The most recommended beekeeping books

Who picked these books? Meet our 27 experts.

27 authors created a book list connected to beekeeping, and here are their favorite beekeeping books.
When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

What type of beekeeping book?

Loading...
Loading...

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 The Beekeeper's Handbook

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?

If you want to keep bees and only plan on buying one “how-to” beekeeping book, then The Beekeeper’s Handbook is for you. Filled with lots of basic information to get you started, this how-to book goes further and also provides in-depth/technical information that you’ll need after you have been keeping bees for a few years and have a strong foundation of beekeeping knowledge, but are still looking for more.  This easy-to-follow handbook has plenty of step-by-step information that will come in handy for beekeepers of all experience levels. If you’re serious about bee-ing a beekeeper, this book is a must-have!   

By Diana Sammataro, Alphonse Avitabile,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Beekeeper's Handbook as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Diana Sammataro and Alphonse Avitabile have created the best single-volume guide to the hobby and profession of beekeeping. The Beekeeper's Handbook provides step-by-step instructions for setting up an apiary, handling bees, and working throughout the season to maintain a healthy colony and a generous supply of honey. Various colony care options and techniques are explained so that beekeepers can make the best choices for their hives.

The Beekeeper's Handbook is an invaluable resource for both beginner and veteran beekeepers. This fully updated and expanded fifth edition includes:
Hand-drawn instructional diagrams that provide step-by-step instructions
Updated research regarding the health and…


Book cover of The Making of the Modern Self: Identity and Culture in Eighteenth-Century England

James R. Farr Author Of Who Was William Hickey? A Crafted Life in Georgian England and Imperial India

From my list on autobiography, memory, identity, and the self.

Why am I passionate about this?

I stumbled upon Hickey’s memoirs and while reading them became captivated not only by the frequently hilarious episodes he recounts from his life, but also by the subject of autobiography and how narrating our life story somehow projects a sense of self and identity to the reader. Trying to grasp this process led me to exploring a wide range of books, and opened up understanding of how our selves are fashioned and what they mean to others. An endlessly fascinating subject.

James' book list on autobiography, memory, identity, and the self

James R. Farr Why did James love this book?

Wahrman’s book is eminently readable but nonetheless provocative. He asserts that toward the end of the eighteenth century a radical change, a cultural revolution, in fact, occurred in notions of self and identity. He uses a fascinating and engaging range of evidence to make his point,  from theater to beekeeping, fashion, philosophy, art, travel accounts, and much more. 

By Dror Wahrman,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Making of the Modern Self as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Toward the end of the eighteenth century, a radical change occurred in notions of self and personal identity. This was a sudden transformation, says Dror Wahrman, and nothing short of a revolution in the understanding of selfhood and of identity categories including race, gender, and class. In this pathbreaking book, he offers a fundamentally new interpretation of this critical turning point in Western history.
Wahrman demonstrates this transformation with a fascinating variety of cultural evidence from eighteenth-century England, from theater to beekeeping, fashion to philosophy, art to travel and translations of the classics. He discusses notions of self in the…


Book cover of Little Beach Street Bakery

Maia Correll Author Of Dare to Au Pair

From my list on romances that lead to character transformation.

Why am I passionate about this?

Ever since my younger years, I’ve spent many hours dwelling within the realms of my imagination, daydreaming myself into whirlwind romances from slow-burn to forbidden and everything in between. Why? The best answer I can give right now is my love of love, my innate understanding that the invisible string that pulls two people so fiercely together at the right time and place ultimately are the connections and relationships that propel us into up-leveling ourselves, evolving into our next best versions. So when I read, watch, or write romance, it’s beyond the physical–it’s emotional, mental, and truly spiritual.

Maia's book list on romances that lead to character transformation

Maia Correll Why did Maia love this book?

This book whisked me away to Cornwall, England by the end of the first page. I absolutely love being immersed in local culture, from cuisine to colloquialisms, and this book achieves that.

The love stories take twists and turns yet always feel grounded, real, and natural. Plus, I’m all for a female entrepreneur who reclaims her personal power, flourishes in her business, and welcomes love into her world.

