features a hermetic bee whisperer who finds his bees being attacked by a mysterious swarm of hornets. He is deter..."

That one actually looks pretty good to me, Roz. The term "bee whisperer" works for me lol.

Buzzworthy Bonus potential
3. Read a book from a teammate’s recommended list, OR from one of their shelves.
The Collected Regrets of Clover Mikki Brammer (Recommended by Laura) 320p
🐝task 1, Queen (3 or fewer books by author)
🐝task 3, Drone (rated between 80K and 211,999 times)
🐝task 3, Worker (neonic ban in NY)
🐝task 6, Worker (group housing)
🐝task 7, Drone (flowers significant part of cover)
🐝task 7, Worker Bee: Read a book with clover in the title
🐝task 10, Drone (leaves prominent on cover)

claimed Buzzworthy Bonus
3. Read a book from a teammate’s recommended list, OR from one of their shelves.
🐝 task 5. Drone: Read a book with a bee or bees on the cover
Bryony and Roses T. Kingfisher 224p (on Janice's shelf)

Buzzworthy Bonus
Here are three recommendations for books I read this year and gave 5 stars.:

Contemporary/Race
8. 🐝 Queen Bee: Read a book whose cover is 75%+ three or more of the colors red, orange,,yellow, purple, blue and white
Small Great Things white( 72.4%), red (3.5%), yellow (5.6%+4.2%), blue (3.% +2.4%)

Horror
2. 🐝 Worker Bee: Read a book with a bat on the cover.
Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng Kylie Lee Baker

Historical Fiction
3. 🐝 Drone: Read a book that has been rated from 80,000 to 211,999 times on GR
Travels with Charley: In Search of America 118,599 GR ratings

Hey Team Bees, I would like to claim

My choice does not qualify! Buzzworthy Bonus
3) Read a book from a teammates shelf.
5.🐝 Drone: Read a book with a bee or bees on the cover

I am still gophering for the rest of the tasks and will likely be able to help out on any other task that is needed to fill in.

Laura wrote: "...***Edited to add this one may be the best one for me to commit to bc hopefully it’s a quick middle grade and no one has claimed 6th Drone potted plant on cover yet. So I’ll grab that task for now, unless I hear otherwise***

🐝 6 Drone (potted plant cover) - Once for Yes by Allie Millington..."

@Laura I am perfectly fine with that!☺

I believe this Buzzworthy Bonus could be read by several (7) teamies...one task per each teammate!!!

3) Read a book from a teammate’s recommended list.
The Collected Regrets of Clover Mikki Brammer (Recommended by Laura) 320p
🐝task 1, Queen (3 or fewer books by author)
🐝task 3, Drone (rated between 80K and 211,999 times)
🐝task 3, Worker (neonic ban in NY)
🐝task 6, Worker (group housing)
🐝task 7, Drone (flowers significant part of cover)
🐝task 7, Worker Bee: Read a book with clover in the title
🐝task 10, Drone (leaves prominent on cover)

Another Buzzworthy Oppotunity for (7) teamies
A Honeybee Heart Has Five Openings Helen Jukes (256pp)

🐝 task 1, Drone (3-3.99 GR rating)
🐝 task 1, Queen (3 or fewer novels by author)
🐝 task 2, Drone (insect on cover)
🐝 task 3, Worker (neonic ban in the UK & related link:
🐝 task 3 Queen Bee featuring or written by an environmentalist, organic gardener, or other pollinator-friendly character/activist
🐝 task 4, Queen Bee: Read a book featuring a beekeeper or where bees are significant to the plot.
🐝 task 5, Drone (bee on cover)

"3. Players MAY read the same book a teammate has read during this Toppler, so long as it satisfies their own task, too. This would also satisfy the Buzzworthy Bonus, and would allow for buddy reads."

Do I have that right, Laura?

Almeta wrote: "Laura wrote: "...***

Laura I am perfectly fine with that!☺ .."

Good to hear, thank you.

I will take 🐝 6 Drone potted plant on cover for now

and will hopefully be able to add
🐝 9 Drone water on cover too, if that works out for everyone else. That’s another quick read!

Almeta wrote: "Buzzworthy Bonus potential
Here are three recommendations for books I read this year and gave 5 stars.:

Contemporary/Race
8. 🐝 Queen Bee: Read a book whose cover is 75%+ three or more of the color..."

