Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Happy Thanksgiving to All

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL

Hey, everyone!  I know I've gotten behind on posting reviews.  I'm so sorry for that.  =(

I am making this post today to rejoice in what I am thankful for.


I am thankful for my husband and my kids.  I don't always treat them right.  I will try harder.

I am thankful for a house to live in and food to eat.  Maybe sometimes I take this for granted.


I am thankful for my parents and all that they have taught me.  Sometimes I forget how fortunate I am.

I am thankful for an income.  Not everyone has a job, and I should be grateful for mine even when it causes me stress.


I am thankful for the gospel of Jesus Christ.  I must always strive to remember Christ and His sacrifice for me.  Sometimes I forget.  As I remember, I will become more thankful for all the things that I have.

At this Thanksgiving, I hope you will hold your loved ones tight and realize how blessed you are to have them.  I hope you will feel your stomach full and realize how blessed you are to have a Thanksgiving meal.  I hope you will remember your Savior and His love for you, so you can in turn share it with others.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING FROM THE QUEEN BEE AND HER PRINCESS BEE.

Monday, October 31, 2011

An Added Note on Wedding Letters from the Queen Bee

Guess what, everyone?!  THE QUEEN BEE decided to review "The Wedding Letters" by Jason F. Wright too!

Here is her note to me...

I know that you reviewed The Wedding Letters already but I was so impressed with it that I thought my view on it was worth hearing too.

The Wedding Letters written by Jason F. Wright

First there was The Christmas Jars and then Christmas Jars Reunion. Then along came The Wednesday Letters, and now we have The Wedding Letters.

The Wedding Letters is a great twist on The Wednesday Letters. The characters are the same with a few additions, but the book can be a standalone also.

Noah Cooper found love by running into it, literally. While driving and trying to avoid a squirrel he runs into Rachel, and for him it is love at first sight. For Rachel, well, all she could think of was what kind of a person runs over a bicyclist while trying to avoid hitting a squirrel he hit anyway? All seems to be going fine, and marriage is in the near future, until a secret from Rachel’s past sends her running from her future with Noah.


In keeping with the Cooper Family tradition, and despite the fact that the wedding is called off, letters start coming in for the happy couple and are compiled to create a book of wedding letters. These are letters from friends and family and are advice on love, life, and happiness. Can the wedding letters save the wedding?…..You have to read to find out.

Having just married off one of my own daughters, I can say that this tradition would have been great for her, something that she and her new husband would have kept and treasured forever.

Great book, it was definitely worth 2 reviews!!!!!!!


Book Review by Vickie Ricks, the Queen Bee at Beehive Books
Beehive Books Bakersfield
Beehive Books Lancaster

Friday, October 7, 2011

The Wedding Letters, a great sequel to The Wednesday Letters by Jason F. Wright

The Wedding Letters,
a Great Sequel to The Wednesday Letters
by Jason F. Wright

Sold at Beehive Books
In Wedding Letters, Wright carries us on a new adventure of love and self-discovery.  Noah Cooper, grandson of Jack and Laurel (from Wednesday Letters), falls in love with a girl from a family much different from his.  Rachel returns his love but finds out a family secret that threatens her sanity and happiness in general.  Rachel's family relationships coupled with the upcoming selling of the inn, in my opinion, are what make this book fun and exciting.

I really liked this book!  At first I was unsure that anything could compete with Wednesday Letters, but Wright took up the challenge and ran with it.  He did a great job.  I found myself caring about Rachel and wishing I could reach out and hug her.  I worried for and with her.  I would recommend this book to anyone who wants an easy uplifting read and who is or will ever be married.  I loved the marriage advice!!!

Book Review by Celeste Estes, daughter of the Queen Bee


Jason Wright loves to connect with his readers! 

**Visit his page on Facebook: Jason F. Wright Official Fan Page.  

**Here is his blog (looks like he hasn't written in a while, we should help him with that by going on and posting a comment): Life with Jason Wright

**And here is his website: jasonfwright.com

If that's not enough, here's a great book trailer for The Wedding Letters:


Beehive Books Website

Friday, September 9, 2011

Guest Review from Author Lynn Gardner: If I Should Die by Jennie Hansen

Guest Review by Author Lynn Gardner

About Lynn Gardner

Click here to visit Lynn Gardner's website

Lynn Gardner traveled the United States for twenty-five years with her career Air Force husband and developed a love of exploring this beautiful country, discovering fascinating places to set a story, and weaving local history into intriguing mysteries. When her husband retired, they began traveling to foreign countries where she found more exciting venues for her suspense stories.  Her motto is, "There's a story and a mystery around every corner!"

