Friday 10 April 2009

Nick Hornby has a blog!

Ok, I know I'm probably the last person on earth to know this, but how could I have not realized that *Nick* would have his own blog? So, for those of us pining away for more words about books - and music, and life - from him, here's a link to his blog, here.

And of course I had to read some of his latest posts, just to catch up, and of course I've added one book to my list already : 500 Days of Summer. And.....he has made a list of books he filled a table at Waterstone's with, "My Waterstone's Writers Table" (linked for you, dear Reader!), in which he lists the books he chose to fill a table at Waterstone's with, and why he chose them. Some titles will be very familiar to readers of Polysyllabic Spree, etc - and I've added two books from the first 10 he listed, already: Field Notes from a Catastrophe by Elizabeth Kolbert, and Brilliant Orange, by David Winner. That's three books added already today to my To Get list.

So my question to you is, my Gentle Readers: if you could fill a table at a bookstore of books you think other people might enjoy reading, that you really liked if not loved, what books would you choose?

I'm going to go spend my Friday morning musing on this question while I clean the house, and get ready to see "Monsters vs Aliens" with a crowd of 6 year olds and under this afternoon. Maybe the 50 foot tall Susan will inspire me in more ways than one!!!

12 comments:

Jeane said...

Someone introduced me to his blog a few months back, and I followed it for a while. But it wasn't all bookish- so I lost interest- which is probably silly of me- and the last of interaction (no comments) wasn't as fun as visiting other sites. I haven't been back to Nick Hornby's blog in a long time, but I just ordered his latest collection of book articles! (the one with Shakspeare in the title)

Susan said...

Jeane: I just bought it - Shakespeare Wrote for Money. I have to review The Complete Polysyllabic Spree first, though! Among my many reviews to come....lol. I was just excited at the book table he put out and amused myself by imagining I could pluck books from it to buy!

Daphne said...

Ooh, good question. I'll have to think about this one. But thanks for sharing the blog! I was also apparently living under a rock and didn't know about it. :)

jspeyton said...

Hmmm... this is a really good question. How many books would fit on a waterstone table? =)

If I had to choose six, I'd pick:
"Woman in White" by Wilkie Collins
"Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen
"The Shadow of the Wind" by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
"Slaughterhouse Five" by Kurt Vonnegut
"Then Came the End" by Joshua Ferris
"The Braindead Megaphone" by George Saunders

There now, that looks like a pretty good mix! If I had more space on my waterstone table I'd add a couple more nonfiction titles and maybe a really good thriller or two.

Cath said...

I didn't know Nick Hornby had a blog either! Thank you so much for the link. Hope you survived the cinema trip.

Becca said...

That's a great question..I need to think on it a while.

Off the top of my head, it would have to include To Kill A Mockingbird; The Great Gatsby; Gone With the Wind; A Prayer for Owen Meany; Pride and Prejudice...I'll go look through my shelves for others :)

DesLily said...

oh my.. books i love? well.. old ones would be all the Pern books by Anne McCaffrey, the 6 Dragonlance books by Weis and Hickman, The Hobbit by Tolkien.. some new ones would be The Inkheart series by Cornelia Funke, and the Bartamaeus series by Jonathan Stroud, I would add The Thirteen Tale on the table and most recent Godmother: the Secret Cinderella Story

Susan said...

miss D: It is an interesting question, isn't it? and I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who didn't know he had a blog! lol

JS: Ooh, interesting choices! I agree with Jane Austen and I've heard of the others. you'd make me want to read them! Though, since Nick has like 30 books on his table, I'm sure we could squeeze in a few of your other choices too!

Cath: you're welcome for the link, and I'll be reviewing the movie soon. How can any movie with a 50-storey tall Susan be bad??? lol

Becca: it's fun, isn't it, thinking about what books we'd put on a table that we want others to read! I like some of your choices - jane Austen, To kill a Mockingbird - I'd come browse at your table too! lol

Deslily: well you know I'll be coming to look through your table! Even if we disagree on Inkheart, I want to read the Stroud series, and the Godmother and Thirteenth Tale....yes, I'd be buying at your table too! lol

Debi said...

You were not the last person! And I fear that I'm going to be sorry that you introduced me to it. You know, sorry in that exquisitely wonderful way. :)

Susan said...

Debi: yes, I know exactly what you mean! I like that, 'exquisitely wonderful', the same way we feel when we find a new bookstore that stocks books we've been looking for!!! :-D

mariel said...

I shall ponder that a while!

Susan said...

mariel: I'd love to see your table!!