Boop, you just earned Buzzworthy Bonus with those three recommendations. 🎉🥳 I need a third, hopefully will have time for more recommending soon.

Almeta wrote: "I believe this Buzzworthy Bonus could be read by several (7) teamies...one task per each teammate!!!

3. Players MAY read the same book a teammate has read during this Toppler, so long as it satisfies their own task, too. This would also satisfy the Buzzworthy Bonus, and would allow for buddy reads."

Do I have that right, Laura?

."

Yup, and they could all read it together if they wanted. (There’s no requirement that one must read it first and then recommend to the rest.)

And yes reading a book a teammate recommended would automatically qualify for Buzzworthy Bonus 👍🏻🐝

I am willing to keep track of our reads and commitments.

I don't think we really need a spreadsheet. Will a list of everything work?

(List has been moved to message #29)
See most recent in Message 51.

Almeta wrote: "I am willing to keep track of our reads and commitments.

I don't think we really need a spreadsheet. Will a list of everything work?"

Thank you!

A list is fine, as long as we can all refer to it. Doesn’t have to be a spreadsheet. Not sure if you want to do all the updating by yourself tho?

Almeta wrote: "Hey Team Bees, I would like to claim

Buzzworthy Bonus
3) Read a book from a teammates shelf.
5.🐝 Drone: Read a book with a bee or bees on the cover
Bryony and Roses T. Kingfisher 2..."

Not sure if I’m following message 14, and you already earned Buzzworthy Bonus with the three recs!

But if you’re reading from a teammate’s shelf to get it, it has to be someone on our team, not just someone in the Toppler, so I wanted to clarify that piece.

Hey fellow beekeepers! I'm checking in.

Almeta, thank you so much for keeping track of our claims and reads! It helps so much to see it that way.

I'm off to read through the rules and do some gophering.

The one book I need to read during Toppler is
Hot Girl Murder Club

It qualifies for
Drone 1… rated 3.76 ( gr rating between 3-399)


The other books I read I can fill in spots we need.

Lanelle wrote: "Hey fellow beekeepers! I'm checking in.

Almeta, thank you so much for keeping track of our claims and reads! It helps so much to see it that way.

I'm off to read through the rules and do some gop..."

Good to see you, Lanelle - I always like your cheery green cactus appearing lol.

Marnie wrote: "The one book I need to read during Toppler is
Hot Girl Murder Club

It qualifies for
Drone 1… rated 3.76 ( gr rating between 3-399)
Queen 5…336 pages. ( evenly divisible page cou..."

oops Marnie, unfortunately that Queen 5 has to be evenly divisible by 44.

But it doesn't look like anyone's claimed 3-3.99 yet?

Laura wrote: "....Boop, you just earned Buzzworthy Bonus with those three recommendations. ...."

Oh! I didn't think of that!

Well, I will remove my claim on 5. 🐝 Drone: Read a book with a bee or bees on the cover, or (singular or plural) in the title (Didn't qualify anyway! Not a teammate shelf)

Hi Team, I am checking in.
I will be reading those rules and start gophering

YLTO! Gets Pollinated Main page

Main Tasks Spreasheet = https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...

ROY G BIV
Tineye - https://tineye.com/labs/color-extract...


See most recent in Message 51.
Keeping Track

Buzzworthy Bonus = Almeta Bonus for three recommendations.

Marnie 1. 🐝 Drone: Read a book with a 3-3.99 GR rating.
Hot Girl Murder Club rated 3.76)
1. 🐝 Worker Bee: Read a book with an author having three full names.
Laura 1. 🐝 Queen Bee: Read a book whose author has published 3 or fewer full-length novels .

2. 🐝 Drone: Read a book with an insect(s) easily seen on the cover.
2. 🐝 Worker Bee: Read a book featuring a vampire or with a bat on the cover.
@Ariane. 2. 🐝 Queen Bee: Read a book whose cover is 75%+ black and white Milk and Honey

3. 🐝 Drone: Read a book that has been rated from 80,000 to 211,999 times on GR.
3. 🐝 Worker Bee: Neonic bans Read a book 50%+ set anywhere with a full or partial ban. In the US, the states of CA, CO, ME, MD, MN, NV, NY, NJ, RI, VT, WA will work. Note: This is not a complete list! Post a link in your reporting thread showing the ban if you choose a book set elsewhere.
3. 🐝 Queen Bee: Read a book featuring or written by an environmentalist, organic gardener, or other pollinator-friendly character/activist OR read a book with dystopia as main page genre.

