The Big Read

About eighteen months ago, one day I was bored. Yes, even I can be bored. I did a Google search for blogs about Border Collies..and I began to read. 

Somehow I ended up at Three Dog Blog a blog by Laurie Hertzel. What a treat for a reader, a blog about her part Border Collie Boscoe and Wild Boy Riley..and Toby..now there is a dog that will steal your heart. I can tear up just thinking about how much Laurie loved that dog. Laurie is a born and raised Minnesota gal who claims Duluth as her hometown. She and her husband Doug live in "the cities" now.  Everyone in Minnesota calls Minneapolis and St. Paul "the cities."

Laurie is a books editor for the Minneapolis Star Tribune. She is also a very talented writer, one thing led to another and soon I was reading her blog everyday..finding out what the boys were up to and following along with her life. Laurie was writing a book. She asked for opinions..well you all know by now that when someone asks for my opinion they will get it!! She would toss part of a chapter at us..I would give her feedback..just as a reader..I told her "I am not an editor, just a reader."

Laurie's book is due out in the fall. You can pre order it here.  ( How cool it that..Laurie is on Amazon!!)  I have a copy..a galley..which is an uncorrected copy as I have been asked along with others to review the book. It arrived from University of Minnesota Press yesterday.. I opened it slowly..the anticipation was almost too much to handle. I was so excited I nearly peed my pants, so I danced a little jig then I crossed my legs at the knees, while trying to read.  Far Guy said "Who sent you a book?" I had explained it to him before..so I quickly read aloud the first sixteen pages..he was patient..now in the next day or two or three I am going to settle in for the big read. After the big read which will probably be accompanied by just a few pieces of chocolate..I will prepare questions for the author. I will review the book for you later and blog about Laurie's answers to my well thought out questions closer to the publication date.

I spoke with my daughter the English Professor, I told her..Laurie's book is just like her blog. She said "Well of course Mother, writers scarcely change their footprint, they write in their established voice. If they changed their voice it would get too confusing."  I guess I never thought about it that way before. I have never reviewed a book before either..well maybe back in High School..forty years ago.  So I will look at it this way..I will just be telling my readers what I think about this book, honestly without restraint..just like I write my own blog everyday.

I am really looking forward to reading Laurie's book, it is titled News To Me  Adventures of an Accidental Journalist. (We got to give input on the name of the book too!) So far I can tell you this, reading her book is easy, she wrote her book the same way she writes her blog. With a Lauriesque style, with humor and grace, a real adventure and I have a ticket before almost everyone else.  I think it might be compared to waiting for your favorite dessert, which in my case is sour cream and raisin pie..being presented with a large piece and a fork ready to dive in and come up smiling:)