By Jenny Colgan,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Little Beach Street Bakery as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Escape with Jenny Colgan in 2021. The paperback of Jenny's latest bestseller, FIVE HUNDRED MILES FROM YOU, and her new feel-good novel, SUNRISE BY THE SEA, are both available for pre-order now.

'A sheer delight from start to finish' Sophie Kinsella

In a quaint seaside resort, a charming bakery holds the key to another world . . .
With recipes for you to try yourself at home

'An evocative, sweet treat' Jojo Moyes
'Gorgeous, glorious, uplifting' Marian Keyes
'Irresistible' Jill Mansell
'Just lovely' Katie Fforde
'Naturally funny, warm-hearted' Lisa Jewell
'A gobble-it-all-up-in-one-sitting kind of book' Mike Gayle
___________________________________

Polly Waterford…


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 Death by a HoneyBee

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?

Death by a HoneyBee is humorous and suspenseful, and I love the heroine.

Josiah Reynolds is a snarky, fifty-year-old beekeeper in the southern town of Lexington, Kentucky. The story is intriguing and the quirky characters fascinating. The author inserts interesting details of beekeeping without interrupting the story. I later learned that the author is a beekeeper and hence was able to provide authentic details.

When Josiah finds her rival beekeeper dead with his head in one of her bee hives, she is thrown into a world of suspense and mystery…and humor! Josiah is a strong southern woman who greets problems with southern wit and wisdom! 

By Abigail Keam,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Death by a HoneyBee as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

READERS' FAVORITE - GOLD MEDAL WINNER
Death By A HoneyBee is an enjoyable read which will capture the interest of most die-hard mystery fans!

Abigail Keam writes with vision and understanding. Keam leaves the reader yearning for more. -Midwest Book Review

READERS' FAVORITE - GOLD MEDAL WINNER
Death By A HoneyBee is an enjoyable read which will capture the interest of most die-hard mystery fans!

Abigail Keam writes with vision and understanding. Keam leaves the reader yearning for more. -Midwest Book Review

Josiah Reynolds is a beekeeper trying to stay financially afloat by selling honey at the Farmers' Market. She…


Book cover of A Honeybee Heart Has Five Openings

Meredith May Author Of The Honey Bus: A Memoir of Loss, Courage and a Girl Saved by Bees

From Meredith's 3 favorite reads in 2023.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Beekeeper Scuba diver Knitter Dog mom

Meredith's 3 favorite reads in 2023

Meredith May Why did Meredith love this book?

I loved this book because it brought me back to the time I started beekeeping on the roof of the San Francisco Chronicle. Like Jukes, I was enthralled, enchanted, and curious. And 100 percent totally freaked out. Could I keep these creatures alive? What if they swarmed to a nearby office building or restaurant?

Jukes does her homework before being gifted a colony of honey bees. Through many trips to the library, she shares the ancient history, weird science, and mythological admiration humankind has always had for Beekind. Jukes is going through a difficult time in her life when she gets her bees, and her new hive ends up helping her find purpose and recenter herself.

I love how her memoir delves into the intelligence and wonder of bees yet also respects their wildness and how, as beekeepers, we need to support the honey bees’ natural instincts rather than force…

By Helen Jukes,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked A Honeybee Heart Has Five Openings as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

'This book has found a special place in my heart. It's as strange, beautiful and unexpected, as precise and exquisite in its movings, as bees in a hive. I loved it' Helen Macdonald, author of H IS FOR HAWK
'Everyone should own A Honeybee Heart Has Five Openings, which moved and delighted me more than a book about insects had any right to ... Jukes is a gloriously gifted writer and her book ought to become a key text of this bright moment in our history of nature writing' Alex Preston, Observer
'Finely written and insightful' Melissa Harrison, Guardian

A…


Book cover of The Beekeeper's Apprentice

Jen Haeger Author Of Whispers of a Killer

From Jen's 3 favorite reads in 2024.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Beekeeper Whimsically morbid Halloween lover Forensic science graduate Veterinarian

Jen's 3 favorite reads in 2024

Jen Haeger Why did Jen love this book?