4. 🐝 Drone: Read a book that has been rated 212,000+ times on GR.
4. 🐝 Worker Bee: Read a book first published between 2000 and 2021, inclusive.
4.🐝 Queen Bee: Read a book featuring a beekeeper or where bees are significant to the plot.

5.🐝 Drone: Read a book with a bee or bees on the cover
5. 🐝 Worker Bee: Read a book first published in 2015 or 2016.
5. 🐝 Queen Bee: Read a book whose page numbers are evenly divisible by 44 (176, 220, 264, 308, 352, for a start )

Laura 6. 🐝 Drone: Read a book with a potted plant easily seen on the cover.
6. 🐝 Worker Bee: Read a book where a main or important character lives in a condominium, apartment, or other type of group housing.
6. 🐝 Queen Bee: Read a book that is set (50%+) in a park, forest, or other woodland, or features a similar scene on the cover.

Lanelle 7. 🐝 Drone: Read a book where flower(s) take up a significant portion of the cover or are the focal point.
Picture Perfect
Lanelle 7. 🐝 Worker Bee: Read a book with dandelion(s) or clover in the title or on the cover. The Adventures of Dixie Dandelion
Lanelle 7. 🐝 Queen Bee: Read a book where blindness is a theme. This could be metaphorical or actual blindness.
Blind Sided

8. 🐝 Drone: Read a book whose cover is 75%+ purple per tineye, or purple is in the title. It may be embedded.
8. 🐝 Worker Bee: Read a book with a rainbow on the cover or in the title.
8. 🐝 Queen Bee: Read a book whose cover is 75%+ three or more of the colors red, orange, yellow, purple, blue and white

maybe Laura 9.🐝 Drone: Read a book with water on the cover.
🐝 Worker Bee: Read a book with 'water' in the title or author's name. It may be embedded.
🐝 Queen Bee: Read a book where water plays an important role, such as recreation, navigation, flood, hurricane, etc.

10. 🐝 Drone: Read a book with a leaf or leaves prominent on the cover.
10. 🐝 Worker Bee: Read a book with a prominent tree or trees on the cover.
10. 🐝 Queen Bee: Read a book where a hollow object(s) is/are featured on the cover, OR a book where sand or dirt is prominent on the cover.

See most recent in Message 51.

Thanks Laura…I read that wrong. I’ll edit my original post

Marnie wrote: "Thanks Laura…I read that wrong. I’ll edit my original post"

No worries, Marnie - thanks for being willing to fill in with the rest of your reads 🙏🏻

Almeta wrote: "Laura wrote: "....Boop, you just earned Buzzworthy Bonus with those three recommendations. ...."

Oh! I didn't think of that!

Well, I guess I should remove my claim on 5. 🐝 Drone: Read a book wit..."

Yup, you’re done and dusted for the bonus and thanks for doing the tracking and filling in too! 🙏🏻

Ariane wrote: "Hi Team, I am checking in.
I will be reading those rules and start gophering"

Good to see you, Ariane! Have fun gophering 📚

@Almeta can we move Marnie to 🐝 Drone 1 3-3.99 rating? 🙏🏻

So, I guess I can read Milk and honey ?
It seems to me that this is appropriate for this challenge if it is OK.
I would just look at what task it fits and choose one nobody has claimed yet ?
Sorry for those questions, I haven't participated in a toppler in a while.

Just wanted to post a reminder in both team threads re: page count based on the edition you're reading - please double-check, so your books will qualify:

Each print book must be at least 175 pages, based on the edition you are reading.

Ebooks must be at least 200 pages to allow for the approximation of pages an ebook is based on.

Audiobooks must be a minimum of 6 hours long.

Thank you and happy toppling :D

Ariane wrote: "So, I guess I can read Milk and honey ?
It seems to me that this is appropriate for this challenge if it is OK.
I would just look at what task it fits and choose one nobody has cla..."

Yes, you got it, Ariane.

