culture. ish. page two

Nick Hornby--author of High Fidelity, About a Boy and Fever Pitch--likes to read. Hornby likes to read so much that he writes about it monthly in the Believer, a literary magazine released by publishing house McSweeney's.

Housekeeping vs. the Dirt is a collection of 14 book review columns. Each month, Hornby lists the books he bought and the books he read. He may not read the same books he bought that month; in fact, he may not ever read some of the books he bought. The Believer staff also told Hornby avoid negative comments about the books; a madcap writer at heart, he manages to find ways around this.

The reviews don't stick to any format; he says what he wants, when he wants, how he wants. He's frequently funny, usually insightful, and possesses an eclectic taste in books. He spent one month reading as much Truman Capote as he could; he spent another trying to figure out why he can't understand science fiction; he spent another being freaked out by the Motley Crue biography the Dirt. Hornby makes it an entertaining read, but also succeeds in making you want to read what he's reading.

Labels: books, jp, nick hornby, number nineteen