The most recommended books about honey

Who picked these books? Meet our 15 experts.

15 authors created a book list connected to honey, and here are their favorite honey books.
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Book cover of Mad Honey: A Novel

Leslie A. Rasmussen Author Of The Stories We Cannot Tell

From Leslie's 3 favorite reads in 2023.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Reader Speaker Dog lover Exerciser

Leslie's 3 favorite reads in 2023

Leslie A. Rasmussen Why did Leslie love this book?

This is a book you won’t want to put down, and that is filled with twists and turns. It is about a young man whose girlfriend ends up dead and is on trial for her murder.

Being the mom of two sons, I could empathize with the boy’s mom and how helpless she felt to help him. The book also had a subplot about bees and how they made honey, and to be honest, I didn’t think I’d be interested, but I was wrong.

The writing was visual, and the bees turned out to be a metaphor for what else was happening in the story. The book was full of surprises, and one especially caught me off guard. I highly recommend it!

By Jennifer Finney Boylan, Jodi Picoult,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Mad Honey as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

*THE NEW YORK TIMES and SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER*
'Heart-pounding and heartbreaking' WASHINGTON POST

Olivia fled her abusive marriage to return to her hometown and take over the family beekeeping business when her son Asher was six. Now, impossibly, her baby is six feet tall and in his last year of high school, a kind, good-looking, popular ice hockey star with a tiny sprite of a new girlfriend.

Lily also knows what it feels like to start over - when she and her mother relocated to New Hampshire it was all about a fresh start. She and Asher couldn't help falling…


Book cover of Cowboy Desire

Estelle Pettersen Author Of Lessons on Seduction

From my list on bad boy romance with a happy ending.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve been fascinated by bad-boy heroes since I started reading romance books in my teenage years. Throw me a story about a rebel, player, a guy who likes living on the edge with a wild streak, and you’ve got me sold. There are a few rules when it comes to what I don’t want in a bad boy – abuse, pedophiles, violent men, and lack of consent. I love happy endings and believe that every bad boy and his lover (or lovers if it’s a consensual polyamorous relationship) deserve their happily ever after endings. I’m an ex-journalist who has published romance stories from erotic to sweet.

Estelle's book list on bad boy romance with a happy ending

Estelle Pettersen Why did Estelle love this book?

Wild and sexy ProRodeo cowboy Colton Maples is the kind of hero that had me hooked when I read Ava, a short story by Callie Carmen in the Cowboy Desire anthology. This hot honey didn’t seem like the kind of guy to settle down and be a one-woman man, leaving behind past lovers, but he surprised me. It was love at first sight when he met Ava Kincaid, an artist who was equally smitten with him. It was no surprise when the gray-eyed, dark-haired hunk flirted his way into Ava’s life and in her bed, but would he break her heart? Colton and Ava took me on an emotional ride, that’s for sure. The steamy scenes were written tastefully and I enjoyed reading every page of this sexy romance. And yes, I loved the ending.

By Alice Renaud, Alan Souter, Callie Carmen , Dee S. Knight , Eileen Troemel , Estelle Pettersen , Jan Selbourne , Nancy Golinski , Patricia Elliott , R.M. Olivia

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Cowboy Desire as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Cowboy Desire is an eclectic assortment of short stories. It includes contemporary, historical, fantasy, and even outer space romance, Cowboy Desire offers fourteen stunning short stories.These fourteen authors provide a range of sweet to sexy stories all with a Western cowboy theme. They feature strong men and women battling the weather and dangerous terrain, here on earth and in outer space.The collection is as diverse as the authors who wrote them. Here’s a chance to discover new talented authors and the characters they create. Within these pages, there are blends of tender, often moving, thought-provoking and downright sexy stories.


Book cover of The Lives of Bees: The Untold Story of the Honey Bee in the Wild

Luke Dixon Author Of BEES and HONEY myth, folklore and traditions

From my list on bees and beekeeping.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have been enthralled with the natural world since childhood, but it was not until I had enjoyed a career as a theatre director, that my life changed course and I became a professional beekeeper. My new job took be across the rooftops of London, managing bees and hives for The Bank of England, Kensington Palace, The London College of Fashion, Heathrow Airport, Bloomberg, and many others. Now I run a small environmental charity, The Bee Friendly Trust, helping to make the world a little more hospitable to honeybees and some of the many other pollinators that make human life possible.

