Sometimes it's nice to know what you're going to get. And it's even better when that things is something that you desire. Nick Hornby definitely falls into that category – you know it's going to be funny, true to life, laced with wisdom and experience, and, above all, interesting. Hornby is an author who for me could write about anything and find something interesting to say about it.
And in this case, that something is books. Housekeeping vs. the Dirt is the literary, witty, interesting, professionally written version of this blog, written by somebody who is all of the aforementioned. It's his second collection of articles written for The Believer, an American arts magazine about what he reads each month. I'd like to claim it was an inspiration for this, but it wasn't. At least not consciously, and frankly I'm happier not knowing what my subconscious is doing a lot of the time.
Anyway, having read the first collection and enjoyed it as much as expected, I really did know what I was getting into with this. Numerous months of lists of books bought and books read, often bearing no relation to one another (sounds familiar), plus insights into what he has actually read, accompanied by observations on all kinds of things, often revolving around literary life. I will no doubt flick through again at some point and pick out some choice recommendations. And there are even excerpts from some of his favourites. What's not to like? More please.
Book number: 68
Title: Housekeeping vs. the Dirt
Author: Nick Hornby
Category: Non-fiction
No comments:
Post a Comment