Unseen Academicals, by Terry Pratchett

I know, I know, another Pratchett book. I can't help that he's great for washing my brain out, so to speak, after I've read something on the heavy side. Like all Discworld stories, this one is funny, smart, and poignant. The basic plot device is the (re)creation of football (otherwise known as soccer, to those of us in America), and I have to admit that it was a tiny bit boring. Luckily there were a couple other stories alongside that one that I did really enjoy, so that helped buoy it up. But among Pratchett books, this is not my favorite.