More Baths, Less Talking

More Baths, Less Talking by Nick Hornby
Published: 2012
Length: 135 pages

Yet another collection of the monthly Stuff I’ve Been Reading column that Nick Hornby writes for the Believer magazine.

I like to think I read a wide variety of books, yet somehow my reading choices never seem to overlap with Hornby’s. This is the fourth collection I’ve read over the years, and this is the first time I’ve ever read a book listed in his column, which was Sum: 40 Tales From The Afterlives. He reads a lot of non-fiction, which I tend to have very specific taste in, contemporary literary fiction, which I’m not all that up to date on, and occasionally classic fiction that I haven’t gotten to yet, like Dickens and Salinger.

My to-read list doesn’t seem to grow too much while reading these, partly due to my terrible note-taking, but I still find myself in love with every word. I think the voracity with which he reads, his enthusiasm, and the insight into how he chooses each book is what keeps me riveted. It’s a peek into a portion of someone’s lifelong love of reading. It’s exactly why I read the book blogs of people I’ve never met, and the added bonus of it being a favourite author of mine just makes them such a pleasure to read.

One of these days I’m going to revisit these collections and compile a list of new books to read, but right now I’m just enjoying the ride.