Hornby's book discussions are are the best. I followed him for years in The Believer and I was delighted to find this newer one. I have all his books and have never been without a To Read list because of him (and a few others). Each essay starts with two lists: Books Bought and Books Read. The two don't necessarily overlap but his discussions of what he did read are always witty and deliciously subjective. ( )

Hornby knows how to write an essay I can understand. ( )

okey doke ( )

The final (so far) collection of Nick Hornby's columns from The Believer magazine and another excellent collection of commentary on books he's read. I think this is the first of the four collections where he's read a book I have (Yay!), and there are only a few of the books he's read that I'll ultimately track down myself, but it doesn't matter; I love his writing style. He's witty, irreverent, and often thought-provoking and insightful.

I'd highly recommend any of these collections to anyone who likes hearing about what somebody is reading, even if it's not something you'd read yourself. If you do share reading interests, look out: these books will devastate your TBR piles. ( )

"Surely we all occasionally buy books because of a daydream we're having -- a little fantasy about the people we might turn into one day, when our lives are different, quieter, more introspective, and when all the urgent reading, whatever that might be, has been done" (27).

"No time spent with a book is ever entirely wasted, even if the experience is not a happy one: there's always something to be learned" (105). ( )