Luke's book list on bees and beekeeping

Luke Dixon Why did Luke love this book?

Tom Seeley is a genius. He is a professor at Cornell University in America, but this engaging book is no dull academic thesis.

He tells ‘the untold story of the honey bee in the wild’ with an enthusiasm that carries the reader along as if on an adventure of discovery. I was fascinated as, through the book, I joined him on his field research and learnt wonders with him. A joy for the novice and the experienced bee person.

By Thomas D. Seeley,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Lives of Bees as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

How the lives of wild honey bees offer vital lessons for saving the world's managed bee colonies

Humans have kept honey bees in hives for millennia, yet only in recent decades have biologists begun to investigate how these industrious insects live in the wild. The Lives of Bees is Thomas Seeley's captivating story of what scientists are learning about the behavior, social life, and survival strategies of honey bees living outside the beekeeper's hive-and how wild honey bees may hold the key to reversing the alarming die-off of the planet's managed honey bee populations.

Seeley, a world authority on honey…


Book cover of Honey Roasted

Caryl Janis Author Of To Sketch a Killer

From my list on cozy mysteries—with a touch of romance—set in New York.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a musician and writer who has always loved mysteries. Main character-sleuths who are likable and sometimes get in over their heads are my favorites, both as a reader and a writer, especially if they contribute something positive to their world in addition to solving the crime. If their careers or hobbiesanything from the arts to small customer-service businesses – offer joy to themselves and to others, so much the better. Since I grew up in the New York area, I like books that are set there, but am open to a good story set anywhere in the world.

Caryl's book list on cozy mysteries—with a touch of romance—set in New York

Caryl Janis Why did Caryl love this book?

Here is one of the latest in the popular books featuring Greenwich Village coffee house manager, Clare Cosi.

It is enormous fun to tag along on Clare’s most recent wild adventure as she investigates both murder and attempted murder while trying to plan her honeymoon with an overworked police detective, getting a quick education in beekeeping, and still overseeing the Village Blend and its loveable staff.

Despite numerous intriguing complications, I loved how Clare handles everything with great aplomb and integrity. The action, the wit, the appealing characters, and the evolving plot that kept me guessing until the end made this story a winner.

By Cleo Coyle,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Honey Roasted as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"Coyle's latest Coffeehouse mystery is a honey of a tale....A primer on bees, coffee, and some of New York's most unusual and exciting areas make for a fascinating and mysterious read."—Kirkus Reviews

Clare Cosi is busy as a bee planning her honeymoon when murder buzzes into the Village Blend in this all-new mystery in the beloved New York Times bestselling Coffeehouse series by Cleo Coyle.

While struggling to find a romantic (and affordable) destination for her upcoming honeymoon, coffeehouse manager Clare Cosi whips up a honey of a drink made from honey-processed coffee. Clare plans to serve her outstanding new…


Book cover of Small Town Taxi

Sally Berneathy Author Of Death by Chocolate

From my list on reads that make murder fun.

Why am I passionate about this?

1995 - “Write what you know,” Mark Twain advised. I’d been married three times. I wrote romances. 2012 - “Write what you know.” I’d been divorced three times and fantasized about murdering my ex. Only massive doses of chocolate kept my finger off the trigger. Hence…Death by Chocolate.

Sally's book list on reads that make murder fun

Sally Berneathy Why did Sally love this book?

I laughed out loud throughout most of Small Town Taxi! Yes, even the murders!

The characters are unique and different but real…and I loved all of them except, of course, the bad guys. Even they were fascinating! Honey Walker drives a taxi in a small town…and things happen to Honey.

Another book with a killer first paragraph: “When she shot my front seat, I thought about getting a different job, but it was the passenger side and empty, so I didn’t update my resume.”

By Harriet Rogers,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Small Town Taxi as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Meet Honey Walker, taxi driver extraordinaire. Honey has a few goals in life. Her first is to hustle enough fares and tips to pay the rent and buy those red sequined spike heeled slut shoes she lusts after. Her next goal is to kick her budding relationship with police Lieutenant Jon Stevens into high gear.Honey's problem is that dead bodies and live thugs keep getting in the way of her goals. While she admires the Lieutenant's well formed rear end, the Lieutenant is busy chasing the bad guys who are busy chasing Honey.When Honey's new best friend Belle, former prostitute…


Book cover of The Honey Bus: A Memoir of Loss, Courage and a Girl Saved by Bees

JQ Rose Author Of Dangerous Sanctuary

From JQ's 3 favorite reads in 2023.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Life storytelling evangelist Teacher Wordsmith Traveler

JQ's 3 favorite reads in 2023

JQ Rose Why did JQ love this book?

