Recent content from Laurie Hertzel
Will they or won't they? 'Wake-Up Call' is a romcom so, yeah, they will
FICTION: It may be formulaic but Beth O'Leary's latest is fun, funny and sexy.
Claire Keegan, author of 'So Late in the Day,' is a writer you should be reading
FICTION: Three "tight, potent" stories explore the bonds between men and women.
Prof's memoir shows how he juggled academia and working at Surly's
NONFICTION: A St. Thomas professor found he needed some extra dough while on sabbatical.
Is there romance after grief? Yes, in Macalester grad's 'The Year of Second Chances'
FICTION: In a letter from the grave, her late husband urges a young widow to cannonball into the dating pool.
Review: 'Riveting' novel 'Strange Sally Diamond' takes an extreme look at nature vs. nurture
FICTION: Laurie Hertzel writes that the new psychological thriller provokes powerful feelings.
Review: A friend descends into violence, madness in riveting 'Best Minds'
NONFICTION: Jonathan Rosen writes about a fellow Yale student and his battles with schizophrenia.
Review: Between the spies and the class struggles, something's amiss in 'The Beach at Summerly'
FICTION: Young Emilia Winthrop enjoys glamorous island life. Until she doesn't.
8 picture books by Minnesota writers take young readers into a diverse world
These lovely books are a great addition to bookshelves.
Review: 'George: A Magpie Memoir,' by Frieda Hughes
NONFICTION: A poet rescues a young magpie chick, which proceeds to take over her life.
Our longtime books editor says goodbye — and keep reading
Books editor Laurie Hertzel says goodbye to the best job she's ever had.
Minneapolis writing fest Wordplay features Alexander Chee, Rebecca Makkai and 33 others
The summertime celebration of reading, writing and all things book moves from May to July.
The Puppy Chronicles: The clean plate club
Angus' behavior meds improved his behavior — but killed his appetite. What to do?
Looking for something great to read? Here are 5 new books to tempt you
Your choices include novels, poetry and memoir.
Stu Abraham is Kay Sexton Award winner
He'll be honored May 2 at the Minnesota Book Awards in St. Paul.
Serious Minneapolis author writes a comedy, and it's LOL funny
Bestselling Minneapolis author Curtis Sittenfeld realized during the pandemic that her next book needed to be fun. And it is.
Readers have a multitude of reasons why they keep the books they love
Bookmark: 'Miles of individual, wonderful words'
Review: 'A Village in the Third Reich,' by Julia Boyd and Angelika Patel
NONFICTION: An illuminating look at Hitler's rise to power and how it played out in one Bavarian village.
Review: 'Ghosts of the Orphanage,' by Christine Kenneally
NONFICTION: A harrowing exposé of child abuse and torture in Catholic orphanages of the 20th century.
Bookmark: 10 books set on the North Shore and elsewhere in northern Minnesota
Mid-March might not be the best time to go Up North, but it's a great time to read about being Up North.
Go on the road with Talking Volumes
William Kent Krueger and Drew Brockington will do events in Duluth and Rochester
Stuck inside? Here are three new books to make you feel like you're outdoors. Dogsledding, foraging, taking in the wonders of nature.
Bookmark: From tender to tough, thoughtful to dramatic, these books are steeped in nature in very different ways.
The Roald Dahl problem: Is it right to remove disturbing language from works of literature?
Once again, the books of Roald Dahl have been rewritten to remove words and phrases that might offend.
Review: 'The Hard Parts,' by Oksana Masters, with Cassidy Randall
NONFICTION: Born with a multitude of physical anamolies — including no thumbs or shinbones — Oksana Masters became an enormously successful athlete.
10 great books to read during Black History Month
These titles are great to read this month — and any month. Every month.
Is owning a lot of books a mark of middle-class smugness?
Bookmark: A columnist for the Guardian suggests it is, and she is getting rid of her own books.
Review: 'My Last Innocent Year,' by Daisy Alpert Florin
FICTION: An impressionable student falls into an affair with her college professor during the time of Clinton and Lewinsky.
Review: 'Maureen,' by Rachel Joyce
FICTION: The wife of the peripatetic Harold Fry goes on a pilgrimage in this sequel to Rachel Joyce's bestseller.
Bookmark: Poet Donte Collins reflects on 5 years of darkness and light
St. Paul's first Youth Poet Laureate is all grown up, and still creating moving poetry.
Finalists for the Minnesota Book Awards announced
Poet Sun Yung Shin is a finalist in two categories.
Minnesota writers, illustrator win awards
The annual American Library Association Youth Media Awards were announced Monday.
Carleton College professor ponders culture wars in the classroom
Deborah Appleman's new book is "Literature and the New Culture Wars: Triggers, Cancel Culture and the Teacher's Dilemma."
PEN America awards long list includes many Minnesota writers, publishers
Finalists to be announced in February.
Review: 'Unraveling,' by Peggy Orenstein
NONFICTION: Making a sweater from scratch — from shearing a sheep to dyeing the wool to knitting it up — is a project filled with lessons.
The Puppy Chronicles: Five years with Angus
The adorable puppy we adopted 5 years ago grew into a big, reactive dog. There were days when I despaired and days when I wept, but I never gave up on him.
Review: 'And Finally,' by Henry Marsh
NONFICTION: In his third memoir, Henry Marsh moves from being a doctor to becoming a patient. It's a difficult transition.
Bookmark: Nonfiction to watch for in 2023
Top history, memoir and other nonfiction for the first quarter of the year.
Bookmark: Fiction to look forward to in 2023
Top novels and story collections for the first quarter of the year.
Review: 'The Sisters Sweet,' by Elizabeth Weiss
FICTION: When a vaudeville twins act is broken up, the remaining girl must figure out how to move on.
Bookmark: Life's too short for boring books
Readers confess how much they read before giving up on a book.
56 great books to give as holiday gifts — or keep for yourself
Curl up somewhere cozy with these novels, books for kids and young adults, regional offerings, memoirs and histories.
10 tips for discussion at your book club, especially if you didn't like the book
Sometimes it's hard to talk about a book without alienating your friends.
Minneapolis poet Heid E. Erdrich wins Bobbitt Poetry Prize
The Library of Congress will honor her for "Little Big Bully" in December.
Louise Erdrich wins Berresford Prize
The $50,000 prize goes to people who have worked to champion other artists and writers.
