The Polysyllabic Spree - Nick Hornby

Recommended for ages 16-adult.

I wanted to talk about The Polysyllabic Spree not because it's a particularly great or interesting book but because I really like what Hornby has done. The Spree is essentially a month-by-month account of all the books he has bought and read. He rambles a little about each, and I skipped about half of the book because he was reading stuff that wasn't interesting to me.

BUT Hornby also provided me with some deep thinking points about how we choose what to read, how our reading appetites change depending on what's happening in our lives, and the process of writing itself. Of particular interest were his reflections about the current trend for writers to pare their works down, cut superfluous words etc which stands in stark contrast to the likes of Dickens or the Brontes.

So basically I'd recommend this book to older teens who are really into reading and writing, as well as to adults (particularly intellectuals who may have tackled some of Hornby's bigger works).