Back in Action... Bitches

Well, maybe not really. I have to move (again) next week and I still do not have a car. I still can't believe a crappy little Civic totaled my Grand Cherokee; that is just how my summer has gone. Oy.

Now that I am headed back to grad school (thank god), I ought to have a bit of time to get back to musclehead. I am going to avoid politics, as much as I can. There are far too many smart people writing about that stuff these days. So, I'll probably do a bit of education policy, current events, books, etc. It'll be a regular smorgasboard.

On that note.. onto my first new post in a long time--

Book Recommendation
Nick Hornby's newest book, A Long Way Down, might be his best work yet. It tells the story of four lost souls who meet on New Year's Eve at Topper's House, a site renowned for its suicides. Hornby allows each of the four characters to speak for themselves, which can be disastrous in the wrong hands. However, he masterfully captures each voice and gives us an insight into the suicidal mind.

I have to wonder whether Hornby or someone close to him has gone through a suicidal time. If not, he is simply uncanny in figuring it all out.

Hornby allows the reader to feel empathy for his characters by making them so close to ourselves. Yet, he does not go so far that they become a generic "everyman."

Honestly, I cannot recommend this book strongly enough.