Lynn also loves to read mystery novels.  We asked her if she would be willing to review a book for us, and this is what she chose: "If I Should Die" by Jennie Hansen.

Lynn's Review of "If I Should Die" by Jennie Hansen


Kallene’s world is turned upside down when her jogging partner, Linda, disappears after confiding she’s filing for a divorce. Soon the missing person search turns into a murder investigation. Kallene is overwhelmed by the attentions of a charming lead detective and her jogging partner’s handsome brother. Throw in the tragic circumstance of Linda’s frightened little daughter and a young boy at loose odds and a creepy handyman who shows up at Kallene’s elbow at every turn. Then, mix in a rogue dog and strange character in the neighborhood and you have a fast-paced intriguing mystery with a touch of romance.

I loved this book. All of Jennie Hansen’s books are extremely well written with characters you love to hate or cheer for all through the book, but I think this might be her best effort so far. I couldn’t put the book down after I began reading it. I had to know about each of those characters she had so carefully crafted. Who was the real killer? What would happen to Linda’s little girl? What happened to the little boy who disappeared? And which of the handsome men would actually capture Kallene’s heart?

This book was reviewed for Queen Bee Corner by Lynn Gardner, author of 10 books in the Gem/Jewel series and 2 books in the Maggie McKenzie series.

Some of Lynn's titles:




Visit Beehive Books Website

Monday, August 22, 2011

Gospel Topics - Faith and Testimony


Hello, everyone!  The past two weeks in Sacrament meeting the topic has been faith and testimony.  I believe that both faith and testimony are virtues we must constantly work to develop. 

When I was a young girl, Girl's Camp was what helped me most in these areas.  This is when I would have the biggest opportunities for growth.  It would be a call-to-action time for me. 

You would think it was the great preparation, talks, and testimonies shared by the leaders at Camp that led me to these moments, and maybe this is what encouraged the opportunity for me, but in reality it was Solo Time.

I loved Solo Time.  During Solo Time, I was forced to take an absolute timeout from the world and responsibilities.  We were given a certain amount of time, and I would go and find a beautiful quiet place to sit and be alone.

It was then in those quiet moments, surrounded by Heavenly Father's creations, that I would take to heart the things that I had been taught at Church, kneel down, and ask my Heavenly Father if they were true.

I remember one of those occasions.  I was wondering how we could say we knew the prophet was a true prophet of God.  I had searched the scriptures and found some logical answers.  When I knelt and asked with sincere desire to receive an answer, I knew.  I knew that the current prophet would never lead me or the Church astray.  I knew he was a true prophet of God.

After my prayer, the world seemed even brighter and more beautiful around me.  Any doubt I had had was gone.

The lessons I learned at Girl's Camp would gradually slip away, but I believe the most important lesson I ever learned and will always remember is that God hears and answers our prayers.

He does and He will.

Also, the sincerity of the prayer is important.

Since then and especially in recent times, I have observed that my initial prayer in the morning and my final prayer at night are not always the most sincere.  I must seek sincere prayer during the day too, when I am not so tired and my mind is more alert.

For me, when I read the scriptures is the best time.  If I read and then kneel in prayer, my words really feel like they reach the heavens and my heart fills with a greater faith in and love of my Savior.

Do you have an experience with faith or testimony you would like to share?  We would all love to hear it!  



This is a personal experience shared by Celeste Estes.

Monday, August 15, 2011

Sorry...

Hey, everyone!  Wow, this has been a busy couple of weeks for us.  LDS Bookstore Convention was great, but when I got back I had packing to do!  My mom has been playing catchup at the store, and I have been busy, busy, busy. 



I promise we will be back on track soon, so please stay tuned.

Thanks again for following our blog at Queen Bee Corner!!!

-Celeste

Friday, July 29, 2011

LDS Bookstore Convention, yay!


Hey, everyone!  Rather than a book review, today I decided to tell you what is going on in our neck of the woods.  My mom (the Queen Bee) and I are busily preparing to go to LDS Bookstore Convention.

Have you ever heard of it?  It is a great opportunity for us to go and connect with LDS vendors and authors.  Also, we get to learn many great things about how to improve our business.

What does the customer want?  What new is coming out?  How can we ourselves be better people and grow closer to our Savior?

These are just a few of the wonderful topics we discuss at Convention.

I am very excited for a fun and satisfying week with my mom in the great Salt Lake City, Utah area.

