New from Nick Hornby

For my class on "Masculinity and Ministry" last spring, we read Slam! by Nick Hornby. It tells the story of a young teenage boy, an accidental pregnancy, and learning to love a woman and a baby he never expected to have as part of his life. I was reminded of Hornby (and that immensely entertaining, thought-provoking novel) this afternoon when I read a DCist interview with him about his new novel, entitled Juliet, Naked. It sounds similar to his most famous work, High Fidelity, but instead of running an independent music store, the male protagonist runs a website devoted to a single singer-songwriter-turned-recluse. His imagined relationship with the singer and his actual relationship with his girlfriend drive the drama of this story.

As was the case with Flannery: A Life, I am really taken by the cover design of Juliet, Naked. It's a great interpretation of the love triangle formed by the protagonist, his girlfriend, and the musician. Check it out: