Nick at Night

Anyone with a soft spot for mix-tapes and wistful top-five lists is sure to have a soft spot for Nick Hornby. In 1995, the British author of “High Fidelity” shone a light on the charming side of neurotic and compulsive audiophiles; over a decade later, on this side of the pond, he'll celebrate the release of his ninth book. Hornby reads from "Slam" tonight at 6 at the Brookline Booksmith in Coolidge Corner. Tickets are $5 - save the rest of your money for dinner nearby (maybe at the Paris Creperie across the street) and books, of course. Published earlier this week, “Slam” is Hornby’s first work of young-adult lit, narrated by a boy from North London whose world goes awry when his girlfriend gets pregnant.

If you're unfamiliar with Hornby's other work, I suggest you start with “Songbook,” a collection of short stories the New York Times Book Review called the “prose equivalent of a mix-tape.”