What did you think of this post?  Would you like more personal posts like this one?

Thanks everyone for following!

Sincerely,
Celeste Estes, daughter of the Queen Bee

Monday, July 25, 2011

Can fog describe more than the weather?

Foggy with a Chance of Murder
by G.G. Vandagriff

Category – LDS suspense with a twist of romance

In this book, Chloe, a young suspense author, buries herself deep in her work in order to avoid love.  However, when tragedy brings her and a “jack” mormon together, sparks begin to fly.  It is then that her past love re-enters the picture, bringing fog for Chloe in more ways than one. To make it worse, someone is out to kill her new love.

G.G. Vandagriff is quickly joining the field of fine LDS suspense novelists.  I have enjoyed her use of combining good values and nail biting suspense.  Maybe not quite as thrilling and suspenseful as books by Clair Poulsen, but definitely worth the read.

Book Review by Vickie Ricks, The Queen Bee



WHO ELSE IS REVIEWING IT???

Goodreads.com at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10275748-foggy-with-a-chance-of-murder says:

• A classic whodunit with a unique LDS twist
• Readers of G. G.'s previous mysteries will enjoy this latest offering from a Whitney Award-winner
• The author was recently featured in "Literary Worlds," a Special Collections exhibit at BYU's Harold B. Lee Library
• Online reading guide available for book clubs


Scroll down on the Goodreads.com page to see who else is commenting on and reviewing this book.

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

One Guy, Three Girls...the Ultimate Laundry Bet


Luck of the Draw
by Rachael Renee Anderson

Category – LDS romance (but not too sappy)

 The typical story of relationships on the college level, but this one goes seriously wrong. A bet among roommates puts a young man on the road to finding true love but when the girl he falls for finds out about the bet, for her, all bets are off.

This is a fast paced, fun and humorous story, kind of predictable but with a few twists to keep it interesting. Geared for the young adult market, but I thoroughly enjoyed it as well. This book will make any hot summer day go more quickly.

Book Review by Vickie Ricks, The Queen Bee


WHO ELSE IS BLOGGING ABOUT IT?


Excerpt from Luck of the Draw:

     "This is the end of our date,” he said. “And you just told me that you won’t go out with me, at least not any time in the next eight years, so this is pretty much my only opportunity.”

     “Opportunity?” Dani raised her eyebrows. “For what, exactly?”

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Blackberry Crumble by Josi S. Kilpak

Blackberry Crumble has Sadie Hoffmiller on a new adventure with a murder to solve.  For the first time, she is approached as if she were a real private investigator and enlisted to solve the mystery.  Like usual she finds herself in a mess but still manages to come out on top; again, her “boyfriend” is around to add a little romance to the mystery.

I love the Culinary Mystery Series and Josi Kilpack.  In this series, Josi invents delicious recipes and finds great ways to incorporate them into her books.  I tried a couple of the recipes, Lemon Tart and English Trifle, and served them at a book signing held for Josi Kilpak.  They turned out pretty good if I do say so myself!

These books are easy reads and fun, with a good mix of suspense and romance.  Pumpkin Roll will be coming out soon.  I am sooo looking forward to it!

Blackberry Crumble is the fifth book in the Culinary Mystery Series.  Although most characters remain the same, these books can be read as standalones.

Here is a link to Josi's blog and her post about Blackberry Crumble:



Book Review by Vickie Ricks

CTR's Ring by Melissa Ann Aylstock



CTR's Ring caught my attention right from the start.  I was so curious to know what the main character, Cameron T. Richards, would do next.  He had found a CTR ring and had kept it, thinking it was meant to represent the initials in his name.  He had no idea it belonged to "Mormons".

When he finds out it is a Mormon ring and that his new-found relatives are all Mormons, he suddenly finds himself wondering if there is a true church.  Will it be the one his new co-worker invited him to or some other?

Filled with romance, love for family, and a deep spirituality, this story really impressed me and stopped me in my tracks.  I sincerely wanted to know what would happen in the life of Cameron T. Richards.

My only concerns were that the editing wasn't perfect and that the story was a bit unreal at the end.  Otherwise, I loved it!  I would recommend this book to teens and adults.

Book Review by Celeste L. Estes

Saturday, July 2, 2011

Return to Mormonville: Worlds Apart by Jeff Call

Jeff Call has done it again!  I loved Mormonville, and now I really loved Return to Mormonville.

In this book, the main character, Luke Manning, finds himself in an unforgettable and almost tramatizing adventure in another country.  Why does he travel to this far off place and get himself into trouble?  Well, because he's a reporter.  He has been a baptized member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints now for over two years and has lost his niche in the journalism world.  Until now.

