I love a good beekeeping book, and this is an excellent addition to any beekeeper's collection. I would recommend it.

Queenspotting was a fun and interactive read. I thought I would enjoy the find your queen bee activity the most. It’s exactly like Where’s Waldo, just with queen bees. It turns out I loved the whole story about bees even more. Readers can clearly see the author’s love for bees, especially their queens. It’s not really a surprise that I loved this one, to be honest, considering I’ve enjoyed another book about bees last year.

Although this book is more tailored towards adults, I think the younger ones might enjoy it as well. The language is suitable for a wide range of audience. Whether you’re a hardcore fan of bees or just a curious bypasser who happen to find yourself with a copy of Queenspotting, it promises to entertain. It’s a fast read, richly illustrated and hey, did I mention, the find queen bee activities!

As an amateur beekeeper, I'm always on the lookout for new books about bees and this one is a rare treat. I love following Hilary Kearney's adventures on Instagram (@girlnextdoorhoney) and had read several posts about her upcoming book, Queenspotting. I was thrilled to find it on Netgalley and dove into it right away.

Ms. Kearney absolutely adores her bees and her enthusiasm for the subject practically buzzes off the pages. She covers basics of a typical colony and introduces the mysterious queen in gorgeous photos that are peppered throughout the book. The reader is then invited to spot the queen amidst hundreds of honey bees, rather like a sweet version of Where's Waldo?

The most interesting part of this book for me was learning about the art of queen rearing. This is not something I've tried before but I feel much more confident in this endeavor after reading about it more in depth.

This is honestly a wonderful book for any nature enthusiast beekeepers of any level, including armchair beekeepers, and reminds us how connected to each we really are on this spinning 'blue marble.'

A wonderful colourful read for anyone interested in bees. This begins by saying why spot the queen and giving several reasons for doing so. Here in the UK we would maybe add one extra reason. For us one of the main reasons for finding the queen is to see if she is still there and actively laying eggs. Seeing eggs can be one method but if you see the queen you definitely know she is present. The next section is inside the hive and gives the jobs of the bees. There are some stunning pictures in this book and it would make a perfect coffee table book that could be enjoyed by both adults and children alike. I enjoyed the story about swarm removal. Anyone who has tried to do this will know its never as easy as you first think. Plan A quickly turns to b,c,d…. you get the picture. The book covers everything from the role of each type of bee, the dances they perform, turning nectar into honey and even storing honey. There are several pictures of “just bees” interspersed throughout the book. Each one has a queen in! (there are answers at the back!) Excellent practice- as she is sometimes rather elusive to say the very least. An interesting, educational read not just for the beekeeper. A perfect mix of pictures, stories and facts.
(links on publication day)(amazon link- misfits farm- will be doneon the 1st May)

QueenSpotting by Hilary Kearney is like “Where’s Waldo?” of the insect class. It’s a must read for both experienced and beginning beekeepers. The queen spotting challenges range from easy to advanced. The answer key appears at the back. Interspersed throughout the educational visuals are Hilary’s accounts of apiary management and swarm catching. As a resident of Southern California, Hilary works year round managing her own hives, rescuing errant swarms, and educating others about honey bees. She launched her own business, Girl Next Door Honey, in 2012.

It’s a handsome book, readers will enjoy referring to over and over. Her enthusiasm bubbles up and spills over into her writing. Never stuffy or formal, you’ll chuckle when she uses the phrase “pollen pants” as a substitute for pollen baskets.

She clearly works at the master level of beekeeping. Her advice for building proficiency in queen spotting is helpful and accurate. At the book’s conclusion, you’ll likely want more from this beekeeper and entrepreneur. You can find more words of wisdom on Hilary’s Girl Next Door Honey website or popular social media accounts.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review of this publication. #QueenSpotting #NetGalley

If you find the world of bees fascinating (and you really should, considering how they are a vital part of our food system) then this book is a delight!

A remarkable book with gorgeous illustrations, QueenSpotting is well worth the read and one to hang on to for both reference purposes and plain old page through enjoyment.

ARC received from NetGalley, in return for an honest review.

After her ex-father-in-law, and former policeman, is found murdered, Commisaire Anne Capestan's squad of misfits are put on the case. But with obstacles being thrown in their way, new "undesirable" members joining the team, and revelations hitting a little too close to home - are they actually meant to solve the case?

In this second title of the translated Awkward Squad series, the reader is brought further into the personal lives of the team's members and are seen growing closer as a team. The writing is smart and light-hearted moments between the team's members are delightful. This is a series I look forward to continuing for its duration.

This is a very informative book with great photos of a creature most people will not get close enough to see for themselves. I loved the queenspotting challenges (though I am horrible at it) and the anecdotes within the chapters.

I would hope that there is a glossary included with the published edition though, since some words are introduced after they're used in photo descriptions or within anecdotes.

I can't wait to purchase this title for my library. I have personal bee hives, but I do not tend them as allergies prohibit, but I like to stay informed of the health of my hive. We have a budding bee-keeping interest in our area and this book is a delightful mix of information and breath-taking photographs. It will be a great addition to our library!