Looks like that one might qualify for Queen 2: 75%+ black and white - I assume it's not midnight blue, or something like that but uploading a screenshot of the cover to tineye would be the way to be sure:

https://tineye.com/labs/color-extract...

or yes, you could read for any other unclaimed task that it fits!

Buzzworthy bonus

OK, I have more recommendations to add to the bee brew. I would read these again, for sure:

Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf (179 pp) was a six star read for me.

A book about love in all forms, and may have more meaning if you're 45+ and/or enjoy small town novels.

My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

This one works for several unclaimed tasks:
🐝3 Drone (rated betwn 80K-211,999 times)
🐝3 Worker (set in CO, with a neonic ban)
🐝4 Worker (publ 2000-2021)
🐝5 Worker (publ 2015-2016)

=====

The Narrowboat Summer by Anne Youngson (336pp)

A great book about friendship and starting over. And if you've ever wanted to live on a boat, this may be for you.

My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Works for several unclaimed tasks:
🐝 4 Worker (pub 2000-2021)
🐝 9 Queen (water plays an important role)
🐝 10 Drone (leaf or leaves seen as individuals on cover)

===========
Tidelands by Philippa Gregory (455pp)

Set in England in 1648, Alinor is a midwife whom some suspect of witchcraft. Very atmospheric and immersive, and the audio especially was fantastic.

My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Works for:
🐝9 Queen (water plays important role)
🐝7 Queen (metaphorical blindness)
🐝3 Worker (UK has a neonic ban)
🐝4 Worker (2000-2021 pub date)

Laura wrote: "@Almeta can we move Marnie to 🐝 Drone 1 3-3.99 rating? 🙏🏻"

DONE!

Ariane wrote: "So, I guess I can read Milk and honey ? ..."

Laura wrote: ...."Looks like that one might qualify for Queen 2: 75%+ black and white -..."

Unfortunately Tineye says black and gray!

Mine said two shades of grey but I’m checking further into this. I bet in person that cover looks black and white, period. So hard to tell with the different screens and how they perceive it. I may ask google ai haha.

ETA

Hmm the author does state that it’s a stark black and white cover

https://rupikaur.com/pages/milk-and-h...

Seems like a lock to me!

If it's okay with everyone, I'd like to claim all three of the #7 tasks. I'll be back to post what I plan to read for those tasks.

7. 🐝 Drone: Read a book where flower(s) take up a significant portion of the cover or are the focal point.
Picture Perfect
7. 🐝 Worker Bee: Read a book with dandelion(s) or clover in the title or on the cover.
The Adventures of Dixie Dandelion
7. 🐝 Queen Bee: Read a book where blindness is a theme. This could be metaphorical or actual blindness.
Blind Sided

Options for other tasks
(view spoiler)[Marnie 1. Drone: Read a book with a 3-3.99 GR rating.
1. 🐝 Worker Bee: Read a book with an author having three full names. River Road
Laura 1. Queen Bee: Read a book whose author has published 3 or fewer full-length novels. What Comes of Attending the Commoners Ball

2. 🐝 Drone: Read a book with an insect(s) easily seen on the cover. Masterpiece
2. 🐝 Worker Bee: Read a book featuring a vampire or with a bat on the cover. Aunt Dimity, Vampire Hunter
Ariane. 2. Queen Bee: Read a book whose cover is 75%+ black and white

3. 🐝 Drone: Read a book that has been rated from 80,000 to 211,999 times on GR.
3. 🐝 Worker Bee: Neonic bans Read a book 50%+ set anywhere with a full or partial ban. In the US, the states of CA, CO, ME, MD, MN, NV, NY, NJ, RI, VT, WA will work.
3. 🐝 Queen Bee: Read a book featuring or written by an environmentalist, organic gardener, or other pollinator-friendly character/activist OR read a book with dystopia as main page genre.

4. 🐝 Drone: Read a book that has been rated 212,000+ times on GR.
4. 🐝 Worker Bee: Read a book first published between 2000 and 2021, inclusive.
4.🐝 Queen Bee: Read a book featuring a beekeeper or where bees are significant to the plot. How to Bee

5.🐝 Drone: Read a book with a bee or bees on the cover
5. 🐝 Worker Bee: Read a book first published in 2015 or 2016.
5. 🐝 Queen Bee: Read a book whose page numbers are evenly divisible by 44 (176, 220, 264, 308, 352, for a start) 176 pages - The View from Saturday, A Long Way From Chicago; 220 pages - The Silent Bullet, Murder and Misdeeds, Tea and Empathy, Bleddyn Hall

Laura 6. 🐝 Drone
6. 🐝 Worker Bee: Read a book where a main or important character lives in a condominium, apartment, or other type of group housing.
6. 🐝 Queen Bee: Read a book that is set (50%+) in a park, forest, or other woodland, or features a similar scene on the cover.

