The Polysyllabic Spree by Nick Hornby

The Polysyllabic Spree by Nick Hornby 143 pgs. 2004 4.5/5 Ah, Nick Hornby...at last I realize that you are one of us. A slave to the many tempting books out there whose every waking moment seems to somehow revolve around books regardless of how hard it is to connect a certain situation with books. Yes friends, we have found a kindred spirit here. The Polysyllabic Spree contains all of Nick Hornby's columns for the magazine, The Believer, from September 2003 through November 2004. At the beginning of each column, he writes out a list of books he's bought in the past month and books that he's read in the past month. If you look at the ratio, it's actually not so bad. He almost reads what he buys. But then he admits later in the book that he's not been entirely truthful. He has not, in fact, listed all of the books that he's bought in the past month. Each article is simple in it's mission...talk about the books that he's read over the past month. We all know how this is going to end up, don't we? Yes, it's just like reading reviews in blogs, only he has that personal Nick Hornby touch that makes things so appealing...much like each blog has it's own personal touch. Surprisingly, I only added 4 books to my TBR pile because of this book! The main reason was because I didn't flag a page unless I REALLY couldn't go without reading the book. The books I added were: How to Breathe Underwater by Julie Orringer George and Sam: Autism in the Family by Charlotte Moore Meat is Murder by Joe Pernice We're in Trouble by Chris Coake So Many Books by Gabriel Zaid Wait, that's 5...yes, I added five books...ahem. If you're a lover of books, of the written word, then I can basically guarantee that you'll love this one. It's like sitting down with a friend over a coffee, a cup of tea, or alcoholic beverage (your choice) and just discussing what one has read recently. Great fun! Here's a passage that I really found hilarious. Here's the context: He's talking about how much certain biographies seem to mirror author's novels...or so they claim. He finds it hard to believe that a person's life could be filled of such odd circumstances that end up influencing their novels. Here's what he had to say about Tolkien: "I'm sure that a biography of Tolkien would reveal that The Lord of the Rings was autobiographical, too - that Tolkien actually fell down a hole and found a place called Central Earth, where there were a whole bunch of Bobbits." Fun. I used book darts to mark all of my favorite passages and books in this one. Do you use book darts? Never heard of them? Want some? Just let me know in the comments and I'll pick a winner next week to receive a set of them :) Other Views and Opinions: Things Mean A Lot The Hidden Side of a Leaf Rhinoa's Ramblings Tripping Toward Lucidity Lisa's Review Dog Ear Diary Let me know if I missed yours!