Unable to download file for review. Have not had this trouble before, so am unsure what to do. Suggestions?

Full disclosure: I'm a little afraid of bees, so all the gorgeous close-up photos of beehives and swarms and queens were kind of stressful to page through. But this is a good, approachable book for any novice or expert beekeepers, with sections on locating the queen, moving the hive, and more.

I've always had a fascination with bees. Perhaps it's because a favorite great aunt kept bees and I never saw her wearing protective gear, although surely she must have! My niece and I often give each other bee products or donate hives for Christmas .

This book is really lovely. The photography is exquisite and the writing clear enough to appeal to a wide range of age groups. I'm thrilled that I was able to review it and I highly recommend it! #QueenSpotting #NetGalley

This isn't a how-to for beekeeping- but for anyone with even a passing interest in bees, it's a fascinating gaze into the hive and in particular the life of queen bees. Overlaid with incredible illustrations, the writing is smooth and flowing. The book is full of anecdotes and personal stories, meaning that it feels warm and welcoming for a reader, even in passing and even if it's just a few pages at a time. I think the book would benefit from more information for the outright beginner in bee appreciation, and hopefully this might be incorporated into the final edition that is released- but the pictures here were the real winner for me, and such a wonderful look into a microcosm.

I really enjoyed "Queenspotting". I think it would be a great book for all ages, whether interested in bees because they're a fascinating animal or wanting to raise bees as a hobby or career. This is a great introduction with beautiful photographs! I did enjoy searching for the Queen. I don't have any experience with beekeeping and I learned a lot from the book and enjoyed Kearney's stories and adventures of her own experiences!

This is a gorgeous, colorful and highly informative book about beekeeping and in particular dealing with queen bees. If you ever wanted to keep bees, or rescue a swarm from an inappropriate place, or assist a pro beekeeper, this is your book.

We do not get sections on diseases and mites, just many photos of differently coloured queens among workers, so we learn to spot the queens. Indeed, some queens have a colour coded spot of paint on their backs. The colour relates to the year they hatched, since queens can live up to seven years. Hilary, who has many rescued hives, tells us all about her experiences and adds more bee facts and queen facts than you realised were required to provide honey. The writing is pleasant, convivial, fact filled but never dry; at times even emotional.

I downloaded an e-ARC from Net Galley. This is an unbiased review.

It's slightly hard to judge this from an unfinished e-arc – the script repeats itself when it won't, and part of the core shtick of the volume – that of finding the queen bee in amongst double-page spreads of swarms and hives – is not fully there. What I can judge leaves me with some doubt as to its ultimate audience. It discusses marked queens before ever mentioning how and why they are marked, it never eases you in with the basics (although I assume from some font colour changes we'll get a glossary), and while it has many page-long box-outs, to cover the author's misadventures in a world of bees, it carries on its own sweet way discussing its contents without ever feeling fully welcome for the non-keeper. As a result it very much smacks of preaching to the converted – I suspect you'd have a hive in your garden or at your school before you were fully au fait with the contents here. And then you get the feeling that the pictorial puzzles – even if adepts at Where's Wally are better than adults – are a little bit like childish padding. To the right audience this may well be fine, but I remained unconvinced.

This is a lovely and informative book by someone who obviously loves and understands bees! I found it an enjoyable, entertaining, and educational read.

I really enjoyed this book. I’m interested in the life of bees and bee keeping. This book gave plenty of information in an interesting and relaxed manner. I am now more aware of bees around me and how I can encourage them in my garden.

Queenspotting is a beautiful book for nature fans, bee enthusiasts and beekeepers alike. It has stunning photography and is lovely to just sit and scroll through. I love Bees and found this book very easy to understand.

Visually stunning photographs make Queenspotting a feast for the eyes. If you enjoy an up close and personal encounter with honeybees then this is the book for you.

Queenspotting is more then just a pretty picture book, however. The book also contains some great factoids and information. I especially enjoyed the sections of the book that examine the different roles each type of bee plays in the colony. While I have always admired the Queen and worker bees I found myself gaining a new appreciation for the Drones as well.

I also found the descriptions about the honeybees life cycles particularly interesting. I never realized the division of labor that went into making a bee colony functional. It also opened my eyes to the fact that while honeybees have something that could be described as a culture of their own, they are really only on this earth for a short amount of time.

I have only two real criticism about the book. The first being that I thought the section dedicated to forging could have been expanded a bit. While I realize this is not a gardening book, a more detailed list of what bees prefer to feed would have been helpful. Planting specific types of flowers, trees and herbs are what’s going to help bring back honeybee populations and not necessarily more people raising honeybees in their backyard.

Secondly, I wish the books had a section that talked about disease control. While this is not a glamorous subject it has unfortunately become a reality for many beekeepers in this day and age. Disease and parasites are something that honeybee keepers have to deal with and in some cases can even lead to the death of their Queen.

Overall, I thought this was an informative book that serves to enhance ones knowledge of honeybees and their Queen. It is not necessarily a How-to book but I think it would be useful for anyone interested in the hobby.

Thank-you to NetGalley and Stoney publishing for allowing me to read and review this book. All opinions are my own.