May Reads

Just a few of the books I've been reading this month.

The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco
I browsed bookshops in Reykjavik, Iceland, but didn't plan to buy books because everything in Iceland is more expensive, and most of their books are in Icelandic anyway. However, every bookshop had sections of books in English, and I cannot resist taking a look at what books they carried. I kept eyeing up this book, in a few shops. On the last day in Iceland, I had extra cash to use. There was no sense in bringing back so much money, so I ended up in a bookshop where I bought two books. This was one of them. The story takes place in 1327, when a monk, Brother William, and his young apprentice visit a wealthy abbey in Italy only to find as they arrived that a murder had just taken place. Or was it murder? Brother William becomes the detective who is asked to solve the mystery, but things get even more mysterious as another death occurs. Then another. There are mysterious findings in the library, a labyrinth in the library, hidden passages, and secrets. The observations and conclusions of Brother William are so enjoyable to read, very much in the tradition of Sherlock. 

The Diary of a Bookseller by Shaun Bythell
This book is so interesting to me. It is truly a diary written by Shaun, the owner of The Bookshop, the largest used bookstore in Scotland (Wigtown, Scotland). He writes about all the happenings of the bookshop. Recording the strange things customers say, the odd requests he gets, how he buys books, notes about the book trade, online orders, the people who work for him, the nature of the bookshop (freezing cold in the winter), and tidbits of his life in the everyday of a book shop owner. He writes with a wry humour that makes me chuckle often. I am also learning more about what it is like to own a bookshop. Being that I've always had this far-reaching dream of owning a bookshop someday, this book is particularly fascinating to me. I feel it's a good idea to learn about many of the realities, work, and fun it is to own a bookshop. 

Shilling for My Thoughts by G.K. Chesterton
I cannot get enough of G.K. Chesterton. I found this little collection of essays on my recent visit to Oxford. It is my favourite kind of book - old (this one is 1921), small, hardback. I am not sure how he has this gift, but he can write an essay about something so minuscule, such as a piece of chalk and make it so entertaining and fun. He collides humour and wit with knowledge about the world, history, and meanings in things. He finds wisdom in the objects in his pocket. He notices all the quirks of traveling and spells it out in a quip about his recent train ride. I am so thankful Chesterton wrote an enormous amount of books and essays,because I always seem to find a few more books in Oxford each time I go, and they always bring me such joy to read them (and re-read them).