 I was “stung” by this true story of Meredith May’s difficult life as a child.

She was raised by her grandparents because her parents divorced. Her mother suffered from mental illness. Her grandfather raised honeybees and used their lives as examples of how a family can care for each other and work together.

This is a powerful message for all readers. I loved this gentle story not only because of the connection portrayed by her grandfather and Meredith but also because of so much information about the life of bees. Fascinating to read and learn.

By Meredith May,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Honey Bus as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

'The bee is more frightened than you,' he said.

'Can you imagine how scary it is to be this small in a world that is so big?'

He was right.

When she was five years old, Meredith May was abandoned by both parents. Her father left for the other side of the country. Her mother disappeared into herself.

But when Meredith discovered the rusted old bus where her grandpa kept bees, her world changed forever.

Family duty. Compassion and sacrifice. Unconditional love. The life of a honeybee displays it all. As her grandpa showed her the sacrifices bees make for…


Book cover of Bees in America: How the Honey Bee Shaped a Nation

Frank Mortimer Author Of Bee People and the Bugs They Love

From my list on buzzworthy beekeeping.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am the author of Bee People and the Bugs They Love, an adjunct instructor at the Cornell University Master Beekeeping Program, a master beekeeper, former vice president of the New Jersey Beekeepers Association, and I have written multiple articles featured in the widely circulated Bee Culture Magazine. As president of the Northeast NJ Beekeepers—a position that I held for over a decade—I founded the “Honey Cup," an annual honey tasting competition. I have promoted beekeeping throughout the Northeast by speaking to everyone from school children to gardening clubs and civic organizations, and have led beekeeping seminars across the Northeast and at The New York Botanical Garden.

Frank's book list on buzzworthy beekeeping

Frank Mortimer Why did Frank love this book?

Bees In America is a great read, as it chronologically takes you from the earliest European colonists who brought their bees with them—as honeybees are not native to North America—through to the present. It’s a mix of American history, biology, and American ingenuity, all rolled into a nonfiction account that’s chocked full of interesting facts and details.  For anyone interested in honeybees and/or beekeeping, it’s fascinating to learn the role they played in our developing nation. Plus, it’s exciting to read about all the innovations and advancements in beekeeping that have been discovered in America over the past 200 years. 

By Tammy Horn,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Bees in America as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"Queen Bee," "busy as a bee," and "the land of milk and honey" are expressions that permeate the language within American culture. Music, movies, art, advertising, poetry, children's books, and literature all incorporate the dynamic image of the tiny, industrious honey bee into our popular imagination. Honey bees -- and the values associated with them -- have influenced American values for four centuries. Bees and beekeepers have represented order and stability in a country without a national religion, political party, language, or family structure. Bees in America is an enlightening cultural history of bees and beekeeping in the United States.…


Book cover of Cooking Apicius: Roman Recipes for Today

Jennifer Burke Author Of Sub Rosa: A Valerius Mystery

From my list on bringing Ancient Rome alive.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve loved history ever since I was a kid when I first had the realisation that it was made up of stories. Ancient Rome has always fascinated me, not the battles or the emperors or the big picture stuff, but the daily lives of the ordinary people. You only need to read some of the rude graffiti from Pompeii to realise that people have never really changed where it counts! I studied English and History at university, neither of them as thoroughly as I could have, but at least now when people ask me what I’d ever use an Arts degree for, I can point to my book. 

Jennifer's book list on bringing Ancient Rome alive

Jennifer Burke Why did Jennifer love this book?

If you want to know how the Ancient Romans lived, what better way to do it than eat the same food?

This is a great little recipe book. Sally Grainger has taken a bunch of Apicius’s Ancient Roman recipes, which are notoriously vague when it comes to actual instructions, and put them together so that you can recreate Roman cuisine in your own kitchen.

I’m not brave enough to have tried some recipes, and there are others I’m still not sure about (looking at you, garum sauce!), but the deep-fried honey fritters are amazing! 

