Ten Years in the Tub

A fantastic book. Wry, ironic, hysterical, poignant, and thoughtful. It seems like some other reviewers were disappointed based on their expectations of this not comparing to Hornby's other books, although as someone reading him for the first time I must say they might be over-analyzing it just a touch. Not since Bill Bryson have I laughed out loud while reading. Hornby writes in a simple conversational style that grabs the reader. Although it is 464 pages, it reads fast and was a delight every time I picked it up. Above all he is to be prized for his honesty in admitting his own failures and in his necessarily oblique reviews of some books as to not run afoul of his employers in San Francisco and their white robes! If you are a voracious reader who loves books you will love this.

You can't go wrong with Nick Hornby fiction - but it turns out that Nick Hornby's reading life is also just as fresh and hilarious and actually poignant. As I was going back through his early years of books, I realized just how many authors or novels I'd read because of him - just a word here or an excerpt in his column, even just because he'd bought the book and never read it. I keep thinking that reading about reading won't be as absorbing as reading about a suicide club or a guy who lists his top ten break-ups, but it is. Every time I start a new month of "Books Bought/Books Read", I'm sucked into the story: the story of one guy's love affair with reading.

i am 2/3 thru it, so many titles and writers never heard of by me, was hoping for more familiar goldies, but as hornby says if you like an author he can get you to enjoy whatever he dishes up. the chatty unpretentious and sometimes bellylaughing style makes me happy to read on.

Took this out of the library and had to buy my own copy by page 92. I never knew how much fun it could be to read about what other people were reading....but Nick Hornby is a master. Down-to-earth, erudite, interested and interesting, just the tiniest dab of irony and a large dose of wit....and he reminds all of us - indirectly - that all book lovers buy more than they read and struggle to read as much as they would like. Insert snippets of his daily life and struggles (sometimes even relevant to the book), and he is never cruel or cutting about a book or the author. I had never come across his columns before, so I was thrilled to find ten-years'-worth all together here. Each chapter is a monthly column, and each is long enough to sink your teeth in to, but short enough for a quick read before bed or while you wait for your cup of tea to finish steeping, though I found them so addictive that I could never pull myself away. The best way I can describe it is like sitting in the kitchen on a rainy day with a charming (well-read) friend who wants to tell you about what's been going on with him for the past month. Wonderfully civilized and you list of things that you want to read will fast get out of control!

I really like Nick Hornby’s hooks, so I thought I might like his book recommendations. I do. It’s a collection of his book columns from the Believer, where he lists what books he has bought that month and what he has read. The two don’t necessarily match. The reviews of books read are brief, but informative. They also reflect his life and preferences. This helps you know if his likes will dovetail with your own. There is humor throughout.Although weighted toward fiction, he looks at other genres as well. There are many books that he is skeptical about at first, but that eventually surprise him with their excellence and appeal. This is often the case with seemingly dry non-fiction, which turns out to be fascinating and often consequential. There are also a few columns on films. The book seems intimidating, but it’s perfect for places and situations where you want something short to read, say while waiting for someone. I also found myself reading it for long stretches just because the writing was fun, and I love reading about what to read.

For years Nick Hornby has written a monthly column in The Believer Magazine about books....those he's bought and those he's actually read. These columns have been compiled into several books with intriguing titles: The Polysyllabic Spree, Housekeeping vs. the Dirt, Shakespeare Wrote for Money, and More Baths Less Talking. Brilliantly, these have been gathered together and published in one glorious hardcover entitled Ten Years in the Tub: a Decade Soaking in Great Books. I encourage you to buy this book! Nick Hornby will become your constant companion. Note: be sure to keep pen and paper handy to jot down the many titles you'll be inspired to read.

I used to subscribe to The Believer just to read these essays. I enjoyed the rest of the magazine, but I never skipped it for Nick Hornby's essays on the books he bought and read (or didn't read) each issue. A fantastic example of humor and analysis of a reading life.

I love these hilarious and thoughtful essays about the reading (and book-buying) life. The essays are the perfect length to read right before I go to sleep each night. Although my reading tastes do not match up exactly with Hornby's, I've found so much to love in these essays that I keep buying more of his book recommendations. The only problem with this book is that I keep buying too many other books!

Nick Hornby says he hates Amazon reviewers, so (of course) I have to write one and become one of his hatees. I'm really enjoying the book, so much so that I'm having to ration myself to only one (or maybe two) chapters a day, to prolong the pleasure. I would call it literary criticism by a real person - nice to learn about a book and something about the reviewer at the same time. Highly recommended. Thanks Nick - I hope I've done enough for you to hate me sufficiently. Mary

The title of this book intrigued me, as anyone who loves books is always looking for great recommendations. This was a very fun book to read. Hornby writes with candour, a great deal of humour and respect for other authors. And he hates amazon reviewers! That certainly made me smile. I now have a whole new list of books on my "to be read" list.

Just to save you from making the same ordering mistake I did, this volume contains all the columns also published in Polysyllabic Sprees 1 & 2, Housekeeping, Shakespeare Wrote, and Baths. Go ahead and just order this complete one: once you start you're not going to be able to stop, because these columns are like pretzels, only funnier.

A extremely amusing collection of Hornby's columns of books reviews and other random thoughts. An excellent volume to pick up and dip into casually.

A humorous, well-considered book about reading, writing and buying books.