By Piper Simons

Next time you go to Barnes and Noble, skip the Teen Paranormal Romance section and go to the H shelf in Literature and Fiction. Pick up “Juliet, Naked” by Nick Hornby. “Juliet” is a quick read that has real-life dialogue with a quick-paced plot.

Duncan is a professor in his 40s who has an obsession with the fictional music artist Tucker Crowe. He and his girlfriend Annie travel to America from London to visit place’s he’s been to, including bathrooms he has used. Tucker Crowe has been out of the spotlight for decades now for unknown reasons. On their arrival home, they get a package containing Crowe’s first album in years. The album, called “Juliet, Naked”,  ends up putting Duncan and Annie’s whole relationship into question.

This book raises so many questions about what’s important in life and whom you should trust. Not only who you should trust, but who is worthy of spending your life with. Realizing that Tucker Crowe doesn’t exist in real life will make you want to cry because the whole book talks about how much of an impact his music has on people and you’ll want to experience it yourself. Hornby’s witty humor and obscure musical references combined with scenarios that are relatable to anyone makes this an enjoyable, heartfelt read. You won’t want to finish this book, you’ll slowly read the last few pages and wish you could just have one more chapter.

All of Hornby’s books are fantastic. If you like “Juliet, Naked” you’ll also enjoy “High Fidelity” and “About a Boy.”