Based on my research on the Tubes, all Nick Hornby books are read by girls. As are Tony Parsons books.

Why have I never met one? He's like the Celine Dion of writers that man...

Are squarely aimed at the female book buying market so no surprise there and I think mr. Hornby has been re- orientating himself in that direction since the pretty awful 'How To Be Good' with the exception of 31 songs.

It is fairly easy (and perhaps justified) to criticise Tony Parsons for what seems like a cynical jump straight into the very lucrative end of the book sector, boys might have liked a couple of My Life Interviewing The Clash On The Circle Line type memoirs first, however I would strongly recommend getting hold of a copy of Dispatches From The Front Line Of Popular Culture' which is a collection of interviews and polemic from his writing in the NME and The Face and Arena as well as some stuff for Elle. Great book from a truly working class writer (although, like his sometime colleague on the 'style' mags Robert Elms', he never let's you forget this) but ignore the follow up, titled A Collection Of Two Fisted Journalism' (or ham fisted as we prefer to call it in our house) which is full of awful Diana tributes and puff pieces on Naomi Campbell.

I *don't* think you mean to and I really don't mean to take a personal pop at you, but do you realise how infuriating it is, as a woman, to see the sentence "I think Mr. Hornby has been re- orientating himself in that direction since the pretty awful 'How To Be Good' with the exception of 31 songs."?

So, the shit book = for women and 31 songs = for men.

I feel the same about David Nicholls, to be honest. I really liked One Day, but I have no doubt that if it were written by Davina Nicholls or Louise Bagshawe it would be mere "chicklit", and not given the raves/adulation it has.

I get furious when I see yet another book packaged in pinks/purples with shoes and handbags on the cover (although I LOVE handbags. And shoes), so I do realise it is marketing, but it drives me mad to see women's book used as a synonym for shit book.

I've read War and Peace AND Bleak House, I'll have you know.

I've read a couple of Nick Hornby's books. I had the impression they were going to be fairly realistic stories, as articles about him and his books presented him as an ordinary bloke who didn't like "literary" novels. This was someone who wrote about day to day life and the situations that effect us all.

But what struck me about them was the contrived situations that they are based on - a man lives off the royalties he's inherited from a song written by his father, and pretends to have a son so he can get off with women at a single parents' group; four people meet when they are all about to commit suicide, stop each other and then continue to meet up to persuade each other to stay alive. They're almost fairy stories- they were mildly entertaining, but not at all what I expected.

I wish writers, publishers and marketers wouldn't categorise books as 'mens' or 'womens'. That's only appropriate for pants, trousers and toilets. A book is a book; some are romances, some are sci-fi,some are historical, some are bloody weird, and so forth.
In my view, Nick Hornby hasn't written a good one for ages.

I've read all of Nick Hornby's (aside from the football one) and about 4 of Tony Parsons'. I am what Adam & Joe refer to as a "he man" :)

on Backstreets with no mention of Hornby

SUMMER READING: DEBUT NOVEL FROM BACKSTREETS WRITER OUT NOW
B-sides and Broken Hearts is the first novel from regular Backstreets contributor Caryn Rose. Originally titled Joey Ramone is Dead, it tells the story of Lisa Simon, who, spurred by the death of one of her teenage heroes, examines her life with unexpected results. Early reviews say, "If you believe music changes lives, read this" and "THANK YOU for your book and letting me remember why I fell in love with music so many years ago."

Did we mention the main character is a Springsteen fan, and you'll find mentions of the Capitol Theater '78 show, the urinals at the Stone Pony, and Little Melvin and the Invaders in the book?

Not bad, but nothing out of the ordinary. Fairly standard chicklit storyline but with gigs, fanzines and lead singers instead of shoes, handbags and barristers.