New Hornby!

Hurrah! As luck would have it, when I ducked into the bookstore at the Buffalo Airport this morning to pick up a quick read for my trip to Austin this week, what did I find but a brand spanking new novel from the LOB's favorite writer Nick Hornby. As a Hornby completist, I'm ashamed to say that this one snuck up on me - I hadn't heard a a Dickie Bird about it before I saw it on the shelves this morning. It's his first full work since "Juliet, Naked," which we read together here on the LOB.

After ploughing through the first 100 pages, I can report that it is a must-read for anyone - and this is all of us, naturally - who grew up watching 60s and 70s telly in the UK. It's the story of one Barbara Parker, a Miss Blackpool winner in 1964 (a good year) whose main goal is to be the UK's answer to Lucille Ball. Her story of life at the BBC is chock-full of references to the likes of the Hancock Half Hour, The Goons, Arthur Askey, and 'Til Death Us Do Part." Pick it up immediately!