What I read this month

I read seven books this month. Four were fiction, three were nonfiction. All of the fiction books were from series. The nonfiction selections were a military history, a somewhat biography, and a literary biography. First, the fiction selections...

“To Helvetica and Back”, by Paige Shelton: This is the first in a series, taking place in fictional Star City, Utah, and it’s about a young woman and her grandfather who own a store that repairs typewriters, sells expensive paper, and repairs valuable books. I enjoyed it overall, but not as much the Brooklyn Wainright series by Kate Carlisle. I got the impression after I finished it that another character maybe should have been the main character. I may read the next one when it comes out, but with no rush.

“The Cracked Spine”, also by Paige Shelton: Also by the same author, but this is set in Edinburgh, Scotland, and it features a young American woman from Kansas who accepts a position in a very different bookstore with the book’s title. A murder occurs soon after she arrives, and typical of many of these type mysteries, she eventually solves it, but not before almost getting herself killed. Don’t know about reading any more of this one. I actually like the characters in this one better though.  

“The Alamat Ambush”, by Anthony Price: the second in the David Audley, a British spy, series of the 70’s and 80’s. This one was at that time and about the Middle East and such. As in many of these, Audley was not the main character but played a major role. This one was Hugh Roskill, an air force pilot. This one was more convoluted and harder to follow than his first which I read last month (The Labyrinth Makers”). This series, by the way, is a re-read. I enjoyed these overall but have only 11 of 19.

“William Shakespeare’s the Force Doth Awaken”, by Ian Doescher: I love this series. As the subtitle says, it’s the seventh, keeping up with the movies. Of course, I read the previous ones in the same order that the films were made. I enjoy Shakespeare, so that was what drew me to this series. You see, I have not yet seen any of the Star War movies. That’s right, none. My friends can’t believe it. I tell them that I will one day. I actually am learning quite a bit about the series by reading the books. Obviously, these are written as if WS would have written them himself. The eighth one is due to come out this July. Of course, I will buy it in hardback; all of mine are. And maybe, just maybe, I will have watched one or two by then.

Tomorrow…the nonfiction…

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