Juliet, Naked - Nick Hornby, 2009

Hornby is always thoroughly enjoyable, and a great premise makes his latest even more savory. Annie's wasted 15 years with Duncan, a socially clueless middle-aged nerd who's obsessed with reclusive American musician Tucker Crowe. Annie does love Tucker's classic album, Juliet, and when the original demos are released as Juliet, Naked, she writes a counter-essay to Duncan's rhapsodizing about this one new addition to the Crowe canon. Crowe emails Annie in appreciation, and the cascade of encounters begins. The showing-up of Duncan's fanboy snobbishness is delicious, but Hornby never goes too far--all his characters remain human and sympathetic. He's kind to them, which is one of the reasons I'm so fond of him; he's also not-put-down-able, but without leaving the junk food aftertaste that some compelling novels do. Juliet, Naked doesn't quite have the substance of About a Boy, but it made me very happy. Thank you, Mr. Hornby, and please keep writing!