One-tenth of Resolution No. 1 done

I stayed up way too late last night working on one of my resolutions. I finished reading the first of 10 books I want to make it through this year (Resolution No. 1.) It was a book I got for Christmas by one of my favorite authors, Nick Hornby, "Juliet, Naked."

I started it on the weekend, but of course, I didn't finish it. I spent the week trying to get to bed early so I would have a little more time to read before bed. I even took the book with me to work and read during my lunch hour on Monday.

It wasn't Hornby's best work, but it was a decent read. My favorite Hornby books have both been made into novels, "High Fidelity" and "About a Boy." Those two books just had fuller characters than "Juliet, Naked," but perhaps what made them more enjoyable was the happy ending at the end. The latest book is about three people in the middle of middle age - or nearly past it - who suddenly realize they have wasted 15 years of their lives. Duncan and Annie are an English couple who have never gotten married and just sort of fell into their relationship. Duncan is obsessed with a reclusive former musician from America and it puts a strain on his relationship with Annie. The musician manages to contact Annie, in the middle of his own brittle relationship. The sad thing is that although all three people seem to realize what a waste the last years have been, none of them end up doing anything to change it.

It was engaging enough, however, that I couldn't put it down last night as I got down to the last 50 pages. It's one of the reasons I don't read more books - I stick to magazines. And thanks to Hornby, I am not an extra two weeks behind on my "New Yorkers." I'll get back to those before I start the next novel in a couple weeks.