Book One Read - Thanks Athena!

I just finished reading The Polysyllabic Spree by Nick Hornby that was nominated by Athena. I absolutely loved it and have put up a review here

Thanks lots Athena, I liked your list in general having read Peter Pan and Anna Karenina previosuly and enjoyed them both. I need to see if I can find your original post saying why you picked this book. If you didn't say please let me know so I can learn why you put it on your list.

***Edited to add review***

Rating : 5/5
Reason for reading : Something About Me Challenge and he is my favourite author

This is the first of two books (I got the American versions as it has only just been published in the UK in one edition but I couldn't wait that long!) by Nick Hornby which collect his essays from an American magazine called "The Believer". He keeps track every month of the books he has bought as well as those he has read. There are mini reviews within his essays as well as some excerpts from books he has read that month along the way.

What can I say, I LOVED this book! It's perfect for me, it's a book about books by one of my all time favourite authors so what's not to love?!? I love his writing style, very funny and insightful. It was interesting to learn a little more about his life in general. I knew one of his sons was autistic (I only found out recently though through buying another book he has edited "Speaking with the Angels") and that he is part of an organisation in the UK called Treehouse related to this, but it was intersting to hear his take on the books on autism out there and little details of his son.

The other good things about this book was I got some great recommendations on books for me as well as a book I want to buy my dad's wife for her birthday on a week or two. He also gave great validation for buying so many books, he confesses to not listing all the books he buys as some months it's an obscene number! He includes a great quote from Gabriel Zaid's "So Many Books":"the truely cultured are capable of owning thousands of unread books without losing their composure or their desire for more."

I can't wait to read the next one. Thanks Athena for giving me a push towards getting around to reading this!