This book was recommended to me by a therapist who knew both that I was a beekeeper and that I was a Sherlock Holmes fan. Holmes has oft been associated with beekeeping and I was keen to see how Laurie R. King was going to incorporate it in her tale of a bright, independent young woman's unlikely apprenticeship with the aged detective. Fans of Enola Holmes will delight in this novel's pairing of characters.

By Laurie R. King,

Why should I read it?

8 authors picked The Beekeeper's Apprentice as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In 1915, Sherlock Holmes is retired and quietly engaged in the study of honeybees when a young woman literally stumbles into him on the Sussex Downs. Fifteen years old, gawky, egotistical, and recently orphaned, the young Mary Russell displays an intellect to impress even Sherlock Holmes--and match him wit for wit. Under his reluctant tutelage, this very modern twentieth-century woman proves a deft protegee and a fitting partner for the Victorian detective. But even in their first case together, the pair face a truly cunning adversary who will stop at nothing to put an end to their partnership.


Book cover of Mad Honey

Rosie Radcliffe Author Of Frankie & Dot

From Rosie's 3 favorite reads in 2024.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author

Rosie's 3 favorite reads in 2024

Rosie Radcliffe Why did Rosie love this book?

A sensitive handling of a trans story interwoven with a legal case and fascinating snippets about bee keeping. Some of the time jumps felt unnecessary but overall a wonderful book.

By Jodi Picoult, Jennifer Finney Boylan,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “Alternatingly heart-pounding and heartbreaking. This collaboration between two best-selling authors seamlessly weaves together Olivia and Lily’s journeys, creating a provocative exploration of the strength that love and acceptance require.”—The Washington Post
 
GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK • PEOPLE’S BOOK OF THE WEEK • ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: PopSugar

Olivia McAfee knows what it feels like to start over. Her picture-perfect life—living in Boston, married to a brilliant cardiothoracic surgeon, raising their beautiful son, Asher—was upended when her husband revealed a darker side. She never imagined that she would end up…


Book cover of The Backyard Beekeeper: An Absolute Beginner's Guide to Keeping Bees in Your Yard and Garden

Michelle Balz Author Of No-Waste Composting: Small-Space Waste Recycling, Indoors and Out. Plus, 10 Projects to Repurpose Household Items Into Compost-Making Machines

From my list on for aspiring urban homesteaders.

Why am I passionate about this?

For me, backyard composting is more than just a way to lessen how much waste I send to the landfill. When you compost you transform items that many people consider garbage into a valuable soil amendment for your garden. You are creating something with real value that can help plants thrive and act as a carbon sink to help reduce negative impacts of climate change. Composting is so easy and rewarding that I really want to see everyone give it a try.

Michelle's book list on for aspiring urban homesteaders

Michelle Balz Why did Michelle love this book?

This book was exactly what I needed to better understand what is involved in starting a beehive in an urban setting. Flottum starts his readers with the bare-bones basics and builds from there. He also goes into what he calls “Extreme Urban Beekeeping” with tips on considerations for those of us with close neighbors. I have not started beekeeping yet, but Flottum has inspired me to add it to my list of future endeavors. 

By Kim Flottum,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Backyard Beekeeper as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The Backyard Beekeeper, now in its 4th edition, makes the time-honored and complex tradition of beekeeping an enjoyable and accessible backyard pastime for urban and rural beekeepers of all skill levels.

More than a guide to beekeeping, this handbook features expert advice for:

Setting up and caring for your own colonies Selecting the best location to place your new bee colonies for their safety and yours The most practical and nontoxic ways to care for your bees Swarm control Using top bar hives Harvesting the products of a beehive and collecting and using honey Bee problems and treatments


What's New?…


Book cover of Bees in America: How the Honey Bee Shaped a Nation
Book cover of The Beekeeper's Handbook
Book cover of The Making of the Modern Self: Identity and Culture in Eighteenth-Century England

Share your top 3 reads of 2024!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,851

readers submitted
so far, will you?