First aired on Day 6 (21/05/11)

Books with buzz are very different from buzz-worthy books. Which is why Day 6 tackles the hottest reads around the world in their semi-regular series Should I Read It? Reading the biggest books of the moment so you don't have to, books columnist Becky Toyne gives you the inside scoop — and lets you know whether that latest award-winner or boffo bestseller is worth your time.

On her nightstand this time? Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award, A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan. Egan's fifth novel introduces readers to a collection of misfits in the music industry, all loosely connected through a fading music producer and his troubled former assistant. In depicting the inner lives and histories of her characters, Egan also paints a riveting portrait of contemporary society, one hinged on loss, missed opportunities and, above all, the ability to survive.

Toyne's verdict? Yes, you should read A Visit from the Goon Squad. In fact, everyone should.

"It appeals on so many levels. So many different people can come into the store where I work and I can say 'you would like this book.' There are teenagers in this book, there are old people in this book, there's everybody in between. If you're going to be a parent one day, if you're already a parent, if you like music, if you like books. If you like PowerPoint. There's so much to recommend."

A Visit from the Goon Squad

Jennifer Egan

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From Random House:

"Bennie is an aging former punk rocker and record executive. Sasha is the passionate, troubled young woman he employs. Here Jennifer Egan brilliantly reveals their pasts, along with the inner lives of a host of other characters whose paths intersect with theirs. With music pulsing on every page, A Visit from the Goon Squad is a startling, exhilarating novel of self-destruction and redemption..."

Read more at Random House