The Guys

First of all, what happened to July? I turned around and fell into August. Somewhere along the way, I read some good books. Two of my favorite are by men who have sometimes been categorized as "Guy Writers". This does not refer to the obvious fact that they are men, but to their usual fans. I think that, although they do speak in the language of younger men, their appeal is wider than that. So, I want to tell you about their new books.


Juliet, Naked by Nick Hornby is the story of a musician of some popularity who disappeared from sight almost overnight and the people who have become obsessed with his life and his music. The characters are sometimes funny, sometimes a little pathetic, including the iconic musician. Along the way, illusions are shattered, self-perception is altered and everyone involved learns a bit about love. This book comes out in September, and is a perfect autumn read as it leaves you with a sense of longing for things past.

This is Where I Leave You is the story of one of the most charmingly, annoying, dysfunctional families in literature. Judd Foxman's father has died and has made a final request that his family sit shiva for him. Judd, his sister, his two brothers, his mother and assorted inlaws and neighbors are crammed together for seven days. And oh yes, Judd's wife has just left him for his shock-jock boss. Relationships are kindled and revisted, lovers come together and fall apart and every conceivable relationship (parent, child, wife, sibling, friend) is tested. This is not a soap opera. It is a smart and funny and occasionally painful look at what happens when we leave our twenties behind and have to face our families, and our pasts, as adults.

Enjoy what is left of the summer. I hope your summer reading has been as pleasurable as mine.