By Sally Grainger,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Cooking Apicius as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Sally Grainger has gathered, in one convenient volume, her modern interpretations of 64 of the recipes in the original text. This is not ‘recipes inspired by the old Romans’ but rather a serious effort to convert the extremely gnomic instructions in the Latin into something that can be reproduced in the modern kitchen which actually gives some idea of what the Romans might have eaten. Sally Grainger, therefore, has taken great pains to suggest means of replicating the particular Roman taste for fermented fish sauce. It may sound unpleasant, but actually is not too far removed from the fish sauces…


Book cover of Shifter Wars

Heather Hildenbrand Author Of Wolf Cursed

From my list on young adult shifter romance.

Why am I passionate about this?

I've always been a bookworm. From the Boxcar Children and The Hobbit as a kid to Nora Roberts, Danielle Steele, and even Stuart Woods as an adult. None of those genres hold such a special place in my heart as Young Adult. Self-discovery, overcoming pain and trauma of childhood, making deliberate choices about love, and life, and who we’re going to be in this world—young adulthood is fraught with the elements necessary for unforgettable stories. Since I began publishing 10 years ago, my books have sold thousands of copies worldwide and won numerous book awards, but the thing that keeps me writing is being a reader first.

Heather's book list on young adult shifter romance

Heather Hildenbrand Why did Heather love this book?

I love shifter stories that feel unique and completely fresh which aren’t easy to find anymore! Nothing against the classic shifter romance story. I love and read them all but when you find something fun and new-feeling, it’s that much more unforgettable. Kelly St. Clare’s Shifter Wars series definitely does that for me. This one is a little more Upper YA and definitely sexier than some of the others on this list, but it’s one I couldn’t put down and one I always think of when I’m ranking my favorites. In this tiny mountain town in Australia, shifters play a very unique game with humans—one with stakes that equal life and death. When our girl Andie gets tossed into the game and forced to play, all bets are off. Definitely worth a read and one you won’t be able to put down once you start!

By Kelly St. Clare,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Shifter Wars as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

When Mum died, I inherited a lot more than a pack of lies.

I landed a $410,000 debt.
Discovered her previous surname.
And her real place of birth.

Desperate to uncover the truth, I drive to a tiny dot on the map called Deception Valley.

Coincidental name? Nope.

There, I find her secret family—because she had one of those too.

How many lies are we at? Honestly, I’ve lost count, but local gossip captures my attention. Apparently, Mum’s other family play laser tag every Wednesday. Not even joking. Laser tag.

What the hell is this place?

In hindsight, the massive…


Book cover of Best Murder in Show

Helen Hollick Author Of Sea Witch

From my list on history, mystery, and nautical adventure.

Why am I passionate about this?

I'm a British author, a USA Today bestseller, scribbling stories since I was 13 but became a published author in the 1990s when I was 40 with a retelling of the King Arthur legend set in the post-Roman 5th century. I then wrote two novels concerning the pre-Norman Conquest era, and am currently writing a cozy mystery series set in the 1970s. I also love tall ships and the sea, particularly the Golden Age of Piracy (diverse subjects, I know!) I enjoyed the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie, wanted to read something similar – fun, fantasy, and for adults, but couldn’t find anything... so wrote my own.

Helen's book list on history, mystery, and nautical adventure

Helen Hollick Why did Helen love this book?

Maybe not a 'murder mystery' in the typical sense of Agatha Christie, but this is a delightful, cozy read, ideal for an afternoon snuggled before a blazing fire (wine and chocs to hand) or for lazing on a sunny beach (plus wine – maybe not the chocs). As someone living in a small Devonshire village I look forward to our annual summer show (hopefully without a corpse hidden anywhere!) I thoroughly enjoyed the rural background of this delightful little tale. Don't take the murder-to-solve element too seriously, instead, enjoy the lives of charming and quirky English Cotswolds’ characters, and the events that unfold around them in this, the first, of a highly enjoyable series. We need more entertaining cozy mystery novels like this series!

By Debbie Young,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Best Murder in Show as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

When Sophie Sayers inherits a cottage in a sleepy English Cotswold village, she's hoping for a quieter life than the one she's running away from.

What she gets instead is a dead body on a carnival float, and an extraordinary assortment of suspects.

Is the enigmatic bookseller Hector Munro all he seems?

And what about the over-friendly neighbour who brings her jars of honey? Not to mention the eccentric village shopkeeper, show committee, writers' group and drama club, all suspiciously keen to welcome her to their midst.

If you love M C Beaton's Agatha Raisin and Hamish Macbeth series, you'll…