Grey Bees

Grey Bees, by Andrey Kurkov

52/60 | Started 09.07.24 • Finished 09.23.24 | 3.75 stars

This was one of those novels that I enjoyed but am finding it hard to explain why. I chose it because it was on Current's list of 100 books of the 21st century. The book follows beekeeper Sergey Sergeyich as he tries to survive in the "grey zone," the neutral territory between Ukraine and Russia. The story includes Pashka, his one friend in the zone, all the other town inhabitants having fled to life and safety. As a beekeeper, Sergeyich knows his hive will need respite from the sporadic shelling in order to thrive come spring. His mission to provide them with sufficient space for collecting pollen leads him on an adventure through the Ukrainian and Russian countryside, meeting friend and foe alike along the way.

This too is holy work, after all – to brighten man’s life in dark times.

I'd say it's worth reading, if only for some perspective on what it might be like to live in an area experiencing almost constant conflict of one kind or another. I don't know that I would call it one of the top 100 books of the 21st century... but I'm glad I read it.

Charlotte's Web

Charlotte's Web, by E.B. White

51/60 | Started 08.22.24 • Finished 09.20.24 | 5 stars

"I liked when Wilbur and Charlotte made friends. And when the eggs hatched. I think it was funny when Avery tripped over the trough. And I think it was also funny when Templeton bit Wilbur’s tail and he said 'ouch!!'"

Carolyn, age 7

Humble Roots

Humble Roots, by Hannah Anderson

50/60 | Started 02.06.24 • Finished 09.19.24 | 5 stars

It took me a long time to finish this one. I wanted to spend time really digging into what Anderson wrote and so since I went through periods where I didn't have the mental capacity to go there, I chose not to read it. But don't let that fool you! This book is wonderful. Such a helpful discourse on the place of humility in the life of the believer and the soul rest that it can bring. I have enjoyed Anderson's writings in the past and this was no different. Her style is very relatable, down to earth, and drips with grace and hope. Would one hundred percent recommend, with the caveat that you take your time and let things settle in.

When we believe that we are responsible for our own existence, when we trust our ability to care for ourselves, we will have nothing but stress because we are unequal to the task. You know this. Deep inside, you know your limits even when you fight against them. You know your helplessness even as you press forward by sheer determination. But at some point, the world becomes too much, and the largeness of life threatens to overwhelm you. And when it does, you must stop. And you must do what Jesus told His friends and followers to do on that flowered hillside overlooking the Sea of Galilee: "Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."