British book club spotlights Nick Hornby

Is Oprah’s Book Club not blue-blooded enough for you? Are you itching to get away—say, to England?—from your neighbors and their never-ending discussion of The Da Vinci Code? Well, soar across the pond with Culture Vulture (Guardian Unlimited’s pop culture blog) and join a very British book club.

The Guardian’s Book Club features a particular book each month, with this month’s selection being A Long Way Down, by the ever-approachable Nick Hornby. Read this Whitbread-nominated dramedy about four folks with suicidal tendencies, and then check out the current book club column. Or vice versa.

We highly recommend listening to the Hornby interview (via podcast and download), which is available toward the bottom of the Culture Vulture post. The file takes a while to load, but it’s worth the wait when you get to hear Hornby genially discussing writing, profanity, literature, and his previous works (like High Fidelity or About a Boy, two of our favorites). Think of it as having this notable author taking part in your very own book club in your very own sitting room. (Tea and scones are recommended but not mandatory.)

If Hornby’s not quite grabbing you, never fear. You’ll find lots of outstanding authors featured in past months of the Guardian’s Book Club, like Hilary Mantel, Nicholas Shakespeare, John Banville, and Kazuo Ishiguro. Sounds like it’s time to give dame Oprah a rest, doesn’t it?