I�ve noticed a trend of late for book reviews to compare writers to Nick Hornby, who, in spite of How to be Good, remains a reliable pleaser. Today I came across an ad for How to Meet Cute Boys, a title that wouldn�t normally warrant a second glance, much less a first, save that the ad copy drew me in with the obligatory Nick Hornby comparison. Seems anyone who mentions popular music in passing gets compared to NH these days. Okay, I haven�t read the book, but I venture to guess the author�s taste cannot compare with that of the beloved NH. (Which just happens to appeal to my tastes, as well.) And aren�t we all a little bit tired of the endless pop culture references? If I�m going to plunk down my hard-earned cash, I want a book I will want to read again 5 years from now. One that I�ll get a bit more out of each time I read it.

In short, enough of the vapid chick lit books. There might be some good ones out there, and we all need airport/beach books, but let�s get a grip. What I can�t believe is that anyone would be brave enough to carry one about. You know how those book covers all look the same--pastel cartoon drawings of women with long legs and shoes. Mainly just the legs and shoes. Just as I wouldn�t carry around one of Fabio�s books, I can�t read these books. Not even if they compare the writing to NH. Cover designers and publishers take note. It�s getting lazy, tacky and boring.

This also in: snollygoster has been removed from the latest edition of the Merriam-Webster�s Collegiate Dictionary. I kid you not�I had a brief affair with that word in college, back when I�d read the dictionary in the mornings to avoid making conversation with the morning people in the old apartment. The satisfaction of saying �snollygoster� (which MS Word foolishly doesn�t recognize as a word at all) is rivaled only by such delights as �boondoggle.