8. 🐝 Drone: Read a book whose cover is 75%+ purple per tineye, or purple is in the title. It may be embedded.
8. 🐝 Worker Bee: Read a book with a rainbow on the cover or in the title. Midnight Rainbow
8. 🐝 Queen Bee: Read a book whose cover is 75%+ three or more of the colors red, orange, yellow, purple, blue and white

maybe Laura 9.🐝 Drone: Read a book with water on the cover.
🐝 Worker Bee: Read a book with 'water' in the title or author's name. It may be embedded. Backwater
🐝 Queen Bee: Read a book where water plays an important role, such as recreation, navigation, flood, hurricane, etc. Mr. Darcy's Refuge

10. 🐝 Drone: Read a book with a leaf or leaves prominent on the cover.
10. 🐝 Worker Bee: Read a book with a prominent tree or trees on the cover.
10. 🐝 Queen Bee: Read a book where a hollow object(s) is/are featured on the cover, OR a book where sand or dirt is prominent on the cover. (hide spoiler)]

Laura wrote: "Good to see you, Lanelle - I always like your cheery green cactus appearing lol."

Thanks. My lime green saguaro cactus is certainly distinctive, isn't it?

Laura wrote: "Mine said two shades of grey but I’m checking further into this. I bet in person that cover looks black and white, period. ....

...Hmm the author does state that it’s a stark black and white cover"

Okay!!! I think so too.

@Ariane. I am staking your right to claim Milk and Honey for
Task 2 🐝 Queen Bee: Read a book whose cover is 75%+ black and white!

Lanelle wrote: "If it's okay with everyone, I'd like to claim all three of the #7 tasks. I'll be back to post what I plan to read for those tasks."

Way to go, Lanelle!

@Almeta, now that all of the task seven tasks are snagged by our cactus 🙂 would you mind pencilling me in for Queen 1 (three or fewer books by author)?

BUT if someone really wants it, pls give it to them. (I have a holdlist book from the library that I need to get to but it can wait til after 7/18 if need be.)

Lanelle wrote: "If it's okay with everyone, I'd like to claim all three of the #7 tasks. I'll be back to post what I plan to read for those tasks.


That certainly works!!!

Laura wrote: "@Almeta, now that all of the task seven tasks are snagged by our cactus 🙂 would you mind pencilling me in for Queen 1 (three or fewer books by author)? "

It's all yours!

Does this mean it is instead of Laura wrote:"and will hopefully be able to add
🐝 9 Drone water on cover too, if that works out for everyone else. That’s another quick read"

@Anna and Roz...Finding what you want to read?

Need to hear from Kristi N and Lynn

Checked In:
✔️Alexandra
✔️Almeta
✔️Anna M
✔️Ariane
✔️Kristi N
✔️Lanelle
✔️Laura apenandzen
✔️London Lori
✔️Lynn
✔️Marnie
✔️Roz

I would like to reserve the following tasks:

Almeta 2. 🐝 Drone: Read a book with an insect(s) easily seen on the cover.
The Empty Chair Jeffrey Deaver

Almeta 5. 🐝 Queen Bee: Read a book whose page numbers are evenly divisible by 44 (176, 220, 264, 308, 352, for a start )
The Good Girl Mary Kubica 352 pages

Almeta 6. 🐝 Queen Bee: Read a book that is set (50%+) in a park, forest, or other woodland, or features a similar scene on the cover.
Speaking in Tungs Karla M. Jay

Almeta 8. 🐝 Drone: Read a book whose cover is 75%+ purple per tineye,
A Stranger in Mayfair Charles Finch

Almeta 9.🐝 Drone: Read a book with water on the cover.
The Silence at Mystery Bay D.D. Black

Almeta 10. 🐝 Worker Bee: Read a book with a prominent tree or trees on the cover.
So Far Gone Jess Walter