The Secret Life of Bees*

by Sue Monk Kidd | Literature & Fiction |
ISBN: 0142001740 Global Overview for this book
Registered by yabookmaven of Groton, Massachusetts USA on 5/30/2006
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9 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by yabookmaven from Groton, Massachusetts USA on Tuesday, May 30, 2006
This wonderful book is set in South Carolina. I read it for a book group and we had a great discussion about it.

Journal Entry 2 by yabookmaven from Groton, Massachusetts USA on Wednesday, May 31, 2006
I mailed this today to Fran-kinstein in Outlook, Canada.

Journal Entry 3 by wingFran-kinsteinwing from Regina, Saskatchewan Canada on Thursday, June 15, 2006
I recieved this book in the mail from Groton, Massechussets as an RABCK! Thanks yabookmaven!
I'm on p.55 and so far it's a bit sad. I expect it will become more uplifting as it goes on.

Journal Entry 4 by wingFran-kinsteinwing from Regina, Saskatchewan Canada on Friday, July 21, 2006
Well I just finished the book (finally). It was really awesome. I loved it.
I'll be driving all the way from Houston, Texas to Regina, Saskatchewan in late August, and I'll leave it somewhere along the way. Maybe Texas, maybe Oklahoma, maybe Nebraska. Wow. I've never been anywhere near any of those places before. I'm really excited, and hopefully I'll have lots of books to abandon along the way.

Journal Entry 5 by wingFran-kinsteinwing from Regina, Saskatchewan Canada on Sunday, August 27, 2006
well my trip accross the states was cancelled. BIG BUMMER. i have started a ray for this book and it is now in the hands of the Canada Post !!! On it's way to the U.K, Spain, Portugal, and then back to the U.S. Cool!

The Order will be:

1. Tregossip- U.K.
2. oliveoyle- U.K.
3. Twynnie- U.K.
4. veleta- Spain
5. Guadi- Portugal
6. aberpeter- U.S.

Journal Entry 6 by Tregossip from St. Austell, Cornwall United Kingdom on Wednesday, October 4, 2006
Arrived in post this morning - thanks for sharing - will be my next to read
I really enjoyed reading this, have PM'ed oliveoyle for address and then it will be off on it's travels again

Journal Entry 7 by Tregossip at -- Controlled release in St. Austell, Cornwall United Kingdom on Wednesday, October 18, 2006

Released 17 yrs ago (10/19/2006 UTC) at -- Controlled release in St. Austell, Cornwall United Kingdom

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

RELEASE NOTES:


Journal Entry 8 by oliveoyle from Sheffield, South Yorkshire United Kingdom on Monday, October 23, 2006
It's here! Got here on Friday but I haven't got a computer at home so I could only register it's arrival today. Can't wait to read it! I'm halfway through another one at the moment so as soon as I've read that, I'll be on to this.

Journal Entry 9 by oliveoyle from Sheffield, South Yorkshire United Kingdom on Monday, November 6, 2006
I've just finished this and I have to say I was disappointed. I'd heard so many good things about it that I expected a lot more from it. As it was I'm afraid it left me cold. I didn't feel involved with the book or the characters' lives - they didn't seem full, rounded characters but were rather flat. The book dealt with a lot of major issues - racism, abuse and the difficulties of adolescence. But that's all it did, it dealt with them and then moved on, with only adolescence being looked in anything approaching depth. The more emotionally charged sections of the book seemed over-sentimentalised in a way that I personally found quite alienating and that did not endear me to the characters. I liked the characters, don't get me wrong, I just didn't feel I could get close to them because the writing style pushed me away - I thought a lot more could have been done with them and they never realised their full potential as characters.

I know I'm probably a minority in this as the book is very popular so I'm sorry if my comments annoy or disappoint. I hope everyone else in the ring enjoys it and I want to say thank you very much to Fran-kinstein for including me in the ring and giving me the opportunity to read this.

I've PMed the next person on the list and will post it on as soon as I've got their address.

Journal Entry 10 by oliveoyle at by mail in Bookring, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases on Tuesday, November 7, 2006

Released 17 yrs ago (11/7/2006 UTC) at by mail in Bookring, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

RELEASE NOTES:

On its way to the next in the ring. Hope you enjoy it

Journal Entry 11 by Twynnie from Royston, Hertfordshire United Kingdom on Wednesday, November 8, 2006
This arrived today. I have 2 and a half bookrings to read before it, but I'm getting through them pretty quickly!
I got a bit confused because I seem to have joined two rings for this book and it was the other one I had on my list. Never mind, I guess I'd better un-join that one! I'm looking forward to reading it, thanks to oliveoyle for passingit on to me and Fran-kinstein for sharing...

Journal Entry 12 by veleta from Willesden, Greater London United Kingdom on Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Got it today at the mail. I've read the first page, and I just can say that the book promises to be interesting.

WEll, I hope I like it. It's lovely getting a book with so many entries in its journal. Not everybody has read or liked it, but I hope to enjoy it.

Comment after reading it:

I liked some aspects of the characters, as that the terrible and cruel father had really been head over hills for his wife. He didn't know possibly how to treat his family well, and that was why what happened, happened. It is not as if I excused the way he treated his only daughter, but the way he must have been hurt when she left makes his character more interesting for me. Monk Kidd refrains herself to portray him as "a devil" but instead she chooses to make him complex and human.

****If you haven't read the book don't go on, because I'm going to expoil the end.****
What I disliked most was the ending. I felt that such a happy ending didn't really fit in the overall context.

Journal Entry 13 by Guadi from Vila Nova de Gaia, Porto Portugal on Monday, January 15, 2007
It has arrived, i've already start reading it.
Thanx everyone.

Journal Entry 14 by Aberpeter from Renton, Washington USA on Wednesday, February 7, 2007
The book arrived in the mail yesterday. I have been wanting to read it ever since I read "The Mermaids Chair" last summer. I can't wait to jump into this book.

Journal Entry 15 by Aberpeter from Renton, Washington USA on Tuesday, February 20, 2007
I loved this book! I read through it in a day - I couldn't put it down. If I had read this book before the Mermaid Chair, I think I would have been disappointed in the Mermaid Chair.

I enjoyed the journey Lily experienced while she came to terms with her mother's death and how through her experiences, she developed an understanding of her parent's relationship and her father. I am glad Lily did not return to her father as that would have made Lily regress back into who she was rather than accepting her pass and moving on.

Thanks for sharing the book.

Journal Entry 16 by Aberpeter from Renton, Washington USA on Monday, July 2, 2007
mailed the book to dabercro

Journal Entry 17 by dabercro from Clinton, Utah USA on Wednesday, July 4, 2007
Received in the mail yesterday from Aberpeter, thank you! This is a book I have been wanting to read so it will go near the top of my TBR pile.

Journal Entry 18 by dabercro from Clinton, Utah USA on Monday, September 10, 2007
I really enjoyed this book. I agree with Aberpeter, this was a better read than The Mermaid Chair.
Lily was a very independent, determined and strong-willed girl. This isn't often the case when someone has been abused. I found myself rooting for her. I found the references to the racism in the south interesting as I lived through that ugly time in history, although I didn't live in the south where the racism was most prevalent. I liked that Lily finally had some of her questions answered about her mother and the relationship between her parents.

I have passed this book on to an anonymous reader in OH on 9/7/07.

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