This book is a delight and an inspiration. It is a series of columns that Hornby has written for the Believer magazine about, yes, stuff he’s been reading. His choice of material is widely eclectic, the only proviso being that he doesn’t write about books he didn’t like. Actually he has the ability, which I don’t have, of not finishing a book he is struggling with. I need to grind on to the end, in the hope of improvement or clarity. Maybe that’s why I frequently am reading more than one book at once. It does mean that his enthusiasm for the books read is infectious, although I’m not sure that I will read the long blank verse poem about werewolves. But I do like to think it is at least an option. I was reassured, too, by the fact that the list of books bought was usually longer that those actually read, and, during June 2010 when the World Cup was on, the list of books read was zero.
So, in terms of inspiration, this book has inspired me to write about some of the books I read, mainly for my own benefit. Sometimes I read a book, enjoy it, and start another one, only to completely forget about the first. Other times, I don’t quite get what the book is trying to say, and writing will help clarify that.
