Ah, the joy that fills my soul whenever I discover that Nick Hornby has written a new book. I finally got my hands on Juliet, Naked and settled in for what I knew would be a great book, and I was not disappointed.

Juliet, Naked is the story of Annie, Duncan, and Tucker. Annie & Duncan have been together for 15 years, not exactly happy, but content enough to avoid braving the waters of being alone. Duncan has long been obsessed with a rock star who has been in hiding for 20 years, Tucker Crowe. Annie has tolerated this obsession with some appreciation for Crowe’s music, but also with mockery for Duncan’s hours on the Tucker Crowe fan web site. Meanwhile, Tucker lives a quiet life, disappointing others and himself. When Tucker e-mails Annie in response to a negative review she has posted on the web site, all of their lives experience an irrevocable shift.

Hornby’s books are the perfect balance between laugh-out-loud humor and in-depth investigation of the stuff of life. I laugh at his characters because they are so real. I know these people and in their vulnerability, meanness, and absurdity, I often see glimpses of myself. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.