STARTER FOR TEN (David Nicholls) - March 19/11

Another great book from David Nicholls. Nicholls has this amazing ability to wring authentic laughs out of authentic-sounding dialogue, so much so that I found myself stifling laughter on the subway. The characters are all incredibly vivid, and though it does seem fairly obvious that Brian is going to end up with Rebecca, the manner by which he does so is actually quite well done and not as hackneyed as I might've feared. The climactic trivia battle is incredibly exhilarating, as is the realization that Brian has answered before the question has been asked. A breezy, thoroughly entertaining novel. ***1/2 out of ****