The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

I love to read, but usually I prefer nonfiction.  I’ve made efforts to write fiction with very limited success.  I have had a couple of short stories published.  I found that writing fiction is intense, laborious and with few tangible rewards.  I am not sure I’m cut out for the solitude and the required rigor.  More importantly, most, if not all of fiction, seems contrived – which it is – more obvious when you’ve spent time in the trenches trying to do it.  It’s kind of fun to let your imagination run wild.  There is a certain cathartic effect.  However, fiction writing requires discipline in the extreme – particularly if you are attempting to write a novel.  I’m more the day-dreamer type.

That said, I have recently finished reading a fiction book that was recommended to me; and really enjoyed it.  The book is The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein.  I’m not sure this book would appeal to everyone.  After all, it's a story that was, for the most part, told by a dog.  It is not a children’s book.  Does that surprise you?  It is, nonetheless, a book that most readers would enjoy; and particularly those readers who have or love dogs.  Warning.  Some tears will be shed in this one.  At least, that is what happened to me.

The author lives in Seattle and there are a lot of references to the Northwest.

Give the book a try.  I don’t think that you will be disappointed.

True Nelson