Nick Hornby's semi-regular monthly column for The Believer has always been about making literature accessible to the public; hence, his frequent assertions that he has been instructed to “play nice.” His mantra that reading books begets more books to read is refreshing to those of us with ever-increasing lists of books to read. Similarly, his monthly list of books bought, and books read, has helped normalize a guilty habit of many readers. Now, with his third and final collection of Believer columns, Hornby (perhaps) unintentionally follows the belief that reading leads to writing, and has chosen a title that offers comfort to aspiring writers everywhere: Shakespeare Wrote For Money.

Throughout his columns of August 2006 to September 2008, Hornby managed to tread the delicate line between offering insight without departing into overly formal analysis, while also personalizing his experiences with books without sounding trite. Readers often hear the back story as to why particular books were read or not read, and Hornby is honest enough to admit when outside interests take precedent. So, readers are treated to several diversionary tangents during the height of the European National and Club Soccer Championships.

The dominant and most endearing theme of this collection is Hornby’s discovery of “Young Adult” literature via David Almond’s Skellig. The summer of 2006 saw Hornby publish Slam, his own attempt at YA-lit, so one could suppose that Hornby’s endorsement of the genre serves a dual purpose. Nevertheless, his encounter with the Young Adult Library Services Association’s Alex Awards neatly summarizes his beliefs about books and reading: Great books should be both complicated and compelling, but never boring; twin traits that Hornby implies rarely appear together in many books sitting atop critics’ lists.

With both a new novel and screenplay in the works for 2009, it was not surprising to hear that Hornby’s time at The Believer had come to an end. But hopefully his easy and approachable “critic’s” style will find its way back in time.