I would really recommend this book to anybody, even if you haven't read the first book in the series.  There are enough references to Luke's past (what happens in book 1) for anyone to piece together.  This story is so exciting and fun!  Then, after you've finished it and the adventure is over, you realize how much you have learned.  It is great.  I give this book 4.5 stars.


Book Review by Celeste L. Estes

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Messiah by Toni Sorenson - most recent release

Queen Bee here with a new book that is a must read!

What was going on in the Americas during New Testament times?  What was it like when the Savior visited the Americas?  We’ve read the account from the scriptures.  Now read a historical fiction version like no other.

In this story, we follow the life of a Nephite, Kiah, from youth to adulthood, as he struggles with his testimony and has many adventures.  Then, we experience with him the signs of the birth, death, and resurrection of Christ.  We even get to witness the arrival of the Savior in the Americas.

Once again Toni has taught me.  Even though this is historical fiction, she follows the scriptures "to a T".  She does a masterful job.  I highly recommend this book alone or read in conjunction with Master.  Either way, it is well worth it.

This book is second in a series of two but can be read as a standalone.


Book Review by Vickie Ricks

Monday, June 27, 2011

Master by Toni Sorenson - 1st in series


I loved this book because it brought to life for me the Savior as a child, as a young adult, and ultimately as the Master in a way that no other book has ever done. Toni uses the scriptures and fills in with a great imagination to create this historical fiction book. You might find it slow going at first, but don’t give up. It is worth it!

This book is first in a series of two.


Book Review by Vickie Ricks

Saturday, June 25, 2011

Special Guest Review of Karen E. Hoover's Sapphire Flute


This was a great book full of all kinds of magic and mystery.  I never wanted to put it down.  From the first page, you are on the edge of your seat.  After all of the books and talks of werewolves you would think that you may not enjoy the book, but the capabilities of the werewolves and how they are portrayed seems so different that you enjoy it anyway.  This is one of the most gripping and amazing novels ever.  I can't wait for her next novel!

I give it 5 stars.

Book Review by Savannah Bly, age 16.

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Brianna, My Brother, and the Blog by Jack Weyland

I chose to read this book because it talks about a blog, and we just started ours! I thought it would be fun. Plus, I like the cover.

This book by Jack Weyland was written for a primarily LDS young single adult audience. It is a love story filled with the difficult dramas that come with dating before marriage. A young man, Austin, returns from a mission and falls in love with his brother's girlfriend, who is waiting for his brother to come home from a mission. What does Brianna feel through all of this? Read to find out.

I thought this was a cute story and an easy read. The storyline was fun and light but could have been executed better. The blog touch was cool, but I wish it would have been brought in sooner (60 pages sooner). If you want a quick read about romance, this is a good book for you.


Book Review by Celeste L. Estes

Friday, June 17, 2011

Review of "Mark of Royalty" by Jennifer K. Clark and Stephonie K. Williams

"Mark of Royalty" recounts the tale of a young woman who is whisked away at birth and raised by a mother who is not her own.  She is born a princess but raised by someone else to protect her from secrets that would lead to her undoing.

A great first book for these authors!  A great mix of intrigue and romance!  Not too mushy, not too sappy.  Has a happy ending!  They did a good job developing characters and sticking to the storyline.  It kept my interest all the way through.  I recommend this book to anybody, and I hope there is more to come!

Here is a fun little commentary from Jennifer Clark's blog about the YouTube Music Video below:
http://jenniferkclark.blogspot.com/2010/08/mark-of-royalty-super-secret-project.html



Book Review by Vickie Ricks

Thursday, June 16, 2011

I HAVE STARTED A BLOG: WHY???

I am starting this blog because I love the books I read, and I want you to get excited about them too!  On this blog we will have the opportunity to discuss the good and the bad in everything I read.  Plus, I am open for requests.  You tell me what you want me to review, and I will. 

Also, I would love to talk about the books you love and even hate.  Tell me all about it here on my blog.  Then, if you would like to visit the blog as a guest reviewer, I would love that!  You tell me what you thought of the book you read, and I will post it and even show your name and pic if you are interested.

On this blog my main focus will be books by LDS Authors, but books outside of this realm are welcome too.  I love all kinds of books!

PS: One other thing I hope to do on this blog is interviews with authors and publishers.  I might make occasional reflections or posts on other things, but we shall see.  Please come and follow.  The more the merrier!